You were right about adding a sub.


I've had subs around the house, but used them mostly for home theater.

From time to time, some of you have encouraged me to use a sub in my 2 channel setup. Curiosity got the best of me over the Holidays and I hooked up a sub using speaker level connections and used the sub's crossover.

My speakers are Usher 6311 and my Integrated is an Anthem 225.

What a difference it made to not only the bass line, but cutting the lows increased the soundstage, improved detail, etc. I feel like I have new speakers, And the bug to try other speakers is gone.

Thanks for the tip- wish I would have tried it before now! For those of you that are tempted, it may be worth a try, it certainly was is my case. I'm using a Svs Sound Cylinder, fwiw. 

Regards,
gary

uncledemp

Relieved of having to reproduce very low frequencies, the loudspeaker is now better able to reproduce the higher ones. One of the benefit of subs! The power amplifier is also relieved of the same duty, leaving far more power with lower distortion for the speakers.

You’ve heard the benefits afforded by an average sub, wait until you hear a great one. No offence intended!

do you have the ability to vary the location of the sub?  If you can move it 8-9 feet closer to the listening position than the mains, or time delay the mains, the timing / phase relationship can be carefully optimized.  Once that's dialed in I think you'll be startled by how seamlessly the sub integrates with the mains.

absolutely terrific write up here:
http://www.soundoctor.com/whitepapers/subs.htm


I don’t use my 15" sub with my 15" mains, however, in the past I found the sb was very effective at flushing out the ultra LF with small main speakers.
Bdp24, no offense taken. What sub do you recommend? I've read about Rel but never heard one personally. 

Srosenberg, I'll check the article out. I don't have a way to move the sub closer without losing the ability to cut frequencies from the mains. I'm using speaker level inputs. I do have a wireless subwoofer rec/transmitter that gives me the ability to place the sub wherever, but taking the load off the mains seems to have made the most difference in sound, or it seems that way. 

Shadorne, I had B&W 801s3 in the room years ago. Don't know if a sub would have helped- never tried it. Again, my biggest gain has been midrange and treble clarity.

Thanks for your input/ guidance.
Gary

I’ve had a few pretty good subs, including an early HSU (in a cylinder enclosure, similar to your SVS), a KEF B-139 driver (the one Dave Wilson used in his original WAMM) in a transmission-line, and the bass columns of the Infinity RS-1b loudspeaker (six 8" servo-feedback controlled woofers per side) I used to own. I now have a pair of Rythmik F15HP subs (each containing a 15" servo-feedback controlled woofer and 600w amp), as well as the very unique Rythmik Audio/GR Research OB/Dipole sub, which is not for everyone. Rythmik is becoming popular with Maggie owners, they’re that good. I also have a pair of Magneplanar Tympani T-IV’s, which have two 16" x 6’ panels per side just for bass! They produce a very different kind of bass than boxed subs do (leaner, very "percussive". They do drums better than anything else I have ever heard), and were a favorite of Harry Pearson.

If you want to stick with SVS, their SB13 Ultra (13" driver in a sealed enclosure) is a great sub, priced at $1600. SVS has just introduced the SB16 Ultra, so used SB13’s are popping up.