SV Sound SCS-01 - Manual (Page 20)

SV Sound
Chapter 11-3 Channel level calibration

But what’s “too high” for your subwoofer?? Tastes vary,
and so do movie soundtracks, but if you purchased an SVS
subwoofer, it’s capable of tremendous levels of low distortion,
low frequency bass — often much more than most subwoofers.
Take advantage of this, especially if you like action movies with
lots of bass action. You can do so by allowing your subwoofer
levels to rise a couple dB’s louder than your other speakers
during your level calibration. Since most audio enthusiasts
don’t watch movies at full theater playback levels, this often
yields a more satisfying movie and music experience.

What subwoofer levels do we recommend? If you pur-
chased an SVS subwoofer, and watch movies at relatively
moderate sound levels, audition a range of +1dB to +3dB
above your other channels (as measured with your SPL me-
ter). This means the test tone will waiver about 78dB for the
subwoofer portion of the calibration run (88dB with Avia).
(Note: You may want to rotate the sound meter SPL meter
dial to 80dB to get a good reading with these higher levels.)

The above is a guide… experiment! The louder your master
volume though, the more you should back off the subwoofer’s
level to compensate. Audible distress is a sign to lower things a
bit. Avoid your driver bottoming, resulting in a loud ―clack‖!

Location and measurement. You should take the above
measurements from your typical preferred seat for watching
movies. Be advised, strong bass levels can vary tremendously
simply by moving your seat, or your subwoofer, only a few feet.
Such is the nature of long wave-length, low bass sound. Do
not hesitate to try different locations and different playback
levels for your subwoofer.

Setting levels for the subwoofer which are too high (and
often, too low) is the most common audio system setup
error. If you make any changes to your system configuration,
or move your speaker or subs, you should always run your
AVR test tones to validate channel levels a final time. If you
ever hear a hard ―clack‖ from your subwoofer during movie or
music playback, you should immediately turn down your sub-
woofer level control at the AVR, or the subwoofer’s own gain
control, or both.