Subwoofer Choice Question SVS, Majico, JL Audio, REL

+1 jtcf and emailists.

Did you use the presets and the remote volume feature often?  

A Double Bassist I'm constantly changing my subwoofer systems volume and its six customized EQ presets via remote control on a majority of recordings to suit my personal taste.

Aren't Magico's Asub adjustments computer accessed only?

Assuming competent subwoofer design, by far the most audible issue in the bass region is uneven frequency response caused by room interaction. The audible effects of room-interaction peaks and dips on a sub are much greater than the audible difference between two high-quality subs. So if you’re going to solve the problem that matters the most, that would mean addressing the in-room frequency response.

You might consider keeping your two SVS subs and adding two more subs, then distributing the four subs asymmetrically around the room, such that each is a different distance from the nearest corner (and maybe have one of the four in a corner). This will result in each sub generating a significantly different room-interaction peak-and-dip pattern at any given location within the room. The sum of these different peak-and-dip patterns will be smoother than any one or two subs would be, and "smooth" bass = "fast" bass.

As a ballpark rule of thumb, the in-room bass smoothness increases proportional to the number of bass sources in the room, provided they are in acoustically dissimilar locations. And this improved bass smoothness holds up throughout the room. In contrast, the in-room bass smoothness of a single equalized sub (no matter how capable that sub is!) only holds up in a small area, outside of which the frequency response is likely to be worse than it was before EQ.

The net result with a good distributed multi-sub system is that you hear more of the low-frequency information which is on the recording, and in particular more of the spatial information, because there is less "masking" imposed by your listening room’s "small room signature" in that region. Imo this is conceptually consistent with a loudspeaker like the DeVille, whose well-controlled radiation pattern likewise results in less imposition of the listening room’s inherent "small room signature" atop the venue acoustics on the recording.

Duke

subwoofer manufacturer

Rel is the one sub everyone compares their product to especially on this site.Just about every post on this site when talking subwoofers references Rel

The above statement is not necessarily true...Definitely not just about every post about subs...

REL is way over priced for what you get.

There’s also GR open baffle subwoofers not mentioned in this post.

Take a look at Power Sound Audio, and as mention earlier Rythmik, very musical subs for the money with phase and other adjustments with Rythmik having multiple connection options to be considered also.

@audiokinesis, there’s something to be said about a subwoofer manufacture that gives advice on how to maximize a competitors subwoofer’s musicality and output with nothing but positive and constructive things to say and more importantly what to do to get there.

OP, I admire you taking on using REW also for better subwoofer output and pleasing sound.

I have Devilles and two REL carbon specials. I have turned the subs off for quite some time since I have had my Devilles. Now thats not saying the Devilles go low so dont believe the folks who are claiming this, LOL! Spending this much on ‘unique’ speakers makes the mind think amazing things, hehe. ;-)  was it the latest stereophille that measured them to useable 50hz in room…?)  

Back to reality, yes I, too, am (lazily) looking for a ‘solution’ to fix my low freq response in my room. For what its worth, I had other speakers before the Fleetwood and those loaded the room with bass in a way that integrated well with the RELs. I also had different amplification before, blah blah.

My options are finding something that will increase transients in the upper bass region, add DSP, or swarm like Mr Duke. I’m not ‘needing’ anything that goes below 30hz, a nice to have but not a quest…. Open baffle would be wonderful, but dont mind looking for more of a finished product than GR’s OB (hurry up Magnepan, jeez!!!) since I have a shared space. My wife allows me to play (god bless) so I must at least make it look decent.

low325, FYI, Devilles were props in, I believe, the first episode of "Just Like That." 

We managed to get much better performance from a down firing REL Studio III by locating it on its side in the rooms major mode and using L&R processed low level signal from an early remote controlled Velodyne DD. While this improved its presentation noticeably it didn't equal the, at less than half the price Velodyne and its low frequency response never reached the manufacturers claim.