Subwoofer setup and MultEQ

Many powered subwoofers have controls that are set manually.  It's important to follow some simple guidelines to avoid having these controls interfere with proper subwoofer calibration and integration with the satellite speakers.

  1. If the subwoofer provides a direct input (sometimes called LFE input) then it should always be used.  That input bypasses the filters in the subwoofer and allows the bass management system in the AV Receiver to operate properly
  2. If there is no direct input, then the lowpass filter knob on the subwoofer should be permanently set to the highest frequency it allows.  That way it will not interfere with the MultEQ measurements and bass management
  3. The level control on the subwoofer is often set too high.  This can cause the AV Receiver to run out of level correction range when MultEQ tries to set the subwoofer to reference level.  Set the subwoofer level control to the midpoint.  If MultEQ reports high negative trims (e.g., –12 dB) for the subwoofer, then you should turn the level control further down and run MultEQ again
  4. If there is a Phase control on the sub it should be set to 0°

If you have a subwoofer with room EQ, then you should run that first in the subwoofer and then run MultEQ in the AVR

If you have an external subwoofer processor (such as the SVS AS-EQ1 or the Audyssey Sub Equalizer) you should run the calibration in that processor first and then run MultEQ in your AVR

If you have two subwoofers, there are some additional steps to take:
  1. Place them at equal distances from the main listening position
  2. Set the level controls on the back so they both play at the same level
  3. Connect a y-cord to the sub out of the AVR and then connect to both subs
  4. Turn off processing in the subs as it will not be able to give you the same resolution that you will get from MultEQ (thousands of points vs. a few parametric bands)
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399 Comments

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  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    Hi Alex,

    I believe you are seeing the effect of the phase of the crossover filter applied by the AVR.  In Direct mode there is usually no crossover filter applied.  To really see what's going on you have to measure in multiple spots (the same ones used for the Audyssey measurement) and then average them.  It's not really useful to judge anything by a single mic measurement.

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    Yes, if the AVR with MultEQ XT provides individual control of the two subwoofers then MultEQ XT will create filters for each sub separately.

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    You are most welcome Fahd.  

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    Hi Fred,

    The AS-EQ1 doesn't set the absolute level of the subs.  It only adjusts the relative level between them to make them equal.  The absolute level is set by MultEQ in the AVR or prepro.  So once you start running XT32 you are basically starting over with the level setting.

    I would not expect any low frequency performance difference between the AS-EQ1 and XT32.  They have the same resolution in the subwoofer channel so the final result should be very close.

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    Most likely... But, every manufacturer does things a little differently so you should check with Klipsch directly.  It's probably mentioned in the manual as well.

  • 0
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    Ollie Clark

    Hi Chris

    I'm looking at the on-screen GUI and it is definitely the sub that has the error.

    The submersive is quite a capable sub and has usable output to quite high output frequencies, do you think this is the problem?

    The strange thing is that I have managed to get it working in the past with no errors.

  • 0
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    Kingyu

    Dear Chris, thank you very much for the fast reply. I got your point, no need to confuse about that small dip :-)

    To confirm mic placement: I remember seen "The order of the measurements after the first one does not matter" before. Does it means I can test from 1~12 mic position show in "How to MultEQ", also can test by 1, 3, 9, 10, 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 7, 8, 12 so need not to change the mic tripple too much.

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    Hi Mike,

    The notation is confusing.  I would think that in order to put the Sub in Filter Bypass mode you would have to set the switch to "in".  You should check with the manufacturer to be sure.

  • 0
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    ryan daley

    hi chris i recently added 2 subwoofer to my 7.1 set up, my subwoofer has a digital eq on it that has three setting.  flat,punch, and depth i ran the audessy with the flat setting a few times  i got this setting. it sounds good but im wondering if i should do some more tweeking. the distance setting is 30ft, with a +6db settings. now my setting is half the the distance from my sitting area  15ft, and the volume on both my subs are set at -29 to me this setting is not right what do you think? my subs are klipsch rw12

  • 0
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    Alex0925

    Hi Chris,

    Thanks for you prompt as ever reply! Actually, I got Philips SHP 8900 headphones with the frequency range of 5Hz to 30 Khz and they reproduce bass just great, anyway, I understand it perfectly with regard to THX, so I turned it off anyway because the vast majority of CDs I listened to don't exhibit any bass peaks and the only CD I heard that on so far was actually a pirated CD mastered from vinyl and I never encountered that issue on any other factory pressed legitimate CD so far. So, if I witness any other bass peaks on any legitimate CDs I will seriously think of re-running the MultEQ setup with the back from the wall distance you recommended rather than almost twice as long that I used,and if that would make a difference, I will let you know the results.

    Thanks so much again,

    Regards

    Alex

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    Hi Fred,

    I'm afraid I am out of ideas. Is there an audible issue or are you just curious why there are differences compared to your previous setup?

  • 0
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    Robert M. Bridi

    Hi again Chris,

    Is MultiEQ XT designed for one subwoofer or can multiple subwoofers be used?  How does this differ from MultiEQ XT32?  Can MultiEQ XT be used with Velodyne SMS-1 or is that redundant?

    Thanks in advance.

    Rob

  • 0
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    Alex

    Then turned up the "team" to 0,0db, to get the same sound than with one sub at 0,0db.

     

    Think two subs shuldnt produce less Bass than one does. But they do,there is less Bass feeling than with one,very strange.

    May be positioning them in line with the fronts isn`t optimal.

     

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    It corrects down to 10 Hz if it finds the response to extend that low.

  • 0
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    pepar

    Hi Chris,

    This sort of picks up on John Walshaw's question .. sort of.  Some have had success tweaking the sub channel distance to achieve a smoother blend between sub and mains.  The one example I know of first hand had three subs run on one sub channel on the pre/pro and a huge dip was made fairly flat with this technique.

    Does MultEQ consider distance for smoothing the splice, or just sets distances based on the detection process and then EQ the splice region as best it can?

    Rgds, Jeff

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    Paul, I would start by checking the disc.  It has been a common problem in some of these so-called calibration discs that have been authored incorrectly and have a 10 dB higher LFE test signal.  The best way to check is using the internal test tones in the AVR.

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    Hi Miles,

    MultEQ does correct the subwoofer with high resolution filters.  You can check at the bottom of this page for the functionality of the different versions of Audyssey room correction:

    http://www.audyssey.com/audio-technology/multeq

  • 0
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    Allan Pedley

    Hi

     

    I have the same SVS sub used on an Onkyo TX1009 mine is only set for 20Hz and when set with the Multi XT the sub does not bottom out. Have you added the foam baffle in the sub port i understand the sub will bottom without the foam

     

    Chris may i ask what is AS-EQ1 please

     

    Thanks

     

    Allan

  • 0
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    Tim Catley

    Thanks so much Chris for your quick response. I have an additional question. I will be getting an Onkyo TX-NR3009 receiver with MultEQ XT32, Sub EQ HT and two sub outputs. I plan on running four subwoofers. Two SVS PB12-NSD subs and two BIC America F12 subs. What's the best way to hook up all four subs and run the Audyssey calibration for best results?

  • 0
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    Santo Budi

    Thanks Chris.

  • 0
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    Josh Goldman

    Thanks Chris! (yes, of course I did mean Onkyo, not Denon!).

  • 0
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    Jules Boisvert

    Hi Chris

    I have a Paradigm PDR-12 subwoofer and there is two knobs, one is labeled "Subwoofer Level" and the other one is labeled "Subwoofer Cut-Off Frequency (variable 50hz - 150hz)".  I am not sure what is the purpose of the second knob since my understanding is the AVR manage the Cut-off frequency...

    At which position I have to set the second one? Completely clockwise or completely anticlockwise? 

     

    Thanks

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    That's the correct way.  Use a y-cord from the AVR to feed both subs.

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    @Rob: You shouldn't have to adjust the gain after calibration.  What master volume is the AVR set to when listening?  If it's near 0 dB then it sounds to me like the sub isn't capable of playing close to reference.  This can be because the room volume is large or because there are adjacent connected spaces that the sub will also try to drive.

    Does the problem happen with 5.1 content only or also with 2-ch stereo?

  • 0
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    Tim Catley

    Chris: The owners manual for my Onkyo 3009 receiver with MultEQ XT32 Sub EQ HT says two adjust the volume for each of my four subwoofers to 75db, before running the Audyssey speaker calibration. How do I set the volume of each sub to 75db?

  • 0
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    Matthew Roy Nakata

    120z

  • 0
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    Alex0925

    Hello Chris,

    I have AAD M-Series 5.1 speaker set with Onkyo TX-SR 707 AVR. I have set the crossover in the AVR at 80Hz, which seems to sound OK and balanced with the front speakers woofers. Subwoofer "low level" line in is connected to AVR subwoofer line out with a subwoofer cable (see attached picture). The question I have is regarding the crossover knob on the back of the sub: which position should it be set to after Audyssey room correction setup when playing audio material to make sure there's no interference with AVR crossover setting? Is there, in fact, any interference no matter which position the knob is set to, given that the crossover is already set in the AVR and, presumably, this setting sort of deactivates the subwoofer crossover knob given that there's a direct connection of subwoofer cable to "low level" line in on the sub?

    Your kind help is much appreciated,

    Regards,

    Alex

     

  • 0
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    michalis

    a newer receiver with subeq like onkyo 3009 can help me ?

    is it wise to experiment with the phase of the tannoy?

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    Hi Demis, actually not having a volume control on the sub is normally a good thing because it allows the AVR to be in charge of it.  However, in this case it seems that the sub is much too loud.  This can be because of where it is (corner?) or because the room is too small for it.  Have you tried different locations?

  • 0
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    Audyssey Labs

    Hi Michael,

    The y-cord recommendation is for products that don't do this internally.  In your case either method will work.

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