I am using the following 5.1 speaker combo:

Main L/R - Newform Research R645 32-20khz -3db (conservative specs)

Center - Von Schweikert LCR-35 45-20kHz, +/- 0.5 dB, 30Hz-25kHz -6dB (+/- 1dB at midband)

Surround L/R Newform Research R630 38-20khz +/- 3db (conservative specs)

Sub - Hsu VT-100

My first guess is to set them all "LARGE" and run the xover at 40Hz on the 950 and have the xover in the Hsu sub set as high as it goes.

I know that for DVD-Audio I will get the .1 *and* the bass from the mains but that there is nothing I can easily do.

Thanks!

Blaine

[This message has been edited by Blaine (edited September 12, 2002).]

I think that if you set everything to LARGE that *all* you'll get is the .1 channel. If you set them to small and then 40Hz as the crossover I think you'll get what your were asking for.

Cary

That sounds correct and wouldn't my sub then only receive 40Hz and below from the .1?

Something to think about, for all it's worth. In actual film dubbing stages, where the films are mixed, ALL the speakers are run full range. The 3 front speakers are generally capable of going down to about 30hZ, the surrounds, a bit higher. The sub (or 'boom' as it's called) is treated as a seperate channel, NOT as a depository for the bass from the other channels. So in theory, if you run all your speakers full range, including the sub, you will hear what the dubbing stage heard, give or take. This assumes that the 950 does NOT send bass from the other channels to the sub even when they are set to 'large'. The whole 'bass management' thing exists to take into account that most home theatre speakers cannot reproduce low bass (around 30hZ) and would be damaged in doing so.

[This message has been edited by soundhound (edited September 12, 2002).]

If the speakers are set full range, soundhound is correct that the crossover points for those speakers are not used (as I understand it, at least) -- that basically disables the bass management and sends the LFE channel only to the sub.

You might also see how your system sounds with the speakers all set to small and the crossovers at 40Hz, just to compare it to setting everything to large.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Soundhound,

You bring up a good point. I have always thought that the .1 channel would generally sound better if it only had to reproduce LFE and did not have to reproduce LFE overlayed with 5 channel (or fewer) bass.

In part I came to this after spending an afternoon listening just to the sub with different DVDs. I found that the LFE alone was much more punchy and articulate.

I may have to do this again with my new 950 because it sounds very different than my Acurus ACT-3 that I am A/B'ing right now.

Does anybody have speakers that easily go down in the 30's are choose to run them "small"?

My fronts go down to 28 Hz, -3dB. I run them at small with a 40Hz crossover.

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

My mains are rated down to 30Hz at -3dB (42Hz at -2dB), and I've got them set to small and crossed over at 40Hz.

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

My mains, center, and surrounds are all full range speakers (although the surrounds only go down to 35Hz). I have them all set to small with all crossed over at 60Hz. I set the crossovers on my two subs to 90Hz and the system sounds excellent.

There are very, very few "full range" speakers that truly are full range. Even with large speakers that go really low, the bottom octaves are almost always better handled by a subwoofer that has been well implemented into the system. Your speakers might be able to reproduce (for example) the 30Hz to 70Hz range, but will it reproduce those frequencies as well (and with the proper impact) as a competent subwoofer? Not everyone is willing to be honest when answering that question as there are, understandably, a lot of romantic notions and wishful thinking when it comes to "large" speakers. The fact that many subs don't do a good job with music doesn't help matters.

(Note, I'm not talking about the .1 LFE info, which is a separate issue.)

Best,
Sanjay