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Vandersteen Sub woofers v Rythmik Subs

I really love the idea of the Vandersteen Subs where they are connected with the mains via extra speaker cable off right and left channels off the main amplifier, which is supposed to provide better bass transition from the mains while keeping the signature from the main amplifier. My question is with Vandersteen coming out with the SUB THREE and the price going significantly higher, I was wondering if there are other subs for less that you could integrate in the same way. (Most subs seem to rely on the line level input which is just a sub-woofer RCA going from the pre-amp to the amp on the sub). Can this same Vandersteen set-up be achieved with other subs?
I picked Rythmik since they are known (in the home theater community anyway) for being one of the best bang for the buck subs and the most "musical" of the bunch. (between Hsu, SVS, PSA).
And could I possibly achieve even greater sub-woofer nirvana since I could get an 18" for around $1500? Vandies only have 3 eight inchers.

I am a Vandersteen fanboy and I would like to support RV whenever I can, but don’t know much about my other sub-woofer options so looking for some feedback. Doesn’t even have to be related to Rythmik necessarily. If you know of other subs that can integrate the same way I want to know about it!

Thanks
bstatmeister

Showing 6 responses by wolf_garcia

wolf_garcia
6,598 posts
 
I've been using a pair of RELs (Q150e and Q108II) for years with excellent  results paired with a couple of different main speakers and amps. REL's "High Level" input of course keeps the mains full range, puts a benign 100,000 ohm load on the amp (crowded speaker posts on the amp, but good connectors and it's fine), and the subs are easy to adjust for crossover point, phase, and level. Bought both subs used at different times for 200 bucks each. So it would seem that Vandy (nice company, I've owned a pair of 1Bs) clearly isn't the only company with "amp power" connections. 
wolf_garcia
6,598 posts
 
My main speakers are in front and to the sides of a gas fireplace that protrudes nearly 2 feet into the room (Klipsch Heresy III horn speakers so the fireplace has zero effect on the tone, and they’re 7 feet apart). The corner made by the fireplace behind the left one has the smaller REL Q108II downward firing sub. That little corner is GREAT for that sub...a fake plant sits on top of it (I care). The larger sub is to the right near a corner, but I have vinyl "spikes" and long enough cables on it that I can move it around...put it in the window for outdoor subbing, move it closer to my listening spot, more toward the corner...this works as all recordings are a little different and the possibility of tripping over it exists. However, having the 2 subs on the same page (not in stereo) makes for great sound in my room, which is maybe 20X30 feet with a very tall sloped ceiling.
wolf_garcia
6,598 posts
 
As I'm not a DSP user for home audio (or pro audio for that matter, although I utilize graphic and parametric EQ in pro mixing work) as it seems to rob a little of the soul from music (my imagination possibly, and this opinion is based on listening at length to a friend's rig). Note there's a REL Q150e on Ebay for cheap...I have one and it's amazing. I get the swarm idea as it makes perfect sense, but the REL "high level" thing also makes sense, and works for me. I now have my smaller (downfiring 8" speaker) REL in a permanent corner behind the left main, and my Q150e now can be moved away from the corner if I want it closer to the right main speaker, and that offers some other tonal response options I like to hear. Moving a speaker around is about as analog as you can get, and I like it.
wolf_garcia
6,598 posts
 
As an audio fan and sound engineer/musician (over 5 decades and counting) there's a lot of practical info in my feeble brain, and I never take for granted where I place my mains or subs, so there's that. I've heard the "put the sub at the listening spot" thing before, and I've never had cables long enough to try that. I adjust these things a little anyway (mostly for level which is source dependent). Works for me. My new thing of being able to move the Q150e front firing sub is a revelation...I just slide it around within it's cable limits to tune it to whatever I am listening to, the other downfiring sub stays put.
wolf_garcia
6,598 posts
 
REL subs also "take on the sound signature of any amp that they are crossed over with" by utilizing the amp's output with their recommended "High Level" input. REL should market some sort of universal "longbow" wireless gizmo that would work with older RELs like mine that would allow more than 2 RELs in a system maybe...I say 2 because when I put the REL cables on the binding posts I don't want to squeeze more than 2 sets of REL specific wiring on the posts (using spades together with bananas for the main speakers...a crowd but manageable), or combine wires together to get that signal. Wishful thinking, or it's out there and I don't know it.
wolf_garcia
6,598 posts
 
When REL subs are connected to a main amp’s speaker outputs, they put a 100,000 ohm load on the amp, so 2 of them would seem to put a 50,000 ohm load into the mix...I haven’t noticed that any amp I’ve used with RELs has shown a tonal or performance effect from a REL being connected to it, so I doubt they mess with the amp in any way other than generally helping things sound better. Easy way to test this...turn the RELs down and listen to the amp...unplug the Neutrik cable from the REL (or RELs) rendering the load to zero...and listen again...hear any difference?
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