Speaker/Sub/Receiver settings question(s).

[GBMidge7]

Hello all. I have a few questions regarding the settings for my system. I just upgraded to two RTi A7s for my new fronts, with a CSi A6 on the way, and as a result I have gotten a little lost on setting up my system properly. At this point in time I have all my speakers set to "small", and my subwoofer crossover set to 80 Hz in the receiver setup menu, and as far as I can tell 80-100Hz crossover is pretty standard, yes? I have 3 questions, then...

1st, should the crossover on the sub itself be set to the same crossover point as in the receiver menu? At the moment I have it that way where it is set to 80Hz on the receiver and then 80Hz on the sub itself (My sub is a fairly weak Polk PSW10, and it only has settings for 80-160hz for the crossover... this will be the next replacement in the home theater!).

My second question is, is there any way to check/adjust the crossover points for my other speakers? Unless I am mistaken, I thought setting the speakers to "small" or "large" is what determines their crossover points.

Finally, and I know there is big debate on this issue, but is "small" most appropriate for my new fronts? The RTiA7s have two 6 inch bass drivers, but from what I have read, it is still best to leave them set to small.

Thanks in advance for the help, guys... can't wait to break in the new Polks.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by GBMidge7

Hello all. I have a few questions regarding the settings for my system. I just upgraded to two RTi A7s for my new fronts, with a CSi A6 on the way, and as a result I have gotten a little lost on setting up my system properly. At this point in time I have all my speakers set to "small", and my subwoofer crossover set to 80 Hz in the receiver setup menu, and as far as I can tell 80-100Hz crossover is pretty standard, yes? I have 3 questions, then...

Yes, 80Hz to 100HZ is pretty standard.

1st, should the crossover on the sub itself be set to the same crossover point as in the receiver menu? At the moment I have it that way where it is set to 80Hz on the receiver and then 80Hz on the sub itself (My sub is a fairly weak Polk PSW10, and it only has settings for 80-160hz for the crossover... this will be the next replacement in the home theater!).

Turn the crossover dial on the back of the subwoofer all the way up to its maximum point. The crossovers are set in the receiver and you want the subwoofer to accept all the frequencies that the receiver is sending to it.

My second question is, is there any way to check/adjust the crossover points for my other speakers? Unless I am mistaken, I thought setting the speakers to "small" or "large" is what determines their crossover points.

On most recent and relatively advanced receivers, there are options to set the crossovers for all your speakers including a separate crossover for the LFE that is normally called the Low Pass (LP) of LFE. If your receiver only offers one crossover setting, set it 80Hz.

Finally, and I know there is big debate on this issue, but is "small" most appropriate for my new fronts? The RTiA7s have two 6 inch bass drivers, but from what I have read, it is still best to leave them set to small.

There is no debate. The debate is only in the mind of people who have a psychological problem with the word SMALL. If you have a subwoofer, your main speakers become SMALL by default. Small and large have nothing to do with the size of your speakers or their low frequency extension.

SMALL = Your speakers are bass managed and the low frequency is sent to the subwoofer where they belong.
LARGE = The speakers are not bass managed.

Read https://forum.blu-ray.com/subwoofers...anagement.html. It will really help you.

Recommendation for future upgrades:

1. Buy a second and better subwoofer.
2. If your receiver doesn't have an option to set individual crossovers, buy a better receiver.

[GBMidge7]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Recommendation for future upgrades:

1. Buy a second and better subwoofer.
2. If your receiver doesn't have an option to set individual crossovers, buy a better receiver.

Thanks a lot for the thorough answer, that really helps. I will look into my receiver and see if I have the ability to individually set the crossovers. At the moment I have the Yamaha RX-v663... would you know by chance if it has this capability? If so, are there specific recommendations for my fronts, center, and surrounds?

Also, I do plan on buying a better sub... the Yamaha is capable of 7.2. I assume it would be best to get at least one better sub and replace the original, rather than hook up both, different, subs?

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by GBMidge7

Thanks a lot for the thorough answer, that really helps. I will look into my receiver and see if I have the ability to individually set the crossovers. At the moment I have the Yamaha RX-v663... would you know by chance if it has this capability? If so, are there specific recommendations for my fronts, center, and surrounds?

Also, I do plan on buying a better sub... the Yamaha is capable of 7.2. I assume it would be best to get at least one better sub and replace the original, rather than hook up both, different, subs?

I don't believe the Yamaha 663 offers the option to set the individual crossovers. If you look at the bass management diagrams in https://forum.blu-ray.com/subwoofers...anagement.html, the fourth diagram shows the crossover settings for your receiver.

You can replace your subwoofer with a better one or you can use both subwoofers. In most cases, two subwoofers perform better than one in a small home theater room. I prefer two subwoofers to one. Placement of the two subwoofers is important. Read the section on setting up two subwoofers in the link I posted above.