Subwoofer volume query - Overclock.net

patwa · 03-02-06

Hi all. Sorry for the spelling here it's been a hectic day never knew starting a business could be so tiring.

Anyways, looking for suggestions for the subwoofer to speaker volume ration for optimum effect.

Sound card is a creative audigy 2 and speakers ar the creative p5800 5.1's.

room is a standard average household bedroom with speakers arranged in a 5.1 config.

Thanks a lot and much appreciated. Sorry for the rush once again in a bus on the wireless at the mo.

Hussein.l

Double Helix · 03-02-06

you wanna set a bass crossover if possible, most 5.1 systems have silly little speakers so they wont handle the loz end stuff without distorting. you are best off if you can setting up some kind of crossover if you can, i dont know if it is possible with the audigy 2 cards.

tuchan · 03-02-06

Setting a sub up can be a bit of hit and miss. Generally the rule of thumb is set the crossover so when you are playing say a movie and there is a vocal track running, make the vocals so you can just hear them out of the sub. Depending on the sound track or vocal line and the over-all mix down this can and will vary almost every time you play something different. Say you want it set for gaming and its Battlefield 2, you would set the crossover to a higher cut-off say maybe 100Hz or more so you get the effects of the guns and the tanks driving around. For instance you could cut out the turrent sound by setting the crossover to only play sounds which are very deep and under say 30Hz. Enough to make your windows fall out with enough power!! Trial and error is the key. For more of a bass feel and volume place the sub box in a corner, this will give a more full sound, but putting the box in the centre of the room will have a much clearer sound and have more of a kick compared to the boom of a corner. Give it a go.

patwa · 03-02-06

Hi there and thanks for the reply. Another quickie from me hehe things never end. I'm more of a music guy (volume = power lol) so what would you recommend for that? I currently have 100% on the sliders for general volume, and 50% on the sub. And as for the grpahics equalizer I don't really have a clue for that, just have it set on drum and bass, with the EAX set to Concert Hall and CMSS 3D to Surround Sound. The sub is in the corner.

What do you think? How can I get the max out of this thing? Any suggested specs? Thanks much for all your help.

Hussein.

frostbite · 03-02-06

Well I have the the sliders set so the sound comes out of each speaker at the same volume

tuchan · 03-02-06

Having the EQ set on drum and bass will most probably loose all of the top end sounds. Try setting it on a flat line and then tweak here and there to suit your sound taste. or just tweak the factory settings. You will hear if there is too much sound output to the amp as it will distort at even a low volume level. there is nothing wrong with having the output at 100% as long as you dont have things like drum and bass set so it overloads the output signal or the input signal to the amp. You might also have an auto leveling control there, like a normaliser, so most sounds are around the same level and it wont overload. When set up correctly you want that turned off. Tweak and enjoy

If you fill in your system specs we know what we are working with, its under "user cp" at the top of the page.

Double Helix · 03-02-06

If you are mostly listening to music, i'd actually suggest using a pair of fat speakers, instead of a 5.1 setup. If you are looking for pure volume and clarity, you wont get much past average on a full 5.1 setup. My equalizer looks like this:

--_____--
and my bass and treble are at 75-85 percent, depending on what im doing.

patwa · 03-02-06

Hello. system specs updated as requested - hadn't noticed that option before.

What is a crossover? Sorry but I'm relatively new to this sound thing - strange as I love composing music! Sadly I've only been able to do that in my head as I'm saving up for a good keyboard but back to the issue at hand.

By setting everything to a line, I presume you mean just going into the graphics equalizer, restoring the default settings so the levers are all 'in a line' and then tweaking from there?

As for the speaker suggestion, thanks for that, but as I spent nearly $90 (ordered online from the US) on them, and I do sometimes watch DVDs and do gaming though not nearly as often as I listen to music which is every day, I'm reluctant to dismantle them, not to mention I have all the extended speaker cables and things nicely hidden away and all. But tweaking the settings to get that 'wow' factor is just what i'm looking for.

I'll consider moving the sub, though I'm still confused about whether corner or center is best. To give you some more idea of where everything is, my desk is right next to the sub in the corner (let's call it top left) and my bed is in the bottom left corner. Moving the sub to the 'center' of the room would mean it it would be to the right of my desk, and sort of at an angle to me when in bed.

Thanks.

Double Helix · 03-02-06

A crossover is something that blocks certain frequencies on each of your speakers from geting through. It basicly makes your sub handle the low end stuff and not have to struggle with trebly stuff, and vice versa. There should be some kind of crossover support in your audigy settings, else there must be some kind of prog that will do it. I know that i have the setting on my x-fi card. Short of that, those subs usually have some kind of "bass level" setting, that might help.

patwa · 03-02-06

Thanks I'll give it a look through.

Hussein.

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Subwoofer volume query

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