Subwoofer not very evident when playing music.....

[SpeckNI]

Have a new system with a Onkyo TX-RZ50 and a SVS-PB2000PRO subwoofer connected through the LFE channel. Have my front Klipsch Rp-8000F speakers set at 40 khz crossover which is where most of the stereo music sound comes from, so I'm wondering if there just isn't that much music in popular genres with sounds lower than 40 khz for the subwoofer to produce? After running the Dirac software that came with the Onkyo, I did notice that it lowered the subwoofer sound output to around -12 or so which I've subsequently lifted back up to around 0. Movies sound great with the subwoofer so that's why I'm thinking that there's just not much really low sounds in every day music....just looking for opinions.

 

[ddude003]

You might try setting your main speakers to large (no crossover) and use the low pass on the sub... Try a range from 40hz to 60hz and see what that might bring... Several musical instruments have notes or harmonics below 40hz...

 

[AudiocRaver]

Most music does not have much going on below 40 Hz, (I assume you meant 40 Hz, not 40 kHz). There are certain tracks, like the opening tracks on the Time Warp album by the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and particular artists like Yellow, who do electronic pop, that can give you strong low frequencies to test with, but in general, there is not much in most music that goes that low. You might even see your sub do its auto shutoff for tracks at a time.

 

[SpeckNI]

Yes, sorry, did mean 40 Hz....thanks guys.

 

[ddude003]

Here is a cool little chart that gives you some idea of what frequencie ranges some musical instruments have...

Interactive Frequency Chart - Independent Recording Network

alexiy.nl

The A string on the Bass is 55Hz. One octave below that is the low A on a piano at 27.5Hz. The Low B string on a 5 or 6 string bass is about 31Hz... Pipe Organs and Synths can dig down that low too... House, Trance and some Hiphop use that chest pounding extra low bass...

 

[SpeckNI]

Very interesting info....thanks!

 

[highstream]

Does the music sound more complete with the sub? Properly set, it should although you should not hear the sub — unless you want to. That said, recording quality and types of music vary. You might leave the Dirac aside and see what happens setting it by ear. There are some good guides and videos online.

 

[BenToronto]

The A string on the Bass is 55Hz. One octave below that is the low A on a piano at 27.5Hz. The Low B string on a 5 or 6 string bass is about 31Hz... Pipe Organs and Synths can dig down that low too... House, Trance and some Hiphop use that chest pounding extra low bass...

That old chart shows what is the official definition of notes or freq that sometimes are made with that instrument in small volumes. Reality - esp for piano - can be different for low notes.

Most of that real powerful chest-thumping feeling is 65-85 Hz, an opinion based on decades of real-time fast Fourier analysis checking. Quite an education to check your favourite bass-filled recordings or acoustic instruments and discover how rare it is to have content below 40 Hz.

 

[BenToronto]

Have a new system.........just looking for opinions.

Assuming your set-up and ears are OK, it is a fact well-known among experienced listeners that EQ'ing a system for flat will make it sound truly blah. The bass needs to be cranked up quite a bit to be satisfying. "Flat" is a wannabee-engineer notion not the same as human perception.

B.

 

[highstream]

Assuming your set-up and ears are OK, it is a fact well-known among experienced listeners that EQ'ing a system for flat will make it sound truly blah. The bass needs to be cranked up quite a bit to be satisfying. "Flat" is a wannabee-engineer notion not the same as human perception.

B.

Yes, forced flat is not good. Cranking up the bass is the opposite of what audiophiles do. When properly adjusted and with decent recordings, the sub bass should be continuous with what’s above it, i.e., not standing out unless it’s in the recording. And the idea that there aren’t harmonics, or undertones, that are readily audible when comparing sub vs. no sub, is not correct.

 

[BenToronto]

Yes, forced flat is not good. Cranking up the bass is the opposite of what audiophiles do. When properly adjusted and with decent recordings, the sub bass should be continuous with what’s above it, i.e., not standing out unless it’s in the recording. And the idea that there aren’t harmonics, or undertones, that are readily audible when comparing sub vs. no sub, is not correct.

For sure, neither I nor anybody in their right mind would suggest boosting the sub-woofer volume control without ensuring smooth transition into the next speaker range and beyond.

I'm having some trouble understanding if you think audiophiles don't touch the bass, or "force" it, or crank it, or what? What do you mean by "continuous"?

B.

 

[highstream]

If you can pick out the sub(s) on decent wide range recordings, it’s not continuous. In a good music set up, the goal is that the speakers disappear, main and subs.

 

[ddude003]

That old chart shows what is the official definition of notes or freq that sometimes are made with that instrument in small volumes. Reality - esp for piano - can be different for low notes.

Most of that real powerful chest-thumping feeling is 65-85 Hz, an opinion based on decades of real-time fast Fourier analysis checking. Quite an education to check your favourite bass-filled recordings or acoustic instruments and discover how rare it is to have content below 40 Hz.

If you want to limit or cut below 40hz then have at it... I prefer to take what is given in music all the way down to 25hz to 30hz...
For the OP, try and cut everything below 40Hz and see how it sounds...
BTY Fourier has nothing on Maxwell...

 

[Head_Unit]

After running the Dirac software that came with the Onkyo, I did notice that it lowered the subwoofer sound output to around -12 or so which I've subsequently lifted back up to around 0. Movies sound great with the subwoofer so that's why I'm thinking that there's just not much really low sounds in every day music...

- It shouldn't be necessary to turn the sub up 12 dB. I'd rerun that, and if the same result comes, post for help in Forums and/or contact Onkyo or Dirac. Try running a sweep tone, if the low bass is way louder than the mid-bass then yeah 0 is too loud.
- No there's not so much super low frequencies in music. The lowest note on a bass is like 41 Hz.
- Be sure you're not succumbing to "where's my subwoofer-itis" aka the desire to always hear this subwoofer you paid money for. It shouldn't really BE noticeable, unless you turn it off. Try that while playing music.

 

[highstream]

The red color represents the fundamental frequencies of each specific instrument while the yellows signify their harmonics. Low fundamentals are the blacks on the left while the black surrounded by reds represents Air.

 

[SpeckNI]

You might try setting your main speakers to large (no crossover) and use the low pass on the sub... Try a range from 40hz to 60hz and see what that might bring... Several musical instruments have notes or harmonics below 40hz...

Thanks for the input guys....for whatever reason, changing the main speakers from just 40 Hz and above setting to large brought out the sub sound in music so I was able to adjust the sub back down to regular levels.