subs for Sonus Faber Cremona M floor standing

JLs not only have beastly build quality, they have a suite of controls and features to blend the sub with your speakers *and* the room--adjustment controls for continuously variable phase control over a wide range, volume, crossover, a polarity switch, and ARO (automatic room optimization) complete with calibrated microphone.

I've heard a pair of Magnepan 20.1's augmented with a pair of Fathom F212's and the integration was completely seamless. Although the JLs are capable of great power and thunder, they are also the best I've heard on seamlessly integrating for a music system and never calling attention to themselves.

I have an audiobuddy who uses the $679 sealed SVS to augment his Magnepan 1.7s and he likes it a lot. The SVS's seem to be a pretty good value. Their 13" driver reminds me of the JL approach, and their $2K 3-port model (using that 13" driver) has four rolloff profiles, depending on how many ports you plug. All 3 ports plugged creates a gentle rolloff that extends usable FR to around 14 Hz. That would be a good config for music. The gentle rolloff also avoids the big port resonance boom, so again, it's better for blending for music than with all ports firing.

I just acquired a REL T5 to mate with my SF GH's. I have a very small room, so a larger sub most likely would quickly overload the room. What size is your room? A JL is probably a good choice for a larger room, not so good for a smaller room.

Daveyf have to disagree.......even a large JL sub can be used in a small room by decreasing the output, yes you could easily get by with a less expensive option but you could decrease the larger subs output to match the room and speakers IMHO.

I disagree with Rauliruegas about how to use the subs. I have found it ALWAYS better to run the speakers full range and only use the subs to augment the very bottom end. True, you don't relieve the amp of some work but on the other hand you are not running the signal through another crossover which will invariably degrade the sound. If you like the sound you now have and just wish to augment the bass I suggest that this is the way to go. If you want to play louder with more boom go the other way.

Dear Stanwal: +++++ " I have found it ALWAYS better to run the speakers full range and only use the subs to augment the very bottom end. " +++++

your approach is only an alternative and is the way sub's suppose to use it but things over years changed and there are other choices to do it all depend what we are looking for.

My approach is extremely precise/clear on what are the targets:

1- achieve lower way lower IMD from the main speakers especially those where the woofers crossover 150hz+ ( that's the case with the Cremona. ).
2- achieve better system quality performance level.
3- achieve better bass quality performance level and
4- achieve lowest bass response with the lowest THD.

of course that if you can't understand the critic importance on speaker IMD then you can't understand my approach that's is way different from yours and for very good reasons where the main target is: improve system quality performance level, I'm looking for excellence level nothing less.

Your approach is the old typical one where quality/excellence meaning almost has no real " significance ".

Stanwal IMHO you need to read the links I posted and this one too, if you read with care you could understand what I'm talking about. Btw, you can read in my Agon virtual system how I have that set-up. This is the link of what Vandersteen thinks about:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1117893153&openflup&84&4#84

Btw, I already try every single approach/alternative to blend and achieve the system excellence quality performance target in my system.
Which are your experiences, I mean with which speakers/system, with the alternative I posted here?

I forgot, IMD is critical on the subject and when goes lower the results is nothing less than astonish.

The other critic area when we are talking on bass response through sub's is THD ( of course if we care about quality level. ) and IMHO we have to look for the lowest THD on subs, because I'm talking of quality not only " bass " ( bass can be achieved by any sub but top quality bass only 2-3 subs out there, of course that we have to be aware/discern what means: bass and low bass quality ).

As I posted Velodyne has the lowest one THD: 0.5% where he JL Audio has: " Distortion: <6.5% THD at 50Hz ", this means that the JL Audio has a " good " but distorted bass response and means too that that spec is at 50hz: we can imply that at around 20hz the JL Audio THD distortion is even higher, maybe in the 12%-15% !!!! against the 0.5% in the Vs.

To choose a subwoofer for atwo channel audio system is not and easy task is a seriously choice if we want the best system performance. It needs know-how according our each one targets.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.