# What to Do...



## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

I have been thinking of upgrading my current Polk PSW350 sub for something a lot more powerful and with better room-shaking abilities. As such, I have of course considered an SVS (not sure of which specific model as of yet) but here's my question: In replacing my PSW350, I was thinking of taking that sub and moving it upstairs to my dedicated two-channel system and adding it to that (my stereo receiver has a sub preout that could be used) setup, but then I got to thinking...why not run the PSW350 AND a new SVS together in the home theater?

What would be the best way to go here, do you guys think? Would the delivery of LFE be way "off" by mixing the Polk and the SVS (which would probably be in the opposite front corners of the room)? Should I just move the PSW350 to my two-channel system as originally conceived if/when I get the new sub for the home theater? Or...would it be okay to run the Polk and a new sub at the same time in the HT? 

Thanks in advance for any insight...:T :hsd: :hsd:


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## B- one (Jan 13, 2013)

All you can do is try. I would think the lesser sub would struggle to keep up,as well the guys at SVS could give you great insight as well. Or you can win the Triax giveaway.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Thanks, B.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Chances are the PSA will not play well with the SVS, what usually ends up happening is the over all response of the two subs will only be as good as the lesser sub.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

tonyvdb said:


> Chances are the PSA will not play well with the SVS, what usually ends up happening is the over all response of the two subs will only be as good as the lesser sub.


Thanks, Tony...

Did you mean the *PSW* sub? Can you be a bit more specific with what you mean by "won't play well"...will the overall bass just be "uneven" and "strange" in delivery, etc? I had suspected this, but wanted some more insight...

Would it be better to use two of the same kinds of subs if running dual subwoofers? 

Thanks!


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Osage_Winter said:


> Thanks, Tony...
> 
> Did you mean the *PSW* sub? Can you be a bit more specific with what you mean by "won't play well"...will the overall bass just be "uneven" and "strange" in delivery, etc? I had suspected this, but wanted some more insight...
> 
> ...


Yup, PSW sorry
What happens is the frequency response of the lesser sub is very different than the SVS. When you mix the two you will end up with a boost in the frequency where the two subs are similar but at the lower octaves probably below 25hz only the SVS will be able to do the job this means that you will not get a smooth response up in the higher frequencies and will sound boomy and un natural. Yo will likely drive the PSW into clipping and distortion trying to achieve a smooth response


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

tonyvdb said:


> Yup, PSW sorry
> What happens is the frequency response of the lesser sub is very different than the SVS. When you mix the two you will end up with a boost in the frequency where the two subs are similar but at the lower octaves probably below 25hz only the SVS will be able to do the job this means that you will not get a smooth response up in the higher frequencies and will sound boomy and un natural. Yo will likely drive the PSW into clipping and distortion trying to achieve a smooth response


I see; what I had suspected given the frequency response delivery differences here. Are you pretty much suggesting I stick to perhaps moving the PSW to the secondary music-only system and let the SVS do its thing in the HT?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Well, give it a try but I suggest that you move the PSW as you say to your two channel system. Let the SVS run on its own for now and add a second SVS later if you want more. However the SVS may very well surprise you once you get it properly placed and tuned.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

tonyvdb said:


> Well, give it a try but I suggest that you move the PSW as you say to your two channel system. Let the SVS run on its own for now and add a second SVS later if you want more. However the SVS may very well surprise you once you get it properly placed and tuned.


Oh, I'm completely prepared to be blown away by the SVS without the need for a second -- I was just curious with regard to what I should do about incorporating the PSW with it, as we have been discussing...:T

Do you suspect the SVS will be a "night and day" difference as compared to the Polk PSW350? :hsd:


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## Mike P. (Apr 6, 2007)

It will depend which model SVS you get. Do you have a model in mind?


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

I have been considering the PB12 NSD...


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

That's a great sub, I have a friend who has the PB10NSD and it is surprising how much output it even has.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

tonyvdb said:


> That's a great sub, I have a friend who has the PB10NSD and it is surprising how much output it even has.


That's the model below the PB12? I was thinking of moving up from a 10 inch driver, which my current sub boasts, to at least a 12 inch...

Should this yield much greater output than what I'm experiencing now with the PSW350?


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Osage_Winter said:


> I have been considering the PB12 NSD...


Osage, I had a Klipsch rw-12d that I replaced with the SVS PB-12nsd. Needless to say the improvement was huge! Movies are so much more impactful and the bass is tight and controlled. It definitely improved the overall movie watching experience.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

JBrax said:


> Osage, I had a Klipsch rw-12d that I replaced with the SVS PB-12nsd. Needless to say the improvement was huge! Movies are so much more impactful and the bass is tight and controlled. It definitely improved the overall movie watching experience.


Hey, J -- thanks for the feedback and info! Do the SVS subs -- which I don't have that much experience with -- deliver that "feel the pressure and impact in the chest" experience during deep LFE drops? Does it seem like these subs definitely "pressurize the room" with bass, providing that elusive "sucking the air out of your chest" feeling, or is it more a severe pounding (against the walls and such)?


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

I'm not sure I'd describe it as "sucking the air out of your chest" but with some movies you can feel the bass in your bones. WOTW in particular comes to mind. Coming from a Polk sub you certainly would be impressed.


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## steve nn (Jul 23, 2006)

Osage_Winter said:


> I see; what I had suspected given the frequency response delivery differences here. Are you pretty much suggesting I stick to perhaps moving the PSW to the secondary music-only system and let the SVS do its thing in the HT?


 With out a doubt, no thinking about it! Pull the polk and slide in the SVS. What hasn’t been mentioned yet is canclations. The polk can pull down the spl in the lower freq especially. Congrats on your new sub!


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

JBrax said:


> I'm not sure I'd describe it as "sucking the air out of your chest" but with some movies you can feel the bass in your bones. WOTW in particular comes to mind. Coming from a Polk sub you certainly would be impressed.


Well, I think _War of the Worlds_ would rattle a house even out of a one-inch sub designed to complement a computer speaker package...:rofl2:

Seriously, that DTS track -- on the DVD release -- has become the demo room defacto standard for LFE, surpassing previous heavyweights like the tracks to _U-571_ and _The Haunting_...:gulp: :hsd: :hsd: :hsd:


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

steve nn said:


> With out a doubt, no thinking about it! Pull the polk and slide in the SVS. What hasn’t been mentioned yet is canclations. The polk can pull down the spl in the lower freq especially. Congrats on your new sub!


Thanks, Steve -- you probably made up my mind for me, along with other members' input, regarding what I'm going to do with the Polk...however, I don't actually have the SVS yet; I am considering it and trying to save up some scratch for that bad boy...:T :spend: :spend:


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Don't delay, get that pb12 ASAP!
You won't regret the purchase and if you do I will eat a cardboard box the size of the box the PB12 comes in


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Yes, those are all good ones that once you upgrade you'll be revisiting. After I got my SVS I re-watched about 1/3 of my collection. You might also look at the PSA subs as I think many people are high on them as well.


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

tonyvdb said:


> Don't delay, get that pb12 ASAP!
> You won't regret the purchase and if you do I will eat a cardboard box the size of the box the PB12 comes in


That's gonna be a meal!


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

tonyvdb said:


> Don't delay, get that pb12 ASAP!
> You won't regret the purchase and if you do I will eat a cardboard box the size of the box the PB12 comes in


LOL...point taken, Tony...:bigsmile: :T

Thanks for your assistance.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

JBrax said:


> Yes, those are all good ones that once you upgrade you'll be revisiting. After I got my SVS I re-watched about 1/3 of my collection. You might also look at the PSA subs as I think many people are high on them as well.


Thanks J. :T


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Nah, just some hot sauce and it will go down easy LOL
Shows how confident I am in the improvement he will see


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Okay -- so is the general concensus here to move the PSW350 to the two-channel system (for added low end) when I eventually get the new sub for the HT, and let the SVS (or whatever brand it may be) stand alone in the 5.1 setup?

Another quick question for you guys -- anyone have any recommended volume knob settings for the SVS PB12 if I go that route? Is halfway (12:00) okay, or does it need a little more gain (provided everything inside the AVR is dialed in with regard to calibration levels for the sub)?


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

tonyvdb said:


> Nah, just some hot sauce and it will go down easy LOL
> Shows how confident I am in the improvement he will see


Oh no doubt I feel he'd be amazed by the improvement! A good sub is an absolute must have for movies.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Osage_Winter said:


> Another quick question for you guys -- anyone have any recommended volume knob settings for the SVS PB12 if I go that route? Is halfway (12:00) okay, or does it need a little more gain (provided everything inside the AVR is dialed in with regard to calibration levels for the sub)?


Yes, 12 o'clock is a good start. The receiver will do the rest.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

tonyvdb said:


> Yes, 12 o'clock is a good start. The receiver will do the rest.


Thanks, Ton...

Was only asking because some subs need some "north of 12 o'clock goosing" to get going, but I suspected the SVS' amp wouldn't need such "cranking up"...:bigsmile:

Speaking of amps -- offhand, do you know how much power the PB12's internal amp delivers?


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

400 watts, 800 peak so plenty.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Thanks, T; that's 400 RMS?


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

The SVS is doubling the watts of your other sub. If you look at the freq graph, it looks like it starts rolling off at around 25 Hz.

http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/ported-box/pb12-nsd

Really need to know the room size to know how well it will work. I find the bone rattleing stuff to be at lower Hz. If you have a large room, you might need a bigger model. I can't find a graph for your sub (It always makes me think companies are not proud of their sub when they don't post graphs), but the web page specs it down to 25 Hz (big difference). I replace my Klipsch KSW-10 with a PB-13U. Night & day. Do you have a budget in mind?


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Tonto said:


> The SVS is doubling the watts of your other sub. If you look at the freq graph, it looks like it starts rolling off at around 25 Hz.
> 
> http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/ported-box/pb12-nsd


Hello Tonto, and thank you...

Indeed; the PSW350 was often jokingly referred to by home theater enthusiasts as a "bass module," NOT a subwoofer because it was so pathetic in output...:rofl2: :yikes:



> Really need to know the room size to know how well it will work. I find the bone rattleing stuff to be at lower Hz. If you have a large room, you might need a bigger model. I can't find a graph for your sub (It always makes me think companies are not proud of their sub when they don't post graphs), but the web page specs it down to 25 Hz (big difference). I replace my Klipsch KSW-10 with a PB-13U. Night & day. Do you have a budget in mind?


Let me address one concern at a time -- our room is a standard living room, seating distance in the sweet spot around 12 feet from the screen/main stage. Right now the PSW350 is rattlin' things nicely but it can't keep up with extreme high volume demand of hot LFE tracks -- leading me to believe another sub can only do better. Are you saying your research lead you to believe the PSW350 goes down to 25Hz? As for your Klipsch replacement -- was it really that big of a difference? How so? :blink: :clap: :hsd:

Budget I'm working on...:sarcastic: :huh: :hissyfit: :spend:


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

Osage wrote:



> Are you saying your research lead you to believe the PSW350 goes down to 25Hz?


I got this number off the manufacuter website. It states they play down to 25 Hz (not they begin to roll off @ 25 hz). I suspect the former, since they don't share a graph. I could not find a review that did, which also leads me to suspect the same since most reviewers don't want to point out less than stellar output.



> As for your Klipsch replacement -- was it really that big of a difference? How so?


The Klipsch sub was my 1st sub & I loved it. It brought surround sound to life for me. When I got my PB13-U, I again got that "Wow". There is just no comparison between them. The SVS really puts out.

And that is the problem with upgrading. It's better in my opinion to get a big SW now instead of feeding the upgrade bug again later. That's why I was wondering how much you could spend.


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## Osage_Winter (Apr 8, 2010)

Thank you.


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