Hz Level Controls

[paulo m]

With all the recent talk about adding subs to systems in order to achieve better bass control and tightness, how far did you go playing around with the Hz Level Controls on the back of your speakers?

As for myself, I listened to mine in the 0 dB position for a long time and a few months ago decided to try them on the -2 dB position. I feel that in the -2 dB position I got some additional "fluidity" to the sound, which is a reasonable consequence and shows I probably have a room mode with a peak around some multiple of 35 Hz. Since I put the panels in place and started playing with positioning (thanks to all good advice in a recent thread) I've reset them to 0 dB to again see how the speakers behave in their neutral setting. I'll leave it there for a while since I believe this is the sort of evaluation that requires many listening sessions to reacquaint the ear.

 

[roberto]

With all the recent talk about adding subs to systems in order to achieve better bass control and tightness, how far did you go playing around with the Hz Level Controls on the back of your speakers?

As for myself, I listened to mine in the 0 dB position for a long time and a few months ago decided to try them on the -2 dB position. I feel that in the -2 dB position I got some additional "fluidity" to the sound, which is a reasonable consequence and shows I probably have a room mode with a peak around some multiple of 35 Hz. Since I put the panels in place and started playing with positioning (thanks to all good advice in a recent thread) I've reset them to 0 dB to again see how the speakers behave in their neutral setting. I'll leave it there for a while since I believe this is the sort of evaluation that requires many listening sessions to reacquaint the ear.

Hola Paolo. IMHO I think it depends of your room and your liking. I am like you...I rather have better control of bass and having a great stage than too many bass energy in my room. Some here love big bass...and it is ok. I depends a lot of your liking. Believe me when I say that I do like it but just a little bit...sometimes I think I am in the order of -5 or 6 dBs @ 35Hz. Do what your ears tell you to do...trust them!...they are the best test instrument available, regardless of price!...they listen things that no test instrument can test...example...feeling...how can you measure a feeling? I mean when playing a musical instrument, you have your own and only way of playing...your feeling. Only Vladimir Horowitz can play that song with his feeling or Arthur Rubinstain...even that both are playing the same song, you know who is who...how can you measure that?...your ears tell!...happy listening,
Roberto.

 

[paulo m]

Hola Paolo. IMHO I think it depends of your room and your liking. I am like you...I rather have better control of bass and having a great stage than too many bass energy in my room. Some here love big bass...and it is ok. I depends a lot of your liking. Believe me when I say that I do like it but just a little bit...sometimes I think I am in the order of -5 or 6 dBs @ 35Hz. Do what your ears tell you to do...trust them!...they are the best test instrument available, regardless of price!...they listen things that no test instrument can test...example...feeling...how can you measure a feeling? I mean when playing a musical instrument, you have your own and only way of playing...your feeling. Only Vladimir Horowitz can play that song with his feeling or Arthur Rubinstain...even that both are playing the same song, you know who is who...how can you measure that?...your ears tell!...happy listening,
Roberto.

Indeed, don Roberto! It's the sort of thing I'd trust my ears with--that and all talk about cables = snake oil. While the physicist in me agrees with the reasoning expounded by some bright minds out there in following only what can be measured, I have to yield to my ears when they say "I prefer this cable rather than that one." Or even when I decided to experiment with lifting the cables off the floor and was amazed at the improvement!

 

[roberto]

Indeed, don Roberto! It's the sort of thing I'd trust my ears with--that and all talk about cables = snake oil. While the physicist in me agrees with the reasoning expounded by some bright minds out there in following only what can be measured, I have to yield to my ears when they say "I prefer this cable rather than that one." Or even when I decided to experiment with lifting the cables off the floor and was amazed at the improvement!

As Physicist as you are, you do kwow that you have to deal in a cable with capacitance, inductance and resistance. If you feed a singnal through a cable and look it at on oscilloscope, only three feet of cable size, you will see also, why there is a sound change. Don´t think a cable just as an interfase...think it as another component of your system. Also, silver cable is brigther than copper, so, instead of using an equalizer, you can tune your system with cables...there are some good for highs, others are very good at bass or mid-range...and listening and mixing sometimes, you will have the sound that you are looking for. As always, trust your ears...happy listening,
Roberto.