Whats Your Audio / Home Cinema Setup?

[12thgear]

@Sprite - Looking at REL and Sennheiser subs, while I'm sure either will fill in the low end very well, I always have a problem with subwoofer specs either just listing their frequency ranges (like Sennheiser's "27 to 80 Hz") or listing the range with the dB (like REL's 24Hz at -6dB). REL's spec is better as you don't know what Sennheiser is using to claim that 27Hz as it might not even be audible and the "real" low end is actually more like 35Hz. The problem with the -6dB spec is the sound output that you can actually hear really drops off before it reaches, in this case, the 24Hz they claim. Not including the dB at all or using -6 for the dB, you're really just trying to pad your results to make them look better than they really are.

Personally, I'd go with something like the SVS SB-1000 Pro which uses -3dB as the cutoff for the usable low end and also goes lower at 20Hz.

Keep in mind placement in the room matters, too, as null waves can make or break the sound bouncing off the back wall and cancelling out the sound. That placement will be the same regardless of which sub you choose.

One other curve ball - have you considered transducers? They mount to your chair/couch and vibrate with the LFE channel giving you the rumble effect of a large sub without the volume.

Room placement will definitely be important and that square room is doing no favors.

 

[TB]

Room placement will definitely be important and that square room is doing no favors.

No doubt.

Firing up REW, I put the left and right next to each other to simulate a soundbar instead of standalone speakers and left the sub in the corner. There is one hell of a dead spot at about 34Hz and to a lesser extent 72Hz.

Moving the sub to the middle of the room makes a huge difference in flatness and that spike at 48Hz should be able to be dialed down with the EQ, but that placement isn't always possible.

 

[Sprite]

Thanks for the advice @TB

Unfortunately the room is horrid, I had low end issues with the B&W system and it always sounded a little thin.

Bass is a huge issue, while you can hear it and where it’s supposed to be in the mix, it’s just a shadow of what I know is in the recordings.

Sennheiser recommend letting the DSP in the soundbar do its thing by setting the crossover at its maximum and volume at 50%

While I don’t doubt Sennheiser knowing their stuff, I just don’t trust it do get the job close to done.

I don’t have much of a clue when it comes to frequency response per room and etc. your knowledge there is far superior so I’m thankful for your detailed reply.

I’ll take a more in depth look at the SVS. As for actuators that would be a no go for the wife. It’s hard enough to convince her a black/white/wood box sat in the room along with associated cables and power connections is a good idea.

This is a rather distorted image of our room when we first moved in. The 77” OLED is on that wall directly in front of us and the soundbar is wall mounted directly below it. TV is eye level with myself when sat straight on the sofa.

Ignore the coffee table as this is now back against that wall with the Oppo and PS5 on. The sub will be homed just where that bookshelf is by the door.

It’s a very odd room. Certainly not ideal but ya gotta work with what ya got!

 

[ZevZoq]

Headphone rig - Topping E30 dac into Topping L30ii amp and Hifiman HE400i planars. Sourced from the laptop through Foobar

Speaker rig - Topping D10 dac --> Yamaha RS202bl amp into Elac DBR62 speakers. Sourced from the laptop again.

 

[coryclifford]

Speakers need more away from the wall?

I’ve had speakers that literally are terrible until 3 feet-ish. Magnepans, B&Ws, Thiels.

Inch them forward. Same song.
Then, from the sidewalls.
Takes hours and days but, those are pretty close to the back wall it appears.

If you can make the room vibrate, you’re close.

 

[Sprite]

Speakers need more away from the wall?

I’ve had speakers that literally are terrible until 3 feet-ish. Magnepans, B&Ws, Thiels.

Inch them forward. Same song.
Then, from the sidewalls.
Takes hours and days but, those are pretty close to the back wall it appears.

If you can make the room vibrate, you’re close.

If this is in relation to my pic above. I no longer have the B&W in the living room. Plus when they were there, there was no way I could get 3 foot out.

I used to run them in my old room around 2 foot out with a listening position around 12 or 14 foot away and they sounded outstanding.

 

[TB]

I don’t have much of a clue when it comes to frequency response per room and etc. your knowledge there is far superior so I’m thankful for your detailed reply.

I am far from an expert, just knowledgeable enough to be dangerous, but if you have any questions, fire away.

 

[Sum1s2pid]

Good for my budget. Had the BRAVIA for forever. It won't die, so I see no need to replace it anytime soon. And it's so damn heavy, my back aches just thinking about moving it. 😤

Living Room:

52" Sony BRAVIA V-Series KDL-52V5100

Jamo Studio Series S 803 HCS-BLK (L/R: S 805, Center: S 81, Surrounds: S 801), with an S 808 Subwoofer

Yamaha TSR-700

Sony Playstation 5

Bedroom:

32" Samsung 5 Series N5300

Cambridge Soundworks by Henry Kloss 2.1 PC Speakers

Techole 192KHz Digital to Analog Audio Converter

edit: Living room, from the Sim Racing Hardware sub-thread.