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Inexpensive sub for MG12's

I have been listening to my new MG12's with a 15 year old Acoustic Research sub that is a 12 inch with 175RMS amp.

The sub sounds a liitle bit boomy, there is no deinition or timbre to the bass, it cannot be adjusted to a 45 hz cutoff, and I suspect that sub is a little bit slow.

What alternatives are out there for about $500? That is my current budget given the WAF is very low over the Maggies (size along with sittng on 14 inch high wood cubes about four feet from the walls). The new Denon 103R and a SUT did not help either I suppose!

I want to make a large step up sonically and if $500 cannot do it, I want to know that so I can decide to wait until stereo spending would be more acceptable to my better half.

Advice is appreciated!
dsper

Showing 2 responses by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
09-28-10: Bob_reynolds
$500 will not get it done. Besides the sub you need to consider room mode correction to get the most from the sub.
Yes it will, if you know where to shop.

Martin Logan subs (even their inexpensive ones) are designed to match well with their electrostats and other panel speakers. As such, they are very fast, integrate well, and are tuneful, not boomy. They're practically made to order for Maggies.

In fact, the ML subs can make mid-fi satellites sound better than you'd think possible.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
10-06-10: Bob_reynolds
Johnnyb53, with all due respect, the OP stated he wanted to "make a large step up sonically." A 10" driver in a relatively small 30 pound box is not going to make clean bass at anything much above a whisper in a small room. Any sub can be boomy with the right (wrong) setup. The ML sub you referenced is ported and as such we can expect its group delay to be higher and therefore, sound "slower," than a sealed design.
Right you are. I meant to recommend a sealed ML, and when I saw a $500 ML sub I got too excited. I really meant something more like ML's Dynamo 700, which is 300 watts and a sealed enclosure. While it's a little over budget, it's within reach at $700. It's also roughly a one-foot cube, which should help the WAF consideration.

I was figuring that the volume needs would be modest since the MG12 is one of Magneplanar's smaller models.
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