Subwoofer recommendation and wisdom


So I have a relatively difficult room 19' x 19' x 9'. I have made a bunch of sound absorbing panels which made a massive improvement. I have worked on speaker placement and landed on the 5/8 ratio......5x from the back wall, 8x from the side walls. I use Harbeth 30.1 speakers on appropriate stands, driven by a Luxman L505 xII integrated. I am very pleased with the sound but sometimes wish I had a bit more foundation on the bottom end. I will listen mostly to classic rock and jazz. I would like to consider adding a sub, but not sure where to start. I don't want sledgehammer bass, I just want a nice, blended bottom end on my music. I think that is one of the only improvements I can reasonably and cost effectively make. Looking for recommendations on a sealed sub that would have a good chance of integrating well in my room.

My preference would be for a single sub solution. Thanks
 

stuartbmw3

No doubt - 2 subs.  I like the starke recommendation.  Also would recommend Rythmik servo subs - especially if you like tight - not boomy - bass.

Post removed 

Generally, the more subs, the better the sound, but there are constraints:

  • Geometry of the room 
  • Practicality of certain locations

You can get a good feel for sub placement by using the calculators mentioned by @deep_333 and others, or REW's room simulator. 

I've been working on the system for a new build's living room. REW simulations showed me that, for the practical locations for subwoofers in my space, two worked just about as good as three. Also, the simulations show that, with the placement of those two subs, high-passing my mains should result in better sound than letting them run full-signal.

The only way to know for sure is to place the subs in the real space, but good simulations can help narrow the possibilities. In my case, it allowed me to be sensible about where to run conduits through the ceiling for subwoofer cables, which will lead to a much cleaner-looking room.

I'll also add another +1 for Rythmik subs. The continuous phase control is critical, and as mentioned above, the sound is tight and defined.