Powered Sub options or move to towers?

[titan7]

I am now looking for a powered sub for my audio system. I have had many people tell me the best thing out there is the Velodyne SPL-800R (8" 1000w). I have not heard it but folks say it's small in size but blows just about everything away.

I have a small system, Denon receiver 60 watts per channel pushing, Energy RC-10 monitor speakers. Sound is great but I would like more bass. the Velodyne costs $1000.00 so now I am wondering if I am better off just purchasing the Monitor Audio RS-6 speakers for more bass since they also cost $1000.00, however I do not think the MA towers are going to provide the same bass response as the Velodyne?

Any suggestions!

Thanks

[swgiust]

The tower speakers will NOT produce the bass that a good subwoofer will.

Velodyne is a very good company, but certainly not the only one to look at.
Based on the system you have, there are many subs that you could buy
for $500 that would make a vast improvement.

Keep looking and learning. You will find what your looking for.

[titan7]

Any suggestions on where to start?

[Florian]

Sure,

1. REL
2. Velodyne (HGS, DD)
3. REGA Vulcan
4. Sunfire TrueSubwoofer

:cool:

Or a Fullrange speaker but those are damn costly. Make sure to have a good acoustic in your room.

[MikeyBC]

I agree with the rest of the replies so far, your Energy's will probably image better and reproduce mids and highs of similar quality to the Monitor Audios. But theres not many full range speakers that will do what a good 10" sub can do for under $2000. My PSB Stratus Silvers would still benefit from a good 10" sub.

[titan7]

I agree with the rest of the replies so far, your Energy's will probably image better and reproduce mids and highs of similar quality to the Monitor Audios. But theres not many full range speakers that will do what a good 10" sub can do for under $2000. My PSB Stratus Silvers would still benefit from a good 10" sub.


Thanks, so how much do I need to spend to get something in the same class as what I have as far as my system? $500 $750?

Brands, models?

thanks!

[MikeyBC]

How big is your room? room size is important in your selection. Once we all know this then maybe someone can make a good recommendation. Paradigm, Energy, Velodyne, B&W, and all the other brands mentioned so far are worth looking at.

[Woochifer]

The primary advantage to going with a subwoofer (aside from the fact that they can extend the bass response for less money than full range tower speakers) is the placement flexibility.

You cannot ignore the room-induced effects -- you get maximum bass reinforcement by placing the speakers in the corners, but speakers rarely image precisely or create an proper soundstage when they're placed into a corner. On the other hand, the location where the main speakers produce an ideal imaging and soundstage effect is typically where the bass sounds the weakest. And in any location within a room, you got sound wave interactions that can alternately create huge peaks and/or cancellations at specific frequencies.

The subwoofer allows you to place the main speakers in an optimal location for the imaging, while allowing you to independently find a location for the sub where the bass sounds optimal (full and even sounding, with a minimal amount of peaking or cancellations). A powered sub also allows you the option of using a parametric equalizer to correct for these room-induced issues. I use one in my system and it's an indispensible tool for blending the subwoofer with my main speakers.

Another advantage to using a subwoofer is that you free up the main speakers and the amplifier from having to handle the deep bass. This increases the coherency of the midrange.

If the distance of the subwoofer to the listening position is different from the main speakers, then you lose some of the time domain coherency, but that can be corrected if your receiver/processor has a delay that can compensate for the distance differences.

In general, floorstanding speakers have less precise imaging than their bookshelf-size counterparts, and have resonance issues in the lower frequencies if the cabinets aren't sufficiently inert. Floorstanders that can accurately reproduce the full bass range down to below 25 Hz without resonance problems are generally a lot more expensive than a bookshelf speaker/subwoofer combination.

[thekid]

Wooch and the other give good advice. Floorstanders for the most are not going to give you what you need until you start at a certain price point. Here is nice little article from Home Theater mag that you might find useful.

http://www.hometheatermag.com/subwoofers/3/index.html

Good Hunting.

[Pat]

$500 $750?
Brands, models?
If I may suggest:
SVS...I have a 2039+ cylinder. :D
HSU
Outlaw

[titan7]

The room is 18x13 feet with 8 foot ceilings, carpeted.

8" 10" 12" Sub???

And how much power. The last thing I want is boom, boom, boom!!

[Geoffcin]

The room is 18x13 feet with 8 foot ceilings, carpeted.

8" 10" 12" Sub???

And how much power. The last thing I want is boom, boom, boom!!

I've just finished a review of the Axiom EP500 sub, and the skinny is that I was very impressed. I also used this sub with the modest sized Axiom M22ti's with stellar results.

I would not focus on how much power the sub's amp has. All subs do not put out the same SPL with the same wattage. The Axiom sub has a 500 watt amp, but the anechoic sensitivity of the sub is nearly 90dB per watt. This means that for most of the time (with music) the amp is putting out just a watt or so. It's only when you get into large scale movie LFE like in Jurassic Park, or LOTR that the extra power would be needed.

[Pat]

....not sure how other sub makers help their customers but the guys at svs are very helpful. I chose mine on my own and wound up with quite a bit more than I needed, they are known for not overselling their product. Just for kicks call or eMail a sub maker with your room dimensions and get an idea of which particular one may fit your space, they have calculations to figure it out.