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Subwoofer Advice & Therapy :)

Presently I have it narrowed down between three subwoofers - JL Audio E 100, REL T/9x and the Arendal 1723 1S.

Yes, there are tradeoffs in regards to the connection - high vs low. Also a bit of difference with dimensions, subwoofer size and a marginal price difference. My setup  - First Watt F8, Modwright LS100 preamp, Zu DW 6 Supremes, Schitt YGGdrassil + LIM DAC, Modwright 9.0 tube phono stage and a Clearaudio Concept black with the AT Art -9Xi MC. I am leaning towards the Arendal, as it has a 60 day audition period, a visual app for set up and has 13.8" sub vs the 10" on the REL and JL Audio.

The other tradeoffs I know exist are in regards to the position of the sub and the size of my listening room. I only have one front corner location (with some room between the back and side wall).  This is a large room with 12 ft. ceilings thats  approximately 28 ft by 24 ft. In a perfect world I would go the next size up for the sub or go with two but the other trade off is the wife, who would not buy into the size or placement elsewhere. Note I am not up to trading in the wife at this time after 40 plus years :)

I would appreciate your thoughts on these subwoofers with my existing layout and system. Mainly listen to jazz and R&B. Not looking for a booming bass but would like to hear a bit more especially when I listen to some classic rock or Indie. Thanks in advance..........

norust
audiorusty
270 posts
 

Before you purchase a sub you should read this.

https://www.soundoctor.com/whitepapers/subs.htm 

This white paper was written by a former JL Audio engineer, hence all of the JL Audio product references, but there are other options that are just as good and probably cheaper.

As for the subs you have listed I would follow Eric's advice. Having said that I would not get the REL. Even though they sound OK, in my opinion they are not a good value.

hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,974 posts
 

I agree with Erik Squires about the difficulty of integration. For me, variable phase was very important to integration. I have Rythmik subs, but perhaps the other subs on your list do this. Here's a photo from the back of the Rythmik for your reference.

jtcf's avatar
jtcf
1,617 posts
 

As long as there is  trial period choose one with a phone app.Set up is a breeze.One issue that hopefully won't come up is if the corner you've chosen is a dead spot.In my room two corners are ideal for subs,the other two are bass dead zones.

norust OP
62 posts
 

I am very pleased and also impressed as to the quality and number of responses to my questions and setup.  This is my first post here and I look forward to being an active and helpful participant in the future. 

First thing thats evident is I have more research to do.  Thanks to @audiorusty  for the link and all who have jumped in with their thoughts.  I did have a chuckle at the reference to my negotiating skills from @vonhelmholtz - we know that there is no negotiating with terrorists :)

I will revisit  Rythmik and intend to work towards finding a solution.  Many thanks to all that have contributed. 

ohlala
1,235 posts
 

I agree that phase and frequency and LF filters can help but are not a complete substitute for sub placement. Your advantage is the latitude to place a bit away from the walls. Get the largest sub you can. I have owned undersized subs; it is not great. I would advise to work fast to get through issues. Sometimes people get lucky but the trial period ends quickly. Good luck.  

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