Are the JL Fathom subs really that good....

Irv,
Omnidirectional means that it radiates equally in every direction from the source. I think we agree on that. My thing is, the farther away from the source you are the lower the amplitude will be. (All nodes aside-different subject) If you had a big room with one sub positioned to one side it probably wouldn't be as loud on the other side of the large room even below 100Hz. If it was, it would be omnipresent as well as omnidirectional. A really loud car stereo radiates its insane bass omnidirectionally but you're glad it is parked far away. Electronic music artists-I'm a fan-take many liberties of production and can stick a 50Hz tone in the left or right as they please and I enjoy hearing it. At least I BELIEVE I can hear it! At least after 40+ years of hifi with no sub/one sub/two subs I know what I like and I'll bet you like your setup too. Always fun discussing and if you're in the neighborhood stop by for a beer and a demonstration.

Chris

The easiest way to get a seamless integration and reasonable phase coherency throughout the room is to use two matching subs placed adjacent to the main speakers. I have something similar now with my Mirage OMD-15 towers and MM8 subs.

And the best most seamless sub/main integration I've personally heard was a pair of JL Fathom F212's flanking a pair of Magnepan 20.1's. There was no discontinuity in timing, timbre, tone, nor noticeable nonlinearities by frequency.

And I meant to add, "Yes, JL Fathom subs are really that good." My local high end dealer carries Wilson, Magnepan, B&W, Vandersteen, Vienna, Wisdom, PSB, Meridian, and for subwoofers ... JL. They do the best electrnoics/room/cable/speaker matching I've ever heard from any store over the 40+ years I've been hearing demos. They could carry any brand sub they want but chose JL, and their setups have proved to me how seamlessly JLs can be blended and how they augment the soundstage and presentation to a higher level of musical involvement, dynamic range, imaging, detail, you name it.

If they'll blend like that with Wilson, Magnepan, Vienna, Wisdom, and Meridian, they'll probably blend with pretty much anything.

Chris, I don't know how big your room is, but at a distance of about 12 feet from the sub I can't tell where it is.

Too bad we're not all in the same neighborhood. Hearing each other's systems is great fun, and talking is better than posting.

Nvp, I agree time alignment is only one factor, and not always a big one.

Johnnyb53,
Well said...well said.

These things are pure magic, yes?

Larry