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Please…I need help setting up sub-integration

I recently reclaimed some space in my former 2-unit house so I thought it would time to hook up my stereo again. A friend was selling a used Paradigm Seismic 12 for $800 so I purchased it because the price was so good and it was local. I no longer had speakers so I went to the local Paradigm store to buy a set of monitor 9�s like I had before. I thought I would listen to Paradigm Studio 40 v.3 just to see how those ridiculously (IMO) priced smallish speakers sounded. Suffice to say, I purchased the studio 40s.

I get home and hook them up to my Yamaha v592 surround sound receiver. I suppose I do not have to say how they sounded..sucked. With the seismic 12 hooked up to the LFE out of my receiver I could hear these wild notes that stuck out like a sore thumb. Things actually sound OK without the sub hooked up so I disconnected the sub. So much for my $800.00 reference (1700 retail) 12000 watt sub. So without the sub I was now thinking I should have just purchased the monitor 9�s since they would not be so revealing.

In for a penny in for a pound; I now went on the hunt for a good amp and I purchased a 10 year old Bryston B60 on eBay. Once that was hooked up to the speakers, it was like night and day. I sat down and listed to music for 4 hours strait. If I had a trucker�s cup I would have probably used it instead of going to the bathroom.

So now I go and buy a Paradigm x30 crossover to get my sub hooked up to the Bryston. B60 I hook it up and use the 50 Hz filter to reduce some lows to my studio 40s (they go to 36 hz). I set my cutoff frequency to 60 Hz (recommend as starting point from Paradigm) for the sub and then start playing with sub volume and phase. Suffice to say after hours of fooling I find there are just so many variables to deal with I have no idea what sounds good anymore. There are no more wild notes as everything seems tight, not boomy, but it does not sound like the B6o and just the 40s either, I mean with just more bass. I also noticed that when my cd is paused there was a fair amount of noise coming from the speakers and I am thinking this is because of the X30 as it is not there (a very small amount) with just the B60.

I just unhooked all that stuff and just have my Studio 40s hooked to the Bryston. I am very satisfied with that combination but I can�t help but feel I should be getting that sub hooked up since I purchased it not to mention the X30 and cables.

With all that said, is there an easy way to hook up and integrate my sub for my stereo listening? If I was doing 5.1 I doubt I would really notice integration because so much is going on anyway. I am just about ready to toss the seismic 12 through the window and forget about it for now. Please comment before I list my X30 and Seismic 12 on eBay.
whitneytrading
cdwallace
216 posts
 
Before you do something you may later regret, have you thought about checking the cables to make sure its not them?

"I also noticed that when my cd is paused there was a fair amount of noise coming from the speakers and I am thinking this is because of the X30 as it is not there (a very small amount) with just the B60."

It could be the unit, but before you can the idea check the connections and cables. It wouldn't hurt.
eldarado
381 posts
 
Well, I would sell the equipment here rather than Ebay but, that's just me.

I use to own 40 v2's and they go low enough for most music. If you are happy with just the Bryston and 40's, go with it. Sell the sub and x-over and use that money to upgrade something else or better yet buy some more music.

If you are set on making the sub, work you might try moving the sub around? Away from the walls into the room some? I have heard of people setting the sub in the listening postion and then walking around the room to see where the best sound is coming from and then moving the sub to that spot as a starting point.

Good luck.
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
How big is your room?...exactly. Which wall are you on? Where do you have the speakers placed?...exactly. Where can you place the sub?...anywhere? Where can you place the speakers...anywhere?

The whole deal is about placement. Have you taken any measurements? Both...the main speakers, and the sub...must be placed correctly within the room.

Try the "CARDAS" speaker setup guide for the speakers first, if you must place the sub on the wall behind the speakers, use only that part of the "CARDAS" setup for the sub, that takes room width into account...place the center of the subs woofer at exactly that point.

80hz hi-pass is going to sound better with those speakers IMO, they probably have a built in bass hump...measure them.

Get a spl meter, download the free test tone cd from the good people at "Realtraps" as a good start.

Dave
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