* Offical Velodyne Support Thread * - Page 297

Roger that, I was just thinking something workable in a similar sized box.

How do you feel about 3 layers of the good bubble wrap?

It sounds like there may be an issue with the electronics. I strongly recommend you contact service@velodyne.com or call the product support team at 408-465-2851 so they can get the service process started and provide instructions for removing the back panel.

Bubble wrap is good, but you should still use packing peanuts around that. Most carriers will require an inch and a half to two inches of packing material all around the subwoofer.

Does the DD line of subs have a 12v trigger? I have mine set to auto on now. But when watching TV or a movie at low volume they turn on and off. I giess they only stay on for like 15 minutes with out a signal. I would like if they stayed on until I turned off my tv.

The DD series subwoofers do have a 12 volt trigger function, however it does not function on the 230 volt version of the DDplus due to the European Union mandated 1/2 watt standby circuit which over rides the 12 volt trigger.

Hmm....I have a 12v wire plugged into remote on the back of the sub. It still does not turn on until it senses a signal. It still turns off by itself if watching at low volumes. It stays on after I turn on the rest of the system.

You need to enable the 12 volt trigger mode in the on screen menu.

I ended up swapping the impact out of my home theater system for a much more powerful 12" sub and got the sound in that old living room I wanted... it was a weird room though. the impact was just not powerful enough for that space.

long story short... we moved to a new house and I am using the impact-10 for a music only system in an 11x11 room (wood floor - sub in corner) with some old Polk S4 bookshelf speakers... FINALLY this sub really sounds amazing. it compliments these polks well and rocks the room like crazy... I am using the y-cable and the sub vol is only to about 1 o'clock / 0 phase.. LFE gain out of the amp is zero and is crossed at 80hz.. I guess the acoustics of the other house were just not complimenting the impact-10 well. Anyways.. I am enjoying this sub quite a bit now. Only a couple years later.

I am glad to hear you are enjoying your Impact subwoofer.

Just want to mention I replaced two Definitive Technology Super Cube Ones with an Optimim 12 and I'm very happy with the Velodyne. The only reason I made the change is the Cube's auto turn-on. Those subs distressed me for about 4 years. They would not turned themselves on unless I turned the volume way up.
Their auto turn-on could not be defeated. They were useless for listening at even moderate loudness levels. I tried every combination of trim level on my pre/pro and volume on the subs. I also had a Velodyne SMS-1 in the mix and that didn't help. I changed to the Velodyne because it allows the auto turn-on to be defeated. I just turn it on and off manually. I notice in the specs' for Definitive Tech' subs that auto turn-on can be defeated on export models but not on the same domestic models. Is there some energy conservation law in the US that requires the auto on/off?

None that I am aware of, most of our subwoofers sold in the US have the option to defeat the auto on/off feature.

Hello Rob,
Yesterday I took possession of two NIB Velodyne Optimum 10's, which I purchased thru my home A/V guy. I am installing these in my 'home theatre' room, replacing an existing 15", 1200 watt sub. After having unpackaged everything I have a couple of questions;

1) I could not find a manual in the inner carton of either subwoofer, even though the packaging indicates the manual is within the foam packaging. I checked three times in both boxes and found nothing. Maybe, for cost reasons or the internet with download capabilities, Velodyne no longer includes a hard copy of the manual anymore, but thought I would make mention as it is confusing with the printed instructions on the cartons.

2) both subs had to be ordered into town as local supplier (PCS) did not have anything in stock. The two units came in from California and I carefully unpackaged them according to the instructions printed on the box. When I unpackaged the second sub I noticed that the inner carton was upside down. At the time I didn't think too much of it but as I read the instruction manual (which I had downloaded from your site) I came across this section - "Regardless of where you install your Velodyne subwoofer, it must remain in an upright position (woofer facing forward). Using, shipping or storing the subwoofer in any other position for an extended period of time may result in damage to the unit not covered by warranty." Should I be concerned?

3) As I am running the subs thru my 9.2 Denon AVR-4311, I assume the instructions for initial setup would be to first run the sub EQ in each prior to running Audyssey in the Denon.

So far I have only managed to connect one sub to my receiver (need to run cabling in walls for second unit) but have to comment that both myself and my wife are pleasantly surprised with how good and tight one of these subs sounds. Psychologically, I am still trying to get over how small this unit is compared to the 15"er it has replaced - I keep asking myself how does something this small sound so good.

~ Mike

Mike

First, I hope you will get much enjoyment from your Optimum subwoofers, they are great subs.

1. With regards to the manual, there was a running change to move all manuals online to allow for more frequent updates, and to reduce paper waste as most people don't read the manual. I must admit that I have not unpacked one of these subs since the change so I was unaware of the packaging confusion. I will look into this to see what can be done to eliminate the confusion.

2. I would not be worried about the subwoofer. That disclaimer primarily exists for accelerometer based subwoofers. If your subwoofer was purchased from an authorized dealer, we will honor the warranty.

3. You are correct, run the sub EQ then Audyssey with the sub volume between 20-40. When you are done, go back into the system and return the LFE output to the neutral 0dB setting, then adjust the sub volume to your preference. If you want to keep the subwoofer blended the way Audyssey sets it, then you will need to know that each volume increment on the subwooofer is equal to approximately 0.4dB.

Thanks for the quick response Rob. I was a bit concerned about the "upside down" sub, but after your response I will not concern myself with it. As for the set up info you shared, when I ran Audyssey with the one sub connected, it forced me to turn the sub down to 18 before it would let me continue. I will be doing future Audyssey runs so will play with the various settings and try to maintain a minimum volume of 20 on the sub next time. Appreciate the feedback.

~ Mike

It is fine if Audyssey asks you to turn down the sub, I just recommend starting in the 20-40 range rather than full volume like some receivers mention. Any volume setting of the subwoofer above 5 is going to be fine.

Hi

I have an DD10 sub that seems to stop working after a certain period,then switches back on ,i dont know if its from components overheating,or some other electronic fault

A technician i rang suggested that the velodyne power modules become faulty after five years.

The sub is out of warranty

Advice appreciated

I read a lot that when using two subs they should be identical. I have a dd-15 and a dd-12, although they are not identical are they close enough?

The biggest issue comes when mixing different types of sub (sealed, ported, radiator) because their phase behavior is different. You can mix those two subs. Getting them playing nicely together is a bit of a challenge. Measurement gear helps.

You also have to question whether peak output is most important or the lower levels. The idea behind gain matching identical subs regardless of their relative volume at MLP is so they both reach their stress point at the same time at higher volumes. So you have peak performance at high output. They will also equally be energizing the room which help attack those modes. I think you could modify that idea to figure out where your subs start straining. Say the DD-15 provides 6db more output then the DD12 at max volume (or where compression starts). Then I would gain match them but make the DD-12 6db lower. You can counter act the volume differences by placing the DD-12 closer to MLP in the near field.

Another approach would be to level match the subs. Try to get the DD12 some kind of advantage (closer, corner loading, both). If they are level matched though what happens is it's working great at moderate levels but when you start going higher your system is limited by the DD-12s max capability. It will be stressed and distorting before the DD-15 so it becomes the limiting factor.

Another geddes like approach would be to set up your system as if you had one sub, then measure. Find a room null or two you want to specifically address and use a minidsp to set up the DD-12 to play/fill out just those regions, remeasuring for effectiveness of course. Since the DD-12 would be playing only a very limited bandwidth it will hopefully be able to keep up...but of course measure.

Prolly putting the DD-12 near field and level matching is the fastest way to the finish line, just depends how involved you want to get.

It is possible that over heating could be an issue, though only if you are running the sub hard. The Class D amp is extremely efficient and does not generate much heat. Though there could be other issues at play. One possibility to rule out is that the auto on/off feature is not engaging. This can occur when you are listening to content with minimal bass with certain bass management configurations. The best test would be to connect a device such as a disc player directly to the subwoofer's inputs and play some music with good bass. Let the sub play for a while and see if it cuts out.

It is also a good idea to do a quick review of your settings:

• Speaker size
• cross over
• LFE gain
• subwoofer volume setting

It is ideal to use identical subs, as the performance from both will be the same, but not necessary. The reasoning being if you had a high end sub and added a low end sub with more distortion, you would loose the benefit of your high end sub. Running dissimilar size subs that are of the same make and model is perfectly fine.

Thanks for your reply


It was working normally for a while before this started.

When it stops working it stays off for about 5min,i tried turning the power off,and back on,switching the receiver on/off,but that does not work.

I dont believe the settings are the problem,i will try to turn off the on/off feature.

If its the power module ,would it need replacement,or is it repairable for a reasonable cost?, the tech i rang suggested that i should throw it out,i presume that means very expensive to fix.

thanks

@stew sounds like you know what your talking about. I have recently read about gain matching, seems like a lot of work though. Right now I have the gain on my DD-12 set at 5, and my DD-15 set at 1, and that's out of 100. I think I have plenty of head room. I plan on recalibrateing my system and bumping the levels up to 20 per Robs advice.

@rob I was thinking that would be the case. Same sub manufacturer, same line, same amp, maybe the f3 is lower on the 15.

Thanks to both for the replies

I have no idea why you would throw out a subwoofer that costs over $2000 when having the amplifier serviced can cost a fraction of the cost to replace it. My guess is the tech was not one of our techs at Velodyne and wanted to sell you something else. You can contact our product support team at 408-465-2851 and they can issue a return authorization to remove the back panel to send in for service. They can also let you know up front what the current flat rate for repair is on the DD10.

When adjusting the volume levels on the DD, 20 is a nice place to start but should not be used at the expense of dropping the LFE gain below -5dB. I run two DD plus subwoofers in my system and the volume usually resides between 12 and 14 with my LFE gain at the neutral 0dB. Maintaining significant input signal is important for the proper operation of the auto on/off functionality of the subwoofer. Any volume setting of 5 or higher is fine, when you get below 5 you can start to have the same issues as if you turn the input signal down too far. In the end, its a balancing act.

Hi All & Velodyne Support!

Can you please kindly advise me if the SPL-800 Ultra can be used without issues with very small satellite speakers that require the subwoofer to have both a Frequency Response & Crossover setting of at least a 150Hz?

There are two sets of differing specs for this subwoofer from Velodyne:

From the Velodyne User Manual:
Overall Frequency Response = 16Hz-240Hz & +/-3dB = 26Hz-135Hz
Low Pass Crossover = 40Hz-135Hz

From the Velodyne Detail Sheet:
Overall Frequency Response = 16Hz-240Hz & +/-3dB = 26Hz-120Hz
Low Pass Crossover = 40Hz-120Hz

I do not understand what the +/-3dB figure means nor it's importance (but am guessing it must be important otherwise it would not be there!) but these +/-3dB figures clearly show that the Sub will not be able to reach 150Hz in Frequency Response or Crossover setting but the "Overall" figure seems to suggest that the FR is well within limits & the Crossover setting short by 15Hz.

Which figures are correct, most relevant & more important? This subwoofer stuff is extremely confusing to a novice!

spl-ultra_series_manual_revc.pdf 670k .pdf file

spl-800_ultra_details.pdf 166k .pdf file

Bazzy!
Edited by Bazzy - 2/28/13 at 3:14pm

First I will address the two different specifications. Thank you for pointing this out, the specifications listed in the owner's manual are correct. Sometimes detail sheets are made up during the product development stage and final specifications are not available. We start conservative, with the intention of going back and adjusting them to match reality. Obviously, in this instance we missed this error.

Second, the difference in overall frequency response and +/-3dB specifications. Overall frequency response represents the total range of frequencies that the driver can reproduce, though not all of those can be done as efficiently. When you get the low and high end of the range of signals a driver can reproduce you start to have roll off, where you are getting less output. When the signal drops 3dB (the accepted threshold of human hearing) that determines the +/-3dB specification. This specification is considered more accurate and should be found on all quality speakers.

Third, the low pass crossover. The low pass crossover limits the frequencies running into the subwoofer. All of our subwoofers have a direct setting which will bypass the low pass crossover. This is used often when utilizing a home theater receiver with bass management and crossover controls. It is in your receiver that you will be designating the low end limit for bass going to your satellites and the high end limit of frequencies being sent to your subwoofer.

The SPL 800 ultra should work fine, yes you will have a slight sag in frequency response in the 135-150Hz range (assuming an acoustically neutral room), but that is likely to be the case with most subwoofers.

Hi Rob,

Very many thanks indeed for your help - I am most grateful! The info you have provided does put me at more ease with regards in use with the satellite speakers! May I also ask, if one needs a replacement remote control & set up mike, what would be the costs & are they only available from Velodyne or from dealers/retails stores as well?

Bazzy!

Replacement remotes and microphones are available from your local distributor or from Velodyne directly. If you choose to purchase from Velodyne directly, you will be responsible for international shipping charges as well as any taxes, duties, and customs charges.

Hi Rob,

There are persistent rumors around here saying that Velodyne European distribution revamp will be leaving us without warranty support and servicing...

Could you tell us what the official position is ?

I would be happy to. We are looking at a change in locations for warehousing in Europe. There was an announcement that the current facility would be closing, but there was no announcement of a replacement facility, this caused rumors to start. The current facility will remain open until such time as we have a replacement in place. Additionally, without saying too much, I am in the process of working on a dedicated service solution separate from our distribution channel for warranty support in Europe.