I'm leaning heavily towards the 950 (though my final choice is not yet made). I'd like something cleared up for me. If a powered sub has an adjustable crossover, how should I set it in order to take the greatest advantage of the 950's flexible settings? Should I set it as high as possible to let the 950 do the work? Thanks. Also, while I will also be getting a speaker system (5.1--likely Aperion, Axiom or Paradigm) I have a old pair of Celestion DL6's, dating back to 1986, that I still love. How well does anyone think I can integrate these to make a 7.1 or are they too out of date?

You should either set the crossover as high as possible or bypass it altogether (an option that many powered subs include). For example, Outlaw's LFM-1 includes a switch next to the line level input labeled "X-OVER" that can be set to "ACTIVE" or "BYPASS" -- when relying on a pre/pro like the 950 for bass management, this should be set to "BYPASS."

I'm not familiar enough with your Celestions to know how well they could be integrated into a 5.1 or 7.1 system. Some others around here may have some thoughts, though.

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

There is something else to consider. In some cases the crossover setting affects the low frequency extension of a sub. By setting it to its highest setting you can also end up cutting off the lowest frequencies. How can you tell for your sub? Good question. Test reports, when you can get them, really help. For two of my subs (older Velodyne Servo 1200's) it turns out that (from a 1990 Julian Hirsch review in Stereo Review) for a setting of 100 HZ the low extension peaks in the 35-50 Hz region and falls off sharply below that. But (and I am skipping a few settings now) at the 40 Hz setting the maximum is in the 25 to 30 Hz range, and is only down 2 dB at 20 Hz. Since I'm running true full-range speakers (flat to 30 Hz or lower) across the full front, a 40 Hz setting for the Velodynes (and operating the all of the fronts in BYPASS) gives me the smoothest and lowest low bass extension, whereas turning the setting all of the way up would cause me to lose a lot of the LFE material. If I end up losing some of the redirected "upper" bass from the surrounds (a 60 Hz setting on my 950), it's a tradeoff that I'm willing to accept. While I'm sure that not all subs behave this way, it's something to consider.

Jeff Mackwood

Hey Jeff, thanks for that info. I've got a pair of the older Velodyne 1200's, an Outlaw 950, and full range fronts (but not center). I've got the crossover of the subs set to 100Hz but I'll sure try turning them down to 40Hz and make the front L&R "LARGE". Thanks.

Cary

There is one more thing to consider.
Room response.
In my room I have modes at 73, 78 & 88 Hz.
Obviously this causes a huge spike in that region, I have set the 950 to 80 & 100 Hz for the speakers and have the sub set at about 60Hz so the drop off kind of brackets the room mode peaks and smooths it out some.
Not the most effective way of doing but seems to help.
Just a thought

Thanks for the info. I will definitely keep all of this in mind when it comes time to install the system (still too many months away for my liking). Would a pair of subs only complicate matters?

I felt using a pair of subs was easier to get a more even room response. Every room will be different though.

Once you get to four subs, the laws of diminishing returns take hold pretty fast. Although I'm thinking of adding a fifth just to see...

Jeff Mackwood