Now before everyone laughs and says..."you always need a bigger sub".

How do I test my existing sub to tell if it's producing enough bass? Do I just use the test tones in my 950 and an spl meter?

I have my sub sitting on a hard wood floor and about 6" from my side wall and 30" from the rear wall so it is getting a good boost from all those smooth surfaces.

I have calibrated my system at 90db and I had to turn my sub way down to get it to 90db with the other speakers. I still somehow feel that it is not delivering the needed kick during peak periods. When I turn up the sub to where I like it for movies it really overpowers music and normal television.

What configuration and size enclosure is it? Is it a small sealed sub or is it a large ported (or passive radiator) sub? Sealed ones are good for blending with music but has limits on getting down real low such as during an explosion scene in a movie. Also, what is the power rating of it's dedicated amp? Stronger amp can push the driver through during demanding situations even on a sealed sub. Bigger sub isn't always the answer. You may want to try a different location first and see if it improves. Or try different crossover frequency. It is possible that the crossover is set too high and drowns out the mid. Without knowing more details of your sub, I can only give a rough guess.

I am unclear how the sub works with my 950. As everyone knows, you can select the crossover frequency on the 950. In my mind, the sub should only receive stuff below 80h, 100hz or 120hz. So, how does adjusting the crossover on my sub affect things. I would think I should turn is all the way up so the sub plays whatever it receives (letting the 950 handle the crossover duties).

My sub is an Acoustic Research with a 12" driver, 250 watt buit-in amp and the enclosure is sealed. It's a bit funny to hook up to my 950 since it has L and R low level inputs (not a single input as I would expect), so I used a splitter to connect the output from the 950 to both inputs of the sub.

I put the sub in a nook next to the new entertainment center where it had smooth surfaces on four sides and the bass was very boomy. Moving it about 2 feet cleared up the boominess.

Ok, you are correct about the crossover dial on your sub. Location is one of the biggest factors on subwoofer performance. You may just have to do a series of trial and error. I don't know if they do, but if AR has 30 day money back guarantee, you may want to switch to a different sub. Not necessarily a bigger sub but a better one. By the way, I'm surprised that a new sub does not have a LEF input these days.

I heard that VTF-2 by HSU is good for both music and HT and the price is reasonable at $499. Aperion Audio, SVS and Adire Audio subs are also said to be good for both and reasonably priced. Nothing against AR but if you are using Outlaw pre-amp and presumably amp as well, you may want to up a notch or two on your sub selection just to get more out of your investment. Its just my opinion. But then, if you find the location in your room that works, great. Keep the sub.

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Wayne, with price tag under $500, do you know of any sealed subwoofer that can go lower than ported ones? I'd like to look it up if there is. Not everyone can afford M&K, REL or Krell subs. For those with limited budget, ported sub can meet their needs more efficiently.

I'll toss my .02 in on speaker placement playing a big part as well. I was never happy with what I got out of my sub (Paradigm) - it was either to boomy or I felt I never heard it. Then when I received my new tv and had to rearrange the setup my sub ended up on the other side of the tv and everything just fell into place - now it's a great balance for me.

Wayne: Thanks for the detailed reply. I just removed the "Y" splitter and I'm only sending my signal to the left. I need to re-calibrate, so I'll let you know how it sounds.

Spiker: My sub is rather old, so it only has a pair of low level inputs and pair of jacks for the speaker wires when used in a system where the receiver does not have a sub output.

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I agree with Wayne Charlton.

MANY years ago I would replace a piece of equipment with another piece that was not significantly better, just different. When the novelty wore off, I was dissatisfied again.

I have since changed my purchasing philosophy: I do not upgrade untill I can get something that will be significantly better and that will satisfy my for many years, even if it means saving up for a while longer than I would otherwise like.

My speakers and turntable are going on 18+ years and I am as happy now with them as when I first bought them. I only recently replaced my 16 year old CD player because I though there had been meaningful improvements in CD playback technology (plus I wanted to try SACD).

Overall, my system, while not anywhere near state of the art, is good enough that I can enjoy the music (or movie) and not be concerned about the equipment.

Think long term: go for quality even if it costs a little more.

Paul

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the 1derful1