Anyone use the wireless kit from Martin Logan? The SWT-X Wireless Subwoofer Kit

[Robert D]

MartinLogan | SWT-X Wireless Subwoofer Kit

www.martinlogan.com

Im considering adding a 2nd subwoofer behind my couch, close to it so as to act as a near field sub. I see that Martin Logan has a nice looking wireless kit that works with their sub woofers. Im thinking set up a Dynamo 1100x with this kit. How dependable is it, and how does it sound? Ive never used a wireless speaker before.

My other sub is a Martin Logan BF 210 at the right front area. Im thinking the 1100X should be plenty for a near field sub since I already have the BF210. Right now the bass is pretty good, but id like to be able to feel the bass more during music and movies. Right now I can feel it a bit, but not much.

 

[ttocs]

I use the wireless system from Emotiva called VSUB. Probably very similar, but with single connections vs dual for the RCA cabling. It works very well. I've been using it for several years.

Keep in mind that the SWT-X system is ONLY for the specific ML subs with the proprietary slot. As such, I'd go with the newer version that is compatible with any sub, the SWT-2.

 

[msimanyi]

I'm using the ML Wireless kit - I believe the SWT-X - on my 1100x at the back of my room, and I have two BF210s wired at the front. It all works quite well together. Unless there's some issue with the SWT-2 that ttocs mentions, it seems that's a more flexible solution.

The transmitter is in my electronics closet, behind a wall, about 30' from the sub to which it's intended to connect. I've never had any issues.

 

[Robert D]

I'm using the ML Wireless kit - I believe the SWT-X - on my 1100x at the back of my room, and I have two BF210s wired at the front. It all works quite well together. Unless there's some issue with the SWT-2 that ttocs mentions, it seems that's a more flexible solution.

The transmitter is in my electronics closet, behind a wall, about 30' from the sub to which it's intended to connect. I've never had any issues.

Sounds good. I like the idea of having the nice small SWT-X plugged into the sub and not needing a power plug for it. Less wires to trip on and no additional RCA needed. I will have to run a power cord a short distance from the rear wall to the sub. Probably about 4 feet. Its hardwood floor and I figure I'll just throw a small carpet over it so nobody trips on it. It's behind the couch in an area people rarely go anyhow.

My receiver will be only about 22 feet from the transmitter.

 

[Russr]

Anyone know if these devices introduce phasing problems? I assume there's SOME kind of lag due to wireless connection?

Russ

 

[Robert D]

Anyone know if these devices introduce phasing problems? I assume there's SOME kind of lag due to wireless connection?

Russ

That's my worry, but it seems the software is able to deal with it otherwise it would be horrible.

 

[Robert D]

When setting up a near field sub that's behind the couch, where do I set up the mic for the PBK? Would I set the stand at ear height on the couch? That's where I'm guessing, but I'm unsure. The couch is absorbing a lot of the sound I think, so I'm wondering how PBK works with that.

 

[msimanyi]

That would be my guess too Robert, regarding the PBK mic location.

@Russr, if it did, it wasn't anything outside the control of the room correction I used.

I used ARC on all the subwoofers, then used Multi-Sub Optimizer and set up the details in my MiniDSP based on that, then finally ran Dirac room correction on my processor. I *don't* use Dirac when I'm listening to two-channel music.

 

[Rascal]

MartinLogan | SWT-X Wireless Subwoofer Kit

www.martinlogan.com

Im considering adding a 2nd subwoofer behind my couch, close to it so as to act as a near field sub. I see that Martin Logan has a nice looking wireless kit that works with their sub woofers. Im thinking set up a Dynamo 1100x with this kit. How dependable is it, and how does it sound? Ive never used a wireless speaker before.

My other sub is a Martin Logan BF 210 at the right front area. Im thinking the 1100X should be plenty for a near field sub since I already have the BF210. Right now the bass is pretty good, but id like to be able to feel the bass more during music and movies. Right now I can feel it a bit, but not much.

Hi. Rascal here.

I own and use this very combination and it works superbly in what would be an otherwise impossible room.

The interface has no sound!. The Dynamo 1100x is awesome. Mine is, like you're proposing, located just behind the center sofa. I have my driver firing down -- the unit resembles a table. It is truly a stellar butt shaker. The smartphone app makes setting up, calibrating and adjusting the 1100x a breeze. I would never consider a subwoofer again without this sort of capability. The app uses the phone's own microphone to measure the sound in the active field. In effect, the woofer plus app have their own room compensation system.

The interface, once set up, is truly invisible. It works as well as a direct connect -- but without needing one!

Also have a Balanced Force sub located in a corner. the Dynamo 1100x works well with it. The Dynamo is far easier to set up and adjust.

My Denon provides two separate ports for sub use. I run one to the BF-210 and the other to the wireless interface for the 1100x. If I really want to do overall room tuning via the Denon's own software and dealing with the two subs separately, I can, but frankly, it's overkilll. For what you're proposing, the 1100x phone app will handle the setup and operation for the new addition very well.

The 1100x Dynamo and the wireless interface combined cost me one-third what I spent on the CF210 -- a little over $1K. (It was a few years ago). It (sub plus interface) was sold as a bundle. The result is highly competitive with highly rated good working units from other vendors. A great Martin Logan achievement

 

[Rascal]

Anyone know if these devices introduce phasing problems? I assume there's SOME kind of lag due to wireless connection?

Russ

At these deep bass frequencies, the transfer lag is negligible / indiscernable. Don't give it another thought.

 

[Rascal]

When setting up a near field sub that's behind the couch, where do I set up the mic for the PBK? Would I set the stand at ear height on the couch? That's where I'm guessing, but I'm unsure. The couch is absorbing a lot of the sound I think, so I'm wondering how PBK works with that.

If you're going to use the Dynamo 1100x as the behind-the-sofa sub, then no, you don't need the full-bore PBK. The Dynamo 1100x's internal signal processing combined with, say, an iPhone and the appropriate app installed does just fine. You can begin by parking your butt on the sofa and running the app hand-held.

Among the many features on the app is level adjustment and tuning, so you can play with adjustments following the calibration. With a sub right behind and under the listening spot, you won't have a problem getting the levels you want.

 

[Robert D]

Hi. Rascal here.

I own and use this very combination and it works superbly in what would be an otherwise impossible room.

The interface has no sound!. The Dynamo 1100x is awesome. Mine is, like you're proposing, located just behind the center sofa. I have my driver firing down -- the unit resembles a table. It is truly a stellar butt shaker. The smartphone app makes setting up, calibrating and adjusting the 1100x a breeze. I would never consider a subwoofer again without this sort of capability. The app uses the phone's own microphone to measure the sound in the active field. In effect, the woofer plus app have their own room compensation system.

The interface, once set up, is truly invisible. It works as well as a direct connect -- but without needing one!

Also have a Balanced Force sub located in a corner. the Dynamo 1100x works well with it. The Dynamo is far easier to set up and adjust.

My Denon provides two separate ports for sub use. I run one to the BF-210 and the other to the wireless interface for the 1100x. If I really want to do overall room tuning via the Denon's own software and dealing with the two subs separately, I can, but frankly, it's overkilll. For what you're proposing, the 1100x phone app will handle the setup and operation for the new addition very well.

The 1100x Dynamo and the wireless interface combined cost me one-third what I spent on the CF210 -- a little over $1K. (It was a few years ago). It (sub plus interface) was sold as a bundle. The result is highly competitive with highly rated good working units from other vendors. A great Martin Logan achievement

Your setup is very much like mine. Thanks for the feedback. I'm thinking if I pull the trigger on another sub that this is the way I will go. Glad to hear it was that easy to set up.
Did you try the sub front firing, into the sofa? I was thinking that might be best. Sounds like the downward is better in your room. We have a hardwood floor where the sub will be, do you too? I'm wondering how facing the woofer down on hardwood sounds.

 

[Robert D]

If you're going to use the Dynamo 1100x as the behind-the-sofa sub, then no, you don't need the full-bore PBK. The Dynamo 1100x's internal signal processing combined with, say, an iPhone and the appropriate app installed does just fine. You can begin by parking your butt on the sofa and running the app hand-held.

Among the many features on the app is level adjustment and tuning, so you can play with adjustments following the calibration. With a sub right behind and under the listening spot, you won't have a problem getting the levels you want.

That's great, and user friendly. Does it also work with the PBK mic? I've got one that I used with my BF 210. I'm wondering if using it instead of the phone mic is better?

 

[Rascal]

Your setup is very much like mine. Thanks for the feedback. I'm thinking if I pull the trigger on another sub that this is the way I will go. Glad to hear it was that easy to set up.
Did you try the sub front firing, into the sofa? I was thinking that might be best. Sounds like the downward is better in your room. We have a hardwood floor where the sub will be, do you too? I'm wondering how facing the woofer down on hardwood sounds.

Sonically it shouldn’t really matter. for my own part, I felt down firing offers the safest arrangement for the woofer cone, that is, keeping it out of harm’s way.

The sub is on a hardwood floor, but there are area rugs throughout the room. IMHO a rug wouldn’t have much effect upon the very low frequencies, except perhaps on vibration or rattling, but leveling is the better way to go.

As I mentioned, when I bought the 1100x plus interface, it was price competitive with several popular subs available online. But, IMHO, the ML is better looking and easier to set up and use.

i have a interesting story to share. As part of a local HiFi group, I participated in an online conversation with a major subwoofer manufacturer who was selling a new line of subs. Eventually the discussion was opened to questions. I asked about a portable calibrate and use app, and …. there was a resounding thud. My point was there’s more to a sub than just power and appearance. It has to be easy to configure and use. IMO, ML 1100X gets it and at a fair competitive price.

 

[Rascal]

One more thing that (hopefully) some of you will find amusing:

My use of a subwoofer goes way back, before I even dreamed of home theater.

As a extravagant present for myself, and to help deal with a troublesome listening room, I bought a (legendary) JBL B380 sub that worked in combination to a JBL BX63 equalizer and a hand-built Hafler DH200 configured for bridge use (around 300 watts). The BX63 provided the necessary amplifier drive signals to do this.

The woofer is 15" and the cabinet is a small refridgerator. The speaker plus cabinet is tuned to be a slightly over-damped bass reflex (2nd order high pass); the added equalizer adds to more pole pairs and lowers the overall speaker response to well below 30 Hz. It also provides an on/off switch and a level control.

This setup eventually formed the sub/LFE part of my first Marantz/Def Tech home theater.

What did it sound like? Well, it was visceral, a real bay window rattler. The helicopter crash in Martrix was beyond terrifying. Equally astonishing results with The Haunting and Jurassic Park (we're talking women hopping from their seats into husband's laps). GREAT LFE. Terrible audio alignment with the L and R and other speakers. Deep extended organ notes but dreadful integration of kick drum as an overall effect. Sound? Yes. Accurate? OMG, NO!

Doesn't even come close to the way the 1100X behaves or is set up and controlled and, in its day, much more expensive.

We've learned a lot.

Enjoy.

 

[Robert D]

Sonically it shouldn’t really matter. for my own part, I felt down firing offers the safest arrangement for the woofer cone, that is, keeping it out of harm’s way.

The sub is on a hardwood floor, but there are area rugs throughout the room. IMHO a rug wouldn’t have much effect upon the very low frequencies, except perhaps on vibration or rattling, but leveling is the better way to go.

As I mentioned, when I bought the 1100x plus interface, it was price competitive with several popular subs available online. But, IMHO, the ML is better looking and easier to set up and use.

i have a interesting story to share. As part of a local HiFi group, I participated in an online conversation with a major subwoofer manufacturer who was selling a new line of subs. Eventually the discussion was opened to questions. I asked about a portable calibrate and use app, and …. there was a resounding thud. My point was there’s more to a sub than just power and appearance. It has to be easy to configure and use. IMO, ML 1100X gets it and at a fair competitive price.

How far from the sofa did you place your 1100x? Im wondering what the optimal distance is for that. Ive never experimented with it.

 

[Robert D]

Someone said 1/2 the diameter, or radius, of the woofer cone is about where you want it. So in this case that would be 6 inches from the couch. Curious as to what you guys with near field subs do.

 

[Rascal]

How far from the sofa did you place your 1100x? Im wondering what the optimal distance is for that. Ive never experimented with it.

Flush, but you might find your results differ.

The same general suggestions for best placing a sub still hold. For example, if you want the best results sitting in the middle of the sofa, then put the sub there on the sofa, turn on sweeps (the app can easily do this), and crawl around on the floor with your head at sub level looking the best, highest intensity response. And while this might be the most efficient spot to place the sub, there may be others as well.

Frankly, I find part of the pleasure of owning and using subs is the need for tests and experiments. You surely must understand how unlikely it is for your room to sound like mine. Don’t be afraid to experiment. You really have to. It’s part of what properly adjusting a sub is all about.

And it’s not at all unusual to monkey with sub placement and tuning over time and using a variety of content and adjustments. At least, now, the adjustments can be done with a convenient hand held app, not a laptop/interface/mike stand kluge.

 

[Robert D]

One guys says this:
"No, "firing directly into the back of the chair" does NOT count as near field. Near field is 1-2 feet driver to ear distance. Depending on room acoustics even 2 feet can be too far."
Ive seen others say the sam thing. So for my example, in order for it to sound best and be a true near field, the sub would need to be placed elevated up from the floor, closer to my ears?
The guys on here using near field subs all seem to have their's on the floor, Is the effect still great that way? I could place mine up on a sofa table and that would put the big woofer aimed right at my ears and probaly about 1 foot away. It would be highly conspicuous though and my wife would hate it!

 

[Robert D]

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/near-field-sub-placement.2957618/page-2

Some are saying have the woofer aimed going up, like this.