La Scalas with sub woofer

[drobo]

When using a sub with La Scalas at what upper frequency of the sub do most of you blend them for your particular room?

[mustang guy]

I used to set mine at 55Hz, but recently, I changed it to 70Hz when I added 2 more subs. 

 

What sub(s) do you use, and are you having a particular issue?

[moray james]

think of things this way. A LaScala should not be use used below 90 - 80 Hz if you have a sub. They begin to stop horn loaded well above that so 80Hz is a good limit for best performance. Just in case you are wondering why this is well they are too short (horn length) and they have a mouth that is too small in area to make bass any lower but they are a serious set of compromises and manage to pack more into a two foot cube than any other cabinet of this kind out there so Kudos to PWK for such an amazing design. Best regards Moray James.

[drobo]

I used to set mine at 55Hz, but recently, I changed it to 70Hz when I added 2 more subs. 

 

What sub(s) do you use, and are you having a particular issue?

I use an REL Strata II.  No particular issue, just curious.  I have mine set like your 55 Hz range.  A little suprised by the suggested 70 to 90 Hz recommendations.

[moray james]

As I saif if you want to maintain full dynamics and horn loading thats about as low as you should go. That said lots of folks here cross lower where the LaScala (like all other small horns) turns progressively into a box speaker some run then full range with no sub and love the bass they make even though they don't make much bass. LaScala start to roll around 130 Hz. Boundary reinforcement helps some they are a great kick box but they drop like a rock most often by 55Hz. Best regards Moray James.

[derrickdj1]

A little suprised by the suggested 70 to 90 Hz recommendations.

 

Usually, XO the sub 10-15 Hz higher than it low frequency cut off.  Speaker are tested at 1 or 2 meters so, the in home low frequency performance is usually less since most of us sit more than 1 or 2 meters away from the speaker.

Edited April 7, 2015 by derrickdj1

[mustang guy]

 

I used to set mine at 55Hz, but recently, I changed it to 70Hz when I added 2 more subs. 

 

What sub(s) do you use, and are you having a particular issue?

I use an REL Strata II.  No particular issue, just curious.  I have mine set like your 55 Hz range.  A little suprised by the suggested 70 to 90 Hz recommendations.

 

 

I have been using a pair of THT's for a long time, but recently, I added a pair of KPT-684's towards the back of the shop.. The reason I had a low crossover at 55HZ, was because my two THT's are 60' from the back wall, and there are 3 LaScalas back there. It sounded tinny as hell. Also, the slope on my Integra is about 12db/octave. Also, it starts at about -3db at the crossover point. In reality, the Integra at 70HZ is more like 80Hz. The 55Hz was more like 65Hz.

 

The bottom line is this. If you don't have a sub or enough sub, then you have to lower the crossover. Since my space is pretty big, I had to let those little LS bass bins work their fannies off.

[sean5340]

I used to run my sub at aroung 60hz. For my set up it was seemless to my ears. I think it will depend on the room and the subwoofer. For me it was easy to adjust. I tried everything from 40 to 120hz.

[Islander]

It looks like I'm the odd man out on this topic.  I have my sub set at 150Hz hi-cut.  It's placed just inboard of the left main speaker and is directed at the listening position.  It took some experimenting to get the placement just right.

 

The sub is a Paradigm PW-2100, with a 500 watt rms amp and a 10-inch front-firing driver.  It's powerful enough to produce realistic-sounding bass guitar notes at concert volume.  I don't need it to produce the exact volume of explosions, because no soundtrack truly does that, nor would you want literally deafening sounds in your home.

 

The room is 18' x 19' and is partially open on one side, so it might be considered almost 18' x 30'.  It has an 8' ceiling.  In the room is a large bookcase, a wood stove, a large TV, 6 large Heritage speakers (La Scala, La Scala II, Belle Klipsch) and 3 small Heritage speakers (Heresy II and III), a sofa and large armchair, the subwoofer, the electronics stack, plus a tall stereo cabinet with the turntable on top.  The room's actual volume is less than the empty room measurements would suggest.

 

The La Scalas/JubScalas start to roll off at about 100Hz, so the sub needs to be working well at that point.  However, the sub's hi-cut is not a sharp cut-off.  The output actually tapers off gradually, no matter where the hi-cut is set, so you usually need to set it somewhat higher than you would think.  The sub's output may be starting to roll off a little over 100 Hz.

 

Never take the settings on any device as absolute truth, unless you've tested the settings and found them to be accurate.

 

To arrive at that figure, I made dozens of runs from 200Hz down to 10Hz with a test CD and an SPL meter.  That setting gave the smoothest frequency response, with the fewest dips and peaks, from 200Hz down to 25Hz.  As well, I have an EQ between the AVR and the sub, to correct a room peak at 32Hz and a dip at around 70Hz.

 

The overall result is clear and convincing sound.  The sub does not draw attention to itself, and you're more aware of the music than the equipment that reproduces it.