SVS PB 2000 Pro vs. other bigger subs.

[nuraman00]

Dec 6, 2020 19:38:34 GMT -5 ttocs said:

Have you checked the Speaker settings in the YPAO area for +-Levels for the subwoofer?
View Attachment

Yes, I adjust that based on the material, with the SVS.

I would check/adjust it too with the Hsu.

[ttocs]

I know you are wanting to move on, but I had a thought, and I understand if you're totally done with this episode, so no worries if the answer is no.

What about using a source as the input to the Hsu sub? Direct from the source to the sub. Anything with an RCA output. Just use one channel from a CD player, a DAC, portable radio, cassette deck, VHS recorder, anything with a Line Output. 

Sorry, but I get real obsessive when diagnosing a stubborn problem, just can't let it go without a resolution. So if I can't find the answer, I at least want to rule out everything I can think of.

[nuraman00]

Dec 7, 2020 1:02:51 GMT -5 ttocs said:

I know you are wanting to move on, but I had a thought, and I understand if you're totally done with this episode, so no worries if the answer is no.

What about using a source as the input to the Hsu sub? Direct from the source to the sub. Anything with an RCA output. Just use one channel from a CD player, a DAC, portable radio, cassette deck, VHS recorder, anything with a Line Output. 

Sorry, but I get real obsessive when diagnosing a stubborn problem, just can't let it go without a resolution. So if I can't find the answer, I at least want to rule out everything I can think of.

This is actually something I've been wanting to do.

I have a Japanese model Panasonic portable CD player that I like.  I really like the sound from it.

It has an optical out.

I finally bought a mini toslink to regular optical cable, so I could connect it to my Yamaha receiver.

But, I haven't tried it yet, because I've been more focused on the sub.

I wanted to see how using that portable CD player would sound, when connected to my home theater.

So this is one thing on the back burner.

Using your suggestion, I can use the portable CD player in a different manner.  I can use the headphone out and a 3.5mm to RCA splitter cable, and connect it to the Hsu sub, to see what happens.  I think what I should be hearing is a bass, and not full music?

The other ongoing issue on my backburner is to figure out how to use any of these subs with my PC.  My sound card has a sub out, and when I do the audio test in SupremeFX, which is on my Asus motherboard, I hear bass.  But when I actually play something, I don't hear the sub being used.  This is with the SVS too.  I've tried selecting "enable bass management", and "swap center with sub" option.  I've tried both selecting and unselecting "use full range speakers" in Supreme FX.  Everything always sounds like it should when doing the audio test.  I.E. I put my mouse over the left speaker in the audio test, and I hear that.  I put it over the bass in their 5.1 diagram, and I hear bass.  But when actually playing real music, I don't hear bass.

Windows 10 doesn't seem to have a 2.1 option mode, so I end up setting it as 5.1, and de-selecting center channel and rear speakers, and only selecting sub.  And things sound like they are proper in the 5.1 audio tests (with center channel and rear speakers unselected, and only sub selected).

I am a little less frustrated with this, because once I know I have a working sub, then there is probably some very specific configuration I have to do, and there are many other people that use Windows 10, so someone will have the answer.  Maybe it's my combination of Asus motherboard with Windows 10, which makes it more rare.  But it's another item on the backburner.  I don't want to get too sidetracked right now.

But this Hsu thing is more frustrating, because it's been 2 weeks now, and about 15 - 20 hours spent on it.  I haven't even gotten to a point where I'm evaluating music.  I'm just trying to get it to sound more impactful than a 6" woofer on a regular full range speaker.

I will try your suggestion tomorrow.

I just placed an order for the PSA V1512DF.  I briefly considered the low tuned vented model that was $200 more, but I think that is probably better for someone that loves bass with movies.  I like bass with music.  It's nice with TV/movies, but the music excites me more.  I'm more obsessed with that. 

I also was thinking about a Rythmik FVX15, but I just don't want something that's 100+ lbs.  It's hard enough to move these 80 something pound ones, even with furniture sliders. 

Plus I've gotten great customer support from PSA this weekend, in terms of answering my questions both via phone and email. 

Unlike Hsu, who is only available M - F, PSA is available 7 days a week.  Which is good, because the weekend is the best time for me to try things.

It's not easy for me to call Hsu during MY normal working hours, then try stuff at night, then have to call them back during my normal working hours. 

PSA, like SVS, seems to have good support hours.  That counts for something with me.

Thanks for your suggestions, you had some good ones.  Like using the high level inputs.  And using a more plain looking RCA cable. 

Using a direct audio source is also a good one, I'll try it tomorrow (Monday). 

[nuraman00]

One thing that annoyed me was that I asked Hsu if it was possible to send a technician over.

They said no.

I wouldn't have minded paying $100 if an official technician could come and either confirm its defective, or figure out what I'm doing wrong. That's much better then sending a heavy sub hundreds or thousands of miles, and having them do an evaluation.

It seems like this option should be possible, for heavy TVs, speakers, or other electronics.

Offer a service through Best Buy or something, but sometimes in cases like mine, it's better then taking a week to send a sub back.

Hsu tried to make me drop the sub off to Fed Ex myself for the return. I can't get this sub in my car. And even if I couldn't, I wouldn't be able to get it out.

SVS didn't have a problem with scheduling a return for the sealed 2000 Pro.

[ttocs]

Best Buy Geek Squad
www.bestbuy.com/site/services/tv-home-theater-services/pcmcat138100050024.c?id=pcmcat138100050024

[nuraman00]

Dec 7, 2020 1:02:51 GMT -5 ttocs said:

I know you are wanting to move on, but I had a thought, and I understand if you're totally done with this episode, so no worries if the answer is no.

What about using a source as the input to the Hsu sub? Direct from the source to the sub. Anything with an RCA output. Just use one channel from a CD player, a DAC, portable radio, cassette deck, VHS recorder, anything with a Line Output. 

Sorry, but I get real obsessive when diagnosing a stubborn problem, just can't let it go without a resolution. So if I can't find the answer, I at least want to rule out everything I can think of.

I tried using my portable CD player's headphone to the sub, using a 3.5mm to RCA splitter cable.

This may have made the sub's output even worse.  I had the crossover set to in. 

Similar symptoms, the speaker moves but barely produces output that a standalone subwoofer should.

Time to pack the Hsu up.  Fed Ex is coming on Tuesday to pick it up.

The PSA should be here by Friday.  Wait, it just updated and said Wednesday now?  If that happens, even cooler.

If the Hsu had even sounded like the sealed SVS 2000 Pro that I already returned, I wouldn't be doing all this and be saying it's not working.  I'd just think that there's not much of a difference between them.

I still have the SVS ported 2000 Pro.

[nuraman00]

Why is it every subwoofer box I get is half broken on one side? This PSA box is no different, lol.

[daveczski65]

Dec 14, 2020 18:02:21 GMT -5 nuraman00 said:

Why is it every subwoofer box I get is half broken on one side? This PSA box is no different, lol.

Thats cause Fedex,Ups,, both suck when it comes to there handling of packages, plus you have had to piss them off with all the heavy ass subs that you have been getting and returning. Lol. Poor guys are going,,Not again!,lol

Sounds like you may have issues with your wires or maybe the receiver just isn't up to the task anymore.  Hopefully you figure things out. 

Enjoy that PSA sub.

[nuraman00]

Well, the PSA DF1512 sounds like a sub.

Interestingly enough, when running Yamaha's YPAO with this sub, it was the only time it got the distances of all of the speakers correct. Normally it thinks my left surround is 43 feet away.

I ended up maxing out the sub volume on the receiver with the PSA, to see what it could do. I didn't hear distortion. Previously with the SVS subs, I had never set the sub volume on the receiver past +6.

The PSA sounds a little cleaner. I'll hold off on more early impressions until I can further evaluate this vs. the PB 2000 Pro.

Overall, they sound a little different, but not that different. I wonder if I made a mistake in trying the downward firing one, instead of the low tuned front firing one for $200 more. I had really wanted a 15" driver to sound a lot different.

Too late now, can't wait another 1.5 weeks for another sub. SVS says they're not super strict on the 45 days, but I don't want to test their limits too much.

Well, at least both subs work, so now it's just a matter of trying various settings and seeing what I like.

I also have to remind myself that I have liked the PB 2000 Pro, it was just a matter of seeing if something else sounded better.

Question: Is setting the crossover to 150 Hz too much?

[nuraman00]

ttocs, others.

Here was Hsu's evaluation after they received the VTF-3 back. They said the amp wasn't screwed in all the way, which is what probably caused air to leak, and thus the reduced pressure and output.

It wasn't anything that was obvious to me. After I had replaced the amp, I did check to see if it was properly screwed, and it looked and felt as good as possible. But, this is why I had wished there had been been some sort of service they could have provided, where a trained subwoofer technician could have come over and probably diagnosed that in about 30 mins. Since I had spent 15-20 hours, and tried a lot of things, and nothing else had seemed to improve the sound.

Also, the output actually seemed to improve a tiny bit AFTER I replaced the amp. It's possible the original amp I received was also not properly screwed, and when I replaced the amp, I had just mimicked the same amp screw fit as the way I had received it.

Also, I hadn't had any time since my last post to evaluate the PSA DF1512. But now I will, and I hope to make a decision between it and the PB 2000 Pro within a few days.

Also, in a prior post, I had wondered if I had made a mistake in getting a downward firing one. But thinking about it afterward, if I hadn't gotten one, I always would have wondered what one would have sounded like.

I guess what I could have done is gotten both the downward firing one, and the low tuned PSA one, then made a final decision.

But I was also probably a little scared, after the Hsu experience, that I was doing something wrong with non SVS subs, but just didn't know what.

Anyways, I have a good SVS PB 2000 Pro sub. I have a good PSA DF 1512 sub. Let's see what I decide.

Question: So for both the SVS sub, and the PSA sub, I set their volume/gain to max.

Is it bad to set my receiver's sub volume to the max too, at +10? Until I got the PSA sub, I hadn't gone beyond +6. But after getting the PSA, I had tried +10, to see what it could do. But if I try with the PSA at +10, then I need to do the same with the SVS PB 2000 Pro.

[nuraman00]

Thanks for the advice on how to run the AV EQ everyone.


After spending several more hours over the past few days running the YPAO AV EQ more carefully, and comparing the SVS PB 2000 Pro and the PSA DF 1512, they either sound similar or the SVS sounds a little better to me. I ran the EQ several times, and tried different placements again. In certain situations, I can just get a little more thump from the SVS.


My trial with SVS was technically over 2 days ago anyways (if going by order date and not delivery date), so I didn't want to stretch this any more.


This is close to final, and I'll be calling PSA sometime today (Wednesday) for the return.


The DF 1512 was pretty good, and if I was looking for subs again years later, I'd probably try the PSA TV1512 next time, to compare it with a SVS.


I can now move on to planning when to watch/listen to that concert Blu Ray, which started this home theater setup.

[nuraman00]

I'll create a separate thread, when it's time for me to figure out how to get this to work with my PC. I haven't tried again since my initial efforts in early November.

[bootman]

Lookup REL subwoofer setup on youtube.
They talk about speaker level vs line level connection options that applies to any sub with both connection types.

[nuraman00]

Dec 30, 2020 9:53:41 GMT -5 bootman said:

Lookup REL subwoofer setup on youtube.
They talk about speaker level vs line level connection options that applies to any sub with both connection types.

Thanks.  I'll do that sometime.

Does it also talk about configuration in Windows 10?

When I go to the Windows 10 sound test, and put my mouse over the sub for the sound test, I hear bass.

When I actually try to play something, I don't hear it.

(This was from my early November attempts.)

I tried "enable bass management" in my SupremeFX sound management, but it didn't seem to make a difference when actually playing something.

[bootman]

Dec 31, 2020 2:50:53 GMT -5 nuraman00 said:

Dec 30, 2020 9:53:41 GMT -5 bootman said:

Lookup REL subwoofer setup on youtube.
They talk about speaker level vs line level connection options that applies to any sub with both connection types.

Thanks.  I'll do that sometime.

Does it also talk about configuration in Windows 10?

When I go to the Windows 10 sound test, and put my mouse over the sub for the sound test, I hear bass.

When I actually try to play something, I don't hear it.

(This was from my early November attempts.)

I tried "enable bass management" in my SupremeFX sound management, but it didn't seem to make a difference when actually playing something.

Do you have another source to try?
This could just be a source issue. (PC)

[nuraman00]

Dec 31, 2020 13:54:54 GMT -5 bootman said:

Dec 31, 2020 2:50:53 GMT -5 nuraman00 said:

Thanks.  I'll do that sometime.

Does it also talk about configuration in Windows 10?

When I go to the Windows 10 sound test, and put my mouse over the sub for the sound test, I hear bass.

When I actually try to play something, I don't hear it.

(This was from my early November attempts.)

I tried "enable bass management" in my SupremeFX sound management, but it didn't seem to make a difference when actually playing something.

Do you have another source to try?
This could just be a source issue. (PC)

Yes, the sub works fine when connected from my Yamaha receiver.

I just want to figure out how to also make it work with a PC too.