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Best Subwoofer(s) for SF Guarneri Homage

Recently purchase a pair of Sf Guarneri Homage's. I knew i would need a sub (or two) eventually, since my musical tastes spans range from chamber music to rock. My room is dedicated but small (12.9 x 14 feet with 8ft ceilings) I am still working on speaker positioning to get the 40 hz and up range just right. Rest of the system is full blown LP12 (Lingo, Ekos, Arkv) into a Linto pre-pre into a BAT VK5iSe, into Bryston 7B ST's. Interconnects are Emerald x3 (all balanced except for tonearm cable and pre-pre tp pre) and speaker cables are AQ Argent in a bi-wire configuration. Digital duties performed by A Muse 8 into a Muse 296. Have heard good things about REL, but no way to audition (no local dealer).. so thinking of going the Velodyne HGS route. Thoughts? This is a "first iteration" system cobbled together "on the run" as I moved back to the US last month and had to jettison most of my 220 volt equipment, so any comments/thoughts beyond the sub are welcome!! I find the tonal balance a tad bright, and the SFGH's don't quite "click" unless pushed fairly hard (95 dB peaks or so measured from the listening positioning). Thanks! Alex
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onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,209 posts
 
Pretty good system for something just cobbled together. My advice is to only consider a subwoofer after you have completely worked out the main speaker setup. I like REL. Even if I couldn't test listen, I'd buy REL over Velodyne, Carver, etc. Go with a stereo subwoofer setup, if possible. Your room may not support deep, natural sounding bass, but if it does -- REL will deliver. Word of caution, steady exposure to 95 dB will ruin your hearing.
sedond
1,387 posts
 
i agree w/onhwy61 about needing two subs, & the fact that a small room may not support *any* subs. however, i don't think *any* sub touches the vmps subs for *anything* near the price. i heard a rel sub (dunno the model, but it was $1500 retail), and it was just one-tone-thump city! a pair of vmps, w/a good active x-over (marchand or db systems are reasonably-priced, & better than *any* x-over in active subs), a good used inexpensive s/s amp like adcom, rotel, aragon, parasound, your-choice?, and yule have *excellent* subwoofing at a reasonable price. i have a pair of vmps larger subs, but my room is big - 25'x38'. vmps original (or even smaller) subs would be all you need in your smaller room.
ivysound
8 posts
 
i have sf extremas and use 2 rel stentor ll subs. contact me for more info.
ivysound
8 posts
 
one more thought. do not bi-wire your speakers. i own the extremas and they sound much better with a standard hook up,no comparasion.
alexc's avatar
alexc OP
265 posts
 
Dear All Thank you very much for your postings. I will be contacting Ivysound directly to hopefully learn more about what has worked (and not) on his Extremas. To Onhwy61, thanks for the feedback and the compliment on the system - I am probably a couple of months away from making a firm subwoofer purchase decision, and have lots of tweaking left to do on speaker/listening chair positioning. Don't worry, I do not listen at 95 dB - but only when the peaks got to this level did the bass really begin to fill in (above 40 Hz, anyway), and thus my potential quest for a sub.
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