Hi KMDonlon, is there any setting in the dvd player, such as it's own bass mgt? I know my Denon has a plus 10 db setting to help with the dolby processing. I'm sure Gonk must have suggested zeroing out everything in your dvd player,I know in my case the bass is a little more prominent in 7 channel stereo and almost nonexsistent in 2 channel and upsample.

No bass management. I have a Sony DVP-S9000ES, I use it as my main transport for CD & DVDs. I use coaxial digital in and the analog in for SACDs. That's it. I have been through all the obvious stuff as stated earlier and I am far from a newbie at this

I have tone set to 0, no other processing being done. All speakers set to small, crossed at 80hz. I have Monitor Audio Silver 7s as mains. I have had all my gear for many years so I am very familiar with how they sound and work. The only new piece is the Outlaw 990 and having to back down sub levels is new for me in 5.1. My old processor had the exact opposite problem, a 2channel sub offset would have been a nice feature then.

I do have 5.1 set to one of the video inputs and 2 channel upsample set to use the DVD input. I did this so I could easily go between inputs and not have to change the surround mode but I thought that since bass management is global, no worries right?

KMDonlon,

In my setup, I noticed that if I use upsample vs. bypass, upsample has less bass output vs. bypass when I listen to 2-channel material. Also, since I am using a high-end external DAC, it sounds more real and open than the 990's upsample mode to me. Maybe trying the bypass mode will fix the bass issue for you like it did for me.

I also get more bass from BYPASS than UPSAMPLE, but I believe that is because in BYPASS, unless you turn off your sub, you get full range to both front L&R speakers and the sub. BYPASS bypasses the digital crossover, so you get double bass at the frequencies where the mains and sub overlap. When I listen in BYPASS I turn off the sub.

If the problem is as wolverine just stated, my suggestion is not the best solution. But if the problem is really a balance of levels, has anyone tried this?

If the up-sample vs. bypass subwoofer level is too high in favor of bypass and you relied on the 990’s automatic calibration, turn the gain down slightly on the subwoofer and recalibrate. The 990 should respond by increasing the output to the sub for digital modes to restore the sub’s acoustic output to its former level. Meanwhile, when no digital management is occurring in bypass mode, the sub’s level will be less. Compare up-sample to bypass again. If the sub’s level is still too high in bypass, repeat the above procedure. If the sub’s level is now too low in bypass, increase the gain on the sub, but not as high as it was originally and, again, recalibrate. Repeat the appropriate portion of the procedure until you have a balance.

If the up-sample vs. bypass subwoofer level is too high in favor of bypass and you use a meter or RTA for setup, measure and find the difference in the sub’s level between up-sample and bypass. If the result is 4dB, then lower the sub’s gain by 2dB and increase the 990’s subwoofer digital level by 2dB, then test again.

Eventually you should find a point at which the level with the digital features engaged balances almost perfectly with the throughput in bypass mode.

Sorry bestbang4thebuck , my BYPASS vs. UPSAMPLE comment was only in response to slbenz's comment and not intended as a solution to the original problem of KMDonlon.

Regarding the original problem, I am fresh out of ideas, even unlikely ones. I think it's time to ask the experts at support.

I think the only fix is a firmware update to add both directions for the 2 channel sub offset, a cut and boost.

Thanks for trying everyone

Want to bump this thread so maybe a firmware fix will come....sometime....

My further observations on this...

The bass management does not work correctly in "bypass". Bypass and Upsample control the sub the same way, no differnce in level or sound.

I have to set my sub channel level to -5db for any surroound modes (including 7-channel stereo) or it bottoms out. In bypass, stereo, or upsample it sounds best at +5db.

That's a 10db swing. Luckily I have a small LCD display for the OSD so I just crank the sub up to listen to music. Annoying, but it works.

I agree that allowing the 2ch sub offset to boost would fix this......Outlaws are you listening????

KMDonlon,

I'm just wondering if there could be a internal issue with your 990 where reuploading the current firmware can fix. One main reason why I purchased the 990 was to replace my Parasound AVC-1800 surround processor which did not compensate for Dolby Digital and especially DTS subwoofer outputs inherent with these formats. I always had to manually decrease my subwoofer by 10dBs relative to my 2-channel use which is exactly what DTS does with subwoofer outputs. DTS always boosts subwoofer output by 10dBs for their standards. So I am thinking there could be an issue with the auto compensation feature in your 990 for the various formats. Maybe the original firmware in your 990 is corrupted somehow and reloading it again could fix it?

I actually did do that shortly after I got the 990 just to make sure I had the latest firmware. It is an issue with the bass management for sure.

The 2 fixes that I can think of are to either have the 2 channel sub offset go in both directions, up & down or have each input have its own bass management settings applied.

I love this pre/pro but this particular issue is frustrating and made me wish I had looked at some other options. I also paid $999 2 months ago and now they are $799, that also stings a bit too