Musical sub recommendations

[Woochifer]

Thanks Wooch,
That was the kind of response I was hoping for. One thing about my room size I didn't mention before. Although it is about 13x19, one wall (the other 13) is open to a smallish dining room, so in reality the room is bigger, although not what most would consider big. It is not an ideal room for audio period, but what can you do. I was recently a guest at a person's home who had the most incredible room and sound system I have ever been a witness to. His listening room was close to the size of my house (not exaggerating) with somewhere in the nature of 16-24 full sized speakers, 15 power amps, etc. and just one chair. Amazing.

Most "normal" household rooms are far from ideal. One thing you need to watch out for with your subwoofer is the bass actually sounding louder in the dining room than the room where you audio system sits. The bass typically sounds louder

But in my reality, not the same situation. I will get an SPL level, but there are some drawbacks to using this method, in that the slightest movement can alter the readings, and I have more than one listening/viewing position. I tune according to what I feel sounds best, and not what a $35 instrument tells me I should be hearing. But it will be fun to do both, and see if the two correspond accordingly (ideally they should?!)

Trying to adjust the level of a sub or matching the surrounds with the mains by ear is an exercise in futility because you can't reliably and consistently judge the levels by ear when that many speakers are involved, or when you're comparing the main levels with the sub level. The whole purpose of the SPL meter is to establish a reliable and replicatable reference point. Once you've done that, THEN you tune according to your preferences. In general, I've found that the SPL meter gives me the quickest and best sounding results, particularly with level matching the surrounds.

The rule of thumb on SPL meter usage is to point it straight ahead, hold it at a 45 degree angle, and keep it at ear level. To minimize errors, I've also read recommendations that you sit perpendicular to the meter (off to the side, rather than directly behind it). But, if you really want to have the most consistent readings, I would suggest that you mount the meter on a camera tripod.

I like the fact that the Adire is a sealed sub, and for all the reasons you mention. A couple of people have mentioned why I don't want a downward firing sub. My original thought (and my local dealer also agreed) was that downfiring onto a wood floor (let alone in a corner) would over-emphasize the bass - which some may find preferable, but others including myself here, don't. My original post mentioned that this is a sub for music first, HT second. The wood floors accentuate bass that is being driven down only 1-2" away. Wouldn't this create a bloated sound perhaps? That is somewhat what I am hearing now, and I am not driving it hard or loud at all. If I had carpets (which before I did), the downward sub is good because it is better dispersed because of the softer surface. Depends on the pile of carpeting too I suppose. I also like the sealed subs because I may have an opportunity to put it against a wall, assuming it sounds good of course, whereas with a rear ported sub like what I have now, you need to pull it away somewhat from the wall, unless you want to overemphasize the bass.

It doesn't matter if you have a downfiring or forward firing sub, a suspended wood floor can still accentuate the bass waves, as can other resonant objects throughout the room. Corner placement will maximize bass reinforcement regardless of where the driver points.

Rather than worry about these types of issues, I think the more important part is to familiarize yourself with the acoustical effects that your room creates. Standing waves will create a more bloated sounding bass than wood floors or a downfiring design alone. Placement, bass traps, and parametric equalization are the solutions to that problem.

The other thing that has nothing to do with sound, and I didn't mention it before, is that the Adire looks nice, and my wife has less reservations about my hobby (obsession?) when the equipment looks nice. Maybe that's my cue to get a new pair of Sonus Faber speakers I don't want an ugly sub, or ugly speakers. I think of this hobby as an art, which reproduces art in and of itself.

One thing I will caution you on with the Rava is its fairly large size. The cabinet on the sub is basically an 18" x 18" cube. The veneer that they use is very good, and its attractiveness depends on how you view oak furniture. (If you remove the grille or peer at the back of the unit, it still looks like a DIY project because of the manually-applied black paint)

If you're interested in something smaller, then you might want to take a look at the Acoustic-Visions MRS-10. Its outer dimensions are less than 14" and it uses a downfiring 10" woofer with a longer stroke than the Shiva driver used in the Rava, so its bass output is actually close to what the Rava delivers. It also has a piano black finish, which along with the smaller size, might be more decor friendly.

http://www.acoustic-visions.com/~aco...ed/mrs10.shtml