From past experience, it’s not about how big the subwoofers need to to be. I completely understand the larger the sub, the mor air it moves. There is a trade off and it is a negative one. The base is not going to be detailed. It’s about matching the speakers you are using for your 2 channel rig. It needs to have the speed and accuracy as well. It’s easy to forget this. It’s like an elephant trying to keep up with the cheetah, lol. Big is great for movies because most soundtracks are muddy, slow and sloppy. Big subs benefit from that. Music in. A two channel rig doesn’t. I learned that from IASCA Competition in Car Audio decades ago. I applied that in today system and loving the output. Remember make sure the subwoofers complement you system, not drown it. Makes all the world of a difference.
Showing 7 responses by decathlon1991
mijostyn5,059 postsSome of the information I agree with you but when it comes to speed and accuracy with the subwoofers, I don’t. It has to do with time alignment with the speaker of choice. You want everything to be in tune, exactly how it is produced. If the sub is ported, it doesn’t require as much power as a sealed subwoofer. If it is a push-pull subwoofer with 2 active or 1 active and 1 passive, it reacts a bit faster and requires less power. I will agree from experience that a class A/B amplifier subwoofer sounds a little better but that does depend on the build. JL, REL, M & K, etc have been in the game a long time and have mastered the Class D amplification. JL started in the car world and now dabs in both home and auto. The subwoofer that’s in the Fathom subs which are my favorite are W7 10”, 12”, & 13”. During the time when a JL representative was on a video chat at HIFI Buy I asked if they have considered utilizing their W7 8” in a single or dual for their Fathom or their Gotham. He answered that it wouldn’t be cost effective to build but he does understand the want for it. The 8” W7 is their best seller in the car audio world. I’m not a fan of Bose but think about how they figured it out utilizing 5” subwoofers. The cabinet design also plays a huge part. |
I think that they are on the same level. It depends on how you want to Intergrade your system. I just trust JL Audio and being an American company, in-expensive and easy for them to repair. Honestly you couldn’t go wrong with either. Also the look for me matters as well. Both companies make exquisite pieces of gear. |
pimbo12 posts I will stack up any day my JL Audio 6W3 subwoofers, my JL Audio 8W7, or even Boston Acoustic Pro Series 8 or 10” subwoofers to Dynaudio top of the line subs. Been there and done that. I competed in IASCA Car Audio competition for SQ (Sound Quality) for several decades. I do like Dynaudio front stage 3 way speakers but I don’t care for their subs. My source that I have competed in the past are Alpine 7909, 7990, 9990 decks, Alpine 1310, Nakamichi CD700, Clarion DRX9255, DRZ9255, McIntosh MX5000, MX4000, MX406, Sony CDX-C90, etc. I learned from some of the best in the business like Richard Clark :-) |
mijostyn5,067 I use to have 2 Martin Logan Balancedforce 210 subs that did okay with my system. They utilize Balancedforce better than any other company. As good as there subs were, I felt even with their microphone setup, it overloaded the bass with the Wilson Audio Maxx 2’s. As you know with the Wilson Audio Maxx 2, they really don’t need a subwoofer as the speaker can go down to 22hz. I’ve owned a lot of high end subs over the year but for the setup I was looking for, I went with the JL because I wanted the subs to compliment the speakers without overwhelming them. Easy to do with subs. Most systems today probably need subs but mine really doesn’t. My crossover is set for 35 and below hence the reason for the Wilson Crossover. As for the the preamp is concerned, I have that covered utilizing the Cary Audio SLP-05 with the Ultimate Upgrade, Cardis wiring and tube rolling. I’ve utilized quite a bit of top of the line Monoblock and stereo amplifiers and the unit that has stood the test of time is the preamp:-) Thanks for the compliment though. The equipment you have mentioned are incredible by the way. |