Open Letter To REL, SVS, Hsu, etc., et al


Why don’t you include a cd that will actually enable your customers to properly set up their purchase from you? Telling me to choose something with ‘low bass content’ and put it on repeat is pathetic at best. There are very specific and very limited numbers of tones needed to dial in a sub. One of the above companies tells me to use track 4 from ‘Sneakers’, a 29 year old movie, as an aid in dialing in a sub. Maybe in 70 years the track will be in the public domain and they can just rip it for free to whatever medium is current in 2091.
Test tones, as far as I know, aren’t copyrighted, and would cost very little to put on a cd. 50 blank cd’s cost 15.00 retail. Include one with tones and instructions in the box. Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, etc., etc., would also qualify as a place to put your sub setup tones, along with detailed voice instructions. 
I know many people now use automated setups in their AVR’s, but I’d bet many reading this on Audiogon don’t- most two channel systems are behind the times in this regard.
Or am I missing something?
james_edward

Showing 5 responses by james_edward

I thought about the cd player thing as I was writing- I added the mention of the major streaming services further down in my post figuring that. I bought my first sub circa 2000, and have bought at least one from each of the above companies over the years. Only Hsu ever included an old fashioned cd, but not one with instruction or a good set of test tones- just music with bass.
Sure thing drussell. Those tracks are exactly what will be helpful. I’ve been using a cd from Alan Parsons- ‘Sound Check’ from ‘93. It gives some CD players fits- it has 92 tracks, and navigating them can be a pain. Small quirks make it less than ideal for sub setup, but it’s doable. Ideally if these tracks were available on streaming services, setup would be easier. First world problem though, so I will survive.
Thanks.