will
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Good points all. I hope a few more thoughts based on my limited explorations might help make choices easier...
The RS 500 interface and setup seems a little daunting to me too. A biggish concern for me, perhaps mainly because I am ignorant of, and intimidated by networking: how well that network would work, especially if you need to add a phone? Not having wifi (we use only ethernet), seems an ethernet connection here could work, but then would I be tied to adjustments from my computer? Or maybe with knowledge of networking setup, could integrating bluetooth, or Wifi allow a phone or pad work???
Seems that if mobile tuning is known by users to work stably within this more complicated seeming initial setup, I like Old DD would imagine you might end up liking the adjustment parameters and find them pretty easy. The way the virtual buttons are laid out for switching to different pages that then show different adjustments, I guess this graphic design may make it look more tricky than it is.
The sonic adjustments seem pretty complete, mainly seeming to have your basic parameters of volume, phase, crossover, .... along with being able to use some pretty nice looking EQ choices if you wanted to explore them.... I am finding the parametric EQs with the SVS to seem useful on 1st impressions, using one or two parametric notches to cut low room modes mainly, but also playing with using them to tune nulls up a little.
Another part of what attracted me to the SVS software, is that it has similar controls that are pretty tight. Conceptually I like that the most critical adjustments of phase, volume and the main low pass frequency, are all in increments of 1... and in my current setup, those fine increments matter. I like that the phase adjustment with the SVS is tighter than that 5° increments of the RS500. But the RS also has a "delay" in 5 millisecond increments, which might help in some setups with less refined phase adjustments??? Don't know, and maybe you could get really refined with time based tone tuning and matching your speaker timing with this setup anyway???
Still learning, but now my phase on the three presets I have saved are 115° and 116°, and these sound better to me than say 110 or 120. One choice being 115°, not sure how important this would be with the 5° RS00 setup... but if I liked say 113... with this particular arrangement, I don't think I would like 110 or 115 as well based on my 1st experiments, at least "with this unit."
Another feature I like, once I get phase, volume, and the low pass frequency pretty good, being able to tune the slope on the low pass from -6dB to -12dB, -18dB or -24dB... this a nice fine tuning feature to me.
All by sound, still not clear where I might end up... but for my preferences I do like having a pretty complete tool set and being able to tune from anywhere around to help sort out imbalances based on room and sub placement.
That said, I started knowing I wanted to tune in a single sub that may or may not be in the best room position... hoping very fine adjustments could make OK setups integrate more like ideal ones. Also I am not going for extra strong bass. I want the sub to be "not there" across recordings, so it is tuned to do its thing without an obvious leaning toward bass that works its way into the mids, and also integrates seamlessly across recording styles. In this setup, tuning for more bass can be pretty nice on some recordings, but ones with strong bass... not. I am more about open neutrality and fast and complex bass though, so I prefer mainly having the sub work to liven up and articulate the bass a little, and doing that subtly. Whether this unit will "get there" for me, can't say yet...
Whereas, if I had a dedicated room with more flexibility, and the ability to have a bass baffle's depth adjustable and in the middle of the speakers, or use a pair that are symmetrically setup in ultimate locations, I can imagine what Geno is talking about working really well.
I do appreciate the refined tuning potential here though, and agree with Old DD's points also. If this RS500 stays interesting with more research, it does look like it has a useful adjustment set, and if it will work seamlessly with a phone or pad at the seat, once you play with it a while, I bet it would get relatively easy to use.
Good Luck!
Will
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