"Musical" subwoofers? Advice please on comparing JL subs
Hi Northman, Your assumptions are correct. The CR-1 will help make integration of the sub to your system much easier and the D.A.R.O. will make integration with your room much easier. As Eric says, there are other options out there that I believe will give you the same results as the JL Audio components but save you somewhere between $7500 to $8000. There would be a little more work required on your part but not a lot. |
@northman Nothing to add to DBA concept, particularly for larger rooms, when you want more than a "sweet spot". I would not discount DSP, though, particularly in a smaller, regular room, and also in particular with speakers minimizing room interaction (like dipoles with cardioid radiation patterns or smaller monitors like the ones you use/intend to use). Underlying arguments have all been made (wave length fitting in a room, spatial cues from higher frequency/shorter wave length spectrum). After a lot of trying, incl. e.g. Velodyne DD subwoofers with integrated room correction, DSpeaker products have done the trick for me. You could combine - for a small room - two 12" sealed Rythmiks (http://www.rythmikaudio.com/L12.html) with a DSpeaker Dualcore (Stereophile Class A recommendation, http://www.dspeaker.com/en/products/20-dual-core.shtml) from Underwood HiFi, plus a good low-noise power supply from Underwood or iFi, and around $2,000 you would achieve superb low frequency extension with all the qualities you are looking for in your room (and much bigger, more irregular rooms, if desired at a later time). No association/financial interest. Just a happy listener. Happy Holidays! |
It's hard for me to exaggerate how much all this helps me and how much I appreciate it. In this case I don't feel discouraged by the differing opinions, as I know there are many paths to a good result and each post is thoughtful and informed. For example, I know that Eric is correct: a CR1 + F110 would cost close to $7,000 new, and if I were "very experienced" or had calibration tools, I could achieve similar results for much less money. (I'm not and I don't, but I also don't have the big bucks to throw around.) Let me say that I appreciate the recommendations about different subwoofer brands. I've heard great things about REL, Rhythmik, Hsu, and others. And @bailyhill, I have huge respect for Vandersteen and John Rutan. I seriously thought about the Treos before making the decision to try near-field. @mijostyn, that's an excellent description of the process. I've read many explanations of sub placement with the Fathoms but yours was particularly helpful. Placing the subwoofer *before* the DARO sounds exactly right. I am worried about the phase alignment but your recommendations are very helpful. And YES about the crossover point for mini monitors. @diamonddupree, hey now! I didn't mean to suggest that DARO doesn't interest me, just that I wanted to clear away as much as possible to get to my underlying question about "musicality" in subs-- and thus special thanks to you for taking that question on. What you write is exactly what I was curious about. I've just added "Wood" to my Qobuz list. Also, I'm not sure if your name is a reference to that band beyond description, but if so, right on, brother. @audiotroy, I have to say that I find it off-putting when a dealer disparages a line he doesn't carry. I also think that, when you're presenting yourself as a professional selling specialized audio equipment, you might want to take the time to spell and punctuate. I genuinely mean that for your own good, as your words make an impression. Thanks again, everyone. I feel like I have a MUCH better sense of how to think about all this. |
