subwoofer comparision

for *real* bass that won't break the bank, get a vmps sub, w/outboard electronics - far better quality electronics for the money, than what's included in powered products. i like my marchand xm-9 x-over w/upgraded op amps, & my pair of vmps larger subs w/options. i have been able to successfully audition many different speakers in my rig w/the amazingly flexible, transparent marchand unit. amps? choose any decent used s/s amp. *real* bass, clean, undistorted, high spl's. check out vmps' & marchand's www's. oh yeah, if you only want *one* sub, the original & larger vmps models allow for use of a stereo amp, w/one channel driving each separate driver...

doug s., yust a satisfied customer...

ps - i don't *own* a ht set-up, btw - my system is audio-only...

i've had success using my marchand/vmps system as high as 100 hz (they're presently set at 60hz), and this allows the main speakers relief of the need to play that last octave or so, making them all the more transparent & detailed.

i'm sure that stentor is a lovely sub, but at $4k usa prices, it is just not competitive, imo. i know these are better deals in the uk. i am a notorious cheapskate, but when it came to subs, i bought brand-new: both vmps larger subs, *and* the marchand x-over. one adcom gfa555 was bought new years ago & pressed into service, the other i bought used to have a matched pair. the total expenditure, including both amps, was still <$2.4k... if you went w/the vmps original subs and a single stereo amp (all that's needed, really, except for *really* big rooms), you could bring it in for ~$1500. that's for *two* subs. you could even save more money, as both the vmps & the marchand are available as kits...

gunbunny, while powered subs may seem less complicated to set-up, in the long run, separate sub/amp/x-over ultimately gives you more flexibility, imo, but hey, it's your call! :>) as far as two vs one, i *strongly* encourage you to get two, especially since audio is a priority. better soundstaging, easier integration w/room *and* monitors, less thd at any given spl, w/two subs. as far as getting a pair of *lesser* subs, you may want to consider getting a better single sub now, and adding a second, as funds permit.

regards to all, doug s.

as far as "hand(ing) us this garbage about the REL sound", i am only handing you my honest experience, & that of someone whose rigs i am very familiar with. just because you may not like it, or it is different from *your* experience, doesn't mean it's garbage. in fact, it seems likely to me, from experience of others above, that my experience is *not* out of the ordinary, if the x-over point is much above, say, 30 hz. for me, this eliminates one of the benefits of using a sub: the ability to cross over your main speaker so it does not have to see that last octave or two...

and, fyi, i *don't* think vmps is the only game in town - if i had the bucks, i'd surely audition a pair of bagend d18e-i's, w/an elf-1 integrator. this system, retailing at ~$6200 (w/no amps), can be had for ~$4k from fullcompass.com. if i *had* to have an active sub, i'd audition the bagend infrasub18, retailing for $1500, available from fullcompass.com for $1100...

http://64.213.162.194/lit/s_bagend.html

regards, doug s.

doug s.