The perfect satellite/subwoofer system ...

Hey Erik, I have both an active sub/sat setup and a passive one. I found the solution to be the room correction you use to integrate them. You can get results that sound much more expensive than the cost of the system. For example a pair of Paradigm PW 600 are active, have a sub out, and also have ARC room correction:

https://www.paradigm.com/en/wireless/pw-600

match them up with a sub and you will be a happy camper. All you need is to download the Play-Fi app to your phone and you are jamming. If you want to connect a source go for it.

Hey Kota1,

I just tried Anthem Room correction and you know, I was not very impressed. It’s a major reason why I’m making a new active center, so I can disable the receiver's ARC and use my own EQ settings.

It’s not immersive or transparent enough compared to what I could achieve when I had 100% control.

My point was,in any event, about what we know we can’t fix with ARC:

• Dynamic range
• Dispersion
• Distortion

These are all heavily influenced by the physics of driver sizes. The thing we really can use ARC for, subwoofer integration, was not on my list.

Also, having now lived with the results of Anthem Room Correction and tried it, I disagree with the philosophy of ARC which insists on controlling the measurement points. As someone involved in actual theater installations and calibrations, I think that the methodology of multiple measurement points is best saved for larger rooms, and find myself agreeing with a quote from a review of the Bryston HT processor that the goals are ill suited for home listening.

I’m not anti-DSP at all, I’m thinking the way Anthem conceived it’s ARC is not working for me in my room, and now that I understand it better I can see why.

Being a hack with only a pair of dated Mackie powered PA speakers as my only active speaker reference, any taking of wind is out.

I do believe a much finer level of subwoofer integration has been easily obtainable for well over a decade. Like most aspects of this hobby if you haven't heard it you simply can't know whats missing. More importantly, just how simply it is to use.   

When my push pull tube amplified mains were down I repositioned my HT two-way Triangle Comet's in their stead, leaving the two Velodyne DD-12 Plus subs in the rooms Crawl established asymmetrical bass modes.

After choosing the laptop or TV, plugging in the mic and loading the Sweep Tone CD I ran the twenty minute Plus Auto EQ through the Triangles and the subs to compensate for the speaker change. To better compensate the subs to the Triangles basic low frequency presentation I play a self recorded file of my Double Basses and drums through the Triangles and the subs.

To further tweak to my taste I used the manual drag and drop of the Velodyne Plus Frequency Response and Parameters Screen. I slightly altered by ear the Q (bandwidth) Parametric Filter within the 40-50Hz and the 50-63Hz bands which also changes the slopes on both sides of the filters. These changes are easily audible to anybody when playing a very familiar recording. Saved to memory in any of the six customizable presets while the mains remain in the analog domain. That's it.

While these adjustments are covered on pg. 10-11 in the Velodyne User Interface Manual they neglected the how to and what to listen for. Even though music fans don't have that you-are-there post production experience of their favorite recording, subjective satisfaction can easily be accomplished. Without trial and error subwoofer room positioning, manufacturers predetermined auto only equalization or a third party download and accessories. 

Most, if not all the professional periodical reviews also neglected to get past the Plus' very effective, now over twelve year old system and room Auto EQ optimizing feature. Sadly for the home audio community, during Velodyne's time remaining the manufacturer's priorities took a dramatic turn. 

http://velodyneacoustics.com/pdf/digitaldriveplus/DD+Manual.pdf https://www.velodyneacoustics.com/pdf/digitaldriveplus/DD+UserInterfaceManual.pd

@erik_squires 

You make a good point about ARC being good at sub integration. I have used ARC in my desktop system with a 2.1 passive setup driven by the Paradigm PW-AMP and also with a 2.1 active speaker driven by the Paradigm PW-Link. Both setups were in my very small office space with limited room treatment and I noticed the sub integrated seamlessly, like being wrapped in a bubble of sound.

So this week I am trying something new in my HT which uses Audyssey Pro room correction. My processor has two sub outs I want to add a third sub in the back of the room. I got a 12 inch wall mounted sub from Monoprice. My rear surround and rear height (atmos) speakers are both driven by PW-Amps. I am going to mount that sub about 6 feet high on the rear wall. Then connect the sub out ports from the amps to the left and right in ports on the sub. Calibrate the rear surrounds with ARC, then the rear height speakers with ARC. Then rerun audyssey. This should give me some directional bass in the back of my room for both the rear surrounds and atmos height channels. Will let you know how it goes.

Well, my experience is that even 1 subwoofer, if PERFECTLY dialed in is not directional. However that caveat, PERFECTLY, is hard to achieve.

I would however worry about raising a subwoofer causing any wall or stand rattling, which is a major reason why listeners report they can hear the location of the subwoofer.

Let us know.

Check it out, it's designed for wall mounting:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=35847

That's cool, let us know how it performs!!

Hey @erik_squires , I got the sub installed today but have yet to calibrate it. I was worried that "slim" meant wimpy...NOT. This thing is HUGE but manageable. In this pic of my back wall you can see:

1) The Paradigm 20 height channel for the right height channel. 

(In the upper right corner of the pic you can see a glimpse of the Auralex Sustain Lens diffusor hanging as an "acoustic cloud). 

2) The amps I am using for the rear surrounds and rear heights is blurry in the pic but is to the left of that height speaker. Those amps have a sub out ports, both are connected to the sub below.

3) The Monoprice SSW 12 "Slim" Sub (LOL).

4) Below the sub I have the tan colored absorbers on two inch spacers mounted to the wall.

5) To the right of the tan absorbers you can see my R rear surround speaker which is specially designed for wall mounting.

6) To the R of the subwoofer you can see two Auralex Sustain Pyramid diffusors which are back filled with polyfill so they double as bass traps.

I will calibrate the sub using the ARC room correction of those amps in the back of the room so it integrates with the rear surround and rear height channels. Then rerun Audyssey pro on the entire theater, Will report after it breaks in a bit.