Short list of musical subwoofers
I plan to invest a "musical" subwoofer to augment the music listening experience of my current two-channel sound system. After a few digging over the acting forum and on-line reviews, it seems the following budgetary sealed (primarily) subwoofers are often mentioned and raved:
- Rythmic L12 (18Hz; sealed, servo controlled; 300 watts RMS; $609);
- RSL Speedwoofer 10S (24Hz; front ported; 350 watts; $428);
- Rel T5x (8 in; 32Hz@-6db; 125 watts; $680)
- SVS SB 1000 (24Hz, sealed; 300 watts; $450) or 2000 (19Hz; sealed; 500 watts; $600);
All above claim to have quick, accurate bass that is good for music listening. Rel, although not being able to extend to 20Hz, has been highly rated for easy integration into the sound system. I am not even sure if being able to get down low and/or the wattage of the active amp are critical to the musical application. My living room is about 25 ft wide and 20 ft deep. I do have limited budget but if others are warranted for a higher price tag in your opinion I am willing to bump up the budget. You inputs are highly appreciated.
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- 95 posts total
@bondmanp ya man ;-) Hipass puts the main amp in what I call the vandy loafing zone…magic midrange happens, and as you know the high level drive preserves the transfer function of the main amp. I love the new Sub 3 ;-) not required if you are careful w setup and run vandertones ( free ) Best to you Jim |
Hello, I would go with REL T9i. It is front firing like the X and since it is the prior model you can get a good deal. $600-$700. Later you can pick up another since people will continue to upgrade. Don’t worry about the 20hz unless for HT. You will be happier with this. The T9 down fires for the active sub vs the T9i which front fires. Most prefer the front active woofer. I have the down firing version but I have upgraded to two JL Audio F110s and the CR1 crossover. I am going to incorporate the RELs in the back of the room when I have time to set it up properly. |
Subwoofer/s systems are an altogether separate component that should maintain their relevance through future main speaker upgrades. I'd suggest saving for a system with measured frequency control options or an outboard room optimization / equalization product with much more integration flexibility and detailed room tunable performance. Beware of responses that include brand comparisons and fail to include the model, installation and application details. On the other hand if those differences aren't important you should be just fine with -6dB @ 32Hz and simply reducing the crossover and gain until the thing doesn't draw attention to itself. All the best. |
@tomic601 , For me there is only accurate and not accurate. Subs come along with a lot of baggage. It is very difficult to keep enclosures from resonating and at the long wavelengths you have at the crossover point phasing and time are critical. All this results in distortion which tends to lessen the impact a sub should have. Digital bass management is extremely helpful bordering on absolutely essential. There is no commercial subwoofer enclosure that I like short of the Magico Q subs and they are too large for my circumstances. It is better to use multiple smaller subs than one or two very large ones. By smaller I mean 12" drivers vs 15 or 18" ones. |
- 95 posts total