proac 2.5 vs 1sc/sub

This thread has pretty much played itself out, but I’ll add my .02 just because after an awful lot of speaker purchases, I finally settled on the 2.5’s for a main system, and 1SC’s /w sub for a second system. I’ve had both of these rigs going for a while, and am very pleased. The 1SC definitely needs a sub, so as a practical matter, they’ll cost the same as used 2.5’s. I have read opinions which claim the 1SC to be better than the 2.5 in some way or another, but frankly I am wary of these sources as I have always found the 2.5 to be a far better speaker in every department. Mine are in a medium sized room, and definitely don’t need to be subbed. I agree that the 2.5 is/will be something of a classic, and I say this having no regrets forking over full retail for the 1SC’s which I think is a fantastic speaker.

I have proac3.5s, with atmasphere amps. I recently bought the Rel Strata. I find it to be a very good combo. The new room I built just seemed to suck all the bass out of my system. The Rel sub seems to blend in so well after careful setup, you dont know its there.
Mike

I have 2.5s and a REL Strata III subwoofer in an 11 x 13.5 room. I am running the REL off my amp and the speakers full range. I love it and would only consider ever changing speakers if amp changes made it necessary. I would only change the REL by ungrading to one of their larger models. It's a phenomenal pc of music making equipment. Actually, same thing for the ProAcs. I may be prejudiced but I think the 2.5 is a classic that we will be loving 10 yrs from now. I've had them over 5 yrs and still sit and admire 'em!

Hi Locust ... I think you made a good decision ... every time you trade equipment you usually lose a bunch of money. If you ever get a convenient opportunity to home demo a good sub then I'd try it, even in a small room, even with the 2.5s. I can't say for sure you'll like it, but you might be surprised how much it can add, even in a small room, even with 2.5s. If you listen exclusively to chamber music or small scale jazz then I'd expect that a sub wouldn't make much difference, but with large orchestral and most rock/pop it can be quite surprising.

thanks for everyone's input...i'll probably end up keeping the 2.5s even though i have to move them to a smaller room. all the reviews that i have read on the 1 sc where wonderful and i thought downsizing might be a good choice--it would probably pointless by the time i purchase stands and the sub anyway..thanks again

I own both ProAc Response 1SCs and Tab 50 Sigs and find them to be very satisfying in my small room with or without a sub. It really depends on the music being played at the time, but I sometimes leave the sub off.

I'm using an old NHT SW3P passive subwoofer controlled by a Paradigm X30 crossover and driven by a Bryston 4B amp. Not the most sophisticated set up, but even though I haven't invested the time to properly set it up I'm still quite pleased with the combination in my small room. I really like the flexibility of being able to independently place the monitors for good imaging and adjusting the subwoofer separately for bass response.

But I must admit that I'm a bit curious about building the ProAc 2.5 DIY clone project outlined at:

http://www.geocities.com/diyproac25/

I can't speak for the proac speakers, since I have heard neither. However I think the small stand mount plus sub combination can be very good for the smaller rooms, since it gives you much more flexibility in placing smaller speakers in the right place for imaging, and the subwoofer in the right place to load the room to create deep but not boomy or resonant bass. I use Spica angelus (a floorstander that sounds like a stand mount ... superb imaging and very thin bass) with a REL strata in a room that measures 10feetx12feet. I can get great imaging and great deep bass.

I also agree with other comments that perhaps the 2.5s would benefit from a good sub. Sure, I haven't heard the 2.5s, but it would take a mighty big main speaker to get into the 20 - 25 Hz region, and this region lends a lot of dynamics to the music, that I like, for orchestral and live blues recordings. I wouldn;t be surprised if most floorstanders wouldn't benefit from a sub, provided it was crossed low enough. RELs cross as low as 25 Hz, so you can partner with any speaker that does not go much below 35Hz, which is quite a lot of them.

AS I said I have no proac experience, but I am a sub convert ... I hope this info helps.

I also have 2.5's and find that I do need room reinforcement to get the bass I want. I recently had the speakers out 2 meters from the back wall, and didn't get sufficient bass. I've been wondering the same thing about the 1sc/sub combination. Let's stay in touch if good information is revealed.

I had a 1sc/rel sub combo once, and I thought the sound was good. The 1sc has no pretensions of being a full ranger. Its small woofer is an ideal match to its excellent tweeter, and the overlapping frequencies were blended seamlessly. Properly set up, the right sub can fill in the lower reaches without any discontinuities. While I haven't listened extensively to the 2.5 (only auditioned in stores), the dual challenge for such a design is to (1) avoid a hole in the middle, i.e., weak lower midrange, from trying to pull the woofer into performance at mid bass frequencies, and (2) inevitable failure in the low bass bottom octaves, suggesting the need for a subwoofer anyhow. As always, I recommend listening to both if you have a chance, and seeing which best meets your personal preferences. Good luck.