When to replace a projector bulb. Should I upgrade my subwoofer?
QI made the decision to buy an Epson Powerlite Home Cinema 2045 3LCD projector about three years ago based on the great review of it I read in Sound & Vision magazine. It’s my first projector, and I find it amazing to watch my favorite movies on a HUGE screen. We don’t use it all the time— mostly just for movies and for football on weekends. I know I’ll need to change the lamp out at some point and would like to know how to tell when the lamp has dimmed to the point of needing replacement. I have no idea how many hours we’ve used it, or how to find out that information. SCOTT MILLER / VIA EMAIL A The lamp life specification that projector manufacturers routinely provide for models in their lineup cites the approximate number of hours until the lamp’s brightness is reduced to 50 percent of its original light output. You can continue to use the lamp, of course, but the image in all likelihood will appear substantially less bright than when you originally Q I have a modest home theater in my basement that I have been slowly upgrading over the last two decades. The only component I haven’t upgraded yet is my Polk Audio subwoofer since it was a pretty decent model when I purchased it 20 years ago. The Polk is a vented sub with a 12-inch driver and a class-ab amp rated for
100 watts continuous (400 watts max) output, with frequency response rated down to 28 Hz. Here’s my question: Would I benefit from upgrading to a new 12-inch sub? I am currently looking at a Polk HTS 12, another model with a 12-inch driver but a class-d amp rated for 200 watts continuous (400 watts max) output, and frequency response down to 22 Hz. My system is in my basement rec room, a 3,200 cubic foot space, and I mostly use it for watching movies and occasionally for listening to music. CAL REMPEL / VIA EMAIL A An approximately 3,000 cubic foot space such as yours would be considered as edging on “large” for a home theater. And while you might think that a single subwoofer with a 12-inch driver might not be enough to fill a large space with bass, THX, an audio product certification program that consumers can use for comparative shopping, has certified 12-inch subwoofers under its Ultra specification, unboxed the projector and started watching with it.
Several factors can affect lamp life, the most significant ones being how high the projector’s brightness and contrast adjustments are set, and which Lamp mode is selected. For the Home Cinema 2045, Epson specs lamp life at up to 7,500 hours in Eco mode, and up to 4,000 hours in Normal mode. In the world of lamp-based projection, both of those specs are fairly typical. (Newer laserbased projectors don’t require light source replacement; when the laser light engine reaches its half-life— typically at around 20,000 hours, or after 10 years of using it approximately 6 hours a day—it’s time to start looking for a replacement projector.)
Most projectors provide a lamp life indicator in their setup menu that tells you exactly how many hours it has been used. For Epson models, you can find that information in the Lamp Hours section of the Info submenu, where the number of hours for both the Normal and ECO Power Consumption modes will be separately listed. Epson also makes things easy by displaying that menu info in yellow text after the lamp hits its half-life spec. which is for spaces up to 3,000 cubic feet. (See our review of the Monoprice Monolith 12” in the June 2018 issue, also on soundandvision.com.) One THX Ultra requirement is that the subwoofer be able to hit a 115db peak SPL in a 3,000 cubic foot room from a minimum 12-foot viewing distance. And while it’s unclear if your current subwoofer is capable of delivering that level of performance, there may be other reasons why you’d want to upgrade to a new model.
Newer subs offer features like DSP controls, onboard room correction, and parametric EQ adjustments. Some also provide ios/android apps that can be used for easy setup and calibration, and for making on-the fly tweaks while viewing/listening. While the Polk Audio HTS 12 you’re looking at lacks features like app control or room correction, one key upgrade it does provide is Polk’s Power Port, a bottom-mounted, floor-firing design that effectively minimizes port noise and turbulence—artifacts you’re most liable to hear when watching movies with powerful lowfrequency effects.
If you do upgrade to a new sub, you might also want to hang on to your old one. Using dual subwoofers will help to smooth out response so that the sound is equally balanced across multiple seats. In some ways, deploying multiple subs in your system is the best possible bass upgrade you can make.