Little help with REL subwoofers, please?

@northman 

The MiniDSP uses Dirac Live which is pretty idiot proof. The SHD is their full function preamp but the DACs are substandard. The SHD Studio is the same unit without DACs. Two Benchmark DACs and you are in business big time. The improvement in your systems performance will be nothing less than stunning. 

@northman 

Dirac Live even tells you where to put the microphone in pictograms. A 10 year old could do it. Again, I highly recommend outboard DACs such as the Benchmark units. I have had the MiniDSP SHD in my system and the overall sound was grainy. I had a conversation with the chief engineer at Benchmark who says they use the SHD Studio with their own DACs and the results are fabulous. I may head up to NY with the DEQX PRE 8 when it arrives as they are very interested in it. 

@jeenam 

The SHD and SHD studio come with a UMIK 1, but as an upgrade they offer UMIK 2 which is highly recommended. Your corrections can be no better than your measurements.

@northman 

Can you follow the directions on a can opener? 

Forget about specs. They are severely misleading. As you note deep bass is not about hearing, it is about feeling. In this regard there is no substitute for surface area. The minimum in most rooms is two 12" subs to get solidly down to 20 Hz. I want some usable output at 15 Hz Consequently, I use 8 12" drivers. Large venues breath at very low frequencies. There is also signal down that low in movies. So, live music recordings and movies require the same capabilities. One sub alone is never a good solution. Two 12" drivers, Four 12" or two 15", eight 12" or Four 15". The last group is the largest required in the usual residential situation. 2 way crossovers are mandatory, digital bass management with delay capability and room control will give the best performance. 

@northman 

I always sat in the Phil Zone. Getting Phil at home will require two 15" or four 12" drivers. A smaller sub setup will get that low, but at realistic levels there will be a lot of distortion. Great bass below 40 Hz at realistic levels levels with low distortion requires a lot more than the industry would have you believe. Another problem is most subwoofer enclosures are musical instruments, they shake and resonate. Play a sub at Phil levels and put your hand on it. What you are feeling is distortion.

@northman 

Those days are not gone, just ...evolved. I saw Smashing Pumpkins at the Garden several months ago. Not only was it thunderous ( I had ear protection in) but the light show was INSANE. I have never seen anything that bright. Good to have Jimmy Chamberlin back. 

You still live in the Boston area?

The reason to use subwoofers particularly Dead Heads is to be able to create that concert feeling at less than ear shattering levels. They allow you to EQ the bass without affecting the main speakers. To do this a two way crossover is mandatory. Digital bass management is the best thing that has come along for subs since their introduction back in the late 70s. There are units from MiniDSP and dBx that are relatively inexpensive. A great inexpensive way to get into subs is to buy  Dayton Kits from Parts Express. Dayton makes great sub drivers. Their kits perform as well or better than 90% of the subwoofers out there. They won't be as fancy looking, but what is the mission?