Bass bloat issues

  • 10 January 2023
  • 8 replies
  • 171 views
B

I’ve got an issue with my pair of Sonos Fives with a significant bass boost at around 50Hz from where I’m sitting (measured using the iOS app HouseCurve). In doing some research I believe it is a modal peak or similar which should be able to be resolved to some extent in DSP. I’ve tried moving the speakers around as much as I can but although I can reduce it a little the problem is still there (I run Trueplay each time I change the positioning).

I would have thought Trueplay would improve this but I’ve run it repeatedly and I just can’t seem to deal with it. I’ve tried reducing the bass to -10 in the equalizer but this doesn’t seem to have any effect either.

Does anyone have any tips on sorting this out? iPhone 14 Pro on latest version of the app. I’ve tried moving the speakers as far into the room as I can.

 

Thanks for any suggestions

 

8 replies

K

Caveat - this from my experience with Sonos Sub; I do not have the 5 units you refer to.

First, are you hearing this or are you just letting some app tell you this?

If yes, is it across all genres of music or a particular album?

I have a one pair + Sub, and Trueplay is just the ticket for eliminating heard bass bloat in that set up. I don't use apps to tell me this, just that acoustic bass instruments sound just right with Trueplay on, and very bloated when Trueplay is toggled off.

And with 5 units placed into the room as you have, this should not be an issue.

But try this too: unpair the two and see if you hear the bloat in both when played as single units. If only in one, that is probably a defective unit.

bockersjv
Userlevel 7
Badge +21

Trueplay is broken on my set up fo a Stereo Pair of Play 5s and a sub gen 2.  You may be experiencing similar.  Tuning just creates a bass mess and a super dominant left channel.  This is a recognised issue that started a couple of months ago, see this thread.

Ignore the answer as it is wrong and the issue remains. Hope the next update solves this.

 

Airgetlam

I’d suggest the answer isn’t wrong, as it suggests providing hard data to Sonos, so that they can help find, and resolve the issue. 

However, it’s not an ‘answer’ as to how to fix the issue. 

Bruce
B

OK I might open a case with them. Interestingly I was watching a review of a Buchardt speaker where the reviewer was having issues with room correction and Max Buchardt commented that the quality of microphones on iPhones is deteriorating over time - if true may be a factor also - either in Trueplay, in my measurements or both!

buzz

In addition to SUB placement in the room, listener placement is significant too.

K

either in Trueplay, in my measurements or both!

This may affect Trueplay, but why are measurements needed for evaluation of the listening experience in the home? 

Ken_Griffiths

I’m not too familiar with the HouseCurve software, but this is what I see with a stereo pair of Fives in the Living Room… (That’s with TP tuning).

 

 

B

Thanks for the comments.

You’re correct as regards listener position, moving around three feet forward does drastically reduce the boom.

I found rerunning Trueplay then reducing bass by -7 in the equaliser gets the measured curve closer to the target. Bass in tracks like Maroon by Taylor Swift or Thus Spch Zarathustra off Time Warp still sounds satisfying and tauter/less boomy. A lovely pair of speakers!

 

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