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Vandersteeen 2wq (or any sub) in small room

Hi everyone,

I have an 11x16x8 room for music, with Vandersteen 2ce's and Aragon 8008BB amp. Tried all manner of placement, but still feel the bass is a bit thin (I realize that Vandersteens produce musical and accurate bass, but this is my perception). I have been reading about the merits of the 2wq sub in improving the Vandersteen sound, but these advocates usually have much larger rooms. Is using a sub in a small room a fool's errand? Would teh 2wq be a particularly finicky addition? Should I return to my efforts at room treatment with bass traps? Thank you. 

Paul.
paulburnett

Showing 6 responses by gdnrbob

gdnrbob
4,408 posts
 
Well, you've got gobs of power so no problem there.
A 2w or 2wq will be a perfect choice for augmenting base. A pair would be ideal.
I have the 2w's and am looking to go to the 2wq soon. (Paired with the 3a sigs).
I also have a pair of HSU subs that I find very nice for the price, but the Vandy's are much more subtle.
You should talk to Johnny Rutan (audioconnection). He can give you the best advice.
gdnrbob
4,408 posts
 
Not the same signal at all.
Huh? The preamp signal is intercepted by the high pass filter (M5-HP) before arriving at the amp. Speakers and sub are connected to amplifier output together. The high pass filter allows the main speakers to reproduce the signal minus the 6db reduction of low frequencies (dependent upon the setting).
The beauty of the setup is that the original signal is being sent to both speaker and sub. The sub uses the exact same signal as the speaker, though attenuated, and compensates for this by design in order to properly reproduce the signal.
gdnrbob
4,408 posts
 
That’s correct, but the driver in the sub gets its signal from the amplifier in the sub not the amplifier driving the main speakers
Nope, it gets the attenuated signal from the amp. The sub is configured to compensate for the attenuated signal and amplify it properly. Hence, its' seamless integration.
gdnrbob
4,408 posts
 
Hifiman, I am moving from the 3a sigs to the Treo's (non CT). I only have the 2w subs. Do you find the 'q' settings very useful? PM me if you don't want to mess up the thread.
gdnrbob
4,408 posts
 
Thanks hifiman5, I am wondering if it would be worth moving up to the 2wq. 
I have a pair of HSU subs for my office that have a 'q' function, but I seem to keep them on the low side anyway(-I'm not a fan of boomy bass).
I can't remember, but I think the 2w has a low q response. Maybe I should call Johnny R.
gdnrbob
4,408 posts
 
 The Vandersteen website also has the Richard Hardesty Jounals- a very good read.
http://vandersteen.com//audio-perfectionist-journal
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