With my very limited experience in dealing with subs, they appear to be inordinately difficult to adjust. The following question may have already been addressed, but is this a job for a parametric equalizer?

Absolutely.

People swear by the Velodyne SMS-1. Also, you could consider a Behringer Feedback Destroyer, especially mated to a laptop with Room EQ Wizard (free software) and a midi interface like the Edirol UM-1X or the M-Audio UNO.

Here is a good link at Home Theater Shack if you have the time and desire to learn more.

The Behringer solution is less capable, less elegant and far geekier than an SMS-1, but costs about $200 instead of $600. It made a difference in my room, and I enjoyed the process.

Remember, though, all that any equalizer can do is CUT specified frequencies at a certain width. If you have big, nasty nulls, you just need another sub. Or you need to move out of Mark S. Johnson's square house.

Thanks for the links. Two weeks ago, I spent 12 hrs. trying to set up a sub, which ultimately I sent back. I thought there must be an easier way, and stumbled on the BFD. Since I had never heard anyone on this Forum talking about it, or parametric or graphic equalizers in general, I thought its purpose was something other than I wanted to use it for - hence the question.

Eric, you didn't specifically describe what problem in "adjusting" the sub you were having. If it's setting the crossover point or the level, then no, equalizers don't do that. They attempt to at least partially correct for room influences on the frequency response in the bass area.

Can you expand on what you did for 12 hours that didn't work? Also, before you spend money on any equilizer type equipment, the best way to get best bass performance is with proper placement, calibration, AND acoustic treatments. Still, if you insist on getting something, I would recommend the Velodyne SMS-1 over the BFD. My guess your problem is related to room characteristics, placement, calibration, or all of the above.

He's got a couple of threads that detail the efforts.

Hi JohnK: I never got the sub to sound good, which in anger, led me to the conclusion that subs were made for HT, where the more distorted the sound is, the better people like it. I think I may have said this before, but if the theaters can't get cinema to sound good, what chance does the average person have?

After N! (factorial) combinations of hookups, I got one classical CD to sound a little bit decent. I put in a rock 'n roll CD, and it sounded horrible. Thus far, the bass on the M60's blow away the sub I sampled.

All this has lead me to do a lot of reading before I buy another one.

Sirquack: My room has furniture which is fixed, leaving one location for speakers and subs. The speakers and subs refuse to negotiate! The room does not lend itself to acoustic treatments (we sound like home decorators), and if it did, I would never put them up - they remind me of the egg-crate people in the 70's. I think if you have to put up treatments, you have major problems - rip the room down and start again (take it easy - just venting). I think a parametric equalizer, that magnificent piece of electronics used in the 70's, and now 35 years later making a resurrgence, might be a sensible and cheap solution. I'm not buying anything until I do a lot of research to find the most sensible solution. While the Velodyne may be a good solution, it appears ridiculously priced, and the flow seems to be going with Behringer. http://www.behringer.com/

If this Email comes off as cocky, it is certainly unintentional.