I just purchased system, along with Yamaha v659. I cant seem to get much bass response that everyone claims is wonderful with this system. I have set crossover at 80 as instructions say. Also speakers to small. Not being an audiophile, I don't understand what settings phase should be on: 0 or 180. Also, I have a bass boost switch: 0db or +3db or +6db.. Not only do I not understand what this is for, I have no idea what to set it on for best response. Unfortunately, Kef instructions are very vague. Also, in terms of sub placement, what gets the best response. Standing up, lying down. which side toward wall or floor, in corner or next to system. how far away from wall?
Also, I bought a sub cable from Radio shack. RCA that has one single end which splits to a double end. Is this a problem. Single end is in sub, one of double ends is in receiver? Or should I switch to a plan rca cable single. Does this effect anything?
Hmmm, not sure about that cable of yours there! The settings you mention seem correct. The 3005 satellites should be set to small and the crossover to 80hz.
The phase setting: when a sub is in phase, the drive unit pushes air out on an impulse, whereas when it's out of phase, the drive unit sucks in. When it's out of phase it's usually not as effective. The phase switch allows you to choose which way around the phase should be. Now some AV receivers have been known to switch the phase in transit, so it is always worth experimenting with the switch. The louder of the two settings is the correct setting.
The bass boost switch allows you to turn up the sub. Each 3db boost is a significant amount louder than the last. You should leave the bass boost at 0db to begin with and only use it as a last resort. It can become necessary to use this if you have a room which sucks up all the bass frequencies, but this is rare.
Positioning is also something to play with. Take note that if you place the sub near a side wall, this generates a certain amount of extra bass. Placing the sub in a corner generates even more output. This is due to the reflections of the bass off the walls. Your AV receiver usually allows you to run a test tone through each speaker including the sub. What comes from the sub is a deep rumble. You need to use this test tone to help you find the best place in your room for the sub.
The room has bass 'nodes' at regular intervals which are defined by the size of the room itself. If you walk your sub on the floor next to the side wall a few inches at a time, you will hear its output increase and decrease as you close in on a node. The best place for a sub is on one of these nodes. The other way of setting up a sub is to place it where you would normally sit with the test tone on. Then walk around the sides of the room and identify the nodes. The loudest spot is the place to put the sub. This can be more difficult to do since the sub is effectively placed where your chair or sofa would be.
The 3005's subwoofer has a passive radiator on one side and the active drive unit on the other side. It's more usual to place the active drive unit facing the room.
No, not a wall stud. A bass node is that point along the wall where the bass is loudest (or weakest for that matter). You will find that the nodes occur at regular intervals since this is the nature of waves. It's actually simply a high compression of the air at that point as the wave travels along the wall.