Velodyne HGS-15X Setup

Setting the phase switch to 0 yielded the best results in my room; however, you should try it both ways. Generally, you would use the setting that provides the most gain at the listening position. I selected the Subsonic 15Hz THX setting. This is the correct setting for most installations unless for some reason you want to limit your low-end frequency response to 35Hz (such as a scenario where extremely high SPL's will be the norm). I then selected the "Auto On" setting for power. This senses input signal and will automatically turn the subwoofer on when an input signal is sensed. It will automatically enter "Standby" mode after longer periods of inactivity.

Calibration and subwoofer placement is critical for high-end home theater and multi-channel performance. It can be very frustrating and difficult to get the subwoofer placed in the correct location, blend in with the rest of the speakers, and yield the maximum impact without sounding boomy. Surprisingly, the Velodyne HGS-15X was a breeze to set up and calibrate. Using my SPL meter at the listening position, I calibrated the subwoofer's output using external test tones to level match the rest of my speakers.

The Velodyne HGS-15X likes to see high input voltage at its line level inputs, so I set the subwoofer volume control to about the 9o'clock position and the gain on my Aragon Sound Stage to about the half-way point. I noted that the Velodyne HGS-15X volume control was set to a very low level, a quarter of it's full potential, but the sub was still able to produce the reference level needed for my approximately 3000 cubic feet listening room.

The next step was to check placement with my low frequency sweep test. I began placing the subwoofer at various locations around the room. I noticed right away that the Velodyne HGS-15X didn't particularly care where it was placed: corner loading, 1/3 in from the sidewall, 1/2 in from the sidewall, and various other locations. It yielded excellent results; it never sounded boomy, dry, flat, or localized - regardless of where it was placed. This is an easy subwoofer to integrate into just about any installation regardless of placement requirements. Let me point out this is not the normal occurrence when dealing with most subwoofer integrations into high-end systems. Most of the time subwoofers require exact placement for proper integration. The Velodyne HGS-15X was the exception; I placed the subwoofer 1/3 in from the sidewall on the front wall for the rest of the evaluation. Using tests discs like those from Rives or other companies are useful when trying to determine subwoofer placement and integration in your room

Before I start writing the listening evaluation part of this review I must come clean and confess that I am a Bassaholic. I can't help it. I am addicted to low frequencies. I love it all, as long as it's deep, tight, accurate and non-localized. If, on the other hand, it's boomy, sloppy, and mushy, it totally ruins the experience and I would rather listen to nothing at all.

I started the listening evaluation with Domnerus playing Antiphone with Blues Sjokist at the organ in Spanga Church Sweden . For those of you that don't know this CD it is basically sax playing in concert with the pipe organ. While listening to track 2, sometimes I feel like a child. The organ is producing extremely low notes that last a very long time. The Velodyne HGS-15X reproduced every one of the notes with precision and balance The HGS-15X remained composed, never sounding congested or compressed. There was no overhang, and closing my eyes it was very hard to detect where the low frequency information was originating.

Next, I wanted to try track #5, Jag Vet En Dejlig Rosa. This track starts with Arne Domnerus playing his saxophone while Gustaf Sjokvist is playing the pipe organ in a duet fashion. I wanted to see if the Velodyne HGS-15X would be overbearing and play over my RBH SI-760 SE in-walls. Once again, the Velodyne HGS-15X proved that it was worthy of Audiophile status, blending perfectly with my in-wall speakers. The Velodyne HGS-15X never gave its location away. Listening to the track, it sounded as though I was listening to a pair of true full-range loudspeakers rather than a set of limited bandwidth in-walls and a dedicated subwoofer.

After listening to the pipe organ saxophone combination, I wanted to try some two-channel music with high impact, low frequency slam. If you want to test your system's ability to reproduce low frequency with two-channel at higher SPL levels, might I suggest Craig Armstrong's The Space Between Us CD. Track #1, "Weather Storm" starts out with the soft mellow strumming of the harp coupled with violin and electronic piano. It almost lulls you to sleep and then WHAM! Huge high-impact consecutive hits of the bass drum appear out of nowhere.

I had the volume turned up a bit too much on my pre-amp and the first concussion of the bass drum rattled everything in the room. The single pane windows in my family room were vibrating and compressing in and out as the Velodyne HGS-15X moved massive amounts of air and filled the room with pant leg flapping, hair shaking low frequency. As the bass drum continued to strike throughout the track, the Velodyne HGS-15X faithfully reproduced the notes with a high degree of accuracy and slam, always sounding tight and tuneful. It never sounded boomy, slow, or tubby. The Velodyne HGS-15X played the entire track with authority as if to say "Bring it on, is that all you have!?!"

Bassahoilcs are addicted to movie soundtracks with lots of action and lots of LFE. With this in mind, I selected two DTS movies for evaluating the performance of the Velodyne HGS-15X with multi-channel movie soundtracks. Titan AE (utilizing the ice field scene) and The Haunting (with the bedroom/hallway scenes) provide excellent evaluation content for subwoofers

These two DVDs are filled with intense high-impact LFE and are a virtual torture test for a subwoofer. These two scenes last a very long time and LFE is present almost continuously. I have bottomed out many high dollar subwoofers with these DVDs whose amplifiers will clip hard and run out of gas because of the duration of time they must endure providing LFE for these extended chapters.

First up was the Titan AE DVD. From beginning to end, the Velodyne HGS-15X pumped out massive amounts of low frequencies. The tactile response generated by the Velodyne HGS-15X was enormous at the listening position, shaking everything in the room. I thought for a moment that I had inadvertently left the motion actuators on in my chair. The Velodyne HGS-15X never sounded compressed or boomy throughout this rather lengthy LFE exercise. The subwoofer just went along belting out thunderous undistorted low frequency information. After the scene had ended, I wanted to see how hot the plate amplifier had become. To my surprise, it was barely warm to the touch.

Next up was The Haunting Chapter 17, the "Bedroom Hallway" scene. Many loudspeaker manufacturers claim they can build adequate subwoofers for the reproduction of high impact LFE. This DVD, more than any I know of, will test the validity of their claims. I have used this DVD for many years to evaluate subwoofers and think that many loudspeaker manufacturers would be better off sticking to building loudspeakers and not subs.

In the bedroom, after Nell breaks the window, all hell breaks loose as Hugh Crane's ghost goes on a rampage chasing Nell. The sonic concussion and LFE slam I heard (and felt) in my room made me feel as though Hugh Crane was trying to tear my house apart. I honestly did not think that my single pane windows were going to survive this time. There was so much slam, and the room felt so pressurized, that it was almost painful. I truly was in bassaholic heaven with this DVD and realized after the track had concluded that I would never find a cure for my addiction.

The Velodyne HGS-15X reproduced this whole track masterfully, pumping loads of undistorted LFE. The sub had no problems passing The Haunting Chapter 17 torture test at near reference levels in my 3000 cubic ft room and remained composed with exemplary pitch and definition.