I just went and saw the Buggtussel factory. They have a subwoofer the Tegmentum 12. I heard this subwoofer powered by their own amplifier and processor unit. I listened to it with the Amygdala's and the Solitarious speakers that Buggtussel also makes. All I can say is I was very impressed. The sub was very musical and very powerful. It blended seamlessly with the other speakers, and coupled well with the room. Something to look at if you are in the market for a subwoofer. I know I am looking to add one soon :) |
Hello Garfish and others. The Sonatas are rated at 20Hz-28kHz. It's interesting to note that the speakers will go low when fed low. Some recordings make me think that a sub might be too much. However the 2nd generation (Sonata II) were given a 2nd 10" woofer which makes me think that the manufacturer thought they needed a little extra bass. The newer CJ amps supposedly have a better bass response than the older amps and that's why I was wondering if it might be the answer. BTW my MF-2200 is rated @200wpc. The MF-2500 @240wpc so there is not a great difference in power. |
REL is the way to go for a musical audiophile subwoofer. There are other good ones like Vandersteen and VMPS, but the REL is so easy to integrate with any system. And if you ever want to step up the a better REL the resale value and ease of resale is very good. |
I have full range Aerial Acoustic model 10T speakers that product solid base down to about 24Hz. But I also have a Triad Platinum 18inch sub for the lowest octaves. It makes a difference, it's quite musical, and it's amazing just how much low level musical information is out there (whether classical, pop, folk, movie scores, etc.).
Highly recommend a good musical sub but it should definitely be larger than 10 or even 12 inches if you really want it to reach the lowest of the lows. Rarely a 12inch is useful unless it's a very high quality sub like Aerial's SW12.
More than any other audio component, make certain you know what you're buying because most subs have no musical definition or proper authority and only go boom-boom as the rock the foundation of your house like an earthquake.
|
upgrade the amp, it will benefit the whole range, not just the lower end. |
Hi Artemus_5; There already appears to be distinct disagreement about subs. I don't know how low the Sonata speakers are rated for-- and that is important here, but if rated to 30 HZ or so, a powerful solid state amp might be all you need, but it would be my inclination to go for good quality sub(s) if you really lust after deep, tight bass.
I recently got Vandersteen 5 speakers that have true built in subs that go to 22 HZ, are very tunable, and have built in 400 wpc amps to drive the subs. I have never heard such great bass, and I love them. But a friend uses REL subs with MG 3.6s very successfully. I think Karls (above) gives good advice.
Why don't you audition some systems with subs and see what you think? Good Luck. Craig |
Karls is dead-on and I also have to second Glen's opinion on the MITs. The REL blends seamlessly with the few speakers I've heard it with (I use Thiels) and it really is true that you have no idea what you're missing until you hear it. My Strata III (great for a 13' x 17' room) did crossover best almost on top of the Thiel's low boundary but that seems to be the rarest configuration. |
I say change the amp and forget the sub. I have never had good luck with sub/speaker integration. It might be my room. I'm not sure. But I do know, the sub systems I have heard sound too fake to me. Granted, I haven't heard any 5000 dollar subs. But even the paradigm servo 15, which is a great sub, should be kept for the theater. That's my opinion anyway. |
No contest, get the REL. You have no idea how much you're missing, and any amount of words we can say here won't even begin to describe the improvement you are in for. The only people who aren't gaga over RELs are those who haven't gotten them yet or who haven't bothered to spend the time to get them broken in and tuned properly (both of which take a long time). Suggestions: 1. get the biggest REL ST series you can afford, the performance goes up dramatically with each and every step up. For me, one Stadium is the minimum. 2. On a performance per dollar basis, get one bigger one rather than two smaller ones. In other words, one Stadium will significantly outperform two Stratas if you can find a location for it that gives a smooth room loading. Of course, on an absolute basis, two is better. 3. Set the crossover point a LOT lower than you think you should, typically by half an octave or more. If your speakers are good to 45 Hz, start the sub at around 30 Hz (!) and play with it from there. Good listening! |
I recommend changing the cabling while your at it. I use Mit Reference in my system. I noticed more bass from the minute I upgraded. When you use MIT It is recommended through out the whole system. IMO their quality cables don't even start until you get to the 750 line minimum. |
I run dual Rel Stentors. You would be suprised on how much it will add to music. It will be fuller and smoother with better imaging and seperation. |
I would go for the amp change, but not necessarily with a higher powered version of the same solid state amp. Consider an OTL (the Joule sounds great with your speakers) or maybe Rogue monoblocks. My main speakers go down to 35hz and while I could always use more extension the bass output is more than satisfactory.
Since you specifically mentioned "bass weight" and not bass extension (the Sonatas go low enough) the sub may cause more problems. I've never heard a system with subs that sounded seamless, unless it was designed that way (Pipedreams and Airfoil come to mind, but they use multiple subs). Full range speakers are usually the desingers final statement and simply adding a sub is not that easy especially if the main speakers are ported. |
I love my sub,it's addictive. If you crave bass athority get the sub, or better yet get two! |
