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Edge of Tomorrow - Is My SW Broken?

30K views 190 replies 69 participants last post by  CherylJosie 
#1 ·
My subwoofer is a Velodyne F1200B. It's 20+ years old but until recently has worked great. During the opening 60 secs of Edge of Tomorrow BD the really low bass rumble exceeded the maximum travel of the cone I think. Instead of wall shaking rumble, I got a lot of loud clacking from the SW. In order to eliminate the clicking I have to lower the volume level of the SW a lot (-10 dB). Is there something wrong with my SW that it cannot reproduce that low frequency rumble?
 
#2 ·
That sub-buster track begins at the 23 second mark. And that clacking sound is your poor driver bottoming out. That is some serious LFE that plays havoc with much larger and more powerful subs than yours. Just understand that a small 12" driver sub doesn't stand a chance at reproducing it, so don't try. It could damage your speaker (if it hasn't done so already), so yes, lower the volume.
 
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#4 ·
That sub-buster track begins at the 23 second mark. And that clacking sound is your poor driver bottoming out. That is some serious LFE that plays havoc with much larger and more powerful subs than yours. Just understand that a small 12" driver sub doesn't stand a chance at reproducing it, so don't try. It could damage your speaker (if it hasn't done so already), so yes, lower the volume.
What do you mean? My PB2000 handled it fine. Are you saying what I heard/felt out of it was not accurate to the source material?
 
#5 ·
I thought my comments were clear. The O.P.'s 12-inch Velodyne bottomed out. Many have talked about their subs bottoming out or their ports chuffing loudly when played at or near reference levels, and those were subs more powerful and with larger drivers than the O.P.'s small Velodyne. That your SVS didn't, doesn't change anything I said.
 
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#6 ·
Not completely clear - at least not to me. I was not trying to attack what you said.

What I bolded in your quote - it was not clear to me if you were referencing the OPs sub or all 12" subs. When you say 'small 12 inch driver sub', are you saying a small (by volume) sub box with a 12 inch driver doesn't stand a chance?

I read it to mean you were implying that a 12 inch driver is considered small and wouldn't stand a chance at reproducing it. Hence my question about whether I was actually hearing the material as intended.
 
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#7 ·
Never did I indicate ALL subs, but it is a dangerous tract for a lot of subs -- even those that are more powerful with larger drivers than the O.P's Velodyne (which has a 100 watt amplifier) if played at reference levels. Matter-of-fact, the more capable a sub is, the more dangerous it "may" be, since this section digs deep. Many people have talked about this section of the movie being problematic here on AVS. I hope this clears things up :).
 
#9 ·
Hopefully my SW isn't permanently damaged. But in the last year I've noticed more and more movies having low frequency audio which exceeds my sub's limits. I guess after 20 years I can justify upgrading. How do I shop for a new SW that is able to reproduce such low frequency effects accurately? Would a 20 hz high pass filter actually work to protect the my Velodyne during extremely loud low frequency effects?
 
#12 ·
smackboy: Hopefully not. A year ago I was auditioning a high-end sub that bottomed out on me during the test period at relatively low SPLs (mid 80s dB), but once you hear it you move quickly to turn things down, which should prevent damage.

I think that after 20 years, your Velodyne needs a break :). Even in its prime, your Velodyne was probably a 30 Hz subwoofer (btw, that's pretty darn good for a 12-inch driver). Most I.D. subs today can reproduce 20 Hz at some level of SPL, and some louder than others. Many can reach further down, especially if cabin gain is involved in a small to medium room. But obviously at levels below 20 Hz we are talking frequencies we feel more than hear. I suggest you take a look at the following website that measures a subwoofer's maximum burst capabilities at different frequencies: http://www.data-bass.com/systems This will give you an idea of the SPL levels that these subwoofers are capable of reproducing at those target points.
 
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#17 ·
I just got this blu ray a few days ago. I know I don't get 10 hz, but my single XV15se still sounds pretty cool in the opening. (I count 5 different tones, the last one being very low and hard to hear, but it's there. Don't know what the graph on this is)
 
#18 ·
This movie was the first one I watched where my subs actually shook my room and the kitchen over 50 feet away. My theater room is closed off away from the rest of the house.


I don't usually run my subs hot anyhow and I certainly wouldn't want to play that part of the movie with them being hot.
 
#19 ·
Hopefully my SW isn't permanently damaged. But in the last year I've noticed more and more movies having low frequency audio which exceeds my sub's limits. I guess after 20 years I can justify upgrading. How do I shop for a new SW that is able to reproduce such low frequency effects accurately? Would a 20 hz high pass filter actually work to protect the my Velodyne during extremely loud low frequency effects?
That is a unique and exceptional situation here with the opening in this flick: https://www.avsforum.com/POSTs

♦ It only lasts few seconds (about 13 secs) and that's all, but real care must be taken for people who love LOUD movies right from the bat (reference level).
All subs have a self-destructive protection mechanism. The people who should truly worry the most are the diy-selvers (home-made sub makers).
 
#21 ·
^^start out the movie with -20MV to be safe for the intro, then you can crank it up for the rest of the movie. If you have your subs set with auto on then the limiters can take care of that scene if you happen to have the volume loud. I enjoy this movie.
 
#22 ·
I finally got this (A blind buy on BF), but am very nervous about giving it a spin because of this sweep. My "subwoofage" consists of dual PC13U cylinders in the 20Hz mode. My concern is that there is no quicker way to fry a VC than to play an extended sine tone at high volume (I have heard it both ways: that it is a pure sine tone, and it is a more complex harmonic). Normal listening levels are 10-15dB below reference (105 dB LFE peaks at the MLP; about 11' on axis). I tend to baby my subs, and am a bit on the paranoid side (or so I'm told). Also, is this the only place where caution is warranted?
 
#25 ·
you should be fine if you start off at -20. that's where i started with my xv15's and it was pretty impressive. i actually rewound it a couple times and bumped the volume to see what it could take. i think i ended up around -15 before i stopped. it shakes things pretty good. other than that first spot though, the rest of the movie is fine. no surprises that may take out your sub.
 
#26 ·
^^^ Thanks! I will give that a try tonight (but, starting at -30 to be on the safe side)...:)
 
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#31 ·
I had it at -15 dB, then -12 and I didn't hear it bottoming out. However, I never saw the woofer flex in and out like that (major excursion) on any other movie track. I wouldn't push it.
 
#29 ·
this was a good movie, but that ulf track was weird. iow, it felt out of place with the scene. sure in the hell got your attention being in the 1st 20secs of the movie though.
 
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#36 ·
I agree. Bass that low should have been saved for some major point in the movie. I'm guessing it was there to get the audience's attention in a theater and give them a sign of what's to come...which I don't think anything later went to that depth.


To be honest, I didn't even notice it when I watched the movie in my theater the first time because I have my volume very low at the very start of movies in order to give the wife a chance to get her favorite blankey, candy, drink, whatever it is she may have going on at the time. When I read about it here, I went back and listened.


The movie isn't really something I'd watch over and over again.
 
#32 ·
Yeah I stupidly started the movie at my usual -10!:eek: I still can't believe my speakers survived! they produced some nasty sounds but it didn't kill them. Say what you want about NHT, they make some quality products!:D
 
#35 ·
Sorry I wasn't clear. Should have said the "Subs" made some nasty sounds. Kinda confusing since my "subs" are actually built-in to my tower speakers. It was the 10" side mounted "subwoofer" that was going crazy moving in and out and bottoming out!:eek:
 
#40 ·
Wow, reviewers are now using this clip as the litmus test for subwoofers:

http://hometheaterreview.com/outlaw-audio-ultra-x12-subwoofer-reviewed/

I'll start by stating that the Ultra-X12 should definitely be considered a high-performance subwoofer. Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow, the latest Tom Cruise post-apocalyptic action pic, opens with fragmentary snippets of sound, then introduces very loud bass tones starting at 100 Hz and reaching down to 29, 24, and 19 Hz. It's sort of like a reverse dog whistle, something than will be heard only by home theater enthusiasts who have really good subwoofers; people who use soundbars will likely never hear those lowest tones. Not expecting such intense tones to appear in the first few seconds of the movie, I thought the subwoofer or something else in the system was malfunctioning. I played the VUDU HD stream of the movie again to make sure. (And again and again and again.) Yep, those tones were in the soundtrack, and the Ultra-X12 reproduced them cleanly and very loudly.
 
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