Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Impressions on my new EP-500

I put together a dedicated HT room past summer in a 2500 cubic foot room with 2 M80s, a VP-150, and four Michaura M55s. I was quite happy with this set-up but wondered if I was missing something by not having a subwoofer. After reading endless discussions and reviews, I bought the EP-500 two weeks ago. I wanted to post my experience here in order to help those who may be considering this sub and to also express my gratitude to Ajax (Jack), jakeman (John), and dllewel (Dave) in graciously helping me to set it up properly.

I initially placed the sub between the right front and center speakers, put the source amp at -5dB for the LFE, set all speakers to small, switched the sub to flat mode, and then calibrated the sub to 73dB with the RS SPL meter (not 75dB because of the 2dB underestimate for low frequencies associted with this meter; in my opinion, the variability from meter to meter probably makes this subtle, but well known, discrepancy unnecessary). The sub ended up with its volume between 6-7 o'clock. This is apparently where most people end up with this sub's volume knob. To my dismay, the bass did not seem to be significantly better than when LFE was assigned to M80s before the sub. Turning up the volume on either the source amp or the sub caused rattling of the room without satisfactory bass. I was advised (all of the advise was from the three guys above) to place the sub in the primary listening position and then listen from potential spots where the sub could be placed. I had heard about the importance of placement for subs, but did not realize how important this indeed was; I ended up placing the sub behind the center channel (which sits on a stand located below a projection screen), equal distance from each of the M80s. I re-calibrated each speaker and sub again, and was happy to find out that this spot improved the bass effect. However, the improvement did not seem to be worth $1200. I was then advised to use the different EQ settings on the sub designed for different size rooms; Axiom recommends full for small, half for average, and flat for large rooms but does not go into detail about what these room sizes are. I picked up a few DVDs with reportedly good bass and listened to the same scenes at all 3 settings. It was clear that the half setting was the best for my room as it significantly tightened the bass without the rattling. With the sub in its optimum position and set to half, I now think the EP-500 justifies its cost. The take home message for me was that the placement and calibration of the subwoofer, including its room settings, were paramount in extracting its prodigious power fruitfully. Again, I would like to thank Dave, Jack, and John for their immensely valuable advice and look forward to learning from all of you in this forum.

John

John, welcome, and since I figure that there's room for yet another John in this discussion(how did Dave get into this?), let me also emphasize how significant the trim setting adjustment can be. I found that it did in fact vary with room size and location within the room. In my room where I've placed it now with my M22s(smaller room than yours)the "Full" trim setting was clearly the best to balance the room gain. Glad to hear that your calibration has been worked-out. Enjoy.

You're most welcome, John, but I'm certain my contribution was insignificant compared to John's and Dave's (How did a "Dave" get in on this ) Integrating a subwoofer into a system can be a challenge, but well worth the effort. I'm so glad you finally got things dialed in to your satisfaction. Bravo!

Given name = John, but please call me.......

Great stuff John and glad to help. The EP500 is truly one of the finest subs around but like all equipment it needs careful installation and adjustment to perform. Given the size of your room you were likely getting huge boundary reinforcement in the 20-30hz zone which was causing the rattling and making the rest of the band sound quiet in comparison.

One of the nicest features of that sub is the trim control which boosts output above 33hz. As you get used to the sub it may be worth going back and forth with the full and half setting. A full setting may give you a more level response but its hard to say without graphing the room with test tones, a metre and pencil and paper.

Thank you for the follow ups. As I was writing "Ajax, " "jakeman," and "dllewel", I couldn't help but laugh a little as they reminded me of the call signs "Maverick," "Goose", and "Iceman" in Top Gun. The EP-500 is indeed a great subwoofer but I needed a lot of hand-holding by these three guys to set it up properly.

My wife has always been on my case with the HT room ever since its inception. I have developed a numbness for such comments like "what are you buying again this time?", "I hate that room of yours," "you spend more time on that room than on your family...", etc. She would really be as happy watching a decent movie on a 35" TV with nothing else as she would watching a movie on a large projection screen with a full sound setup. For these reasons, I think she gave the EP-500 its biggest tribute ever when I asked her what she thought of it after a movie; she said the sub gave more "body" to the movie; she said there was more "character" than before. We had watched The Guardian past weekend, and indeed there was a sense of realism that was missing before; it seemed as though we were watching the rescue scenes in the ocean from a nearby ship and feeling the powerful waves, the wind, and the air being forced down from the helicopter's propellers. I think I like the EP-500 more with every movie. My only concern now is that I don't know what to buy next for the HT room.

John

Glad to hear you and your wife are both happy with the investment of the EP500. John and I excchanged a couple of PMs on the subject where we talked about phase, placement and the trim settings.

I have watched the live graph on my SMS-1 while trying the different trim settings visually saw the difference. It adds an EQ boost in the upper bass, and should be used when the boost is needed to match the subs lower end.

As John mentioned, critical listening to some music with varying bass notes can help determine the most pleasing/even sounding setting for your room.

Happy listening and welcome to the family