SVS PB16-Ultra Owner's Manual - page 17

ADVANCED SUBWOOFER CONTROLS

Volume

Setting the level too high will cause the bass to seem bloated and is the single most common 

cause of bad sounding subwoofers. A rule of thumb is that the subwoofer should not draw 

attention to itself, but should simply make the systems low end seem more extended and 

accurate. Different content has different levels of output so adjust volume based on source 

material and your personal preference.

Low Pass Filter

Enables smooth sonic transition and flat frequency response between speakers and the 

subwoofer. If using an AV Receiver with a Subwoofer Output, leave in the OFF position. This 

allows you to control the upper frequency cut-off to blend with main speakers. It also allows you 

to adjust slope, or the rate at which the low pass filter rolls off.

Phase Adjustment

Solves sound wave cancellation issues at specific frequencies and perfectly aligns the arrival of 

output from speakers and subwoofers to your listening position. Normally set to 0° if the 

subwoofer is near the main speakers. Adjusting Phase shifts timing of the subwoofer output to 

align with the main speakers or additional subwoofers.

Polarity

In some cases, reversing polarity solves dips or humps at the crossover frequency between a 

subwoofer and speaker and can be used to fix bass nulls or overly boomy spots in the listening 

area.  Reversing the electrical polarity of the subwoofer amplifier makes it so the woofer moves 

in when speaker drivers move out and is normally set to positive

Parametric EQ

Powerful tool for removing peaks and dips in your listening area, and for creating custom 

subwoofer output based on personal listening preferences.  Works best when used with acoustic 

measurements.

Allows you to set the desired center frequency of the filter, increase or decrease the SPL dB of the 

filter, or adjust the bandwidth of the filter.

Room Gain Compensation

Fixes bloated sounding bass by optimizing low frequency output and extension when too much 

sound wave density is being created by a small room.

owner’s manual  |  page 15

PB16-Ultra

SUBWOOFER