Spica TC 50 Question s

I just want to say a sub will add a nice fullness to the sound- but you will not get more volume or "punch". Spica's are great and you should NOT use a sub crossover and roll off the speakers. If you run the full signal through a sub you will lose a bit of openeness and detail. Although it works with other speakers, it is a complete waste to "relieve" the Spica's woofer in this repect because if you turn it up...i am sorry to say the tweeters will blow way before the woofer sounds strained.
You may consider a Janis sub if you can find one really cheap. It came in really nice finishes that match the Spica's and it really compliments the imaging of the Spica's by sonically disappearing. However "punchy" and "toe tapping" are not words to describe it.

Mission (of England) made some 8" and 10" subs for around $250. You might find one used. They got great reviews. I would probably have got one, but they didn't cross over low enough to be mated with the Angelus (my crossover is set at 27Hz !). However I think they would probably mate with the TC50 since I can't imagine it goes below 50Hz.

Jeffs idea is also good ... especially since you'll be able to tell your wife that the tc-50 + spica sub set would be very saleable, and so really you're "investing" in the subwoofers, not chasing audio nirvana :-)

Spica made a subwoofer to match the TC50's ... VERY difficult to find (only used of course), but may be worth the effort. Check www.audioasylum.com ; someone there recently purchased a pair of these subs and has been having trouble setting them up. He is not using TC50's and may consider selling the subs (worth a try!).

Jeff

Something like Audioquest Type 6 or CV 6 will improve many things here including much better bass. I would also consider re-doing the crossover with better parts and rewiring internally. I've done a pair of TC-50s and the results were astounding. Better caps and wire will do the trick. These are real sleepers and may make you reconsider the sub.

Thanks for your responses...I'm gonna have to try and find a better subwoofer match as an $800 expenditure for the REL will cause severe marital problems. I've gotten good reports on the PSB, Paradigm, and others, although I dont know what will match the Spicas . And theres the speaker wire issue as well........

Hi Fredman ... different thread, but I can also respond to this one. I own spica angelus and I had the same problem ... wonderful midrange and imaging (thrashed Spendor s3/5 in imaging) but not enough "drive" to get my toes tapping.

I added a REL Strata3 and now the system sounds absolutely great. The downside was that, even used, it cost $800. Add the $800 to the $250 you'd get for the tc-50s and you'd have over $1000 to throw at new (or used) main speakers. It's a real trade-off, since $1000 buys some good speakers. I have seen kef reference 103.4 and Epos es-25s for less than $1000 used, both of which would probably beat the tc-50 + sub combination, IMHO.

So in summary a REL strata 3 will definitely give you the bass and drive you want, but unfortunately at quite a high cost relative to the rest of your system. On the other hand reselling the REL is extremely easy, so it won't really cost you $800 if you sell it in the future.

REL Storm is a good choice for the Spicas. However, a while back I used two Mirage/Energy 8' subs with great results. These subs were relatively cheap at 500.00 per the pair retail.

A good tube amp (Conrad Johnson, ARC) would improve the sound of the Spicas, but not necessarily the bass response.

A more powerful amp would be helpful and of course, a subwoofer. Spicas are not the most dynamic and can be damaged by overdriving so be careful. The Adcom and Parasound may also not be the most dynamic pieces. As regards subwoofers, the Velodynes may not be the best match, either. Look into REL which will mate with your amp and may sound the most like the Spicas. However, it may be best to run the REL like a regular sub, that is, cut the Spicas off at around 55-60 HZ. This should help give the Spicas some "breathing room" for dynamics.