1
Setup and optimization times are approximate and for one subwoofer.
2
We recommend using the Windows Setup Program as making the USB connection between the front of the subwoofer and the laptop is
much easier than having to access the composite video or S-video input connection on the back of your TV. Also, with the Auto-EQ
PLUS
software you can see the changes to the frequency response on the same screen as the one on which you’re changing parameters.
The Setup Program requires a computer with Windows
®
XP, Vista or 7.
3
Actual time depends on the number of locations at which you listen to or look at the frequency response of the subwoofer.
OPTIMIZATION OPTIONS
Optimize for Audio Genres
You might prefer to have a different bass sound and feel that depends on the type of audio you’re listening to. For example, if you’re gaming
versus if you’re watching a movie. Having presets that are accessible on the remote control allows you to easily optimize for these different
audio genres without any additional setup by you. And you don’t have to use the presets for the type of audio on the remote control buttons.
For example, if you like how your Jazz music sounds using the Pop preset better than the Jazz preset, use the Pop preset. If you’re feeling
a bit more adventurous, you can even modify these presets to your exact tastes using the TV or Windows interfaces.
Optimize for Your Room
As a subwoofer plays in a room, the reflections of the sound waves off the walls create standing waves. Standing waves cause places in the
room where certain frequencies are louder and others are diminished. Some room cancellations of the sound waves can be like black holes
that no amount of amplifier power can fill. Thus, as a general rule it is better to “cut down” a peak of the frequency response rather than to
“boost up” a valley. Self-EQ and Auto-EQ
PLUS
perform this adjustment automatically for you.
In general, you should try to achieve a frequency response that is +/– 3 dB at all lower frequencies. This is because most people perceive a
response curve of this accuracy level as very smooth. However, people with excellent hearing or who have been trained to listen for sonic
purity can hear frequency response deviations to as small as +/- 1 dB or less. The Digital Drive
PLUS
Self-EQ and Auto-EQ
PLUS
both will
automatically smooth your Digital Drive
PLUS
subwoofer to within a +/- 3dB window.
Optimize for Your Audio System
How good your bass sounds also depends on how smoothly it blends with the output of the satellite speakers. If a smooth transition doesn’t
exist at the crossover frequency, you hear either too much mid-bass or the bass frequencies as separate from the mid and high frequencies.
To smoothly blend the subwoofer with the main speakers, you first need to know the low frequency response of the main speakers.
Auto-EQ
PLUS
determines the low frequency response of the main speakers automatically and blends with it.
The response always rolls off at the lowest end, but no dip or peak should exist at the crossover frequency with the satellites. While the goal
is a perfectly flat response, this may not be possible in the higher frequencies of the subwoofer’s response due to peaks or valleys introduced
by the satellites.
Optimize for Your Listening Preferences
Everyone has a personal preference as to how they want their audio system to sound. With the Self-EQ and Auto-EQ
PLUS
features, the bass
response for your subwoofers in your listening room should be /– 3 dB. These EQ methods aren’t as aggressive as they could be as
optimizing filters for flatter response takes exponentially longer due to perturbing external noises to the process. Also, using more EQ can
sometimes have a negative effect in the time domain, so less EQ is preferable.
However, you can make the correcting filters more aggressive or adjust it in other ways to match your listening preferences. Auto-EQ
PLUS
serves as an excellent starting point for those of you who want to manually adjust parameters to modify the frequency response profile and
[ 24 ]
Digital Drive
PLUS
User’s Manual
OPTIMIZATION
