2. speakers
  3. 1130959037

Velodyne DD: 10 or 12?

Will be replacing a REL Strata II which is very nice, but a recent upgrade has left me looking for more. I like the room correction idea but now am wondering if I should upsize. The Strata II is an 8" driver and seems to have provided adequate bass in my large-ish room, but maybe that is due to down-firing? The floor is carpet over wood, with a full-height basement beneath so there is some reverb due to that. Am also using a Gramma/SubDude which I like and will probably keep.

For budget reasons am considering only the 10 or 12, so the 15 and 18 are not really players for me. Looking at specs the only diff seems to be 1.7" in driver size, amps, etc all the same, and the 12 goes 1 hz lower, which I don't see as significantly different. Is the 12 worth the extra $500 msrp for a budget-conscious decision? Obviously I can afford it if I am considering it but prefer to not overspend.

Would be interested to hear esp from users who have weighed this type of choice before.

On an aside, which finish is preferred in general? The gloss black is no doubt attractive but am concerned about how it would wear. Most of the gear is black/dark but it is parked on a Salamander Twin 20, in cherry, which seems to be close to the Velo cherry.
kck
kck OP
184 posts
 
Thanks again, guys... getting close now... I have a specific question. My mains go down to 40 hz... is this overkill for such speakers? I am also confused by the 80 hz crossover point as mentioned in reviews. Does this mean that if my mains have a dip in the 90-110 range, I cannot use the DD to fill in that dip? I see the spec of 200 hz but am having a hard time reconciling this with the previous fact.

I should note that I am quite happy with my Strata II in terms of depth. But because of my wood subfloor, I think I am getting some reverb that might not exist with a forward-firing sub such as the DD, plus I would like to correct for the room anomalies *above* the 80 hz point.

Sorry for all the questions. You all have been great with providing info. I am planning to call up my fave dealer tomorrow and get this wrapped up but would like some reassurance as to the above.
rwwear
2,867 posts
 
I imagine if you cross the sub over high enough you could compensate for a dip in the main speakers. Having parametric EQ can make a big difference in sound quality.
gregm
3,405 posts
 
80 Hz is a good point because it's around there that we start losing localisation making the blending with the main spkrs easier. Also the high frequency sound fm a 12' subwoof driver is not linear (that driver wasn't made to tackle midbass).
As to the dip, don't worry -- try it: crossing over at, say, 80Hz means that you ATTENUATE the sound 80Hz (+upwards) from the subwoof so there is overlap with yr main spkrs. If the blend is good, keep it.

Finally, the 12' if you want to afford it is a better bet for low frequency reproduction -- its displacement volume is better than the 10'.
Generally, Velodyne makes nice user-friendly subwoofs.
kck OP
184 posts
 
Hard to swallow but I am still on the fence. I spoke with someone at Velodyne and he said something along the lines of "10 and 12 are toys". I believe this has been mentioned before on AA or here so no secret if I say that. How much if this is marketing boost for the 15 and 18 and how much is truth? I cannot stretch to the big boys but do not want to get a 'toy' for $3K.

Also a question regarding vented subs like my REL. From an ad for a closed sub: "Vented systems are usually unsuitable for music because of port noise, low system Q (that causes bass overhang), and phase issues at resonance frequency."

True? In general, does a closed sub make more sense for a music-only system? As you can see I am very much still climbing that learning curve of subwooferland.
cmach
193 posts
 


Yeah I have heard that as well. Its nonsense. I really
don't understand why Velodyne says stuff like that.
It undermines what are IMO great products. If your leaning
toward a DD-10 or 12 don't hesitate. They are excellent
subwoofers despite what Velodyne might say. Remember room
size matters.
More to discover