First subwoofer advice on my old setup (Monolith 10" sub)

Set front speakers to small.

What speaker levels did Audessey set the AVR to.

Ahh right i'll try that first for sure.

Sadly i was unable to fully complete the Audyssey, it does 9 different positions previously somebody mentioned just do 3 of these?

Maybe its not changing anything at all as i kept exiting the setup up. I am also adding a pair of atmos speakers at the weekend so didnt want to do the full thing as it was just a trial run of the sub if im honest.
As David says front speakers to small and LPF to 120hz. also subwoofer level adjust needs looking at maybe, with it on what options does it give you.

I'll change them too for sure. See above comments regards Audyssey
 
Hi @adamg64

Further to the advice of @DavidT & @kbfern

I've had a quick look through the pics you posted - which have proved helpful. These are my observations as to why you're underwhelmed by the sub atm. (Pleased to say it is fixable though!):

1. Physical connection of sub itself is fine ✅

2. The subwoofer level - currently 0dB - is not right imo. or put another way...

At 0dB should definitely be noticeable! If it's not its not correctly calibrated (see point 3.)

3. Your front speakers are currently set to "large". This needs changing to "small". The setting is mot related to the physical size of the speaker, but how it handles its frequency range.

"Large" - means those speakers are playing the full frequency range try can handle.

"Small" - means you can set an frequency crossover for the speakers.

This is important in a system with a sub as it is purposely designed to handle those lower frequencies better than even the largest floorstanders. By setting to large you are starving the sub of those low frequencies.

Here's what I'd do:

In the SVS app:

1. Make sure you set the "Low Pass Filter" to off (will be greyed out if set correct)
2. Set the volume on the sub itself to about 50%

On your AVR:

1. Recalibrate using the Audessey mic

Post calibration change/check the following (on the AVR):

1. Change any speakers designated as large to small
2. After doing this set the crossover for the front & centre to 80Hz
3. Make sure the LPF/LFE is set to 120Hz
4. Post calibration your sub dB level in the AVR should read between -5dB & -8dB range. If you find bass is either too much or lacking, this can be adjusted a few dB up or down. But do it on the AVR not the sub.

As an aside (and completely option), I'd consider changing your volume scale on the AVR from 0-98 to the dB option.

Hope this helps. If unsure of anything just ask!
 
Ahh right i'll try that first for sure.

Sadly i was unable to fully complete the Audyssey, it does 9 different positions previously somebody mentioned just do 3 of these?

Maybe its not changing anything at all as i kept exiting the setup up. I am also adding a pair of atmos speakers at the weekend so didnt want to do the full thing as it was just a trial run of the sub if im honest.


I'll change them too for sure. See above comments regards Audyssey
Definitely run the first 3 Audyssey positions.
 
Sadly i was unable to fully complete the Audyssey, it does 9 different positions previously somebody mentioned just do 3 of these?
Correct - run the first 3 to setup the sub. Do all 9 once you've setup the atmos speakers!
Maybe its not changing anything at all as i kept exiting the setup up. I am also adding a pair of atmos speakers at the weekend so didnt want to do the full thing as it was just a trial run of the sub if im honest.
That'll be what it is. See my reply Post #27 👍🏼

Edit: Once you've done this post the screenshots again.
 
Correct - run the first 3 to setup the sub. Do all 9 once you've setup the atmos speakers!

That'll be what it is. See my reply Post #27 👍🏼

Edit: Once you've done this post the screenshots again.

Thanks jester , David , KB for the input yesterday i was really struggling.

I seem to have turned a corner last night with it, playing around with the suggested settings still need to run the full auto setup and will do that at the weekend.

I am having slight issues that a noticed last night and also this morning.

Upon testing it with bass videos and intense action movies and scenes i had the volume ramped up and can notice the difference with the other speakers aswell as the added bass :)

I think i was expecting it to shake the foundations of the house tbh ha im such a noob.

But as i was saying still having an issue with a constant buzzing/feed emitting from the sub, only really noticed last night we are currently binge watching Big bang and noticed the noise as it was overly loud and narrowed it to the subwoofer not sure if its always there as i had the volume really high on testing it and once settled and watched Tv at a normal volume it was very annoying.
 
On the trim level in the avr speakers section what trim are you showing on the subwoofer?
 
Thanks jester , David , KB for the input yesterday i was really struggling.

I seem to have turned a corner last night with it, playing around with the suggested settings still need to run the full auto setup and will do that at the weekend.

I am having slight issues that a noticed last night and also this morning.

Upon testing it with bass videos and intense action movies and scenes i had the volume ramped up and can notice the difference with the other speakers aswell as the added bass :)

I think i was expecting it to shake the foundations of the house tbh ha im such a noob.

But as i was saying still having an issue with a constant buzzing/feed emitting from the sub, only really noticed last night we are currently binge watching Big bang and noticed the noise as it was overly loud and narrowed it to the subwoofer not sure if its always there as i had the volume really high on testing it and once settled and watched Tv at a normal volume it was very annoying.
Glad there's been progress/improvement!

Re the buzzing. I had this once from my SVS subs. I eventually found it was caused by the RCA & power cables being near the passive speaker wires. So we'll worth checking that. Make sure you don't have any power cables or speaker wire running over the RCA cable.

I also had to change my RCA cable to a good quality shielded one. I use these:


Edit: After a bit of careful & judicious cable management, the only "buzz" I got was from the impact of the LFE coming from the sub 🤣
 
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A few things to try which i will over the weekend when i finally complete that dam auto setup :D

Cant wait to get them atmos speaker up and running!

Regards the buzzing ive noticed especially on the big bang theory (if you are familiar with the show) between scenes theres like a whooshing sound and fine its very loud and noticeable and softens/settles but its very irritating.

I will recheck my wiring for overlapping but agreed my cable management currently is shocking, i still need to remove the Bi-amp cabling to singular thos cables are big bulky and very stiff.
 
On the trim level in the avr speakers section what trim are you showing on the subwoofer?

Not quite sure what that is and what sections it comes under?
 
@adamg64 did you get the sub dialed in and happy now?

Very happy , blown away in fact im more happy with the new additions for surround sound than i am with the upgraded TV :D (77" C1)

Wish i had done it years ago, the atmos speakers really add an extra dimension and the sub is amazing.

Just want to thank you and everybody else for the input :)



I finally ran the setup and this is my changes that were way out over my manual setup, for now i have left them as they are but does anybody think i should over ride anything? and make tweaks/changes?

Unsure why it decided to make my floorstanders Large tho after everybody told me to change them before the denon audyssey should i change them to small anyways?
 
Very happy , blown away in fact im more happy with the new additions for surround sound than i am with the upgraded TV :D (77" C1)

Wish i had done it years ago, the atmos speakers really add an extra dimension and the sub is amazing.

Just want to thank you and everybody else for the input :)



I finally ran the setup and this is my changes that were way out over my manual setup, for now i have left them as they are but does anybody think i should over ride anything? and make tweaks/changes?

Unsure why it decided to make my floorstanders Large tho after everybody told me to change them before the denon audyssey should i change them to small anyways?


The subwoofer gain is set too low (subwoofer level +1db), sadly you need to run the setup again as you would want to aim around -8db to -4db post Audussey. To save time and nerves just run the 3mic position setup. Make sure you use the cardboard stand for the mic (or tripod) and start from main listening place then either side of that within 30-50cm area. If you have couch against wall it´s advised to keep the mic slightly forward in all three mic spots. Naturally make sure the room is fully silent when you do this and get away from mic & speakers while it runs.

From the SVS quick guide:

"For connection to an AV Receiver, set the SB-1000 Pro volume to -10 in the app (on the rear panel, all but the last two lights illuminated). Set the low pass filter to LFE and the phase to 0 degrees, then run auto-set-up on the AV Receiver."

I assume the volume was higher when you run the setup?
 
Unsure why it decided to make my floorstanders Large tho after everybody told me to change them before the denon audyssey should i change them to small anyways?
Yes. In a 5.1 or above the crossover needs to be set at 80hz with the speakers set to small. Leaving them as large will have them receive a full signal. It may lead to boomy bass. You should also have the LFE set to LFE only and not LFE+Main.
 
The subwoofer gain is set too low (subwoofer level +1db), sadly you need to run the setup again as you would want to aim around -8db to -4db post Audussey. To save time and nerves just run the 3mic position setup. Make sure you use the cardboard stand for the mic (or tripod) and start from main listening place then either side of that within 30-50cm area. If you have couch against wall it´s advised to keep the mic slightly forward in all three mic spots. Naturally make sure the room is fully silent when you do this and get away from mic & speakers while it runs.

From the SVS quick guide:

"For connection to an AV Receiver, set the SB-1000 Pro volume to -10 in the app (on the rear panel, all but the last two lights illuminated). Set the low pass filter to LFE and the phase to 0 degrees, then run auto-set-up on the AV Receiver."

I assume the volume was higher when you run the setup?

opps i couldnt find my card board tripod so i just held it at my ear/head "Facepalm" i know.

I did have the SVS set to -20 in the app but it was giving off a "buzzing" noise while ideal very irritating i actually thought it was overlapping cable as i had a tidy and its deffo something in the settings whilst i was playing around. Ive up't it to -15 atm and the volume is two bars from full.
 
opps i couldnt find my card board tripod so i just held it at my ear/head "Facepalm" i know.
Invest in one of these. (Far better than the cardboard mic). Certainly better than holding it by hand 🤣😉

Microphone Stand, Ohuhu Tripod Mic Stand Boom with Mic Clips, Height Adjustable, Light Weight, Black Amazon product ASIN B00OZ9C9LK
I did have the SVS set to -20 in the app but it was giving off a "buzzing" noise while ideal very irritating i actually thought it was overlapping cable as i had a tidy and its deffo something in the settings whilst i was playing around. Ive up't it to -15 atm and the volume is two bars from full.
Fwiw - I had to set the volume on my SVS SB2000 PRO's to -24dB (in the SVS app), pre calibration. This was making glass cabinet doors vibrate - during the test tone being sent to the sub's! 😂 But crucially, it resulted in Audessey setting a post calibrated sub level of -8dB (in the AVR). Also the glass cabinet doors no longer vibrate 🤣
 
opps i couldnt find my card board tripod so i just held it at my ear/head "Facepalm" i know.

I did have the SVS set to -20 in the app but it was giving off a "buzzing" noise while ideal very irritating i actually thought it was overlapping cable as i had a tidy and its deffo something in the settings whilst i was playing around. Ive up't it to -15 atm and the volume is two bars from full.

Try to find it or order some boom arm mic stand and then run the setup cause you can fkk up the results doing silly things.
Amazon product ASIN B00OZ9C9LK

Why not do as the SVS manual says and set it -10db before you run the Audussey, they don´t write it for no reason. Try the SVS sub in other power outlet and see if the cables are too close other or something like that. It shouldn´t make buzzing noise, if it still does i would return it for dealer.
 
Invest in one of these. (Far better than the cardboard mic). Certainly better than holding it by hand 🤣😉

Microphone Stand, Ohuhu Tripod Mic Stand Boom with Mic Clips, Height Adjustable, Light Weight, Black Amazon product ASIN B00OZ9C9LK
Fwiw - I had to set the volume on my SVS SB2000 PRO's to -24dB (in the SVS app), pre calibration. This was making glass cabinet doors vibrate - during the test tone being sent to the sub's! 😂 But crucially, it resulted in Audessey setting a post calibrated sub level of -8dB (in the AVR). Also the glass cabinet doors no longer vibrate 🤣

We linked the same stand, i didn´t update the page before i posted. He must order the stand now. 😆

Your Denon (XT32) is much better as it shows the subwoofer reading on-screen so you will know it will come in the ball park for sure and with duals i assume you aimed 75db for both rather than higher 78db like with one. With the XT there is not that reading with the setup, just have to have to run and see. That´s why i always say run 3mic positions and re-check the subwoofer level.
I would go crazy running 8mic positions and finding it`s still not where i want it.. So annoying to listen those test tones 30min or what ever it takes with Audussey. 😣
 
I found the cardboard one and im gonna re-try the test in a few mins trying to clear the family out and up stairs ha.

ive not run any yet but i tried to just over ride some of the settings on the previous Audussey and seeting speakers to small and crossovers to 80hz etc and if im being honest it now sounds awful and not right :(

Im gonna drop the SVS sub to -10 and now run the setup again and check for the buzzing etc thats a real issue but wont judge anything else until i have re-run the setup.
 
I found the cardboard one and im gonna re-try the test in a few mins trying to clear the family out and up stairs ha.

ive not run any yet but i tried to just over ride some of the settings on the previous Audussey and seeting speakers to small and crossovers to 80hz etc and if im being honest it now sounds awful and not right :(

Im gonna drop the SVS sub to -10 and now run the setup again and check for the buzzing etc thats a real issue but wont judge anything else until i have re-run the setup.

Do the 3mic positions, don`t run full yet cause if you max out the sub level then you need to do it again.. It`s painfull. Do 3 and save time.
 
Her is my findings from last nights audessry, similar to last time tbh. apart from the sub huge changes.



i set it to -10 in the app and if you watch the video can see the issue im having, once again dropping the level to -20 in the app the issues goes away very confused with the sub feedback/buzzing noise.

Currently not tried any other ports.
 
Her is my findings from last nights audessry, similar to last time tbh. apart from the sub huge changes.



i set it to -10 in the app and if you watch the video can see the issue im having, once again dropping the level to -20 in the app the issues goes away very confused with the sub feedback/buzzing noise.

Currently not tried any other ports.


Ok now things looking better. You would change the mains to Small, bump up all speaker crossovers at least to 80hz. Normally people would reduce the -10db (SW level) figure by 3-6db depending of their taste of bass.

Contact SVS about the buzzing noise, it doesn´t sound normal. Describe the issue carefully and link the video with sound for them too! SVS has best support service so you will get fast reply.

[email protected]
 
In addition to the above advice. Make sure you use a good quality shielded RCA cable to connect the sub
 
In addition to the above advice. Make sure you use a good quality shielded RCA cable to connect the sub

The cable is brand new but around 12 years old i bought it as i intended to add a sub at the time before my original setup in my old flat.

It was quiet a thick cable so imagine it would be shielded for sure.

I have contacted SVS for now see if they can offer any advice.

Would the sub still work in the secondary sub connector on the amp?
 
This is SVS repsonse.

Thinking he got my amp mixed up??

"
Hi Adam -

You have XT32, so follow the subwoofer level matching step at the beginning of running Audyssey and it will play a rumble tone and display an SPL meter on the screen. Adjust the subwoofer volume until the SPL meter reads 75 dB. Then the AVR sub channel level after Audyssey runs will be at/near 0 dB.

After Audyssey runs, make sure all speakers are set to Small and there are no crossovers deeper than 60 Hz. From your screen shots the fronts need to change - so go small/60 Hz on those. If the other channels are already set to Small/60 Hz or higher, then leave them 'as is'.

The subwoofer mode should be changed to LFE and the LPF/LFE should be set to 120 Hz.

Under Audio/Audyssey, leave XT32 set to Reference, leave Dynamic EQ enabled, and disable Dynamic Volume.

After you make these changes, if you need more output from the subwoofer channel, then use the app to slowly increase the subwoofer volume. Increasing 2-3 dB over the XT32 level match is typical/common. Avoid running the sub more than 4 dB hotter than the level match, as this will consume available dynamic headroom and increase the potential to drive the subwoofer into compression on demanding passages.

Regarding the buzzing sound you referenced below - your link is broken - please send it again and I'll have a listen.

Thanks and looking forward to your reply.
Best regards,"
 

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