REL Vs SVS for 2 channel music listening

Don't forget to treat yourself to an Antimode 8033 room eq as well.

Don't forget to treat yourself to an Antimode 8033 room eq as well.

Does the Antimode just control the EQ/DSP portion or does it adjust volume of sub as well? I'm thinking of picking one up at only $300 or so. From what I gather, I should set sub up as normal for best sound, THEN run the Antimode for auto eq, etc adjustments.

@aberyclark   Great on making the choice. I'd add a second sub when you are able to do so. 

I’ve been using a couple of RELs I bought used (About 200 bucks each) that were, and are, fabulous sounding (Had to make a grill for the forward firing Q150e which was easy since it had the frame, but the other is down firing). Maybe the Q series was made better or something, but the Q108 II and Q150e are available here and there used and utterly worth it. I tighten the screws once in a while, and made Canare cables for ’em with angled Neutrik plugs, and join the leads inside AQ spades at the amp to drive both subs from speaker posts. I'm a multiple sub (at least 2) advocate, but one will work fine.

Assuming this is about an Antimode 8033. It will only equalize automatically. You insert it in the signal chain, plug in the supplied microphone and then start the measurement. It will generate a series of loud successive sweeps from very low to somewhere around 200 Hz and after a few minutes you are all set (you can increase the listening area with multiple measurements of you want to). This is done with just the subwoofer - you leave the amplifier and the main speakers off. After that you turn on the amplifier and you can start adjusting the subwoofer level and crossover frequency. These you do manually and either by ear, or by measuring in REW, just like you would do without an Antimode.
There are two current models of the Antimode 8033, the Antimode Cinema and the AntimodeS-II. For most people the cheaper Cinema model is perfectly fine (forget its inappropriate name), also for use with multiple (mono) subs. Do read the manual first before you buy, to see if you really need the more expensive model (I didn’t). In my case I had to connect it at speaker level at the amplifier side and at line level at the sub side, using an attenuating cable from amplifer to Antimode.
The whole process will not take more than say half an hour, is absolutely dead easy, and only requires that you read the manual carefully.