Subwoofer only does thumping / booming bass, no music

[van1]

Hopefully this is the right place to as for help.
I just bought a used velodyne subwoofer, onkyo receiver and wharfedale fronts. Receiver and fronts are fine but i dont get any music from the sub, just the deep rattling bass thump when i crank it. Does this sound like a sub or receiver problem? Thanks

 

[~dave~~wave~]

i dont get any music from the sub, just the deep rattling bass thump when i crank it.

Sounds like normal behavior for a subwoofer to me, not a problem.
But I'm not there hearing what you are, don't know what you usually listen on...

Is this your first subwoofer, or just a different one?
There should never be any "music" in the LFE channel.
Only kick drum and bottom bass octave, nothing you'd recognize as music without mains adding the overtones.
Listening in isolation it's only thump.

Both receiver and sub filter out anything above the cutoff frequency.
May be adjustments for one or both to set that frequency for best results with your mains.

Other than what the sub is doing, how's the whole system sound with your favorite tracks?
Especially without using the sub at all?
How big are the woofers in your Wharfedales, are they "full-range"?

Let us know, good luck with your new gear.

 

[sbrom]

Hopefully this is the right place to as for help.
I just bought a used velodyne subwoofer, onkyo receiver and wharfedale fronts. Receiver and fronts are fine but i dont get any music from the sub, just the deep rattling bass thump when i crank it. Does this sound like a sub or receiver problem? Thanks

I agree with ~~Dave~wave~ this is probably right. Most bass-managed systems direct frequencies below 80 Hz to the sub, and everything else to the relevant channel. Few instruments (if any), with their harmonics, fall below 80 Hz. Should sound thumpy….

things to check:

1. AVR’s bass management settings - what’s the sub cutover filterset to?
2. Set all speakers to small within the AVR’s setup.
2. If your sub has an independent lpf adjustment on its input, make sure it is set higher than the AVR’s cutover frequency.
3. How does the total system sound? Natural, or not?

 

[van1]

Thanks for your help. Its my first powered sub and in test videos on YT i thought i should be hearing more. It does have room shaking thump the wharfedale fronts are Valdus 500 which sound great and have a lot if base, i will try and play with the settings

 

[marpow]

It is working perfect.
Now it then becomes your personal preference. Some like my self like my sub (I use three) to completely fill out the bottom end, set to aboy 60HZ and the volume of each sub is probably about mid volume, and there is the LFE setting also.
Your reciever set up will have settings for with and without, small vs large speaker settings, etc.
I can set my subs up to actually creak the sheetrock, but that is not me. Even when I use my one sub in my car I tend to keep it on the low side.
Subs are the hardest when comes to wavelength frquencies, and many rooms such as myself benefit from bass traps in corners and acoustic panels of various reasons on side walls.
The sub can have a wavelength floor to ceiling in waves, you don't want to have a null (the low of the frequencie) where you sit.
Anyway all that I just said can be a goal, but can be audiophile bullshit also.
I encourage everyone to have a sub using the LFE out of your AVR or PrePro.
I have used at least one sub on various set ups since 1986, Kplisch, my very first, i actually still have it, tried to sell it once but got no takers.
Congratulations on getting a sub.

 

[MidiMagic]

I always adjust my sub so I can't tell it is a separate speaker except for the added bottom frequencies.