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Little help with REL subwoofers, please?

I'm not especially knowledgeable about subwoofers and I'd appreciate some advice. I've got a pair of Magnepan 1.7i placed in a small (long, rectangular) room. I had a hefty JL sub that shook the house but that I could never fully integrate. On a whim, I switched it out for a pair of the diminutive REL Tzero subs and the sound is vastly better. On some music, though, such as classical organ, I miss the growl and thunder. I don't feel like I need to boost the "upper bass" and I definitely don't want to muddy things up; it's really the deep rumble that I occasionally want.

If it helps, I'm thinking of a piece of music like Max Richter's "On the Nature of Daylight," which about halfway through delivers a broad, deep sweep of musical sound that I want to *feel.*

I'm mostly pleased with the setup and I don't want to reinvent my room's wheel or break the bank. And I'd like to stay with at least two subs and likely stay with REL. So I'm thinking I might: 1) add a T/9X or maybe a T/7X and perhaps keep the crossover low; or 2) swap out the Tzeros and replace them with a pair of T/7Xs. For now, a pair of T/9Xs is a budgetary stretch that I'd like to avoid (and it is a small room).

Would it be weird having two Tzeros combined with the much bigger T/9X? Would the T/7X produce that deep, enveloping bass? I'm not particularly good at reading specs but -6dB at 30Hz doesn't sound especially deep to me. (The JL was -3dB at 23Hz.) Or am I misunderstanding how bass works and would a T/7X go plenty deep in a small room?

Thanks and Happy New Year!

 

northman
saboros
22 posts
 

I have the LRS+ in my bedroom system (mainly used for home theater).

A sub was obviously needed for movie sound effects.  I got an Arendal 1961 s based on its reviews and feature set, and it not being too big or heavy with a 12.3 inch driver.

Bottom line is that it was very easy to integrate with the Maggies.  Setting the low pass to 50hz with a 24 db octave roll off gives me the rumble I want without it affecting the transparency of the Maggies.  (It also has parametric eq settings which I don’t use.)

deep_333
1,433 posts
 

@deep_333, thank you for the suggestions. I've spent the last couple days reading about Rythmik subs. I'm impressed by what I read about both the F12 and the F8, but at 65-75lbs, they may be too heavy for me--but I appreciate the recommendation.

@northman , Even with the Rythmik (technically the fastest subs out there), i wouldn't touch their 12 inch driver F12 or bigger for Magnepans...The FM8 is the sub with the smallest drivers they make.

This is also one of the challenges with MLogan electrostats. Their own bass driver can be perceived to lag a bit for the discerning ear... not a unique problem with Magnepans alone.

You could also try out that KEF KC62. It is a fairly recent technological wonder in the world of subs, if you ask me. A dealer like crutchfield has a 60 day no hassle return policy, if things didn't work out right. 

northman OP
251 posts
 

Thanks, @deep_333. Since your post yesterday, I've actually spent a few hours reading about the F8. It looks like a neat sub and offers some appealing controls (not all of which I understand). A few comments have called it "niche," and there aren't many reviews of it, but I like what I've read and it's clear that Rythmik has a superb reputation. And my system might indeed be exactly that niche. At 65 lbs, it's on the edge of what I can comfortably deal with, which is a consideration for me. Perhaps I'll wait to hear what my ortho says about my knee next week.... 

I will also take a look at the KEFs. For the moment, I'm enjoying the process of opening up my options, learning about different companies, and even exploring dsp and bass management. At some point, though, I'll just have to take the leap... I remain appreciative of everyone's help!

jastralfu's avatar
jastralfu
416 posts
 

@m-db it surprised me to be honest.  I figured it would measure better than the specs, just cause my room tends toward bass heavy,  but not as low as it did.  Tbh, I don’t know how accurate the measurements are but they seem to be consistent.

deep_333
1,433 posts
 

At 65 lbs, it’s on the edge of what I can comfortably deal with, which is a consideration for me. Perhaps I’ll wait to hear what my ortho says about my knee next week....

@northman , Furniture dollies have largely saved my back over the years... Just unpack any sub straight onto a dolly and keep it on the dolly...comes in handy whenever you’re dealing with sub setup, moving them around to find optimal placement, etc.

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stalwart-440-lbs-Wheeled-Furniture-Dolly-M550109/302662176

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