Velodyne DD18 Owners - Tips and Guidance?


I recently acquired a Velodyne DD18 in perfect condition and I wanted to see if I could get input from fellow owners on how to get the most out of the subwoofer.

Should I take advantage of the low-pass filter? I'm currently doing that, sending just 80hz+ to my speakers (Audio Physic Avanti III) and letting the subwoofer handle the rest. However, I'm wondering if I'm losing any detail or quality by adding that step. Do others use this approach?

Placement: I find I have to place the sub far awayfrom my turntable because at high volumes I seem to get a lound shuddering effect, likely because the sound pressure or vibrations are somehow jiving with some natural frequency in the tt setup. Playing digital there is no problem.

I have the sub setup behind my speakes, about 6 inches from the front wall placed on a Sistrum 101 stand.

I have the volume at about 12 as I don't want it making its presence too obvious. I find the software/alignment quite quirky and not so user friendly. I can't seem to get any sound test frequency to measure the room response, so I just do the standard 1-2-3 alignment holding the mic roughly where my head is in the listening chair.

Anyways, I know the above doesn't include many specific questions but overall am just looking for some best-practices tips on getting the most from this subwoofer. I listen to a broad selection of music and this system is also for movies.
128x128outlier
If you have clean bass you might get away with the low pass filter. I use the speaker inputs on my sub and let the speakers have full range. Just be careful not to over set your crossover. If you hear a bloated sound, lower your crossover until it goes away.
If your speakers go down to 50hz, start at 60hz on the sub and see if it works out.
Good luck.
Thanks for the tips so far.

Yes, the sub was re-defaulted and aligned for my room based on the auto-calibration I did.

I am getting some bloat, or at least i find I have to adjust volume downward sometimes as movies in particular seem to make the bass a bit more noticeable than I would like. I'll try and connect the sub direclty and let the speakers go full range and will see if things get a little better.
What do mean by "can't seem to get any sound test frequency to measure the room response,"? Are you not hearing the test sine wave?. If not, how is auto calibration even working?. Is there something wrong with the dd18?. I might be misunderstanding here. Let's assume I am.

Went through something very similar a couple years ago, when adding my dd12. To make a very long story short, try the low pass and get comfy/familare with the software controls. I tried coutless adjustments while running all low frequencies to the dd12. Must have spent 20+ hours trying to get it right. Eventually got it to sound "ok" but not what I had hoped. Had always believed that letting a sub handle *all* the base was
the obvious/correct route. Turns out I was wrong for my setup and gear.
Just like you, i wanted minimal slam and zero noticablity. Using the
lowpass let my aerial 7b's jump back in down low. This changed
everything. Found that to a certain cutoff, the aerials sounded better

down low then the dd12. Especially mid bass as it was night and day. Below 50hz is where they needed a little help, so that's where i ended up.
Still had to spend many more hours getting it dialed in. Auto adjustment
didn't cut it for me. Software seems complex at first but really gets a lot
easier as you use it. Trick is to make single adjustments and listen before
moving on. Keep it simple regarding the eq part (shoot for a smooth line,
not straight). I kept the setup stuff out over a two week period and slowly
dialed it in. Ended up having 3 saved setups for different types of music.
Can easily switch between them with the remote. You could/should add a
movie specific setup as well (my ht system is completely separate). Am
currently running my dd12 cut off at 56hz with the volume set at 12.
Sounds great and you can barely tell it's there.

Again, try the low pass with full range to your mains. It could be the ticket
You need to have the sub connected to a video display if you don't. Then you can easily see the settings and adjust the crossover frequency. I would also remove the stand from underneath. I would also let the mains run full range as Levy suggests. If your mains go down to 50hz and you have the sub set to 80 it will sound bloated. How is the sub connected?