9
O W N E R ’ S M A N U A L
PS-12
S E T U P (continued)
PS-12 Controls
Fine Tuning the Controls
The PS-12 subwoofer has thee variable controls for tailoring its output to the room and to the primary
speakers (also known as satellites). These controls are Level, Crossover Frequency, and Phase. The control
with the most audible effect is the Level control, followed by the Crossover Frequency, and then the Phase
control, which has the least audible effect.
The following legend shows graphically how each control affects the audio signal.
Level and Frequency
Begin with the subwoofer’s Level control all the way down and the Frequency adjustment set to 120Hz. With
the Frequency control in this position the woofer will output higher frequencies that will likely be duplicated
by the satellite speakers.
Play some familiar music through the system (music with robust bass content) and increase the Level control
until the bass passages sound robust or exaggerated. Then reduce the Frequency control to blend the
subwoofer with your main system speakers. We have found that most speakers with 6” to 8” woofers blend
well with the crossover set somewhere between 50Hz and 80Hz.
Readjust the Level and the Frequency controls (up or down) as necessary until the bass sounds full,
extended, and natural. Use multiple musical pieces to test the system while fine tuning the controls. If it
sounds like your subwoofer is always producing the same bass note with different recordings it is possible
that the bass level is adjusted too high.
Phase
To adjust the Phase, use music with sustained bass notes.
Rotate the Phase control back and forth across its range and listen for the localization of the bass to become
more distinct and also slightly louder. While making this adjustment it is helpful to temporarily adjust the
Frequency control to 120Hz. This should provide some overlap of the satellite and subwoofer frequencies and
help the ears (brain) to distinguish the two sound sources. Return the Frequency control back to its desired
position after performing the phase adjustment.
Frequency (Hz)
SPL
(dB)
Frequency (Hz)
SPL
(dB)
Phase (Degrees)
SPL
(dB)
Level
Crossover Frequency Phase
A)
B)
C)
A)
B)
We recommend the following method as a starting point for fine tuning the PS-12 subwoofer.
