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But what’s “too high”?? Tastes vary, and so do movie soundtracks, but your SVS
is capable of tremendous levels of low distortion, low frequency bass — far more than
most commercial subs. Take advantage of this, especially if you like action movies with
lots of “.1” channel (LFE) action, and give the sub a bit more “bump” during calibration
(also known as running the sub “hot”). Keep in mind too that the human ear is relatively
insensitive to low frequencies. This, coupled with the fact most folks don’t watch mov-
ies at Dolby Digital theater reference level (loud!), means turning the bass up a few deci-
bels usually yields a better movie sound experience.
What sub levels do we recommend? If you watch movies at relatively moderate
sound levels, a good start is a range of +2dB to +3dB above your other channels (as
measured with your sound meter). This means the test tone will waiver about 78 dB for
the subwoofer portion of the calibration run (88dB with Avia). (Note: You may want
to rotate the sound meter SPL meter dial to 80dB to get a good reading with these
higher levels.) Note too that many modern surround sound receivers allow a variety of
different subwoofer level settings, depending on the “listening mode” you are in. With
“Dolby Digital” as your “mode” use the above calibration routine. You may well find
that CD “Stereo” music calls for a lower bass settings. The above is a guide… experi-
ment some. The louder your master volume though, the more you should back off the
sub level to compensate. Avoid your driver bottoming, resulting in a loud “clack”!
Location and measurement. You should take the above measurements from your
typical preferred seat for watching movies (center cushion, right?). Be advised, strong
bass levels can vary significantly simply by moving a few feet. Such is the nature of
long wave-length, low bass sound. Try different locations and different levels for your
subwoofer. Calibrating with the subwoofer’s volume too high (and often, too low) is the
most common subwoofer setup error!
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Volume/Gain Use “gain” (in conjunction with your receiver’s subwoofer output
level control) to dial in a bass calibration to your liking. Start calibration with the sub’s
volume/gain no more than 1/4 to 1/3 of the way up (turned clockwise from the left).
Crossover Frequency. If you use your DD/DTS receiver/processor’s internal
crossover to manage bass frequencies (highly recommended), the setting of this knob on
the sub is irrelevant. (Note: Use the SVS’s crossover “Enable/Disable” switch discussed
below to take advantage of this configuration.) Otherwise this knob is used to best blend
your SVS to your other speakers. Typically used in stereo only systems today.
Phase. Think of bass waves as conflicting or enhancing each other, depending on the
timing of their arrival at your listening location (either together, or not). Since some of
your room’s bass might come from main, center and/or surround speakers, as well as
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SV Subwoofers