praljak Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Hi all, I currently have a SVS PB16 Ultra that I'm looking to replace with dual subs that slam hard. The SVS is awesome, but I would like dual subs for around the same cost that would perform better. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopefullguy Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 2 PSA subs in adelaide for sale on this forum.. 2 subs does not mean a huge loudness difference, it means more even bass in different seating positions i think. did you set up the ultra correctly and position it in the best room position or just put it where it looks the best? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praljak Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 One's in Adelaide are now sold. I pretty much placed the sub in the corner where it best fit. Way too heavy to move around!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quark Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 You could check whether Peter at DeepHz still has two PSA V1800s - currently on run-out at $1850. Definitely more slam than your PB16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopefullguy Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 unfortunately this is always the problem when buying the larger subs..placement. guess it depends if you have placement space for 2 subs as well. remember a sub 2nd hand loses a lot of value that needs to be added to 2 sub costs. i would design the room set up around the ultra 16 and get the best out of it but not everyone can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praljak Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 Thanks for the advice. I really don't think I've set it up properly. I wish I knew someone in Canberra who could come around and fiddle with my settings, crossover points, etc. It's all a learning journey I guess..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 dual subs take a lot of work to not only place optimally and THE first thing thats crucial to end result but also to have working the best together. at very least processor with good dual sub measurement, setup and eq would be mandatory... but yeah even correct placement (of subs and listening position) to optimise for the room ...will inself I suspect give you better if wanting a better sub...there is possibilities beyond output also id suggest. a cleaner more controlled sound ? look at some sealed options ? big daddy JL audio / velo DD. likely not using all that output on the big SVS in anycase ? ie look at more accuracy vs output ? anyways its not an easy choice .... hearing what alternatives will do to understand potential benefit etc etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praljak Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 I'm not unhappy with my sub, I just don't think I'm realising it's potential. I have an AVM60 processor which is good for fine tuning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sakabatou Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Anthem doesn't correct 2 subs separately though 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praljak Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 Bummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 25 minutes ago, praljak said: I'm not unhappy with my sub, I just don't think I'm realising it's potential. I have an AVM60 processor which is good for fine tuning. given have said you have placed the sub in a corner in itself woudl indicate you are likely not realising its potential... any eq will only try make best of situation, but cant be a cure all ... location of sub and main listening position will have far more impact in some case needing very little if anything from eq side. there are some add on dual sub measurement setup and EQ solutions but might be just cheaper to replace with processor that can tackle dual subs ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praljak Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 Any recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 2 minutes ago, praljak said: Any recommendations? 1. work on locations - both subs and main listening positions ...what are they now ? any photos ? sketch ? all this will help folk give you recommendations.... 2. as to processors ? a post 2016 marantz processor 7 or 8 series ... will handle dual subs even most basic one. with xt32 dual sub they have. be cheaper than changing subs and both coupled together will get you better end result than now i would be pretty sure 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praljak Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 This is the position of my gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocky500 Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Try the Subwoofer crawl method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV3oLLMgS-M 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 where is the 2nd sub ? no centre speaker ? where is listening position in respect to walls - hard to tell in the photos above, id consider moving the sub to front right...but it also looks a rather unusual shape room ? only guessing as photos dont show much... ie looks open plan to right or right front ? hard to suggest much in ways of position when have quite unconventional rooms... you need to measure and explore... suggest getting some help from local installers (who is appropriately qualified - not sure who is in Canberra) if DIY see articles like below https://www.whathifi.com/au/advice/how-to-set-up-your-subwoofer-our-expert-guide-to-room-placement-and-controls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praljak Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 Yeah, room is totally open with a large full length window on the left and no rear wall or right side wall. I currently don't have a second sub, although am looking to possibly change this, and have a GE Supercentre Reference centre channel on the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megawolf Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Hi, I was looking at the same sub for my setup. After talking to the experts I now have 2 SVS 3000 in sealed port. I finally set them up, mostly for music, I listen at low levels. For ht I have to disconnect one set of RCA`s and plug in the other`s. A quick fiddle with the phone and all done. Cheers. Ian. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satanica Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 (edited) On 14/03/2020 at 3:03 PM, praljak said: Hi all, I currently have a SVS PB16 Ultra that I'm looking to replace with dual subs that slam hard. The SVS is awesome, but I would like dual subs for around the same cost that would perform better. Any suggestions? How many ports do you have open on the SVS sub? With the Ultra Series you have options which are all three open, two open or all closed for a sealed sub-woofer. Many including myself prefer them with two open. Don't forget to change the setting in the sub-woofer amplifier that matches! Have you done the room correction (ARC) with your Anthem amplifier/receiver? I think you should set your speakers to small, set the crossover in the Anthem to 80Hz and do the room correction. Before doing so turn off the crossover in the SVS sub-woofer and have the volume set to -20db to -15db. Edited March 19, 2020 by Satanica 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiebosco Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 (edited) Before doing anything else, order a umik-1 from miniDSP and download REW, so you can actually SEE what the problems are. Otherwise, you may sell this, get 1 or 2 different subs and be in the exact same situation you are in now. This will be the best $130 you can spend on your system You might find, after measuring your frequency response, that moving your speakers wider and putting the sub on the inside right (or left side) smooths things out, or moving your seating position back (or forward) takes you out of a null or peak, or a combination of moving the sub plus your seating position are needed to get a good response, but it's all guess work without measurements Oh and get some carpet sliders from Bunnings, will make moving it around much easier EDIT**** I just remembered that Anthem has a "Quick Measure" feature built in so you can find the best position for your sub before running ARC Edited March 19, 2020 by jamiebosco 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Spade Audio Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 On 14/03/2020 at 3:33 PM, praljak said: I currently have a SVS PB16 Ultra that I'm looking to replace with dual subs that slam hard. The SVS is awesome, but I would like dual subs for around the same cost that would perform better. Any suggestions? This can easily backfire in a couple of ways. Firstly, SVS subs are very good in performance, value and sound quality. I've never come across an SVS sub that has made my job difficult in setting them up. By contrast, I've worked with alternatives which look impressive on paper but end up being hard to work with. When you start looking for subs with twice the firepower and the same price, this won't always be a forward step. Secondly, a second sub can work against the first. You won't be able to identify this easily unless you understand how to test and integrate subwoofers with acoustic measurements. It's quite common that what you describe is caused by room acoustic issues. Sometimes a second sub can improve that situation, where a second position overcomes a problem. In other cases, there is no available position that actually delivers a real improvement. On 14/03/2020 at 6:12 PM, hopefullguy said: 2 PSA subs in adelaide for sale on this forum.. 2 subs does not mean a huge loudness difference, it means more even bass in different seating positions i think. did you set up the ultra correctly and position it in the best room position or just put it where it looks the best? Two subs in the same position means + 6 dB max SPL, which in the bass typically delivers twice the perceived impact. It's actually quite significant. In different positions, the subjective impact can potentially be much greater than expected. This occurs where you have significant dips in critical regions. In some cases, a second sub may deliver + 6 dB in the low bass and overcome a broad 20 dB midbass dip. Where this happens, the second sub can offer a dramatic difference. But this does require a particular process. On 15/03/2020 at 7:58 AM, betty boop said: dual subs take a lot of work to not only place optimally and THE first thing thats crucial to end result but also to have working the best together. at very least processor with good dual sub measurement, setup and eq would be mandatory... but yeah even correct placement (of subs and listening position) to optimise for the room ...will inself I suspect give you better if wanting a better sub...there is possibilities beyond output also id suggest. a cleaner more controlled sound ? look at some sealed options ? big daddy JL audio / velo DD. likely not using all that output on the big SVS in anycase ? ie look at more accuracy vs output ? anyways its not an easy choice .... hearing what alternatives will do to understand potential benefit etc etc... Some good points by Al here. Don't overlook what you have right now. It's more than likely the deficiency is not related to the sub itself. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwstereo Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Great discussion and advice. I'm learning from this. I'm going to get the REW software and try it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praljak Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 17 hours ago, Satanica said: How many ports do you have open on the SVS sub? With the Ultra Series you have options which are all three open, two open or all closed for a sealed sub-woofer. Many including myself prefer them with two open. Don't forget to change the setting in the sub-woofer amplifier that matches! Have you done the room correction (ARC) with your Anthem amplifier/receiver? I think you should set your speakers to small, set the crossover in the Anthem to 80Hz and do the room correction. Before doing so turn off the crossover in the SVS sub-woofer and have the volume set to -20db to -15db. Hi, I have the sub in extended mode (2 ports open) and I have changed the setting in the app. I am currently awaiting the arrival of my centre channel before running Arc genesis. Thanks for the advice. I will definitely trial your suggested settings :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praljak Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 17 hours ago, jamiebosco said: Before doing anything else, order a umik-1 from miniDSP and download REW, so you can actually SEE what the problems are. Otherwise, you may sell this, get 1 or 2 different subs and be in the exact same situation you are in now. This will be the best $130 you can spend on your system You might find, after measuring your frequency response, that moving your speakers wider and putting the sub on the inside right (or left side) smooths things out, or moving your seating position back (or forward) takes you out of a null or peak, or a combination of moving the sub plus your seating position are needed to get a good response, but it's all guess work without measurements Oh and get some carpet sliders from Bunnings, will make moving it around much easier EDIT**** I just remembered that Anthem has a "Quick Measure" feature built in so you can find the best position for your sub before running ARC Thanks for the info. Very informative, and has given me many things to try!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopefullguy Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 guess my post wont help at all as i think who ever advised you with your purchases should be hung. that room design, that expensive sub stuck in the only place you will probably put it (although you could try it to the right side of the front left speaker, or even behind the couch), the centre you are buying $2500? will it even integrate with the unknown front speakers? sorry but seems there was no plan and now things are just having to "fit" in where they can. spending big bucks does not mean success. a lot of work needs to be done before deciding to try to sell the pb16 at a big loss only to pluck from the air 2 subs that will perform better in that room, based just on stats and posted opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts