Adding a sub woofer?


Running a Planar 6 to Icon Audio Ps1 Mk2 to Quicksilver Mid Monos into Klipsch RP8000F speakers. Want more low end, thinking of adding a sub. The mono blocks don't have a dedicated sub output so I was thinking about something like a PSB 250 which has both pre amp and speaker level inputs with speaker level outputs. A couple of questions.

What are the pros and cons of using the sub's preamp level inputs vs the speaker level inputs in this application?

And more importantly, right now my setup is pretty much tube analogue the whole way (and aside from the soft low end, I absolutely love the overall sound) - but does an inline sub like this do any processing, will it color the mids and highs in some way or is it just a clean pass-through in terms of sending the signal along to the speakers? 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 
Ryan
spotconlon
Hello,
I just added a pair of REL T9s to my system. The T9s are active/ amp driven down firing with a passive front firing driver. The T9i or newest model is the opposite with the front firing driver is active/amp driven and the down firing is passive. I feel the front firing is a better design for music.  I like to use a pair of subs for the front. If you choose to go with a speaker terminal connection or speakon please call the manufacturer for setup. Differential balanced or mono blocks require a special termination due to the type of ground connection when connected to the speaker terminals. ( Very important so you don’t damage your other equipment.) I also prefer a sealed enclosure for music instead of a ported enclosure. HSU has a unique enclosure that lets you block the ports to turn the ported enclosure to a sealed one.  Ported or holes in the enclosure go down deeper in frequency but the bass has less control. Great for movies to shake the room. Home theater works better with the ported enclosure to shake the room and can cost less per lower Hz frequency.  I am doing two subs L/R for the front and a ported enclosure for the surround sound connected to the LFE /RCA connection on the surround sound receiver. Also sealed enclosures are usually very fast to help match to the front speakers especially RELs. Since you usually have only one active driver per sub I believe it sounds better to have two to match or add to your left/ right front speakers. Also this is much more balanced since you are setting the sub on the side of the speaker you are trying to improve. By adding more subs you can meld the subs to the system easier since you can turn the volume/gain on all the subs down to prevent the boom. That is why I like a separate ported sub for movies usually on the side wall in front of the seating area. I will probably get two more T9i RELs for the front and move the T9s / down firing to the rear of the room later. Sorry for the length of this post. Subs have a lot of detail to explain. When you decide to get a sub look up sub crawl to help set it/ them up. 
I added a pair of HSU ULS-15 II subs to my Cornwall IV speakers. I am running the CW full range and bringing the subs in @ 35 Hz. I can very much recommend the HSU  brand, these things integrate perfectly with the main speakers and are unobtrusive unless called upon for duty.

Oz


After moving some years ago, my listening space became smaller and the Vandersteen 2CEs I had were no longer a good fit. Replaced them with Kef LS50s and enjoyed the change but missed the low-end of the Vandies. Finally bit the bullet and got a Rel T/5i sub to provide the missing bass.

Using speaker-level connection and corner placement, as recommended by Rel, I dialed everything in using 1/3-octave warble test tones and SPL meter.

Adding the sub noticeably increased the soundstage (width & depth) and made for a much more enjoyable listening experience. Highly recommended for anyone with small main speakers. 
Hi I agree with Hshifi, front firing subs 
are good for listening to music down firing 
subs are good for home theater .
and two is better than one if your room 
can accommodate two and also cost.
i have two Rels S/510
Happy listening.
Fi.

I have 2 REL S5 SHO's on Pass Mono Amps.  I am using the REL LongBow wireless system.  It allows me to only worry about providing power to the subs not running wires across the room.  I have one near a far corner from the speakers and one behind me near another corner.  The Longbow connects to the Pass via the speaker outputs via an Analysis Plus cable made for the REL's.  It gives extremely fast and articulate bass not boomy.  The advantage of using the amp output is the subs see the same signal as your speakers.  Using a good digital power cord improves the imaging.  I replaced the smps with iFi power supplies.  Adding a PS Audio Noise Harvester to the outlets also makes for better imaging.