Yes the same conclusion I had. The Harbeths don’t really need a sub. And if I wanted to add that octave between 20 and 30 I would need a sub with a crossover below 30 and a steep fall off that does not affect the upper bass and low midrange.
Recommendations for a new subwoofer?
I had a REL S/2 sub in my system that I bought new in 2014 but earlier this year it suddenly refused to power up. I checked and replaced the fuse (which actually wasn’t blown in the first place, but couldn’t hurt to try) which yielded no result, so I called up REL directly, as they’re actually located in Berkeley CA, very near to where I live. The person I spoke to was very cordial and helpful, but it turned out that they could no longer repair that model. She did, however, refer me to a tech nearby whom, she said, may be able to help. So after some communication with the tech, I made an appointment and dropped the sub off back in February. Well, I knew in advance that things move slowly with him--he makes that clear from the beginning--so I just waited to hear. Finally, last night (yeah, I know: 3 months later) he informed me that one of the boards was fried, and they don’t make that one any more, so essentially the sub is not repairable.
So this sordid story brings me to my question: what would be a suitable replacement for that sub? It had a 10" driver, which, for my listening habits and the room where my system is, was plenty adequate. It was paired with my Ryan R-610 speakers.
A few subs I am considering: Elac Varro Reference RS500, Paradigm Defiance S10, and the REL T/9X. One reason I’m favoring the latter, despite my previous experience with REL, is that it doesn’t rely on an app to get it dialed in to my system, and I still have a rather good after-market speakon cable I can use. Whatever sub I wind up with will have to have speaker-level outputs, because my integrated (Modwright KWI 200) doesn’t have a sub-appropriate input.
The above list should give indication of what price-range I can manage, i.e. $1500 or less. Recommendations and suggestions gratefully received. Thanks!
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The only other small to mid size pedestal speaker l have owned to have had the same bass response is Mission 770 Freedom’s. The front port could blow out candles and rustled my fern plants as if King Kong was behind them. l still have them and can’t bare to let them go as l fire them up occasionally and have a blast sans Rels. |
I have had Janis, Monster, REL, SVS, and quite a few others in my lifetime, and they were always in pairs. I am now using, a single..........RSL 12S, and it is exactly what I was looking/listening for.....system is 2 channel audio.... With your budget and room size, you can get a pair. I would look into them for sure. I am not affiliated with RSL, but I am a huge fanboy. My best, MrD. |
I didn't know Hsu was still around. I haven't heard that name in years. They were very popular at the time. |
Here's an update: based on reviews, suggestions here, availability, price, and my ability to make a deal I'm comfortable with, I've ordered an Elac Varro RS-500 which should arrive in a week or two. My plan is to connect this via my Modwright KWI 200's pre-outs, and we'll see what we get. I'll post my impressions when I've had a chance to put it through its paces. BTW, for those who may have missed it, I posted my question about high/low pass filtering (q.v.) separately, and that turned into an eye-opening discussion which you may find enlightening. I certainly did. And no, it's not gonna happen in my system. |
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