SVS Subwoofer App Explosiveness PEQ Bass Hack

[@mad_max88]

Like always, you hit the mark with another hack. I have had my dual SVS PB-16 ultras for over 4 years and I never thought that they could get any better, but with this hack, they are on a new level. I can't believe how explosive they've become. Thanks man, I hope to see more videos on SVS sub hacks using the app. Awesome.

[@Subwoofer101]

I was waiting on a report back from someone with PB-16 Ultras, and it's what I was hoping for! It's the one sub I didn't get to try it with, but there's no reason why it wouldn't have the same effect. I appreciate your kind words, and I'm happy you got even more out of those babies!

[@StephenAtt797]

I had The Accountant but had never watched it, that 1 minute scene absolutely rocked by room - dual PB2000's WOW Thanks and glad to see you back adding content.

[@Subwoofer101]

It's usually my first demo for people, then transition to a few other scenes, then some music to see that it doesn't need to be imbalanced or overdone to sound amazing for both movies and music. Glad to be back!

[@tommyboy3737]

Glad to see u in better health and making videos on my favorite subject. Keep it up sometimes life knocks us down, but your back doing what you love and that's great..

[@Subwoofer101]

I appreciate it! Honestly, my health hasn't improved, a bit worse really, which is the normal trajectory. But I am enjoying my life more than I used to, and it's nice to be producing content again. The difference is the editing tools I use now. Artificial intelligence is doing a LOT of the frustrating, time consuming work that took most of my time. I can cut 30 minutes of otherwise unusable video down to 12 minutes of usable video, in about 5 minutes. Something that size would typically take weeks of suffering. My 1 v 2 v 4 video was shot in October. Just recently published it. I'd been hacking away at it for months, causing severe symptoms. Only an hour or so at a time, *maybe* twice a week, was all I could stand. Found my current editing systems, and basically started from scratch, and I was able to get it done in 2-3 weeks, putting in the same time, (I'm still limited) but far less detrimental than how I used to do it. A larger screen has also helped. Overall, I'm happier, which means a lot to me. More enjoyment and satisfaction in life. That's a massive win, even for someone in perfect health. I really appreciate the kind words. It's good to be back!

[@tommyboy3737]

​@@Subwoofer101 That's the main thing that you're join your life. I have watched all your videos and got concerned when u disappeared for a while. I do have a question. I have 1 pb-2000 and want to get another one when I have the cash and find a good deal on marketplace. The PB-2000 i have now I got it for $400 with 4years left on the warranty. My question is should I move up to the new 2000 or will the original subs be good enough. I don't know that much about DPS and how to get it dialed in rite. I have a Marantz SR-5013 7.1 it has 2 sub inputs but I think there programed together. Could u give me pointers on how I would do that DPS or should I drop even more money and get the PB-2000 pro's.

[@Subwoofer101]

@tommyboy3737 I appreciate it, I had a 2-3 year rough patch there. Definitely in a much better place and state of mind now. A couple of points worth considering: The PB-1000 Pro's are equivalent to the original PB-2000, despite the lower wattage. Every sub that got the app was a step up, not just a new model. The app is not difficult to use, nor is it necessary to ever touch it if you don't want to. Definitely easy to learn. The PB-2000 Pro's would be a definite step up, especially going from a single original to dual Pro's. I'm not a big fan of mixing subs, so if it were me, I'd grab another PB 2000 original, or step up to a dual PB 2000 Pro set. Granted, the closer the subs are, the better. So mixing an original with a Pro will still sound great, but the weaker sub holds the stronger one back. Obviously I'd love for you to follow my affiliate links, but if you can find a cheap PB-2000 original, it would be the most economical move. Also, if you purchased the original PB-2000 direct from SVS, you might still be able to trade up. If you're a couple of days over the 1 year mark, it's always worth asking. That might take the sting out of the cost. Let me know what you decide, and ultimately how it works out for you. I definitely appreciate your concern, it really does mean a lot.

[@aliceburte9278]

So glad to see you back again, thank you for the info 👍

[@Subwoofer101]

Great to be back!

[@desiman0786]

I tried this thinking it won't make any difference .. I was so wrong it's enhanced the bass to insane sounds so much cleaner and uniform and actually felt it in my chest .. It scared me 😊👍 👍 👍 Thank you so much

[@everyday_life1991]

How did you do it I have the pb1000 pro

[@desiman0786]

@@everyday_life1991 follow this video he shows you in the svs subwoofer app ..PEQ ADJUSTMENT

[@HarryM2022]

Glad to see you back! 👍

[@Subwoofer101]

I appreciate it!

[@ChumpyChicken2]

I have the SB3000 and I’m going to apply this to see what improvements can be made:) thank you 🙏

[@wendellwendellb339]

I do have the Blu Ray of The Accountant, but, have not watched or heard it on my current system. I watched the scene you pointed out (wow, I didn’t know it sounded like that) (I do have dual PB1000 Pro’s) I changed the Peq, and watched that scene again. I did hear a difference. I wanted to get the 4K, but, maybe not! I listened on DTS:HD + NeuralX. Imma have to watch the entire movie.

[@Subwoofer101]

It's a great movie in general, I really enjoy it. I have the 4k version, but honestly if you have DTS Master already, you have the good stuff. Granted, if your set-up really shines with 4k over 1080p and you can easily tell the difference, then that's another consideration, but I typically look for the audio formats first and foremost. Definitely a shocking scene to the uninitiated. Fun to watch reactions!

[@wendellwendellb339]

My wife said she could feel the floor shake upstairs. The Continental shootout in John Wick 3 was insane.

[@Subwoofer101]

It's a fun little trick!

[@ben23a31]

What Q setting would you recommend on the sealed version?

[@royfowler5637]

Would that hack work with my dual sb 3000 subwoofers even though they are sealed and considering room gain and such?

[@Subwoofer101]

It will definitely change the response, just like ported, but I don't know what the actual points will be to make it sound good. If nothing else, it's a good starting point, and if you don't like it, you can easily disable it. The in room response curve is a little different with sealed vs ported, and room size plays more of a role in how room gain will behave. Smaller rooms have more low end room gain with sealed, but ported subs are less sensitive to room size. The smaller the room, the deeper sealed subs sound. Ported subs don't do that. I could see your frequency point maybe being a little higher, like 33 hz, but that's pulling a guess out of mid air. 29 hz might still be ideal. Since sealed varies with room size, there may not be a good, single frequency point for everyone, the way it is for ported. The large living room and the small space in the motorhome both did well with 29 hz. If you decide to tinker with it, let me know what you find. Try some frequency sweeps, where the frequency is on the TV screen, and a few different songs that will flush out bad behavior. Eminem's "kill shot" should be very powerful on the low end, but not overdone. Metallica "Lord's of summer" should sound thick, punchy, and appropriate. Holly Cole "Jersey girl" should be good and thick, but not overdone. Alice in Chains *unplugged* performance "Rooster", "Nutshell", and "Down in a Hole". "Brother" is a little heavier than it should be, so I wouldn't use that as a reference. If you have the Eagle's Farewell 1 Blu Ray, with DTS Master on (it defaults to 2 channel, and you have to change it every time), "Wasted Time", "Life's been good", and "love will keep us alive" are good. During each song, you can toggle back and forth, and look for the improvement, as well as any negative effects. When everything above sounds great, then you've got it right, and movies will be better as a result. Trying to tune with movies is just too challenging. I feel like I just gave you a homework assignment! Lolz...

[@royfowler5637]

@Subwoofer101 ty I will give the hack a try and my room is small that my sb3000s are in like 11by 13 feet with about 9 foot ceiling old house 1890. I gotta tell you though they sound very very impacted now as I gave them setup with a slight boost and q adjustment at about 16hz and about 2o hz too......not much mind you just a tad bit.and they play very deep if the material is in the soundtrack like the John wick movies or transformer movies....very gut wrenching a n d sometimes shocking impact.....I do have a very good ear for audio as I sold med to high end audio years ago when I was younger...now u am 67 years old....the audiologist keep telling me last 10 years that my hearing is about on par with 40 yr old as far as freq range....lol whatever that's worth....thank you so much!!! By the way love Eagles music and do have the farewell tour on blu ray too...got a very diversified taste in music!!!

[@shaileshnandikol4709]

Thanks for the video ! Just a quick .. iam already using mini DSP for PC4000, can I still make this changes ?

[@Subwoofer101]

Sure, it's always worth a try. I just ran room correction with the PEQ enabled, and I need to disable it and run it again. It's just a good idea to have all PEQ's disabled for room correction. It depends on what changes you made with the DSP, but just follow your ears. You can also measure the difference with your Room Eq Wizard. You can also make the same change with your DSP 2x4.

[@shaileshnandikol4709]

@@Subwoofer101 excellent, thanks for you inputs ! It's always worth listening to you ❤️

[@mnadeem500]

I am using 29hz, 4db boost and 2.5 q factor....But also using Audyssey reference instead of flat with dynamic Eq on.....For movies flat doesn't feel good to me.... Reference works best.. You please do some video on Reference vs Flat and its major impact on subwoofers especially

[@Subwoofer101]

I think I might differ on my preference, I prefer flat over reference, but I'll take another look at it.

[@JD1971.]

Really not sure what's going on but I can't even get a hint of chest slam. I've recently replaced my Monolith V2 10" subs with a pair of PB-3000s and they're good for deep bass but even following your guide there's no chest slam/tap whatever, so I'm wondering what I'm doing wrong. I followed Home Theatre Gamer's miniDSP 2x4HD guide to set up a house curve. I have a small sealed room roughly 4.25m long by 3.5m wide by 2.4m high. I have The Accountant disc set to DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 and have applied a PEQ1 at 29Hz +4db with a Q factor of 2.5 on both subs. I've even sat directly in front of one of the subs at -15db set on the processor. It's loud and I can feel vibrations in the sofa but no slam which is a shame. Maybe I'm just not susceptible to it personally although I have felt the sensation before with fireworks etc. Love your channel by the way, hence why I bought the 3000s. Thanks

[@Subwoofer101]

I'm not saying that a DSP is bad, but it can introduce some issues with timing, and it could be reducing the signal the sub receives. Try bypassing it, completely deleting it from the equation, and listen to the scene again. Other things to make sure of, that you are seeing lossless audio on your AVR, and when you use a DSP, it will add delay, which will increase the distance value after room correction. At least 2 feet more than physical distance, and the DSP inside the 3000's add delay too. So 10 feet could show up as 20 feet after room correction, with the delay of the 2 DSP's in the loop. So, you would want to disable the external DSP, but keep it inline before room correction. Any DSP adjustments should occur after running room correction with the external and internal SVS PEQ'S disabled. Whatever the subwoofer distance after room correction, add 4 feet. So yes, that would likely put it in the 20+ feet range. If you are shaving anything off under 35 hertz, it taking away the explosiveness. I've found the default curve for the room is too shallow sounding, and I had to make it steeper. Lastly, if the DSP is reducing the signal, try upping the subwoofer gain until it sounds overdone, and it could be as high as -8.0, which would be WAY too much without an external DSP, but it could be robbing that much. Also ensure that Dynamic EQ is enabled, and my personal preference is "Flat" vs "Reference". Granted, no sub is going to feel like CPR chest compression at reasonable listening levels, but you should certainly feel it. Honestly, if it were me, I'd delete the external DSP, start over, and use the PEQ'S in the subwoofer to make any changes. I usually don't need to. I haven't used my DSP in years. Your quandary is one of the reasons I won't do a video on external DSP'S, too many pitfalls. I'm guessing you have put well over 10-20 hours into it so far. Gives me a headache, lolz. Let me know if any of that helps.

[@JD1971.]

@@Subwoofer101 Hello and thanks for taking the time to read my post, and for your comprehensive reply. I didn't have a splitter to hand but my AV processor does have two sub outs so I connected each sub individually. Checked also and I am running lossless on The Accountant. I'd never considered this before and now know which button on my Blu-ray player's remote to check and change the format, so thanks for that as I'll be using that every time I play a disc from now on. I kept the 29Hz PEQ1 setting on both subs. It's probably just me but I don't think I noticed a difference in volume or any added feel without the miniDSP in the chain. I did however turn the volume up to -15db for the minute-long scene at 1:42:30. It was incredibly loud and my sofa felt like it was being sledgehammered underneath me, so there's definitely something going on! I've since reintroduced the miniDSP back into the system. Like you've mentioned it's so time-consuming to learn but now that I'm reasonably ok with the whole process the thought of learning another way is all too much for my ageing brain! I think I've invested too much time (and money for the DSP) into it already to start learning another way. While typing this I just listened to the start of Godzilla Vs Kong and as you suggested I upped the gain on each sub. I'd had them set to -25db each after level matching with my fronts before attempting a house curve etc, so I changed each sub to -10db. It was bonkers, these PB-3000s are insane! I only had the AV processor set to -23db and didn't dare go any louder. After following your suggestion on upping the gain, that made me think, maybe my -25db on each sub was actually the main culprit, maybe they were just set too low. I hadn't considered that beforehand as the bass wasn't exactly lacking. So, I just replayed the minute-long gunfire scene on The Accountant at -20db on the processor but following your suggestion, with the added 15db on each sub. I could actually feel it!! Not just in the sofa this time but actually the air pressure across my chest. So, a huge thank you for all your suggestions, as in my case it was simply having the subs set too low for what I was hoping to achieve. Thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate your help. Justin

[@Subwoofer101]

@JD1971. Right on! That's usually the culprit, not enough gain. The one thing I forgot to suggest was my gain hack, almost bottoming out the AVR Subwoofer level, and adjusting the subs to compensate. On my Denon, that's -11.5 on the AVR. With the PB-3000's, my gain is typically at -14 to -15 on the subs. -10 is probably a little hot in terms of overall balance, but at least you know what the subs are capable of now! The one suggestion I would make is to match the house curve to the natural shape of the PB-3000s, that should ensure that you're getting the best from them. Essentially the 22-30 hertz range and the 70-90 hertz range should be at the same relative level, ensuring the same steepness of the slope, where it gets louder as it gets deeper. Also, see my "adjusting subs by ear hack" video, it makes it easier to get the subs right at the limit for the best balance and power. Glad it worked out!!

[@JD1971.]

@@Subwoofer101 Hello and thanks again for your help. I promise to stop bothering you soon! I applied the gain hack earlier today thanks. I can't honestly say I noticed any difference but that's likely just down to the time in between listening to the same movie scene. It would take a couple of minutes between changing settings on the subs and AV processor and starting the same scene again. Perhaps if I were able to switch settings instantly then I'd be able to appreciate the difference. Either way, I'm keeping your gain hack settings thanks and will slowly work my way through all your other hack videos. I'm hoping to find some time in a week or so to run through the whole house curve process again with the miniDSP. I've a question if you don't mind on the house curve after your advice please as I didn't quite understand it. You mentioned matching the house curve to the natural shape of the PB-3000s and that the 22-30Hz and the 70-90Hz range should be at the same relative level. The house curve I aimed for (having followed another KZbin guide) was fairly flat from 20-30Hz at roughly 85db and then drops 10db gradually to 75db at 100Hz. Should I be aiming for something else? Sorry to bother you again but I do appreciate your help. Thanks

[@brianschroeder1546]

I’m gonna try it with my marantz cinema 50 Dirac live bass control using 2 pb4000s in front and 2 pc4000s in the rear.

[@Subwoofer101]

I have to wonder if there would be a difference between boosting in the SVS App, vs Dirac? Might make no difference at all, but it's remotely possible.

[@irish7460]

Whats to stop you from boosting +6db at 20hz, 30hz and 40hz? would it sound better, more umph? or just muddy?

[@Subwoofer101]

I think it's a bit like seasoning, too much probably isn't always a good thing. I like this particular hack because it still seems to keep the overall balance right. Not too crazy one way or another. That said, experiment! See how it goes, you can always go back to totally stock very easily, just disable the PEQ's. Disabling the PEQ's is also a good way to toggle back and forth to get a feel for the changes you're making. I think if you're going to go ham with the PEQ's, it's probably a good idea to use Room EQ Wizard to see the results from the changes, and compare it to stock response.

[@SimandDriver]

I have four PB-16’s, so let’s see what we can knock off the shelf in the kitchen!

[@hofmarskal]

Why not just make a house curve? And would this work with a house curve? I have one sb3000.

[@almiragustinal9670]

Does this work with dynamic eq on or off? So the way i understand this is, you run normal audessey, once complete go on svs app and add 29hz 3+db or more?

[@Subwoofer101]

I keep dynamic eq on, and dynamic volume off, personally. And you are correct, you want your PEQ's disabled before running room correction, and do the hack after that's done. It should still have an effect if you don't use dynamic EQ, but I prefer it, and flat rather than reference.

[@victorvalenzuela6949]

So the when the Pre EQ is on, that top right corner light should be on or off? 🤷🏻‍♂️ Thank you

[@bommareddybrijendrareddy9301]

Light on.

[@aurelienduplan9139]

+3dB boost means twice more power, and +6dB boost means 4 times more power. Any risks for the loudspeaker and/or the sub amplifier ?

[@Subwoofer101]

I've had no issues whatsoever. It's all just a matter of relatively. At listening levels for most people, they are probably going to be in pain before the subs are. Loudspeakers shouldn't be impacted at all as they stay at the same relative volume according to the main volume control of the AVR. Only the sub is affected.

[@aurelienduplan9139]

@@Subwoofer101 sorry for my english ! I wasnt talking about bed layer when I said "loudspeaker". I meant "risk for the sub membrane"

[@aurelienduplan9139]

​@@Subwoofer101I ask the question because when you do EQ it's better to cut the Peak and not boosting dip to avoid distorsion and other issues. Too much boost is never good when you EQ

[@tessie4204]

Do you know some good PEQ setings for more kick/slap in music?

[@Subwoofer101]

Honestly, I would think your gain is too low. That said, it depends on where you want that increase. Music is pretty broad. I would also make sure your speakers are set to Small, and at least 90hz or higher crossover, even with towers. Assuming you are working with SVS subs, you can run a lot more gain than your typical subwoofer. My adjusting subs by ear is a good place to start. If none of that brings you what you're looking for, keep in mind that some music just doesn't have the kick it should. White Room by Cream is a good example. But if you want to play around with it, you can boost the 40-75 hz range by 2-4 dB, and a wide Q of .3 to 1.75 (the smaller the Q, the wider the effect on both sides of the selected frequency. Try various frequencies, and see if you can hone in on what you want. It will take some tinkering. Also, if you aren't running matching dual subwoofers, a lot of that pinpoint slap is lost to the standing wave effect. Kind of just throwing everything out there. Lolz. Let me know.

[@TheNLHAZE]

Thanks for the information bro I will give this a try svs is a different sub altogether all the way around I'm seeing that now big time.

[@TheNLHAZE]

​@Subwoofer101 Thanks for the help I'm new to svs there a very different sub no joke I want to play music very loud I have 2 PB-4000 but the just don't hit hard maybe this EQ hack is what I needed thanks again for your time..

[@wendellwendellb339]

I have dual SVS PB 1000 Pro’s and dual Klipsch R-12’s. I replaced the R-12’s with another pair of PB 1000 Pro’s. I will try that. I have the Blu-ray of The Accountant.

[@reidsargent4332]

Is this hack specifically for multiple subs?

[@wendellwendellb339]

What about PEQ2 and 3?

[@Subwoofer101]

You can use them if you need to. If you measured a spike in your response using Room EQ Wizard, you could pinpoint it and shave it down to have a smoother response. Generally speaking, I don't need to use them, because the response is already plenty good after room correction with duals. Where they really come in handy is when you don't have room correction. So when I put the Micro 3000 in the SUV, I had to be my own room correction, so all three PEQ's are used. I'd use a frequency sweep, and based on the spikes I'd hear, I'd shave down those areas, using a high Q value for sharp spikes, and low q value for broad areas. As an example, I had a large spike between 31 and 45 hertz. That's pretty wide, so I used a 1.8 Q at 38 hertz and lowered the level by 5dB or so. Going from memory. I had an even bigger spike at 33 to 37 hertz, so I used a higher Q 4.5, and reduced it by another 5 dB or so at 35 hz. So I had some overlap in the PEQ's, but sometimes that's what it takes! Definitely takes a lot more time than room correction would, but it did the trick. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that boosting a dead spot usually isn't a good idea. Cancellations aren't typically resolved by boosting them. Cancellations are resolved by having two matched subwoofers instead of one, and/or my distance hack, which is shifting the phase or timing to reduce cancellations caused by the interaction from mains and subwoofers. Long answer to a short question, but if you don't need them, don't use them. Not harm in experimentation though.

[@wendellwendellb339]

@@Subwoofer101 I just recently downloaded REW, and just received the Umik-1. I am waiting on the boom mike, and I will than take some measurements. After using PEQ1, and listening to The Accountant, you’re right, don’t really need 2 and 3. I’m really pleased with the sound I get from my speakers, but, just wanted to see what they are doing in the room.

[@larrydudley6436]

This is the best hack ever 1000% works must try!!!!!!!!

[@cars4color]

so the svs app doesn't work on pb 2000 non pro. keeps telling me sub not in range.

[@rindershow212]

Smh. Come on man, do your research. Non pros does not have the app capability.

[@clintthornton106]

Trying this tonight on my dual PB 3000s, thanks!

[@Subwoofer101]

Right on!

[@sixohdieselrage]

Did you try it yet? I have dual PB 3K's also, so I'm curious. Thx!

[@clintthornton106]

@@sixohdieselrage I did, and it helped the low end really punch. Anything helps at this point. My duels are not properly tuned, and my room has terrible acoustics.

[@hitechburg]

I have dual SB-16 Ultra

[@Subwoofer101]

I'm curious if you've tried this, and your impressions. Sealed behave a little differently than ported, so I don't know how well it will translate.

[@G0G0Joe]

I'm thinking the frequency would need to be set higher for the boost on sealed subs. If I push my sb3000s too hard on low frequencies it sounds like it's gargling mouthwash 😁. I'll try this hack soon but likely will be a bit higher for the frequency

[@Subwoofer101]

Gogo Joe, what is your subwoofer gain set at? Large vs Small, crossover for each speaker channel? I've found that the gain structure on sealed subs are more of a big deal, it's how I figured out the Gain Hack, on SB 2000 originals. Essentially bottom out the AVR subwoofer level, +.5 (-11.5 out of -12.0) and raise the gain on the subwoofer to compensate. I'm guessing your gain should be at least -15 on the SB-3000's, maybe as high as -9, I don't know for sure. You can definitely run into clipping if the AVR subwoofer level is high, and subwoofer gain is low. I'm not 100%, it's been a while since I've messed with sealed subs, but I do know that they require more relative power. And if your speaker channel crossovers are too low, anything under 80 hertz, it can make proper integration nearly impossible. I personally run Small 90 hertz at a minimum, no matter how big the speakers are. Let me know.

[@TheNLHAZE]

Thanks bro for all your help you must really like the svs subwoofer that's cool I hear Tone winner it's supposed to be the next beast on the street as far as subwoofers go but SVS just launched their new 17 inch bad boy I'm sure you'll be doing a video on that soon anyway thanks for all your help my friend cheers😊

[@zelko0768]

How did you determine 29hz?

[@Subwoofer101]

Trial and error, using Room Eq Wizard to see the measured results of the changes, and then letting my ears give final approval. If I just went with what I thought the graph should look like, I would've reached a different result. I did that at first, but I didn't like the overall effect. 29 hertz gave me the results I wanted. Great question for sure!

[@alexlaser.]

haaaa! long time no see xD

[@Subwoofer101]

Thanks for stopping by! I plan to be much more active than I used to be.

[@wendellwendellb339]

I can feel it at my MLP!

[@everyday_life1991]

I am so loss when setting this subwoofer up lol not going to lie

[@Subwoofer101]

What are you having trouble with?