Finally Learned: Subs serve much larger role than adding more low bass


I sold my older powered sub a while back. reasons-

1. It did not integrate well.

2. I was pretty satisfied with my 2 speakers bass output.

3. Was big, heavy and ugly.

After traveling around the counrty and listening to home systems put together by people who know their way around the industry I realized they all have something I did not. A well integrated bass array.

So what does a bass array add to a 2.0 system?

This is where words fail but I will try:

-Increased Involvement in the listening experience

-More enjoayble sound stage

So if you are like I was, a sub denier, I suggest you try one small

sub, as I did, and see what you experience. My $500 REL T5x experience

did it for me. Now I will buy a second one.

 

chorus

Old,

 

I like SVS they are at least a bit more up to date with speaker design.. REL is WAY behind.. I laugh at the stuff on their web site. That design would benefit from an East LA bass head to teach them how NOT to piss off the neighbors and make GREAT bass.

REL rattles the whole house.. NO ONE around me uses that type of sub.. Pisses off the neighbors, especially in garage systems close to neighbors bedrooms.. .. LOL Waves in the neighbors  swiming POOL. Frogs vacating all the little ponds, JackHammer SUBS.. I Quit using that design in the 90s..

IB servo columns or OB servo stacks are a 10 in my book. REL 3-4, SVS 5-6, JL 6-7, IB servo dual or quad columns 9-10, GRs OB servo stacks 8-10 depends. Need two double 12" cabinets to really reap the rewards.”

 

I have 2  Rel 812 subs dialed in. Your take on Rel is 🗣💩

Or it the Swarm only effective scattered around the room?

@mglik If your mains make bass, I'd place the Swarms to the side or rear of the room. They are only a foot square and if the driver is facing the wall (and the sub is only 2 inches or so from the wall) then they can be innocuous in the room. The trick is that they are asymmetrically placed so as to have differing distances from the center of the room- in this way they will be more effective breaking up the usual standing waves that occur.

 

I use the high-level inputs on my subs.

Any thoughts about how important the quality of the speaker cable is going from the back of the amps to the high-level inputs on the subs?

Mine is 18 gauge OFC but was cheap on Amazon.

 

 

A few months ago I added an SVS Micro 3000 sub to my system (PL EVO 400, Modwright/OPPO 205, anti-cables, reworked '78 KHorns) as a result of comments on this forum.  My small house requires a living room installation and the right KHorn has only inches of wall before encountering a large door opening between living and dining rooms. The sub fits perfectly under the four-legged antique buffet I modified to install my electronics, and it's located on the same wall the other side of the doorway.

It made a sonically amazing improvement to my listening experience!

The extra 10Hz lower frequency range has smoothed and reinforced the soundstage in ways that I wasn't prepared to believe.....and make no mistake, I am now a confirmed believer! 

The sub has even made up for the bass loss that was noticeable (to me) on the right side of the room.

 

I might be on here asking for some help shortly. I currently have one sub, A Foundation from Legacy as I have an entire Legacy system. Speakers, Surrounds, Backs, Sub, and Amps ..I am about to take delivery of 3 more, and setting up a 4 sub system might be a little over my head. I'm thinking about hiring someone to come help me, if I can find them.  My processor is a Lyngdorf MP-40. I'm told the Room Perfect in the Lyngdorf makes setting up 4 subs much easier, but I've heard that crap before... time will tell.