"Musical" subwoofers? Advice please on comparing JL subs

Just an observation to report in with. I had an early version V4 sub from Axiom which had the switch type phase control. It only offers two or so options for phase alignment. Axiom redesigned it into a fully variable full range phase control in later version V4 amps. Ian did an experimental design amp for the monster EP800 V4 which had a custom response curve in two switchable curves. A normal ’flat’ response curve and one with a neat boost in the middle bass ranges for some real punch. He spent hours in the anechoic chamber developing the curve. He offered to custom build me a new amp for the EP800V4 with the dual response curves and he even engraved the amp panel with two settings; I asked him to do Bourbon Smooth for the flat position and Gin Gut Punch for the boosted ’party’ setting. He got a kick out of that and its what I have on my amp, nicely laser engraved. Here is one thing he also did, he included the new full range phasing control vs. the original switch setting phase I had. I was able to see the results of the phasing now upon installation of the new amp and I can say that it is amazing! a two position switch doesn’t cut it, its useless. When you get down on the floor and fine tune the phasing, you dial it in with just the slightest turn one direction or the other and there it is!  Keep in mind that where it all syncs up varies with the room, the sub placement, how many subs you have, etc.   If you understand what zero beat is with radios; for example zeroing a receiver frequency exactly with Fort Collins WWV, this is pretty much what you do with a variable phase control. Its fast and easy and the subs are in total sync, there is no boomy out of phase difficulty with the bass, especially in odd locations in the room. I think a variable phase is a must have when it comes to sub woofers and I know that Axiom/Bryston has it now on all new subs they offer... the best single change they made.

When I think back to when I got into 'subs' using the large name subs out there (and I tested a few including the Paradigm super monster with some outlandish power and if I recall a 15 inch driver), none of them did anything right for me.  The bass was always just bass, mucky, bland heavy handed bass, often shaking windows or dishes unnecessarily so.  What I have now is silky smooth, powerful musical, wonderful, perfect, BASS.   You don't feel like the bass needs to be adjusted up or down and changed for each track you listen to.  It all plays exactly like the recording engineer meant it to be played, it's perfect.   I think design is critical in subs.  My most beautiful piece is my Bryston Model T sub, this thing stands around 45 inches tall, 10 inches or so wide and 17 inches deep.  It's a slim, tall sexy looking thing in Black Ash wood veneer with triple 8 inch cool looking drivers.   Due to the smaller driver compliment, it really does the mid and upper range bass super well, but it is big on low end output too as it pushes a lot of air.  The EP800 with the dual stacked 12 inch drivers handles the freight trains very well :).   The single 12 inch Driver EP 500 is my sweet spot go to sub, I just love this thing.   They also make an EP600 which is a larger cabinet version of the EP500 and I'd love to test that one out.  Perhaps when I go to a four sub set up !

@northman

I hear you. My room is 12X11, so I know of what you speak. My near field system has two subs. I chose the REL T/7i over the JL simply because I value Class A/B over Class D in an analogue system. If I were digital I might not mind Class D. They are nearly the same price.
People just don't understand that in a small room there is barely enough room for 2 subs let alone 4. With record storage and equipment there is just enough room to walk.

EQ alone is better than no EQ if it's removing big peaks. This lets the overall sub volume come up.

EQ + optimal placement + bass traps = Glory

I may have mentioned this before, but if your room is rectangular, basic, consider the Room EQ Wizard room simulator as a less back-breaking alternative to locating ideal subwoofer location.

Tuberculin, Class D is not a digital amp. Class D is just one of the next levels of amp design nomenclature. They have Class A, Class B, Class A/b, Class D so on. People always seem to think that Class D means digital, it is not. In fact where Class D really shines in most designs due to some amps not having a lot of very expensive feedback circuit designs is in the lower frequencies. Class D amps can suffer from upper frequency harshness if they do not employ fancy feedback designs. For Subs, Class D is probably the best option which is why most companies use it. It’s very efficient, produces huge power with almost no distortion at low frequencies, very low loss and heat which A and A/b amps make a lot of heat as they are not terribly efficient.
The best of all worlds is to have a good class D amp section coupled with a very nice Linear Power supply, large toroid transformer and a lot of capacitance for reserve head room. If you ask the manufacturers of the subs what type of power supplies they use, most will tell you that they have a switching type supply which has little headroom and therefore runs out of fuel fast.