Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Any 'problems' running powered speakers at unity?

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Ontario,Canada
    Posts
    203

    Question Any 'problems' running powered speakers at unity?

    Hi: I am currently using some 'pro' speakers in my home listening area,but not sure if I am running these speakers at the proper volume settings.
    Tops are Yamaha DXR10's and the subwoofer is a RCF 902AS,which I have all three volume controls set at unity,which I thought would be OK since my listening area is rather small (12'x24').
    I am controlling the tops and sub from my Parasound P6 pre-amp via XLR from the the Main Outs and separate Sub out on the P6 using the x-overs in the P6.
    Should I being running both tops and sub at full volume and control with the pre-amp volume,as I have a separate control for subwoofer on the P6,or should I leave all three at the unity(mid position)?.Thanks,Huck50

  2. #2
    Unity means zero gain. The volume control position doesn't indicate gain, so midway may or may not be unity. It may be a gain position, it may be an attenuation position. Setting the volume control midway is as good a start as any. For the best signal to noise you don't want either the pre or the amps to be set at the extremes.
    Bill Fitzmaurice
    Bill Fitzmaurice Loudspeaker Design
    www.billfitzmaurice.info/forum

  3. #3
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Ontario,Canada
    Posts
    203
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Fitzmaurice View Post
    Unity means zero gain. The volume control position doesn't indicate gain, so midway may or may not be unity. It may be a gain position, it may be an attenuation position. Setting the volume control midway is as good a start as any. For the best signal to noise you don't want either the pre or the amps to be set at the extremes.
    Sorry,I am a little 'slow' this morning,so how do I find out if "midway may or not be unity",or"it may be a gain position,it may be an attenuation position"?
    How about I turn VC on the tops and sub to,say 1 oclock,since 12 oclock is detent position? ThanksH50

  4. #4
    Unity is when the input voltage to the amp from the mixer is the same as the amp output voltage to the speaker. The position of the volume control doesn't tell you anything, other than 11 o'clock is lower than 12 o'clock, 1 o'clock is higher.
    Bill Fitzmaurice
    Bill Fitzmaurice Loudspeaker Design
    www.billfitzmaurice.info/forum

  5. #5
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Ottawa Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    2,035
    Quote Originally Posted by Huck50 View Post
    so how do I find out if "midway may or not be unity",
    The owners manual is a good place to start. In general a center detent position is very likely to be unity, sometimes this is obvious by the markings around the control... + to the right and - to the left, other times not so much. I know the center position on the DXRs is unity and I believe the RCFs are the same, JBL speakers are the exception I see on a regular basis... with many of those the control need to be fully clockwise.

    But all that said, in this particular situation(home use) there is nothing wrong with setting this control to something other than unity if for example turning it down a bit reduces the amount of hiss generated.
    Paul O'Brien
    Old Tech Guy
    www.Techott.com

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Ontario,Canada
    Posts
    203
    Thanks everyone! H50

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Ontario,Canada
    Posts
    203
    Quote Originally Posted by conanski View Post
    The owners manual is a good place to start. In general a center detent position is very likely to be unity, sometimes this is obvious by the markings around the control... + to the right and - to the left, other times not so much. I know the center position on the DXRs is unity and I believe the RCFs are the same, JBL speakers are the exception I see on a regular basis... with many of those the control need to be fully clockwise.

    But all that said, in this particular situation(home use) there is nothing wrong with setting this control to something other than unity if for example turning it down a bit reduces the amount of hiss generated.
    So it's fine to run the tops and sub at the Unity setting on each? Thanks,H50

  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Ottawa Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    2,035
    Quote Originally Posted by Huck50 View Post
    So it's fine to run the tops and sub at the Unity setting on each? Thanks,H50
    Perfectly, the design intention is that at this setting the speaker will produce full output with a +4db input signal... a commonly used reference point.
    Paul O'Brien
    Old Tech Guy
    www.Techott.com

  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Ontario,Canada
    Posts
    203
    Quote Originally Posted by conanski View Post
    Perfectly, the design intention is that at this setting the speaker will produce full output with a +4db input signal... a commonly used reference point.
    Thanks,H50

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
a