Maybe this is a misunderstanding.... The subwoofer's low pass must be set to at least the highest of the triple crossover settings, even when connected to a 950, to avoid creating a bass hole. The subwoofer's low pass frequency affects the highest frequecy that passes out of the subwoofer.

Will

Well, I guess that's what they said, when you get down to it (if the paraphrase was correct) but it's a confusing bit of advice and should be well explained. HK usually has things done right, but you never know.

http://manuals.harman.com/hk/Owner%27s%20Manual/AVR%20325,525,4550,5550%20insert%20(FINAL).pdf

I read that as they have high pass settings for the mains, center, and surrounds, and a seperate low pass for the sub. Nowhere does it say to set the sub's own crossover above the highest crossover frequency. It says the H/K has a seperate sub crossover.

This sounds like exactly what they're saying to me [from the linked manual page]:

It sounds to me like they provide one on the H/K. It does not say the sub's crossover...it says "a seperate setting is provided to tailor the output of the AVR"

Hmm. It is ambiguous, but it could easily be interpreted to mean they did the right thing [that's actually what I would have read into it] so, given the level of technical ability, attention to detail and quality generally associated with H/K I would assume they got it right until shown different.

Is there other info or manual pages that lead you to to believe it's as badly done as you suspect, or was this just the first impression you got from the linked page?

Will- It still is as I found:

If you adjust the sub to be in phase with the mains when using the digital crossover on the 950, and then switch to the 80 Hz analog crossover for the 5.1 inputs, the sub is now approx 180 deg out of phase. About 4 other people have confirmed this (you being one ).

My sub has a variable phase knob and an inverted input. For now, I've been twiddling the knob back and forth when switching between CD/DVD-V and SACD/DVD-A. But I have one of those A/B/C RCA switches on the way, and I'll just switch between the 2 inputs on my sub. A little bit more convenient. The C position, no output to the sub, will take care of the "double bass" when using 2 channel bypass.

Also, the *best* way I've found to check this is with this disc:

http://www.chesky.com/catalog/body_catalogdtl.cfm?PRODUCT=100274&CATEGORY=1

Has phase tests for the specific crossover you're using, for DVD-A and DVD-V. Actually easier to use than the discrete test tone disc I was using.

[This message has been edited by Kevin C Brown (edited February 15, 2003).]

As you know, it can get quite obvious when the sub is phase inverted from the other speakers: the sound seems to drift all over the place.

This was a problem in the original 950. I hoped they'd fix it in the blue dot, but I guess not.

I have to physically walk to my sub and invert my sub's phase switch in back, when I switch mode in the 950, or else the sound is drifty.

I'm thinking I'll just do everything between the preamp and amps, since there seems to be little hope of a universal solution in a can in the forseeable future. A few active crossovers, a mixer ot two, I think I can get what I want. What a PITA though.

It probably won't happen in this house, or at least not for a long while.

Kevin...I also am getting a phase reversal when switching from my ICBM analog BM and the A/V receivers digital BM. Where can I get one of those A/B/C RCA switches?

Mike Sloan
solomon57@aol.com