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How do SVS subwoofers compare to REL?

I'm looking for subwoofers (one or two) that have a very "tight" natural sound and are not overly boomy. In the future I hope to pair them with some Magnepan speakers. Magnepans are known for having a natural sound, and I want to compliment that.

I've been told that the REL subwoofers (e.g.,T/9i or S/3 SHO, etc., are a good match for Magnepan speakers. However, SVS subwoofers have also been recommended to me.

I don't have any background in high-end audio, so I am interested in opinions of folks here. Are SVS subwoofers considered generally as good as REL in regard to the features I'm interested in? Is either clearly superior? (I had never heard of SVS before yesterday.)

Which subwoofer size (in REL or SVS) would be a good match for a pair of Magnepan 1.7i in an 18 foot x 15 foot room (ceiling about 10 feet) with carpet on floor?

I'm looking at these so far:

REL T/9i Subwoofer about $1300
REL Acoustics S/3 SHO Subwoofer (Super High Output) about $2100
SVS SB-4000 13.5" 1200W about $1600
Any other recommendations?

Total subwoofer budget is around $2600 max. ($2000 or less would be better.)

Also, I believe it is better to buy two smaller subwoofers, compared to one larger one, right? (I'm just not sure where I would put two. Placing one is easier in this room. And I plan to connect everything with speaker wires, not wireless.)

Thanks

lowoverdrive

Showing 3 responses by csmgolf

csmgolf
871 posts
 
What I did was compare apples to apples. That is my point. Most well designed 10 inch subs are capable of 25 hz. How much music is occurring below that frequency? Why would a 10 inch sub sound faster than a 15 if they are set up properly? My "definitions" above would be factors used to set up the sub properly. As you said, your 8 inch subs didn't sound fast until you set them up properly. I suspect the same would be true of a 15 inch sub, when set up properly.
csmgolf
871 posts
 
 I suspect that part of the explanation for the observation that big woofers are slower may therefore be that they potentially generate more room modes.
If the subwoofers are playing at the same level, in the same room/same location, with the same extension, and with comparable levels of distortion, I do not see how this can be possible.
csmgolf
871 posts
 
Yes, for the most part, we do agree. I am not opposed to large woofers per se, but have had very good success with a single Rythmik F12SE with multiple main speakers. I would love to get another one of them and use it to help tame room modes. Subs with larger woofers would still be an option if I had a large room and needed that amount of displacement to achieve the output I desire. When set up properly in that case, I would see no reason that 15 inch and larger subs would sound slow. IMO, another factor not often discussed when setting a subwoofer up in a room is getting the phase between the mains and sub correct. When that is not correct, a sub never truly disappears in a room to my ears. 
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