Copy of letter from owner of HSU on tuning that sub.


Hello, I thought I would share this info as it may help some
others.The Question was specific about tuning with my Yamaha
RX-V1000 but there is info for others in his responce also.
This is customer service!!
Question
I am trying to set up my Subwoofer with my Radio Shack SPL
Meter.
My Yamaha RXV-1000 receiver gives me choices of frequencies to
use to set it up Which do you recommend I use with the meter
to set my subwoofer?
Here are my Frequency choices. 35Hz, 39Hz, 44Hz, 50Hz, 56Hz,
63Hz, 70Hz, 79Hz, 88Hz, 99Hz, 111Hz, 125Hz, 140Hz,
157Hz,177Hz, 198Hz, 223Hz, 250Hz or WIDE.
I expect you will want me to use either Wide or one of the
lower choices here but not sure which? There was no choice for
the main & Surround speaker tone only LFE.
My speakers are set to 75db & I plan on setting the Subwoofer
to 85db.
I listen to Movies as well as music on my HT system. I am at
best a beginner & still learning. Tuning for me has been a
difficult experience. I started with my crossover set to 8
O’clock as you recommended. I have it now at the 9:30 position
& my volume at the 10 O’clock position.& Set for max
extension. So far this seems to be the best place for all
around listening.



Responce#1 from Po Hsu:
Are those test frequencies or crossover frequencies? Sounds
more like crossover frequencies. Can you FAX over the pages
that describes it? FAX to (714)666-9261.
You should not be setting the subwoofer 10 dB louder than the
main speakers. I would go for at most 3 dB louder. If the
levels can be set differently for each source, I would go for
3 dB higher for video sources compared to audio sources. I set
mine for flat response for music (75 dB for mains and sub),
and 3 dB hotter for the sub for HT.


Responce#2 from Po Hsu:
Got your FAX. I stand corrected. Its interesting that they
included a narrow bandwidth pink noise for testing the in-room
response. That is great. What you need to do is
1. Set the mains, center and surround to small and yes to
subwoofer.
2. Set the crossover switch on the VTF-2 to out.
3. Play the test tones from 35 Hz up to 88 Hz and see what
readings you get for each frequency. If the measurements are
fairly even, skip to step 5.
4. If the upper frequencies are too high, set the VTF-2
crossover to in and adjust the frequency control to get the
flattest response from 35 to 88 Hz.
5. Set the test frequency to wide. Adjust level of subwoofer
to get about 3 dB higher reading on the SPL meter than the
main speakers.
6. Switch to a stereo source (CD, for example). If you can set
the subwoofer level separately for each source, set the
subwoofer level 3 dB less than what you have set for the home
theater sources.
Too bad that Yamaha still refuse to give the user the
flexibility to select different crossover frequencies. You
stand a much better chance of getting a flatter response and
make better use of your speakers if they allow you to choose
the crossover frequency as well as the test tones. With your
large main speakers, I would have crossed over at 50 Hz or so.

An alternative is
1. Set the mains to large, and select to send all bass to both
the mains and the sub. Set the subwoofer level on the Yamaha
to -3 dB.
2. Set the crossover switch on the VTF-2 to in.
3. Play the test tones from 35 Hz up to 88 Hz and see what
readings you get for each frequency.
4. Adjust the frequency control and level control of the VTF-2
to get the flattest response from 35 to 88 Hz.
5. Set the subwoofer level to 0 dB for video sources, and - 3
dB for audio sources..


If you would like to view the entire thread as this person was having the same problem as you:

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htforum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42022


From the web site:

The VTF series changes all that. It allows you, the user, to choose the tradeoff. If you enjoy music that is loud but does not have much deep bass, set the VTF series for max output. That way, you get maximum dynamic range with the lowest distortion. If you like music with deep bass, set it for maximum bass extension to reproduce the deep bass accurately. You can even switch between the two modes depending on what you play. That means effectively you get a subwoofer that can play loudly, and can play low, all in one, at one low price!

Have you tried all the different setting/port combo's??





Last edited by Steve_C; 10/03/02 09:03 PM.