Many pages back - in fact several years ago now! - I was writing about how I'd purchased some JL Audio Subwoofers and a JL Audio CR-1 crossover to finally try adding subs to the system.
At the time the main motivation was seeing how close I could get the slightly smaller 2.7s to sound like the 3.7s I sold. But then generally I also just wanted to finally give subs a good go since so many people rave about them (though I've never had a great experience).
It certainly says something about my level of enthusiasm that I only got around to really checking them out a couple weeks ago! The stuff just sat around forever because I never felt compelled, because subwoofer stuff is a hassle, and in my case an even bigger hassle since my source equipment/amplification is way down the hallway from my listening room. This necessitates having lots of really long interconnects to even do testing, and if I wanted the subs to stay I'd have to run the wires through my wall, along my basement ceiling etc. So I kept putting it off.
Also, I was fairly limited in where I could..or would...place subs in my room. I had one placed near the wall a few feet behind the Thiels, and another behind the listening sofa hidden. I hate...HATE....the look of subwoofers and never cared for even seeing one of them in the room. I go for as clean an aesthetic as possible. But...was willing to try.
To report on how it went: I had first tried the subs using the high level input of the subwoofers only, running them "REL style" with the Thiels run full range. It added a bit of richness to the sound, but also took away the more open, incisive tone I liked. Also sounded a bit dynamically limp.
I finally got around to using the CR-1 crossover which was an amazing piece of gear. All analog high quality crossover - as far as I could tell transparent and not taking away or adding from the signal. The controls for setting the crossover points and the other controls are so simple, intuitive and effective.
I started out only with the sub behind my sofa. That was a "hail mary" attempt, the one I'd be most likely to keep if it worked, since at least it was out of sight. But, a challenging location. (I did level and phase dialing in using the sound doctor instructions/signals).
Frankly I was amazed how easy it was to dial in a pretty satisfactory blend of sub and sat, even with the subwoofer nearby behind me.It was mostly invisible, only occasionally making itself known in some low bass tracks. The challenge was dialing it in to the system without altering the tone that I like so much with the 2.7s. It was much easier to do so with the CR1 vs the subwoofer only. (I tried various crossover points, 24db curve, from 30hz up to 80 or 90hz).
I should mention that the CR1 crossover has a button that can switch the
subs in and out of the system, so I could immediately switch between my
speakers run full range, or crossed over to the subs.
Also, after a while I also put the subwoofer signal through my DSpeaker Anti-Mode dual core 2, which does room DSP for subwoofers. I like the unit a lot as it's super simple to use. It did flatten out the subwoofer/bass in the room a bit more, making the subs a bit more invisible sonically.
Ultimately, the bass sounded maybe a little more even with the sub dialed in, the sound a little bit richer. Just a touch darker too. There was an emphasis of hearing the reverb in the recordings. It was very easy on the ears, almost sounding a bit rolled off, still a little darker than without the subs.
And it was dynamically a bit more reticent, still. On tracks like Herbie Hancock's Chameleon, or Talk Talk's Happiness Is Easy, the drums "sat back" in the mix sounding less punchy. Disengaging the subs made the kick drums have that more realistic attack and "punch the air" sensation.Even instruments in the midrange and higher just seemed a bit less dense and present, like xylophones, synth tracks, bongos etc. Dynamically everything was just a bit too polite. No matter how I dialed the subs, and whatever the crossover.
While I thought the sound with the subs was really good, every single time I listened without the subs I preferred what I heard: it was more alive and beautiful and open sounding, more dynamic, present, punchy...all the things I've been pushing my system toward.
The same happened when I tried the other sub behind the speakers, and with the subs together. A telling track was Talos from the Jason And The Argonauts soundtrack, which has huge kettle drums doing "giant walking" beats. They sounded massive with the subwoofers in, but to my surprise with the subwoofers out, they sounded just as big and deep, but more dynamic and more "real, like they could be playing in front of me" as the upper midrange and treble seemed to open up. I thought that subs would at least be preferable for those tracks, but no.
Ultimately, I decided I just didn't need the subs. I just sold the subs and the crossover, and since I don't need the Anti-mode I'll sell that too.
And frankly it's all a relief. I'm happy to be shedding that extra gear, the extra wires, the extra AC cables, the extra hassle and complexity, getting better aesthetics in the room.
The money will go to my "audio bank account" for sold gear. If I build up enough I may finally scratch my Devore itch and grab a pair of O/96 speakers second hand if I can find them.
But I still don't envision selling the Thiel 2.7s. They are just too good, too even and competent across the board.
