Monitors or floorstander to match Velodyne DD15?

You're set up is similar to one I'm contemplating but on a slightly larger scale.

I've been considering using a DD-12 that will be shared by a separate 2 channel and HT system in the same room. I'm currently using NHT monitors for HT and ProAc floorstanders for 2 channel.

As quick and snappy as the Velodyne DDs are, I'm wondering if they still wouldn't be a good match for monitors in a music application just because of the size of the woofer. A floorstander might be better in your case.

What kind of speakers are you considering? You might want to look into a speaker line like Aerial Acoustics. Maybe their 8B, and use the sub for dedicated LFE only?

That's probably where I'd look first, but hopefully others will have helpful suggestions.

Gunbei -

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not sure what you meant in your third paragraph. Are you saying that if the response of the fronts are too quick they won't match as well to a 15-inch sub as would slower floorstanders? Of the size of the DD might not be as compatible with the smaller drivers of a monitor?

I hadn't looked yet at the Aerial Accoustic. Nice looking speaker and quite an unusal design with the side woofer (which is sizeable). I haven't seen review for it because it's new.

There's a laundry list of speakers I'd like to hear, many of the usual suspects. I just haven't had free time. I'd like to audition a monitor and sub to see how they match.

Comparitively speaking the DD was easier to chose. There are manu contending good speakers (with different strengths and weaknesses) but there are relatively few that compete with the DD. Good luck with your choices and thanks for your help.

Magnepan 1.6/QR.

. Electrostatic : Quad, Martin Logan or Magnepan
. Tannoy monitors : DMT or System range

There is no problem with any reasonable woofer diameter at the frequency range involved here. This is a variation on the myth of "smaller woofers are fast, larger woofers are slow." Any well designed woofer (which in this case basically means its magnet assembly is powerful enough for the driver) is appropriate to this job and the DD series certainly is a good design.

Vladimir - That's my expectation too, especially since the DD-15 used the same magnet as the larger DD-18. Do you have any thoughts about getting fronts and whether it's wise to get something that's lighter in the base and use the Velodyne in 2-channel?

Aroc/Emile - Thanks for the suggestions. There's a dealer a couple hours away who has Maggies, Velodynes and even the Anthem elctronics I'm interested in and I hope I can listen to them together.

Vladimir. Jonsher. This is an interesting theory, something I was not aware of. Thanks for pointing this out.

Many people seem to feel the Velodyne Digital Drive subs are top notch. All 4 models seem to use the same amp. The 10" and 12" models seemingly the same magnet while the 15" and 18" commonly use a bigger one.

So I am wondering is the only reason to have these different size units because of the way they each react with different room sizes based on their driver sizes and not for matching with main speakers? Also, since a larger driver will push more air volume wouldn't this also have the effect of possibly slowing it? Or is it because of the DD design, ie damping factor, etc. that this volume difference becomes negligible and therefore irrelevant?

Thanks for your input.

It really shouldn't matter what speakers you go with. When it comes to a good sealed subwoofer. You should be able to match it up with time and patience to any speaker.You have to decide which configuration you want to use. That's using the crossovers in the subwoofer as a filter for the mains. Or just running RCAs to the low level inputs, allowing the sub to supplement the LFE.

If you ever get the chance to hear these subs or any other decent sub run in stereo. You will wish you had two of them. It just isn't the same sound when they are run in stereo.The only way to understand it ,is to hear it for yourself. The key word is stereo. Running two subs in mono will not give you the same effect. Infact it may overpower the room with two subs run in mono depending on the room size.

Gunbei - I am an accoustical novice so take my theory with that in mind. It just seems to me there are several questions to ask when it comes to speed it is not simply the diameter of the woofer but rather the diameter and its interplay with the the type of material and design of the woofer and the type of magnet and design. And again, using my intuitive sense, I would suspect that a magnet powerful enough to drive the DD-18s would be more than ample to drive the DD-15s with speed and precision. I sure hope so.

Gmood1 - Stereo subs aren't in my cards for now but I will try to listen to such a setup if I get the chance.

Jonsher, as always there are tradeoffs when using one or two subs. Provided the subwoofer cabinet is well braced and has no resonances and that you blend it well with the satellites, you can use a single subwoofer and never notice its contribution to the sound. I have done that with RELs many times for myself and for friends, even with difficult speakers like Quads. I am sure it can be done with one DD-15.

By the way, bass foundation is only one of the advantages or subwoofers, the other is improved soundstage due to the ambience cues that were previously hidden in very low frequencies. You can read more about minimonitors and subwoofers at my blog here (scroll down). Both articles are targeted at new audiophiles but the basics are sound, I believe.

As you will see there, I am a fan of small high-quality monitors and subwoofers instead of floorstanders at a similar price point.

Thanks for the info guys.

I'd like to try stereo subs as well, but at this point it might not be practical. Because of my room size I'll probably one day go with one DD-12 which will service both a 2 channel and a HT system.

Jonsher, as far as monitors that will work for both a music and home theater system, you might want to also look into the Tyler Acoustic Linbrook Signature Monitor. While I've never heard them, they seem like great candidates because of their well reviewed musical character and power handling capability. I use NHTs for home theater and ProAcs for music, but if I were searching for a speaker to serve double duty, the Tylers would definitely be one place I'd look.

Vladimir- Thanks for your response and the link to your blog. Your theories have a certain aestetic appeal. Doesn't make them necessarily right although the better solutions often seem to to be attractively simple. Do you recommend any minimonitors in particular?