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Want More Bass

Got a new Rogue Audio tube amp and preamp. (88 and 66 magnum). Used to have a solid-state integrated that seemed to have more bass output. Now, with my speakers (and these components), I long for deeper bass. (My current speaker's bass response is rated at 50hz.) My previous experience with a tube integrated also seemed light in the bass at lower volumes. I listen more at lower volumes than at higher volumes.

So... what are my options:

1. find a new speaker that goes deeper? if so, what is recommended? Budget $3000 max. Needs to be a slim tower design due to room constraints. (Room is 11x17 and speakers are on the 17' wall. Music preference is mostly indie rock, small group jazz and electronica.)

2. add a sub? the preamp has two outs, so I could use interconnects from the preamp. if so, what is recommended. Budget for a sub would be sub $1500.

3. Other suggestions?

Thanks all for your help.
vertewax
rsbeck
887 posts
 
If you are going to try to add bass by adding a Sub-woof,
I highly recommend that you give that sub-woof a thorough,
in-home, demo. It is my experience that it is really hard
to find a sub-woof for less than 2,000 that will give you
musical low-end sound and it is extremely hard to get the
crossover and phase to match your speakers at all volumes.
It is my opinion that you will be much more satisfied by
a full range speaker that will leave all but the extreme
low end and home theatre sound effects to your main speakers with crossovers that have been designed, matched
and tuned by an expert.

Having said that -- this is why I recommend the Revel
B-15 Sub-woofer. It offers a nice mechanism for setting
the crossover, etc. and it is one of the few I've heard
that can offer accurate detail and musical low end.

Just my suggestions.
warrenh's avatar
warrenh
2,299 posts
 
This is the beginning of tons of recommendations for subs. Certainly, a good course for you to take. I use the Sunfire Architectural 10" front firing subwoofer. Fast, powerful, deep extention AND small. Most people think of HT when they think of Sunfire, but this baby, as well as the Architectural Signature is designed, specifically for 2 channel listening. I love mine. Can be found, new, for, just, under $1k (the Architectural). peace, warren
wellfed's avatar
wellfed
690 posts
 
My brother uses the Rogue 88 to drive N.E.A.R. 50Me II's in a room about the same size as yours. This combination outputs all the bass most people find desireable. The N.E.A.R.'s are also a slim tower design. Based on the good match with the Rogue amp, along with excellent bass performance, I think the N.E.A.R.'s should be considered. You should be able to find a pair in the $1,200 to $1,500 range used. In a former system I used Linn Kan II's with a REL Stadium II sub. I then went to the N.E.A.R.'s without the sub and was very pleased with the results, especially after some minor tweaking.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
Why did you switch to tubes?
Do you like the rest of sound except bass quantity or the bass is your main consern?

If that's the case you should get either sub or the speaker that goes deeper with bass and have higher efficiency.
You may also vary some room arrangements that may(or maynot)become neccessary after changing amplification components.

For the sub I'd recommend buying a pair of such so you can select much higher crossover point(upto 80...120Hz) letting your speakers and amps work only from midrange or upper bass region. You can get used pair of Vandersteen 2WQ for arround $2k. There might be a need of faster subs and I'm sure that for the budget there are and I'm the one to give another option to consider for further posts.

P.S. For anyone who does not know the author's speakers it only takes to click on his system to find out. In this case it is not neccessary to speak about it Nth time as it already said.
socrates
247 posts
 
I found the Rogue 66 Mag preamp simply horrible in the botton octaves, rolled off by maybe 50hz, soggy/loose until ~160hz. If you want true deep bass your speakers have to go, but no matter what killer bass speaker you buy won't create what it's not fed, unless you buy speakers with built-in sub amps, of course. I would pesonally ditch the Rogue 66 before looking for new speakers....
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