Hi All, I've been unable to blend my SVS SB1000 Pro with the KEF's, the goal is music first, can anybody share experiences integrating subwoofers with these speakers? Next step for me will be to likely try out something from the new REL T/x line although I'm concerned that I might be losing some of that REL magic without the high level connection.
the SB3000 thumps and gets closer to that hitting you in the chest feeling that the other two couldn't, sound quality is about the same, maybe a slight edge to the KEF......the SB3000 is still not into ultimate bass slam territory, no DB measurements from my end, I have gain at 50%, most tracks won't sound well above that, I can hear the limits of this unit past 50% gain, still fun though at 100% from time to time with a well recorded track, my room actually sucks for sound and remains untreated for the time being,
svs recommended stock settings on the app for the KEFs with the exception of both high and low filters set to 80hz
the other two subs seemed to add bass only while this unit appears to add to the overall musical presentation,
the gloss version I have is surprisingly living room friendly and about as nice as you can get before stepping up to some of the super premium finishes$$$ by the likes of say JL and REL
this is a poor mans set it and forget it end game music system, what KEF has done with the speaker system is special but a sub is an absolute must and the SB3000 appears to be it, of the usual contenders, I can only envision a JL Fathom trumping this unit
I'm using a pair of KEF KC62s to augment LS50s with excellent result. I was really surpirised when I experienced the more felt-than-heard pipe organ pedal notes I've previously only experienced with a pair of Velodyne HGS-15s in my primary setup.
No moss grows under your system. I'm sure the differences you're experiencing between the your original SB1000 and this current SB3000 would be of interest to many.
I'm also very interested in what JL Audio may have pending Velodyne too but with an asterisk, the real Velo was doing things far ahead of its time, curious if the new owners can do much to further David Hall's work
Perlisten's 12" offering appears in line pricing wise with JL and looks incredible I've just ordered an SVS SB3000 just to compare against the 1000, I have a feeling it could be the sweet spot in the SVS lineup for music
back to the KC62, seems to be getting better with break in, re-positioned between the two speakers, drivers facing forward/back completely unobtrusive, if ever there was a living room sub this is it and still in awe of the weight on this thing, around 20% heavier than the sb1000 at half the size
audiocanada update,I now have the KC62, long story short, perfect marriage integration took seconds with the app, set it and forget it, no looking back trying to resist the urge to purchase a second unit it does not have the output capability of the SVS app control on both units is superb, I'll never do subs again without app control, no going back, I read a blurb somewhere that both JL Audio and Velodyne will be releasing new app controlled products
Congratulations. Glad you got past the dissolution of your 05-14-2021 post. By now you should have had the experience that not all media contains extra low frequency content. But when it does you've got it covered.
I'd be very interested in that blurb about JL Audio and Velodyne releasing new control application.
update,I now have the KC62, long story short, perfect marriage integration took seconds with the app, set it and forget it, no looking back trying to resist the urge to purchase a second unit it does not have the output capability of the SVS app control on both units is superb, I'll never do subs again without app control, no going back, I read a blurb somewhere that both JL Audio and Velodyne will be releasing new app controlled products
the KEF's with the KC62 for the right room and music preferances is without a doubt a killer killer value in the world of two channel the whole system is just set it and forget it excellence, I'll stop short of calling it endgame but it ticks a good many of those endgame boxes
thanks for the feedback i think ive been convinced to stay the course with this sub a while longer i just ordered a subddude also just heard a very good bass track , Tidal MQA version of Cardi B's Bodak Yellow, this is the first track that this sub has impressed me with, interestingly enough this particularly track it does not rattle my house
Hello, I own two Rel T9’s. With the Speakon connections they sound really good. The store in the Chicagoland area has both of the new KEF subwoofers. https://holmaudio.com/ They both claim to play down to 11hz at -3bd, but the bigger one which is the KF92 plays at 110 db and the little one which is the KC62 plays at 105 db. Since my system has the sub outs not being used and the KEF has a wireless kit I thought it might be good to integrate it to play from 11hz to 30hz which my RELs are missing. I don’t know if this will work but the store listed above let’s me try before I buy. I tried to borrow the bigger one last week but it was out on loan. These subs are so popular now. It wasn’t a total waste since I borrowed a power cord to demo. 11hz is really low. Does music even go down that far? I hope this gave you some ideas to try since I am going through the same thing.
I absolutely agree with @mapman, ISOLATE the sub from the room with an acoustic platform or springs. If you can't afford a very good isolation platform like Townsend, Auralex Subdude is decent. The aluminum version of the Nobsound springs will work for $35. Start with the lowest crossover point on the low pass filter, 30Hz. or lower? If all of this does not help, stuff the ports with cotton or fiber material. This should reduce the boom. I think the BEST solution is isolation!
What is your crossover point? If it's at 40Hz there are very few notes produced by conventional instruments lower than that. The low "E" on a bass is 41.203 Hz which is already above that threshold. A grand piano has a few notes that are lower but they are seldom used, so depending on what you are listening to, you may only be hearing one or two notes being reproduce by that sub. Distortion maybe an indicator that this particular sub is too small for your application. Not sure what kind of nuance you are thinking you should be hearing. I would say that there is not a lot of nuance below 60Hz
@jetter welcome to the dark side of thinking out side of the audiophile "sub bass" box. Have you ever considered using an external crossover? You may find the results quite dramatic.
OP, Auralex Subdude platform under the sub will help to get the bass under control away from one note and more articulate. Especially if you are not at foundation level and room has suspended plywood floors.
audiocanada, clearly your not overwhelmed by the SVS application. I hope your within the SVS audition period and able to return the unit. Unfortunately, subwoofer digital processing is not equally designed.
Aside from my Velodyne Plus' my only other first hand experience with your short list was with JL Audio's v1 A.R.O. which auto equalized the loudest peak with no manual EQ adjustment. Their D.A.R.O. v2 is a multi band auto equalizer. Their CR-1 has a great deal more manual control.
There are third party products such as DIRAC which seem to have the flexibility your room may need. I hope you made note of your rooms loud bass modes and its nulls as you usually only need to do this once.
The AudioKinesis Swarm subwoofer system is another alternative that many have found very satisfactory. Your in the mob now, don't give up.
thanks for the responses I've used the recommended settings on the SVS app as directed by their support team after advising the of the speaker pairing, I've also done the same thing with KEF support from there I've adjusted to taste and performed the sub crawl I'm afraid my room is currently not suited well at the moment for audio, open concept and hardwood floor, factors which will be addressed at a later date ultimately the tonality of this sub is not doing it for me, I'm not hearing nuances or texture, more of a one note thumper, and a tad too much audible distortion when you push it on a track like Bass I love you, the unit has performed very well on movies i think i will in fact skip REL due to the inability to connect via high level and start going up the chain further starting with a JL Audio dominion and then possibly a Rythmik Audio F12 G budget permitting I would like to end this with a pair of JL's 10' fathoms
Fiezta75....Ive heard HSU products,a couple different ones loaded with 15s ported and ports stuffed..maybe ok for home theater( boom boom) but only a fool would compare the new line of Rels/ S and above to that.I dare you to go listen to the #25 and not come away with a different tune.
As far as REL is concerned, I have to agree with @missioncoonery. Using High Level Speakon connector with an after market cable is substantially better than using low level. I have tried this with several amps and speaker combinations. At least in my systems, high level is noticeably better.
@audiocanada -- I recently sold my KEF Wireless speakers (first version), and truth be told I was never satisfied with the subwoofer integration (REL T9i). I tried all kinds of configurations. My suggestion is that if you cannot benefit from the high level connection option on REL, save your money and look at other options from SVS or HSU, etc. IMO, REL’s special sauce is their high level/speakon connectors, otherwise they’re not any better than a myriad of other subs in the market.
audiocanada, Your SVS SB1000 subwoofer is capable of a some sophisticated application based equalization and Q adjustments which can be varied to taste and preset to memory. Along with audiorusty's crawl test suggestion the result should be spectacular regardless of source material. Are the adjustments and positioning overwhelming?
I've used many subwoofers for public address and in home including REL. What is REL magic?
I have a pair of the ls50 wireless II with a Kef kc62 sub and the wireless sub tx/rx kit. I use it in a tv room in lieu of a sound bar. Works wonderfully. You wont believe the kc62 performance considering its small size.
I spent a good amount of time trying to integrate my two SVS subs into my system. My main speakers are a brand of towers not sold in the U.S., but are 2 1/2 way with all scanspeak classic drivers; a 1" soft dome tweeter and two 7" midwoofers. So they put out some bass on their own.
I was following the time honored wisdom that the bass should not stand out if the subwoofer is properly integrated, you only notice it when the subwoofers are turned off. After more time than I care to mention trying to implement this "integration" advice, I just cranked up the subs gain (volume) to a non time honored advice level. That was what was needed. This is not akin to the type of bass you hear from the inside of a teenager's car.
My listening pleasure is mostly rock, and I now clearly hear the bass guitar and bass drum setting the beat down low when they do their thing. Just as I would at a live concert. JMHO, YMMV
I have Ls50 metas and a Klipsch sw308 sub in a smaller 12x12 room. Larger rooms are likely more of a challenge in that the sub will have to do more. Listening to my ls50/sub combo as I type. To get the sub set up right I used a sound meter app (decibel) on my iPhone to fill in the lowest octave that was missing in my case mostly below 40hz or so. You need to measure to get it right. I had crossover set way too high by ear. Using a white noise streamed internet channel as the source I Turned up sub level then adjusted crossover point and tweaked those two until low end was leveled with the rest. Then tweaked phase with some good percussion recordings for best dynamics. Could not have done it right by ear alone. Sounds awesome. Sub needs to be able to go down to 20hz or so in your room to fill in the bass completely. Check the specs. The new KEF sub is designed to go with the ls50s. I’d look at that first.
Non sense...On the Rels use high level....Although i havent heard the Tx series ive had some first hand reports, I wouldnt waste time ...go for their best selling sub in their lineup if you can swing it.. the S510...will step all over this Tx series...im running a stereo pair coming off the Ti series...fantastic
I certainly would NOT worry about the high level inputs. I've always found the low level inputs to be preferable. Simply more detail. The SVS, while not the best, should be very good with your speakers.
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