Results of a day misspent with DSP subwoofer..long (archive)

The sub is very "loose," and not well sealed to the shelf. There are too few fasteners to secure the sub assembly rigidly, and the result leaves gaps you can see through. Take a look for yourselves.

I also received an FFT plot of the system (from a friend in the business) that used SMAART PRO (SIA version) to plot the system characteristics. Bottom line: there are significant resonances at the 200Hz region and below. Here are some things you can do to cheaply (virtually no cost) improve the performance. First, I'll detail the recommended eq curves. These adjustments are given using the LED segments as references"

Boost 80Hz band +1 or +2 to taste.

Cut 200Hz band 2-3 segments

Cut 500Hz Band 2

Cut 1K band 2

Boost 5K band 1-2 segments

Leave 12K band flat

This improves overall performance, but is subtle. I recommend you create a flat memory (say in memory 2) so you can A-B the results by minimizing the effects of the resonances in the box.

I am going to experiment with foam fillers and additional fastners over the next few weeks to see if I can reinforce and tighten the band pass assembly (reduce the leaking) to further improve bass response at no great cost, and I will report back. Don't just shoot a bunch of screws into the assembly, because if they are too long, you might find the results a bit unsightly, but you should feel free to stuff foam in any of the openings to damp the box.

This approach will not result in the kind of dramatic improvements suggested by Jim L (in his exhaustive report on the DSP system), or Bob Hazelwood (formerly of ADS), but it doesn't cost much, either. Try the EQ settings and let me know if you think they help.

Lew

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