Sub phase - confused

[WmB]

Installed a small sub and activated it.

With main speakers off the sub sounds best with 180 degrees

With main speakers on it sounds best with 0 degrees

Can anyone explain?

 

[harkpabst]

With main speakers off the sub sounds best with 180 degrees

You mean, just the sub? No mains at all? What would that test be good for?

Having said that, with no speakers added the sub should pretty much sound the same, no matter if it's 0⁰ or 180⁰.

Make sure to also adjust the main speakers output latency, once you have decided on a phase setting.

 

[jed1]

I would run room correction and see whether 0deg or 180deg produces flatter / smoother / no dipping response around the crossover frequency during the measurement - not necessarily to apply room correction.

 

[MrA]

Installed a small sub and activated it.

With main speakers off the sub sounds best with 180 degrees

With main speakers on it sounds best with 0 degrees

Can anyone explain?

It's quite possible that the main speakers after setting the sub at 180º would be out of phase with each other so frequencies around the crossover will be somewhat cancelled, unlike using 0º which you prefer.

Your comment "With main speakers off the sub sounds best with 180 degrees" implies you have tried the sub at both 0º & 180º and prefer the latter.

...if so maybe try leaving the sub at 180º (your stated preference) and reverse poles on the main speaker cables at the speaker end so you retain the sub setting that you prefer but the speakers themselves are now reversed by 180º. In my own system I can hear a difference around the crossover frequencies when reversing speaker poles (on-the-fly digitally so it is an instant comparison) and therefore have my main speakers at reverse polarity compared to the subs.

 

[WmB]

You mean, just the sub? No mains at all? What would that test be good for?

Having said that, with no speakers added the sub should pretty much sound the same, no matter if it's 0⁰ or 180⁰.

Make sure to also adjust the main speakers output latency, once you have decided on a phase setting.

no of course not

I meant that the sub takes all the low frequencies and letting the main “off the hook”

 

[WmB]

It's quite possible that the main speakers after setting the sub at 180º would be out of phase with each other so frequencies around the crossover will be somewhat cancelled, unlike using 0º which you prefer.

Your comment "With main speakers off the sub sounds best with 180 degrees" implies you have tried the sub at both 0º & 180º and prefer the latter.

...if so maybe try leaving the sub at 180º (your stated preference) and reverse poles on the main speaker cables at the speaker end so you retain the sub setting that you prefer but the speakers themselves are now reversed by 180º. In my own system I can hear a difference around the crossover frequencies when reversing speaker poles (on-the-fly digitally so it is an instant comparison) and therefore have my main speakers at reverse polarity compared to the subs.

I´m having trouble getting myself correctly understood.

With main speakers on full range, the sub sounds best at 0 degrees
With main speakers cut of at 80Hz the sub sounds best at 180 degrees.

Isn´t that strange ?

 

[slartibartfast]

I´m having trouble getting myself correctly understood.

With main speakers on full range, the sub sounds best at 0 degrees
With main speakers cut of at 80Hz the sub sounds best at 180 degrees.

Isn´t that strange ?

You might find the cancellation at the crossover frequency works in your favour of both sub and main speakers are producing the same frequencies.

 

[harkpabst]

I´m having trouble getting myself correctly understood.

With main speakers on full range, the sub sounds best at 0 degrees
With main speakers cut of at 80Hz the sub sounds best at 180 degrees.

Isn´t that strange ?

Could it be you're simply not using WiiM terminology? With "mains speakers in full range" do you refer to the option called "Main Speakers Output Bass"?

If so, it isn't strange at all.

What low pass filter setting are you using on your sub in both cases?

 

[WmB]

Could it be your simply not using WiiM terminology? With "mains speakers in full range" do you refer to the option called "Main Speakers Output Bass"?

If so, it isn't strange at all.

What low pass filter setting are you using on your sub in both cases?

Yeah it’s “main speakers output bass” (my app is in Swedish

80Hz, LFE channel input

To make it even more difficult, after todays update my sub seems to loudest at 180 degrees regardless the setting “main speakers output bass”