Thiel Owners

Does anyone have experience matching a subwoofer to 1.5s? They get down to 42hz but I now have them in a large room so missing some bass.  I removed the grill recently and saw the 6.5 inch woofer working so hard it looked like it was going to bounce out of the cabinet so I thought crossing over above 42 would make sense to take some strain off the small woofer. I've read about the Thiel subs but they are hard to find and expensive. I've spoken to REL and they recommended the T7, a pair even. I'm concerned about timing in matching with Thiel but I've read articles that say subs can easily integrate if set up correctly and there are videos for this. All thoughts and experiences are welcome and appreciated.

@fsgattuso, While I typically suggest going low at the cross-over point to subwoofers; with the CS 1.5’s I think you’ll need to go higher to reduce strain on the woofers. Perhaps to 65-70 Hz. BTW, I strongly suggest going with at least 2 subs rather than just 1, even if the two are both smaller than the one.…

…Or, just sell the 1.5’s and move on to bigger Thiels.

The proper place to cross over an added subwoofer (and I've owned a bunch of Rels (over 20 years) is first to measure where the mains drop off in your room.  Bass frequencies sum.  So if your mains and sub are playing the same frequencies you'll often end up with a bass bump.  So you'll want to set the crossover just below where your mains drop off.

Measuring does not have to be difficult or expensive.  If you have a smartphone, Studio Six Digital has apps, both ones that cost money and free ones (including an RTA).  Then you'll need pink noise and it can be downloaded (or bought).  There are free downloads.  Lastly, you'll need a mic for the smartphone.  Parts Express sell the Dayton Audio IMM-6 mic (it used to be cheaper - think it is around $22).  The mic comes with a custom calibration file that you download after you get it.

If you have a lapton and prefer to use REW (Room EQ Wizard, which is free) or another program, Parts Express sell a UMM-6 USB mic.  It is more money but it depends on you preferences.

fsgattuso

Welcome! Good to see you today. REL is a Sonic match for your 1.5 speakers.

A cross over point is 80Hz.  Between speaker and subwoofer. As above, consider implementing 2 subs and measure the main drop off frequency.

I look forward in reading more about your Musical taste and system.

I enjoyed reading your CD player thread as well.

Happy Listening!

Thanks for the replies. To Unsound, I I just placed these 1.5s back in after a 6 year break. In 2016 both tweeters blew. I was using a vintage Dyneco amp and just turned it up too high. I decided to place on the side and replace with Tekton Lore. Very different sound. I was recently had the tweeters rebuilt and although there is less bass than the Lores the 1.5s have a much more pleasing midrange. I saw a pair of 2.7s for sale on Ebay for a good price but they have a 100 watt minimum amp requirement. I'm runningba Prima Luna Dialougue HP at 70 watts. So that's why I'm considering subwoofers.