2. home-theater
  3. 1203266247

Which sub - JL Audio Fathom or Velodyne DD?

I have two Vandersteen V2W subs for LFE, but they are showing their limitations. The V2W worked great in my previous smaller HT room (1400 cu. ft.), but even with two of them, the Vandersteen HT sub can't go low enough or play loud enough without strain in my current 3200+ cu. ft. treated room.

I've been doing some research, and I think I've narrowed down my choices to a pair of JL Audio Fathoms, or a pair of Velodyne Digital Drive subs. The JL Audio subs seem to have more output and perhaps a bit more low freq extension than the Velodynes, but the Velodynes have the digital room correction function. Which is the better route?

Lastly, should I get matching pairs (i.e. a pair of Fathom F113s, or a pair of DD-15s), or is there a benefit to getting a F113/F112 pair, or DD-15/DD-12 pair? On paper there seems to be benefit to mixing like this to get output advantages throughout the typical subwoofer frequency range. Does the theory match up with reality?
rex

Showing 1 response by rex

rex OP
245 posts
 
Hello Bob - my reading indicates that all other things being equal, a sub with a smaller driver can't go as low as a sub with a larger driver, but the smaller sub may have higher output in the mid-bass than a sub with more extension. Of course, all other things are rarely equal :-)

My room is not overtreated - it was custom-designed by a well-known acoustics consultant, and tweaked by another consultant. It's pretty much as good as it can get. I'm not surprised your M&K can handle your room - it's a much more capable sub than my Vandersteens. From the specs, it appears to have more output and better extension. The Vandersteens are nice subs, especially for the price, but they are not the last word in low bass or prodigious output by any stretch.
More to discover