Sub Woofer Blues

Now don't get me wrong I do like those low notes and a crisp driving bass line. The problem is that just when I think Ive got it all set up running well, sounding musical, balanced entertaining etc etc a CD comes along and well everything just sounds CRAP!. This happened today with AMy Winehouse her album sounded oh so interesting, cool, creative and unique and especially detailed on my headphones. I put it on the CD and ooooooh that bass my livingroom immediated became a subwoofer powered boy racers dream. Frantically I reached for the volume control so that the book case wouldnt fall over or the dinner plates crash from the shelves. Even at the subs lowest setting it was still too much. Yet on some other CDs like the Cream of Clapton, no matter how I adjust the sub woofer "CrossRoads" still sounds like it is being played on a dansette record player. Im not sure if my settings, equipment are at fault but I seem to be for ever adjusting the level that the sub woofer is set. In the end I usually set it with a series of pure tones around the cross over frequency of 80Hz and Golfrapp etc rarely gets played and I am still seeking a good recoring of "Crossroads"

 

Bass levels in rock/pop recordings have been increasing steadily over the years. I had ther same problem with Macy Grays album, it's a real "thumper" on any system that is capable of low and powerful bass. Completely swamps the dynamics of the the rest of the music and you don't necesaarily need a sub-woofer to suffer from the effect. It's hit or miss unfortunately.

 

does your sub allow you to program in room correction dreftar?

the velodyne room correction unit may be the answer if not.

 

Yeah that Amy Winehouse album has got some serious bass on it though, a lot more than most. I've been playing with positioning and wadding materials in my speaker cabs to try to attain the best bass performance (mainly quality over quantity) but that album confounds my best efforts - it really sets the bloody things off.

 

Unfortunately Not my sub is a behringer Truth B2092A - iT works really well - detailed tight and extended bass on most program material - only some - mainly rock/pop (Goldfrapp - Amy Winehouse) send me to press the switch that by passes the sub - and on some program material there is nothing below about 100hz - On classical music it is excellent - Carmina burana - La Vie Parisienne - Verdi - requiem - absolutely brilliant - So I do believe that some room equalisation would improve things - the sub was excellent value but not in the same league as the velo - I have tried several locations to find the best position and am generally impressed. Fortunately the manufacturers have included the option of a switch that by passes the sub!!

 

Unless you have tone controls ( :yikes: ) there is little you can do. It's very hard to find a loudspeaker that sounds meaty enough with all the old 70's and 80's stuff and yet doesn't sound overpowering with all the newer stuff.

Perhaps you could fit castors to the speakers and drag them out into the middle of the room whenever you play a bass-heavy CD

 

If you have a Behringer sub then go for the Behringer DEQ2496 that will cure it. Jim.

 

Thanks Jim
I have been considering this but I really dont like messing with the source too much!

 

The bass on some albums is excessive even without a sub; it’s just the way they are recorded.

It appears that you are more than happy with the sound quality on the vast majority of music that you listen to and that’s a great thing. I really wouldn’t consider major system changes in an attempt to make 1 or 2 un-listenable albums sound right.

Chances are, if you where to adjust your setup to make those particular records sound good, it would have an adverse effect on everything else you listen to.

Just accept the fact that every now and again you are going to come across recordings that sound crap and it isn’t necessarily you systems fault.

 

Yup, I quite agree.

A lot of pop/rock etc stuff these days is recorded with MP3/iPod users as the main customer - so the bass is tuned to sound good on these bass-light goodies - so it sounds way bass-heavy on decent kit.

Just turn the sub off when you don't need it - and don't throw out decent kit 'cos of a few wayward recordings.

 

I disagree..

excessive bass shown up on some recordings is more about exciting room modes/ time delay problems/ sub-speaker integration than it is a recording.

You really can cure it with the right software.

 

Nah - if it sounds right on large scale classical (where, usually, the sound isn't buggered about too much) and on many rock etc recordings, then you have to look to the duff recordings, not the environment. IMO & IME, of course

 

Right on,its the recording bass is tilted up possibly OUT OF PHASE to the rest as well.
A correction device for the sub ONLY will do the trick
rollo

 

rollo - that's exactly what I was trying to say.

unless of course you are experiencing problems with bass from the woofers of the stereo speakers.

 

bottleneck,
Thats cool,It appears to me as well that the program material of today especially rock has pumped up or out of phase bass.The Behringer EQ will solve this problem BIG TIME.
Install between Pre and Sub only.I personally do not care for the EQ for the entire system but thats me
Happy New Year to all
rollo

 

ThankYou all for the postings.In the meantime Iam installing a switch to cancell out the sub - a facility for this is available on the Sub and
later on Ill try a Behringer Eq.It is interesting that the subs manual recommends using the Eq.