PSB SubSeries 6i Owner's Manual page 15

A. Set Sub Volume to 0, Sub Cut-Off Frequency to 50Hz. Set any loudness,
bass and treble, and/or equalizer controls on your preamplifier or integrated
amplifier or receiver, or other components, to their nominal (midpoint or off)
positions. Ensure the LFE Input/Crossover bypass switch is set to off unless
the subwoofer is connected to the LFE/Subwoofer output of your
receiver/processor and the output is low pass filtered.
B. Playa familiar compact disc, LP, or video soundtrack that includes substan-
tial deep-bass content over an extended section. Your PSB dealer can help
you select a few such titles.
C. Gradually turn the Sub Volume control clockwise until you achieve natural
balance between the subwoofers deep-bass output and your main left and
right loudspeakers.
D. Slowly turn the Sub Cut-Off Frequency control clockwise to reach the best
mid-bass blend with your main left and right speakers. This will be the point
at which the upper bass retains solid impact and fullness. Boom or muddiness
is the result if the control is too high. A thin, "reedy" quality to the mid-bass
such as deep male voices (FM announcers; Darth Vader) is the result if the
control is too low.
E. Switch the Phase control between 0 0 and 180 0 several times, leaving it in the
position that yields the fullest low to mid bass output. You will now probably
want to repeat steps C& Dto double-check the subwoofer blend.
Cycling through steps C & D several times with slightly different settings of both
the Sub Volume and Sub Cut-Off Frequency controls will help you get the most
musical performance from your PSB Subwoofer and your system. The best
combination is that which yields the most solid very-low-bass sounds, without
mid-bass boom or a gap in response between the subwoofer and the main
speakers.
As you will discover, the Sub Cut-Off Frequency and Sub Volume controls are
interactive. Raising the latter while lowering the former can have the effect of
extending deep-bass response somewhat, with a small sacrifice in overall loud-
ness capability (this will still be well beyond the full-range loudness capability of
most systems). In general, for well-recorded acoustic music the lowest Sub
Cut-Off Frequency setting that yields a smooth transition between subwoofer
and main speakers is often the best choice, and will promote deeper low-bass
extension.
Note: The Sub Volume control is not a bass-boost or volume control. It is a
set-and-forget adjustment, not intended for day-to-day adjustment. Use your
preamplifier or receiver/integrated amp tone controls to modify program tonal
balance.
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