SUBWOOFER FOR MUSIC

HI Chris
Yes this subwoofer looks lovely..It is just 9 kg..I have Paradigm Reference Studio 100..these speakers have enough bass ..what I need is the bass extension down to 20 hz..I don't want a powerful subwoofer..I want something extremely musical..so MJ subwoofers,the P50 looks like a good solution but I am still worried if a subwoofer would blend seamlessly with my main speakers..that is the main issue..If I were 100 % sure I would buy them tomorrow..but I also saw a guy's system on the net..he was using a subwoofer with Wilson X-1..can you believe it??and he was happy with the sound..
with REL ;the Q series are for HT..I would not use them for music..they are small and compact but they are mainly for HT..they tell so on their website.

by the way you have a big room so why don't you go for Paradigm Servo-15??

I'm pretty much set on either the MJ, REL or M&K. All tight and musical. If you're concerned about seamless blending, consider this info I'm using:

REL cutoffs can be set down to 20-25 Hz
MJ Pro 50 can be set down to 40 Hz
M&K down to 50 Hz

Depending on your mains bottom end, the REL may offer a more seamless blend since you can set the cutoff below your mains low end dropoff. If you can't set it at or below, the chances are greater for 'boom' and localization.

I'm trying to limit myself to the $500-600 USD range, which puts the REL slightly out of reach for me.

Chris

Yes I know the cutoff points and I wonder why they don't keep that point as low as possible..I just don't understand..If I use a subwoofer I intend to cut it off at 35 hz..that ios also a bit confusing..my Paradigms have the 39 hz frequency range and then it says that low frequency extension is 25 hz..so I think it can go as low as 25hz but I am not sure how low it goes in my room..so if I have a subwoofer I will have to experiment with it..I wish the Pro 50 had a lower cutoff point.why don't they have the point as low as possible??
REL is also too expensive for me..

I would think that the setting of the cutoff will also depend on other things like room acoustics, amp, etc.

I'm also not sure how they specify that cutoff, but I imagine it is a -3dB point.

Generally speaking, I would estimate that you would want the cutoff on the sub set somewhere near where your speakers roll off to about -6 dB or so. Any higher and I would imagine you are likely to get too much energy in the room at that frequency.

I would imagine your speakers are -3dB at 39 Hz and -6dB somewhere below that (perhaps 35 Hz). The MJ cutoff at 40Hz is probably borderline for you. However, the other factors involved may or may not make it acceptably 'disappear' in your system.

For the pricepoint, I think the MJ is most likely a steal and would be worth a shot for you to try, especially since it's about half the cost of the REL. I would suggest you find a shop that might let you demo the MJ.

I'm not sure about other subs, but at this price point, I doubt there are others that have the same musical performance as the MJ and REL. The only other that comes to mind is the Monitor Audio ASW100? Also with a cutoff at 40Hz and also cheaper than the REL. Or perhaps you can find a used Q150E or an older model like the Q100? Check the cutoff specs first though.

Chris