Showing 4 responses by james633
You want to spend a total of $2k on the subs? So $1000 each? If so the SVS Pro 2000. They come both seal and ported and have a 30 day trial. But the 803s deserved better subs. Good subs can make a system but bad subs can break it. JL Audio E line is very good budget option but I just can’t recommend them to anyone as mine have broken so many times. Lot of good subs out there to choose and I would wait until you have a bigger budget. For amps, I alway like McIntosh with B&W. They make a few right around your price range. The MA12000 is a tube pre with 350 watts of solid state. But $14,000. https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/integrated-amplifiers/MA12000 |
More important than the sub itself is the integration of the sub. A highpass crossover is key imo. McIntosh integrated pieces should all have a built in sub highpass but read up on it. This sends the everything above the crossover to the mains and everything below to the subs. It is very hard to just pass the subs under the mains with a low pass. The results are never as good though I am sure someone who has never used a highpass with chime in that a low pass is fine…. There are external options (JL Audio C-1, $3000) but they are expensive. I have only tried JL Audio subs with B&W and they sounded great (seamless blend) but the electronics inside them broke multiple times. I still have the subs that were repaired. Don’t get me wrong SVS is fine and the upper ends subs are good just that in $1000 subs there are a number of compromises. |
The current line of McIntosh is more neutral and the older models. Not that they are better than other things. Just a decent option. I think Mac helps take the edge off the upper mids and highs of the B&W. Just a hair soft where the B&W are hard sounding imo all in all a good balance. Subs crossed over to say 60hz will take some of the stress off your amps. I think people feel like they need a lot of power with 803ds because they lack bass and try to “fix” it with amps. Running subs will be a huge improvement. Good video McIntosh vs D’Agostino, the outcome might surprise you. https://youtu.be/td54mT0bGo4 |