Quality of Subwoofer

Consider plugging the ports and rethinking the sub point.  :)  It's safe, and easy to do/undo with a pair of socks.

Of course, the more expensive the socks the better it will sound.  You don't have to fill the port, just pack the end so it is sealed.

My knee jerk reaction is that if your Velodyne is adjusted well, a newer better sub "might" be better, but from 40hz down there’s not a lot of detail....mostly felt vs heard. On the other hand, two subs can certainly help with room nodes, but sounds like you don’t want to head in that direction.

If you’re satisfied, leave it. If you’re not, play more with adjustment and location, maybe try inverting the phase, then if you’re still not satisfied maybe play with a different sub.

FWIW, I put my old Definitive Technology sub on spring isolation pucks, and liked it. < $20. It’s my only sub and is used to augment the main speakers in a large space, and it runs from 50hz down (that’s the lowest the low pass selection, or I’d go lower). I do invert phase 180 degrees, but every room and situation is unique.

@52tiger ,

I used to run one of those cheapie Polk subwoofers (8") in my system, and honestly, it sounded OK with the speakers I was using at the time (Tektons with 10" woofers). When driven hard, it got messy (boomy/some rumble), but, as @knotscott pointed out, you really aren’t dealing with too much definition at the lower end of the sound spectrum.

When the Polk finally died, I replaced it with a Rythmik sub that was more suited for my current system and current speakers (OB’s with dual 15" woofers).

Result? Is the Rythmik a better sub? Well, of course it is. A lot "snappier" than the cheapie Polk and much less "rumble" when driven hard (loud). If you’re happy with what you have, use it. I listen to a lot of classical music, and you can hear a difference in certain passages between the 2 subs, but honestly, in most "rock", unless I’m really "giving it the beans" volume wise, I can’t really tell the difference.

Was it worth the price difference? Yeah....if you’re demanding/looking for audiophile perfection and like to push your system, then a couple of grand difference between a cheapie sub and a higher end sub is probably worth it. If not, and you’re happy with what you have, keep on using it and enjoy.

JM2CW.

P.S. One of my favorite albums to help set-up/dial-in/test a sub is Rush’s "A Show of Hands". Lots of bass-pedals are used and I find it very useful to help set cut-off points, volume, phase, etc...YMMV.

@52tiger 

You can always try something new.  However, you got lucky on this one.  Older or newer suds makes no difference.  It's how the sub performs that matters.  Your current ten year old sub seems to be getting the job done, giving you good quality low bass, which is the ultimate goal in the first place.  Save yourself some cash and just roll with what you have.  Happy listening.

The 40Hz setting on the crossover of that sub is where the internal crossover starts rolling off frequencies higher than that.  Since your mains go down pretty low themselves, I'd just leave the knob at 40Hz on the sub then use the volume knob as well as sub placement to dial it in as best as possible.  

Since it looks like there is no phase control on that sub, you'll have to be open to the possibility of moving the sub around to get it to reinforce your mains in the bass region, rather than work against them, cancelling out some frequencies.

I appreciate the info, as far as plugging the port the speaker wasn’t designed that way and I wouldn’t want to change that.

my sub doesn’t have a phase switch it’s more like 30 years old but it’s working fine.

i understand about the bass below 40 hz being felt instead of heard, but I think the sub actually effects the other frequencies by being in my system. That’s where I was thinking I might benefit from a newer sub.

i think I may have just gotten lucky with this sub working as well as it does.

thanks for the reply’s, Scott

Something else that shocked me is this little subwoofer fills my room with bass when it’s in that frequencies. I barely have it turned on the crossover is at 40hz and the volume less than 1. Not sure if room treatment helped with that or not?

LOL. The Devore O/96 speakers were what made me buy a sub.  Heard a pair at Aural HiFi in Denver and realized my Ref 3A de Capos needed some more lower end.  single sub, set low volume.  Made a big difference in filling the room.  Would love a pair of Devores

I’m using a REL Carbon Special with my O96’s. I absolutely love it and honestly it’s added something wonderful to what I think are end game speakers. For the record I was totally skeptical about doing it and ahead of time assumed that by doing so it would detract from the speakers performance but to my total surprise it turned out to be a very significant improvement.

The 096 is quite an amazing speaker, but like I said I had the sub already and added it to the my system just to see how it would sound.

Songs like Hey Joe by Marcus Philippe really sound much fuller in the bass.

also Nenad Vasalic his music I can hear more of what he’s doing with slapping percussion, it seems more defined? 
 

thanks for the comment. 

Mwood, I’m curious what you have your crossover and volume set at?

thanks, Scott

One important option you might try is positioning your Foundation Series 1000. This is not a minor issue with powerful -3dB subwoofers. On the other hand if your sub is currently located somewhere along a side wall there's a chance it may be close to  one of your rooms advantageous standing wave bass modes.

When positioned directly in a bass mode you"ll notice increased low frequency definition. The bass mode positions require far less need for EQ and optimization which simply can not remedy improper -3dB subwoofer positioning.

I recommend using actual low frequency test tone file or CD to locate and mark your rooms multiple bass modes followed by music for the final gain adjustment.   

https://www.audioholics.com/home-theater-connection/crawling-for-bass-subwoofer-placement

After my Octavium and a Jonas Miller Sound (and Ken Kreisel) Volkswoofer I've owned every Velodyne top line sub from the ULD to the Digital Drive Plus. I've had a JLAudio F113 and a $9K REL Studio III in my home in direct comparison during my using the DD-18.  

John Atkinson's frequency measurement of your 0 96's appears to be -12dB at their rated 26Hz, with any serious bass extending to an admirable +2dB in the 40Hz region before their steep roll off.

The REL Tx7 sub-bass speaker begins its steep -6dB roll off in the same general neighborhood as your speakers. REL basic design parameters haven't changed   since Richard Edmund Lord developed his first sub-bass system in 1990. 

Good luck with it.

So would that make the tx 7 a good match ?

So if the roll off is similar then it wouldn’t be a good fit.

thanks I think I understand now

If @mwood had a properly positioned F1000 before his current sub-bass speaker I'm certain he would have returned it the next day just as the owner of the huge Studio III did after hearing it directly compared to the half the priced JL and my Velodyne.

The capability of your F1000 to comfortably play far lower frequencies than ANY -6dB sub-bass speaker is not about explosions. It's about a delicate fullness in the presentation that you may only realize if you actually compare the two. 

If the shinny paint and chrome trim is so beguiling to you I strongly suggest, do not sell the F1000 until you've properly positioned it in your room. 

I don’t own a F1000, you are confusing me with someone else. I do have a REL sub and it works very well in my room doing exactly what you described…….providing delicate, coherent, articulate fullness added to what the O96’s do so well.