robbyrob

I had the SVS PB10-NSD for a few weeks recently and it sounded great but I had to return it because the amp made an annoying humming noise when I turned up the GAIN. I ended up getting a Klipsch SUB12 at bestbuy instead but I would have kept the SVS if it didn't have that issue. Also, I would have exchanged it if I lived in a city that had an SVS dealer that I could simply drive to... but since shipping is expensive, I didn't want to risk exchanging it and possibly getting another bad one. My impressions are the following: - larger and much heavier than the SUB12 even though only a 10" driver - solid, thick, one piece box (no visible seams) so you'll never hear any vibration noises coming from it - it's hard to describe but I found the sound to be cleaner and tighter than the SUB12

I had the SVS PB10-NSD for a few weeks recently and it sounded great but I had to return it because the amp made an annoying humming noise when I turned up the GAIN. I ended up getting a Klipsch SUB12 at bestbuy instead but I would have kept the SVS if it didn't have that issue. Also, I would have exchanged it if I lived in a city that had an SVS dealer that I could simply drive to... but since shipping is expensive, I didn't want to risk exchanging it and possibly getting another bad one. My impressions are the following: - larger and much heavier than the SUB12 even though only a 10" driver - solid, thick, one piece box (no visible seams) so you'll never hear any vibration noises coming from it - it's hard to describe but I found the sound to be cleaner and tighter than the SUB12

So, it looks like I will be returning the SVS because the humming is too annoying to live with and I could already feel headaches coming on after being exposed to it for only a little while. I've purchased a Klipsch SUB12 which doesn't suffer from the humming problem no matter how high I turn the GAIN knob. Anybody have to ship a large and heavy sub from a Canadian city to Toronto? If so, please let me know if you went with UPS, FedEx, Canada Post, etc. It's a fairly large box and weighs 60 pounds so I'll definitely have to check all the shipping companies' websites but if you have shipping advice then please share. Worst case if it's too expensive then I guess I could drive there since it's only about 5 hours away. Thanks, Rob.

Just an update... I exchanged the defective SUB12 at bestbuy today for another brand new one and luckily it seems to work. Also, there is no humming sound like on the SVS even though they both have BASH amps (which I assume is a company that makes amps). So, I can only assume that the SVS is defective somehow. I must admit that the SVS appears to have better sounding bass but I haven't had much time to play around with the SUB12 yet and since it's downfiring then I'm sure a corner placement will make it sound better. Right now, I've just been testing them beside my entertainment cabinet with part of a door behind and stairs (going up) a few feet away on the other side. Anyways, thanks everybody for all of your help.

I flipped it on its side and took out the 8 screws that were holding the downfiring driver in place (now I know what makes up most of the weight of a sub ). There were two wires connected to it so I pushed on them a bit just to make sure that they were fully connected. Then, I closed it back up and tried it again... same results. There must be something else wrong with it and I don't think bestbuy / Klipsch would want me messing around in there too much so I think at this point I'll just have to bring it back.

I brought home a brand new Klipsch SUB-12 today and it doesn't seem to work. I have an HK AVR147 receiver connected to it via an RCA cable to the LFE port. The blue light is on but there's no sound no matter what I do. I even messed up all of my receiver settings trying stuff with the crossover freq and boosting the dBs to it. I tried playing the helicopter scene from the movie "The Matrix" which has a lot of bass but nothing. I think the receiver works fine because my SVS sub was working (except for a hum issue... another thread) before I swapped them. Could it be DOA (dead on arrival)? Is there a good simple test to see if a sub is dead or not? On the bright side, the SUB-12 doesn't hum. Thanks, Rob.

Good call! I guess I can lug it upstairs and try it on another circuit. However, I've just tested the case when all of the circuits in the house are off except for the one that the sub is plugged into. Also, no other appliances are running on that circuit and I disconnected the cable tv at the house entry point just in case the cables run side by side somewhere. I can still hear the hum but only at about 60% gain and higher which is the same as when the other circuits are on. Maybe I'm making a big deal out of this for nothing? It's just the sound of electrical transformer inside the sub and I assume that this means a hum problem. Are there any other people here that hear this type of sound in their sub at full gain?

Good call Mike! I contacted them and they've proposed a workaround that I have yet to try. If you're interested please refer to the following thread: http://forums.klipsch.com/forums/permalink/916426/916426/ShowThread.aspx#916426

Well, I decided to try changing it to s-video and it looks like the HK AVR147 doesn't convert between s-video and composite. On the bright side though, I managed to locate the manuals for my old DVD player and TV and it turns out that they have some features that I didn't know about. It turns out that the TV can have both s-video and composite connected at the same time and all I have to do is press the TV/VIDEO button twice. Anyways, just decided to post this in case it helps anyone else who may be wondering.

Thanks for the reply Mike! Nope, it's a townhouse and there aren't any other cables nearby so I find it very weird. I've been in contact with SVS's tech support and they suggested that I lower the GAIN level to 20% on the sub and increase the dB level from the receiver. What are your thoughts on this workaround? I haven't had a chance to try it yet but I would rather solve the problem instead of going around it like this so I will continue to troubleshoot. I was thinking of grabbing a flashlight and turning off all circuits on my circuit breaker except for this one. I've also purchased a Klipsch SUB-12 and if it doesn't hum then the SVS is going back. If they both hum then I'll have to decide which one to keep and maybe purchase a Belkin isolator powerbar or something.

Thanks Pat! I ended up going with the HK and it sounds great but I'm sure that the Yamahas would too. It was pretty much a timing thing with sales at the stores in my area.

In an effort to troubleshoot, I've tried many things including simply plugging the sub into the wall without connecting the sub cable to it... and I can still hear it. Are there any other SVS PB10-NSD owners out there who have experienced this? If so, did you solve it or do you think that mine may be defective? Thanks, Rob.

It's an SVS PB10-NSD. I can hear it at the listening position so it's very annoying at half gain and higher. I could tell that the cardboard box that it was shipped in had been opened before so now I'm wondering if they sent me a previously enjoyed sub with a known issue? I might just return it and get a brand new Klipsch SUB-12.

Thanks guys! I'll be sure to post some pics soon in the "let's see your..." thread. Yes, I do have cable TV. Maybe I'm over-reacting about the hum since it's not that noticeable until the gain is turned past the middle. I tried disconnecting the coax but it didn't help... then I tried disconnecting the RCA plug and the hum is still there but not as loud. Is it normal for there to be a humming sound when it's just connected to the wall and nothing else?

I just wanted to share that I finally have my system and it sounds great! I ended up going with a Harman Kardon AVR147 receiver, five Klipsch RC52 speakers, and an SVS PB10-NSD subwoofer. I just got the sub today and there appears to be a humming sound so I'll need to solve that... maybe a shielded RCA cable or plugging it into a noise filtering powerbar will do the trick. Anyways, thanks to everyone on these forums and to Klipsch for providing this service! I've learned so much just by reading countless posts. There are so many knowledgeable and dedicated people here always willing to offer advice and answer questions. Thanks again, Rob.