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Little help with REL subwoofers, please?

I'm not especially knowledgeable about subwoofers and I'd appreciate some advice. I've got a pair of Magnepan 1.7i placed in a small (long, rectangular) room. I had a hefty JL sub that shook the house but that I could never fully integrate. On a whim, I switched it out for a pair of the diminutive REL Tzero subs and the sound is vastly better. On some music, though, such as classical organ, I miss the growl and thunder. I don't feel like I need to boost the "upper bass" and I definitely don't want to muddy things up; it's really the deep rumble that I occasionally want.

If it helps, I'm thinking of a piece of music like Max Richter's "On the Nature of Daylight," which about halfway through delivers a broad, deep sweep of musical sound that I want to *feel.*

I'm mostly pleased with the setup and I don't want to reinvent my room's wheel or break the bank. And I'd like to stay with at least two subs and likely stay with REL. So I'm thinking I might: 1) add a T/9X or maybe a T/7X and perhaps keep the crossover low; or 2) swap out the Tzeros and replace them with a pair of T/7Xs. For now, a pair of T/9Xs is a budgetary stretch that I'd like to avoid (and it is a small room).

Would it be weird having two Tzeros combined with the much bigger T/9X? Would the T/7X produce that deep, enveloping bass? I'm not particularly good at reading specs but -6dB at 30Hz doesn't sound especially deep to me. (The JL was -3dB at 23Hz.) Or am I misunderstanding how bass works and would a T/7X go plenty deep in a small room?

Thanks and Happy New Year!

 

northman

Showing 3 responses by deep_333

deep_333
873 posts
 

At 65 lbs, it’s on the edge of what I can comfortably deal with, which is a consideration for me. Perhaps I’ll wait to hear what my ortho says about my knee next week....

@northman , Furniture dollies have largely saved my back over the years... Just unpack any sub straight onto a dolly and keep it on the dolly...comes in handy whenever you’re dealing with sub setup, moving them around to find optimal placement, etc.

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stalwart-440-lbs-Wheeled-Furniture-Dolly-M550109/302662176

deep_333
873 posts
 

@deep_333, thank you for the suggestions. I've spent the last couple days reading about Rythmik subs. I'm impressed by what I read about both the F12 and the F8, but at 65-75lbs, they may be too heavy for me--but I appreciate the recommendation.

@northman , Even with the Rythmik (technically the fastest subs out there), i wouldn't touch their 12 inch driver F12 or bigger for Magnepans...The FM8 is the sub with the smallest drivers they make.

This is also one of the challenges with MLogan electrostats. Their own bass driver can be perceived to lag a bit for the discerning ear... not a unique problem with Magnepans alone.

You could also try out that KEF KC62. It is a fairly recent technological wonder in the world of subs, if you ask me. A dealer like crutchfield has a 60 day no hassle return policy, if things didn't work out right. 

deep_333
873 posts
 

@northman

Integrating a subwoofer with fast Magnepans can be very difficult with "conventional" subwoofers.

Things that help

- sealed sub

- smallest driver possible that can still give 20 hz and below bass extension (i.e. serve as a "subwoofer")

- Servo controlled "fast" driver (if possible)

 

2 possible options emerge, that could work better for your application...

a) Rythmik FM8, smaller dual 8 inch drivers, that have Rythmik’s servo control support.

https://www.rythmikaudio.com/FM8.html

b) KEF KC62 (dual small, fast 6.5 inch drivers, no servo support however)

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_991KC62T/KEF-KC62-Titanium-Grey.html?tp=187

Note: Both these small subwoofers can give you bass extension under 20 hz (i.e. these are unique offerings). Both can also serve as midbass units, if needed, If you have multiple subs set up around you, you won’t be able to localize much by increasing crossover frequencies. You could also try shooting for relatively "nearfield" locations to your listening position with small subs (to add increased perception of tactile impact/feeling of growl, thunder).

There are many other "small subwoofers" out there, but, there is no point in getting a small crappy subwoofer that just gets down to 45, 50 Hz.

 

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