The Official Acoustic Audio Subwoofer Owners Thread

[Blu Titan]

You guys do a great job making the risers . I just don't have much talent for it . What size should I buy? The Subdude which is 15 x 15 x 2 or the GRAMMA 15 x 23 x 2.75? I have the AA HD12 which is 15 x 15.

[jomari]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

You guys do a great job making the risers . I just don't have much talent for it . What size should I buy? The Subdude which is 15 x 15 x 2 or the GRAMMA 15 x 23 x 2.75? I have the AA HD12 which is 15 x 15.

the subdude would work just fine. heck wanna spend 20 dollas more and get the same performance? get the additional two letters, the Subdude HD.

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by jomari

the subdude would work just fine. heck wanna spend 20 dollas more and get the same performance? get the additional two letters, the Subdude HD.

I don't care as long as the sub can be placed on top of the riser. However, if one of the risers is HD, then I would go for that one.

[vega2K]

Originally Posted by jaejw1

do u have anydetailed pics of ur risers

Here are some pics. Thanks to Big Daddy and others for the ideas. Hope it helps.
AA 12" on riser:


Underside of riser:

Close-up of rubber mat cut-out as rubber stop secured with drywall screw:

Here's my second riser on my 10" Black subwoofer:

[ZIPPO]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I don't care as long as the sub can be placed on top of the riser. However, if one of the risers is HD, then I would go for that one.

only difference is the color & cover material.

http://www.auralex.com/sound_isolati...subdude_hd.asp
(black velour fabric)

http://www.auralex.com/sound_isolati...de/subdude.asp
(grey ozite fabric)

[lolwaut]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I don't care as long as the sub can be placed on top of the riser. However, if one of the risers is HD, then I would go for that one.

i agree with you 100%. You have an HD tv, you have HD sound, you have a HD disc player... you HAVE to go with the HD riser!

[markob50]

Hello everybody!
I have been reading this forum for awhle and I think that Big Daddy has made quite a find. Many of you have contributed immensely in addition.
I have not read the whole thread but a couple of what I call simple technical questions have me curious.
Is it better to use the sheet material poly fil or the loose? Does it depend it is down firing? or front firing?
The Y adapter for the back of the receiver for the subwoofer, does it matter what type you get? Gold plated, or just an ordinary Y splitter like monoprice has? Is there any interference problems from this, like in using RG6 vs. RG59 subwoofer cable? to help you make a decision.
Are all the LFE adapters available for the subwoofers the same. Is there any polarity to put them in a certain way.

Best Regards,
Mark

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by markob50

Is it better to use the sheet material poly fil or the loose? Does it depend it is down firing? or front firing?

It is better to use sheet dampening material to cover the entire inner surface of the cabinet. A small amount of glue may help. The loose polyfill is good for filling the cabinet. The type of subwoofer (down-firing or front-firing) does not play a role.

Polyfill can have several positive effects:

• It will dampen the cabinet.
• You will hear less noise, particularly the noise associated with the flow of air through the port.
• It will slow down the sound waves and makes the enclosure appear larger. When polyfill is added to an enclosure, it changes the behavior of the airflow in the enclosure from "adiabatic" to "isothermal". The term "adiabatic" means that there is no heat transfer occurring. An isothermal process means that as the air passes through the polyfill, the fibers wiggle and cause some of the energy created by the air to be dissipated as heat. This heats the surrounding air molecules warmer, causing the air to become less dense. Sound waves travel easier through a denser medium. As a result, the driver interacts with the enclosure as if it is larger than it actually is.
• Larger cabinets are more efficient and as a result low frequency extension of the sub will be lowered. It will also lower the resonant frequency of the port.

Adding polyfill to an enclosure is a good idea. However, too much polyfill can be a bad thing. At a certain point, the stuffing becomes too dense and the fibers no longer wiggle. At this point, not only have you taken away the size benefit of adding polyfill, you have actually decreased the effective volume as the polyfill is now taking up room inside your enclosure. You should add anywhere between 1/2 pound to one pound of polyfill to one cubic feet of enclosure.

The following diagram from Basic Car Audio demonstrates the effect of polyfill on the frequency response of a subwoofer.

"Poly-fill can be used to make an enclosure seem slightly larger. It does this by slowing the movement of the air in the enclosure. This, in effect, smoothes the frequency response of the subwoofer's output and slightly improves its low frequency extension. This image shows, to what degree, it does both. The red line (no fill) has a slightly higher peak than the yellow line before it starts to roll off. The yellow line has a slightly improved low frequency extension when compared to the red line. The effect is not very dramatic but using poly-fill in this manner can sometimes make a subwoofer sound better. The red curve is has no poly-fill. The yellow line is 100% filled with poly-fill. 100% fill is equal to 1 pound of poly-fill per cubic foot of air space."

The Y adapter for the back of the receiver for the subwoofer, does it matter what type you get? Gold plated, or just an ordinary Y splitter like monoprice has? Is there any interference problems from this, like in using RG6 vs. RG59 subwoofer cable?

I have never experienced any interference problem from Y adapters and I have used all types. To be sure, get the better quality adapter from cable simple. It has better shielding. The difference in price is minimal.


You can buy the solid type Y adapter or the cable Y adapter.

Y Adapter (2 male, 1 female)

This Y adapter is used to connect the sub cable from the back of the receiver to both the Right and Left inputs on the back of the subwoofer. On many subs, this will give a few additional dB's of sound output.

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

http://www.cablesimple.com/index.php...oducts_id=4529


Higher Quality from Cable Simple: $4.48 + Shipping

http://www.cablesimple.com/index.php...oducts_id=5001


Y Adapter (1 male, 2 female)

This Y adapter is used for connecting two subwoofers to the receiver. You insert the male side to the LFE out (sub out or sub pre-out) on the back of the receiver and connect two sub cables to the female sides (one for each sub).

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2

http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2


Higher Quality: $4.48 + Shipping

http://www.cablesimple.com/index.php...oducts_id=5000

Are all the LFE adapters available for the subwoofers the same. Is there any polarity to put them in a certain way.

I am not sure I understand this part of your question. What do you mean by LFE adapters and polarity?

[markob50]

I am not sure I understand this part of your question. What do you mean by LFE adapters and polarity?[/QUOTE]

Solid type Y adapter: Does it matter which way you plug it in? It appears it can be put in one way or flipped around 180 degress top to bottom. Are they + or -?

[jomari]

Originally Posted by markob50

Solid type Y adapter: Does it matter which way you plug it in? It appears it can be put in one way or flipped around 180 degress top to bottom. Are they + or -?

it doesnt matter at this point, what your using is a mono signal, and connecting both Left and Right to it.

[The Spanierd]

Well I just got my Acoustic Audio model HD-Sub 12 and well to my surprise when I opened the outside box the receiver was inside another box that fit flush inside the outer one. Well I notice the grill was loose and I that made me fell unconfortable and sure enough 3 out 4 little plastic little tabs or whatever you call them that attach the grill to the sub were broken. Then one of the corners looks like it was dropped and is damaged not much and not a big issue because it mantained the black color too it. But the grill is totally unacceptable. Has this happened to anybody ? I have a feeling it has cause grill feels cheap. What do you guys think I should do, I dont wanna carry this thing to UPS, any chance they will send me a new grill without having to return everyhting ?

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by The Spanierd

Well I just got my Acoustic Audio model HD-Sub 12 and well to my surprise when I opened the outside box the receiver was inside another box that fit flush inside the outer one. Well I notice the grill was loose and I that made me fell unconfortable and sure enough 3 out 4 little plastic little tabs or whatever you call them that attach the grill to the sub were broken. Then one of the corners looks like it was dropped and is damaged not much and not a big issue because it mantained the black color too it. But the grill is totally unacceptable. Has this happened to anybody ? I have a feeling it has cause grill feels cheap. What do you guys think I should do, I dont wanna carry this thing to UPS, any chance they will send me a new grill without having to return everyhting ?

Yes, a few other owners had similar problems with those plastic pins. Apparently, these boxes get thrown around quite a bit. You will have to go back in the thread and find their posts.

It is not a big deal. Contact the company and they will replace the pins. They may also give you a little bit of cash back because of the damage to the cabinet or replace the sub with a new one.

[The Spanierd]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Yes, a few other owners had similar problems with those plastic pins. Apparently, these boxes get thrown around quite a bit. You will have to go back in the thread and find their posts.

It is not a big deal. Contact the company and they will replace the pins. They may also give you a little bit of cash back because of the damage to the cabinet or replace the sub with a new one.

Hey that great to hear, Im an easy going guy and the corner issue is ok but the pins are a must fix. It's good to hear they stand behind their product.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by The Spanierd

Hey that great to hear, Im an easy going guy and the corner issue is ok but the pins are a must fix. It's good to hear they stand behind their product.

I found some of the posts:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=117
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=784
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=793
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=794


Read this post for setting up your subwoofer:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=122

[The Spanierd]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I found some of the posts:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=117
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=784
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=793
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=794


Read this post for setting up your subwoofer:
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...&postcount=122

Thank you much ! I called but they are closed on weekends. I have yet to test it, so if it works ok I will just request a the pins for grill and that will be that. The scuff on top corner is on the back corner and not really and issue, but will mention that I will keep the unit and see if they offer any discount.

[billlh]

Originally Posted by The Spanierd

Well I just got my Acoustic Audio model HD-Sub 12 and well to my surprise when I opened the outside box the receiver was inside another box that fit flush inside the outer one. Well I notice the grill was loose and I that made me fell uncomfortable and sure enough 3 out 4 little plastic little tabs or whatever you call them that attach the grill to the sub were broken. Then one of the corners looks like it was dropped and is damaged not much and not a big issue because it maintained the black color too it. But the grill is totally unacceptable. Has this happened to anybody ? I have a feeling it has cause grill feels cheap. What do you guys think I should do, I don't wanna carry this thing to UPS, any chance they will send me a new grill without having to return everything ?

Mine came with one corner damaged. Fortunately my grill was fine. I bought mine through their Ebay auctions. I was very impressed with the support. Since mine was just minor damage I just asked for a credit. I don't think I asked for enough though, since the settled with out a fuss LOL. But I was happy I got a very good price on the "make an offer" deal and with what they credited me I can't complain. They will ask you for pictures though. I took a whole bunch of them and they were satisfied. They did offer to replace mine but I declined because UPS beats everything up I get through them. I was afraid the next one would be even worse. I would suggest though you avoid calling and do it through email. I had no luck when I tried it by phone. I had paid through PayPal and they put the credit back in my account. So my experience with them was very positive. I hope you get the same results and I hope this helps.

Bill

[billlh]

Originally Posted by The Spanierd

Thank you much ! I called but they are closed on weekends. I have yet to test it, so if it works ok I will just request a the pins for grill and that will be that. The scuff on top corner is on the back corner and not really and issue, but will mention that I will keep the unit and see if they offer any discount.

I would ask for a partial refund. I doubt they will offer you a refund unless you ask for one. Remember you didn't damage the sub. It was the crappy packing job that got it damaged in the first place. Your far from alone on receiving damaged units. They gave me a credit and I had just a chipped back corner. I really think they would have given me more had I asked. Since it costs them a ton to ship these back and forth. But it is up to you. Good luck whatever way you go.

Bill

[The Spanierd]

Im a bit of a newbie and I just installed the Sub today and I have been reading alot and its all starting to confuse me and its kind of late make matter's even worse. I have the following setup and the following setups and I was hoping you guys can tell me if this is ok, specially Big Daddy

Setup :

L/R Polk Monitor 50 Tower's Frequency Response : 42Hz - 25kHz
Polk Center CS1 Frequency Response : 55Hz - 25kHz
Polk RM 5760 Sat's surround Frequency Response : 40Hz - 24kHz
Acoustic Audio HD-SUB12 Subwoofer Frequency Response: 20Hz-250Hz


My settings :

L/R Polk Monitor 50 Tower's : 60 Hz
Polk Center CS1 Frequency Response : 80Hz
Polk RM 5760 Sat's surround Frequency Response : 100Hz
Acoustic Audio HD-SUB12 Subwoofer Frequency Response: 80Hz


Why? Recommendations

What crossover frequencies are considered to be " Small Speaker " and " Large Speaker's "

I used a SPL and made everything play off at 80dB's and it sounds like the subwoofer and front had to much Woof and boom to them, but this was when I had the fronts to 80Hz and the Sub to 120Hz.

Can somebody tell me if my setting are goof and a brief reason as to why they are ok or not !

[callas01]

I would start with running the Auto Calibration from your receiver, then in the receiver and set the speakers in the receiver to "Small", and then the Crossover Frequency to 80 for all your speakers. On the back of the sub have the gain set to just below 1/2 way and the crossover set all the way up to 130hz. If you still feel there is too much bass go into your recievers menu and turn the gain for the sub down until you are satisfied.

see if that helps...

[The Spanierd]

Originally Posted by callas01

I would start with running the Auto Calibration from your receiver, then in the receiver and set the speakers in the receiver to "Small", and then the Crossover Frequency to 80 for all your speakers. On the back of the sub have the gain set to just below 1/2 way and the crossover set all the way up to 130hz. If you still feel there is too much bass go into your recievers menu and turn the gain for the sub down until you are satisfied.

see if that helps...

Here is the thing, I beleive setting speaker size and Crossover Frequency is the same thing from what I read online. Some A/V receiver allow for Large or Small and other ask for you to simply set the crossover frequency. Is this right ? Im also being told that I should set the speaker crossovers to about 20Hz higher than the minimum the speaker can produce. Am I reading too much into this stuff ?