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Little help with REL subwoofers, please?

I'm not especially knowledgeable about subwoofers and I'd appreciate some advice. I've got a pair of Magnepan 1.7i placed in a small (long, rectangular) room. I had a hefty JL sub that shook the house but that I could never fully integrate. On a whim, I switched it out for a pair of the diminutive REL Tzero subs and the sound is vastly better. On some music, though, such as classical organ, I miss the growl and thunder. I don't feel like I need to boost the "upper bass" and I definitely don't want to muddy things up; it's really the deep rumble that I occasionally want.

If it helps, I'm thinking of a piece of music like Max Richter's "On the Nature of Daylight," which about halfway through delivers a broad, deep sweep of musical sound that I want to *feel.*

I'm mostly pleased with the setup and I don't want to reinvent my room's wheel or break the bank. And I'd like to stay with at least two subs and likely stay with REL. So I'm thinking I might: 1) add a T/9X or maybe a T/7X and perhaps keep the crossover low; or 2) swap out the Tzeros and replace them with a pair of T/7Xs. For now, a pair of T/9Xs is a budgetary stretch that I'd like to avoid (and it is a small room).

Would it be weird having two Tzeros combined with the much bigger T/9X? Would the T/7X produce that deep, enveloping bass? I'm not particularly good at reading specs but -6dB at 30Hz doesn't sound especially deep to me. (The JL was -3dB at 23Hz.) Or am I misunderstanding how bass works and would a T/7X go plenty deep in a small room?

Thanks and Happy New Year!

 

northman
northman OP
265 posts
 

Thanks, @deep_333. Since your post yesterday, I've actually spent a few hours reading about the F8. It looks like a neat sub and offers some appealing controls (not all of which I understand). A few comments have called it "niche," and there aren't many reviews of it, but I like what I've read and it's clear that Rythmik has a superb reputation. And my system might indeed be exactly that niche. At 65 lbs, it's on the edge of what I can comfortably deal with, which is a consideration for me. Perhaps I'll wait to hear what my ortho says about my knee next week.... 

I will also take a look at the KEFs. For the moment, I'm enjoying the process of opening up my options, learning about different companies, and even exploring dsp and bass management. At some point, though, I'll just have to take the leap... I remain appreciative of everyone's help!

jastralfu's avatar
jastralfu
433 posts
 

@m-db it surprised me to be honest.  I figured it would measure better than the specs, just cause my room tends toward bass heavy,  but not as low as it did.  Tbh, I don’t know how accurate the measurements are but they seem to be consistent.

deep_333
1,468 posts
 

At 65 lbs, it’s on the edge of what I can comfortably deal with, which is a consideration for me. Perhaps I’ll wait to hear what my ortho says about my knee next week....

@northman , Furniture dollies have largely saved my back over the years... Just unpack any sub straight onto a dolly and keep it on the dolly...comes in handy whenever you’re dealing with sub setup, moving them around to find optimal placement, etc.

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stalwart-440-lbs-Wheeled-Furniture-Dolly-M550109/302662176

northman OP
265 posts
 

@deep_333, YES. I was thinking along the same lines. Great suggestion! 

jeenam
131 posts
 

You’d be surprised how fast the Rythmik subs are. I’m using an F12 with Ascend Sierra Towers w/ RAAL ribbon tweeters and they integrate great to my ears.

I’ve eyed the FM8’s before but my use for them would be as low/mid-bass drivers, as they were intended, to add punch around 150Hz. Sub-bass (<80Hz) isn’t the type of bass that hits you in the chest.

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