Anyone Experienced With Revel Gems and Sub15/LE1

Unless you are really playing LOUD, I would run the Gems full-range.

Most subwoofer on-board crossovers do more to degrade the sound than improve it.

You would need a preamp with two sets of outputs to run the Gems full range. One set of outputs to the amp for the Gems, and the other set of outputs to the subwoofer. The lower you set the high pass control on whatever sub you get the better.

These are my thoughts, others I'm sure will have different suggestions. Best of luck no matter how you do it!!

Paul :-)

I can confirm the problems with the LE1. Bought it in 1999. Went bad in 2004. The worst thing was that I had to send the whole amp from Europe to the States. They exchanged the crossover module which is a much better design now (in view of the board and electronical parts) and better sound as well. Since the repair no problem whatsoever. So you should make sure you'll get the latest version of the module! I run my Ultima System directly from Wadia's 27ix into LE1 which is feeding the McIntosh MC 2000. The sound is superb! I also tried your setting #1 using the Burmester 808 pre and feeding the GEMs and Sub seperately. Not bad either but the above setting is superior. I only can encourage you in view of this speaker system. I haven't found a bettter speaker system for classical music and jazz (along with the McIntosh tube amp and Kimber Select 3035, 1130) so far and I guess I stopped searching - which means true High End, right? Good luck!

Hi guys. Thanks for the responses! Are these reported problems with the LE1 specific to the crossover? In other words, would using (as suggested above) the Gems in full range along with the LE1/Sub15 combo give the desired results (by bypassing the crossover in the LE1)?

If that were the case, what I planned to do is get a very good integrated amp which has pre-outs/sub-outs. I will then connect: source to integrated amp, amp to Gems with speaker cables, pre-outs to LE1 with interconnects, LE1 to Sub15's. Oh and BTW I do means Sub15's in the plural: the person I can get it from has the complete combo (LE1 with two Sub15's) which is one of the reasons I am so drawn to complete the package that way.

Alternatively I believe I would look into another subwoofer such as a Rel or Velodyne. If I do so, would you still suggeset running the Gems full range as described above (integrate amp and pre-outs)?

Cheers,
X

No, the Revel Sub is the one! It's incredibly good. And yes: the probs seem to stem from the crossover module. In my case anyway. The only thing that I wouldn't know is how to circumvent the crossover module since it's part of the whole amp and pulling it out definitely cuts the circuit.
By the way: I tend to disagree with the thought that the GEMs alone are real fullrange setting. They do need the Sub IMHO
Good luck!

Hi there. Thanks for the reply. If I use an integrated amp with preamp outs, the Gem's will be running full range. The preamp out will then feed the LE1. Wouldn't that effectively cut the crossover/filter out of the equation? I believe the problems that you guys are experiencing have to do with the filter which cuts out low frequencies to the Gems, right? Since the audio signal is going first to the Gems and then the LE1, the only filtering being done would be that of the high frequencies sent to the Sub15's. Am I right in my thinking or is there something I am missing?

Thanks in advance,
X