Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Texas' New Epicenter

myrison,

Try this link for cable connections:

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/s...ion-basics.html

You may be monitoring the wrong channel (left vs. right).

This link provides a great step by step setup and calibration process:

http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/wizardhelp/help_en-GB/html/index.html


Also, if you are using the Radio Shack SPL meter? If so, have you accounted for it's innacuracy in the lower frequency range? If not, then the dip you have at 50 Hz is actually more severe. The values below are how far off the meter reads at lower frequencies. In other words, if you measured 86db at 20Hz, the real sound level was 92.56.

15.00 -10.28
16.00 -9.28
17.00 -8.53
18.00 -7.86
19.00 -7.12
20.00 -6.56
21.00 -6.18
22.00 -5.77
23.00 -5.41
24.00 -5.10
25.00 -4.90
26.00 -4.54
27.00 -4.27
28.00 -4.03
29.00 -3.73
30.00 -3.53
31.00 -3.25
32.00 -3.04
33.00 -2.84
34.00 -2.61
35.00 -2.54
36.00 -2.44
37.00 -2.28
38.00 -2.13
39.00 -1.97
40.00 -1.80
41.00 -1.75
42.00 -1.60
43.00 -1.54
44.00 -1.51
45.00 -1.43
46.00 -1.34
47.00 -1.23
48.00 -1.12
49.00 -1.02
50.00 -0.90

The dip at 50Hz and the +15db difference (32x power!) at 80Hz could account for your lack of "slam".

Like a fun speaker company message board where all the cool kids hang out. Voila:

Good one!

To think, I sent JC at Axiom a link to this thread to review the problems I'm having and send me some suggestions. You guys are really going to make this interesting for him.

That's so cool.

I managed to sneak away to the media room today for a couple of hours to take some detailed measurements with the 600 as well as the old Earthquake.

Rattles and hums continue with the 600 (no response from Axiom yet by the way) , but for purposes of the measurement, it seems to be functioning well enough.

Below are the comparison curves: EP600 is blue/green, Earthquake MKIV-12 is purple.


Settings:
EP-600 was measured with XO at 100, trim=full, as that gives the flattest response in my room.

The XO on the EQ sub was set too high, so I think it's safe to ignore the readings above 100hz (for both subs really). There is no trim setting on the EQ.

Both were calibrated to ~75 db reference volume to begin. As a side note, the gain on the EQ was nearly maxed while the EP-600 is nearly at min. I mainly used the computer's gain/line in volume controls and did not otherwise change any gain settings once the initial SPL calibration was done to ~75 db.

The way that the curves mirror one another tells me that I've clearly got some work to do in the room to smooth response. Further, from ~18hz to ~25hz, sound from the EQ is non-existent, where the EP starts a subtle rumble around 18 and builds from there. Around 30hz up to 90hz, the EQ sub bounces up even higher than the Axiom to around ~85db while the Axiom stays closer to the 75db target level.

So... what does this tell me? Since I'm mostly a rock/alternative/country music listener, I think I actually like the higher SPLs that come out of the Earthquake in the mid to high-bass range, though for HT the Axiom sounds better hands down. The volume difference below 30 hz is definitely noticeable, but is it $1700 noticeable when it's musical performance still leaves me wanting more? Granted, if I ever wanted to turn the gain up and blow the windows and doors off the room, only the 600 gives me that option . The EQ sub is largely tapped out for this size of room.

I realize the value question is likely something only I can answer, though any input/advice/wisdom from the rest of you after looking at my response curves is appreciated. I'm guessing an equalizer like the BFD and room treatments would both help, but I'm not sure how much to expect.

Thanks folks.

Jason

One follow up question... one thing that is bugging me as I spend more time with this is the huge variations in volume from one seat to the next, even in my very modest-sized room (12x20x9). I'm sure this is no surprise to those who have gone through this saga on their own.

I understand that the common way to even out the response around the room is to go to dual subs, which I'm totally open to (especially since I now have two), but the input impedance (I believe that is what it's been called) on the EP-600 seems to makes this incredibly difficult.

As soon as a second sub is plugged into the chain with the EP-600, volume drops through the floor on the 600. Not to leap over all of my questions above, but does anyone have suggestions for overcoming this problem without sending the 600 back and going for another sub that is more flexible in a dual sub setup? (buying 2 EP-600s is not an option).

Thanks again.

Jason,

The BFD and room treatments will not help. I get good thump out of my cheap Sony in the same room that the 600 is in with no treatments and no BFD.

What happens when you run the 600 and the EQ together? Maybe you can use the EQ for music and the 600 for movies?

Run the 600 at 85 db since you say you like the extra spl the Earthquake sub gives. The other option is send the 600 back for the 350v3 or the 500 which appear to not have the impedance issue.

Thanks for the responses guys.

Running them together is a bit smoother in the room, but the two together actually play at lower SPLs (5-8db) because of the impedance issues on the 600.

The blue line is the EP600 by itself, the purple line is the two running together with the gain on both nearly maxed out to overcome the impedance issues on the 600.

Overall SPLs are lower and room response is a bit smoother...



Jakewash, I'm thinking about trading down for something that works better paired up with another sub. I've definitely burned all of my speaker "play time" this weekend in my wife's eyes, but I'll try any other solutions you guys have the next time I get the chance.