Quote:
Originally Posted by
Batman61405
Anyone care to share so more input on the port chuffing of the PB 16?
I know all ported subs are subjected to it, but for me it would only need to be under truly extreme volumes with torture test content. Watching say the incredible hulk or cloverfield at -10 volume id expect SVS' flagship to behave 100%. same goes for the new PB4000.
no reviews I read mention it, unless I missed it, but many on here have talked about how its more likely to chuff then the PB 13 due to having the same port size and bigger driver and amp
is this truly bothersome to anyone, or does it really only happen if you have the PB 16 obnoxiously turned all the way up and playing torture test trying to get it to chuff? it should be able to deliver reference level bass without chuffing shouldn't it? assuming its in an appropriately sized room and set up properly of course.
like how hard are you guys pushing these things??
would running duals eliminate the chuffing??
besides being too much $$$ the chuffing ive read about leads me to not even consider the PB16 in the future if it truly just is underported, so I'm getting dual PB4000s. hopefully they are like the pB13 when it comes to chuffing
Hi,
I know of about five or six people (including Kucharsk) who have had issues with the PB16's chuffing. There may well be others, but I believe that most people post to complain about that sort of thing, and I have tried to keep track. There have been hundreds of PB16's sold, so the statistical percentage of chuffing PB16's may not be as bad as it sounds.
For a while, I tried to explain the occasional chuffing reports in terms of specific flaws with specific subwoofers. But, I became convinced that it wasn't bad amps or blocked ports. (Ed Mullen always said that was not likely to be the explanation.) I do believe that the PB16's are a little under-ported, compared to the PB13's and PB4000's which have the same size ports, but less amp power.
The question I could never quite answer for myself was why some PB16's chuffed and some didn't, because I have three of them, and mine have never chuffed with any content whatsoever. I know of a number of other people who have reported that they also have never experienced chuffing with their PB16's. And, some of us have pushed our PB16's quite hard.
I know that it isn't just content related, or master volume related, or sub boost related, because a number of us have compared notes on those factors, and some of us (such as myself) who have never experienced chuffing are running our subs hotter, with the same content, than others who have experienced chuffing. I think it's a given that the PB16's are more prone to chuffing than the PB13's. But, I think it takes some particular combination of room modes and/or room EQ to bring it on.
Of course, having multiple subs definitely helps with respect to port chuffing tendencies for any subwoofers. And, proper room set-up and effective room EQ should also be pluses. But, I think that there is some luck of the draw in whether someone experiences a dip at a particular frequency, perhaps within a few Hz of the tuning point, in a way that makes some subs chuff prematurely, with some material. Rarely do they chuff with all material.
FWIW, this issue isn't limited to the flagship SVS subs. There have been isolated reports of large PSA, JTR, and Rythmik subs chuffing prematurely, as well. I think in most cases it is likely to be attributable to a combination of room placement and specific content, coinciding with a particular room mode. I don't know that for a fact, so let's call it a semi-educated guess.
The bottom-line for me is that any sub
can chuff under the right circumstances, including from simply being over-driven. And, anyone considering buying a PB16 has a perfect right to feel some trepidation about port chuffing. But, the reality is that there are an awful lot of satisfied PB16 owners who have never experienced that phenomenon with their subs. And, I am one of them. For those who are reluctant to take the gamble, and who want a little more conservative option, I believe that the new 4000 series offers a very good alternative, with many of the same advantages as the PB16's.
Regards,
Mike