which subwoofer?


I am looking for a musical sub for a small room(11.5x15x8), my speakers are Meadowlark kestral 2's, a Birdland odeon lite dac and a Cayin ta-3o integrated tube amp. For the price of all of it used, this system is incredibly musical and rich in the high's and mids...but lacks that bit of deep punch I like. Is there a sub made that will integrate with my existing equipment without losing anything. I would like to keep the price under a 1000$ used, thanks in advance!
sean34
Rel Strata III is a great sub and really works well with any speakers you connect it to. I have it in my system and keep switching between two pairs of speakers, Paradigm Refrence Studio 40 and Chartwell Ls3/5a's. Works with both and sounds wonderful.
I would like to use the meadowlark sub, but it's over two thousand,if I could find one used maybe? I'll have to look at the amp and see about the tape loop or preout. Thanks for the input!
Unfortunately, unless your Cayin has a tape loop or a pre-out main-in, you will not be able to use the Vandersteen, which would be my first choice from a sound standpoint. It needs to be inserted between the pre and the amp.
I agree with "Audiofankj"---Stick with the same manufacturer. I have B+W CDM 1's with a B+W AS6 sub- and am quite happy. At my cottage I have Radio Shack Pro LX 5's with a Radio Shack sub and it is adequate.
Another vote for REL Strata III which is nicely sized for your room and can most likely be properly placed in or near a corner. The Vandy is a very good sub, too, but it's quite big and has to be tailored for your speakers.
Von Schweikert VS.1
Most musical of the lot.
Most versitile of the lot.
Easiest to integrate .
ok.
Did you look at the Meadowlark subwoofer? I would only imagine a sub built from the same manufacturer would integrate reasonably well?
I think you should be able to get a Velodyne DPS-10 in that price range. A DD-10 would be even better, of course.
I will second the Vandersteen 2wq. It would blend seemlessly with the Kestrels using an 80hz first order filter into your amp inputs as described for the Vandersteen sub. This would serve to open up the Kestrel's and give you an HONEST low end. If you are looking for a rumble box, stay away from the Vandy sub. It is an extremely accurate reproducer that is not for everyone. I think, if I remember correctly, that the Kestrel's are a first order design with transmission lines. A perfect fit for the 2wq.
When you want a musical sub that integrates seamlessly with the main speakers, you are talking about the Vandersteen 2Wq sub. The Vandersteen web site has a complete review of the Vandy 2Wq sub, written by Richard Hardesty. The article contains a lot of excellent information about subwoofer design generally, with extensive explanation about why the 2Wq is a great sub at a great price. I have a downloaded copy of the review which I'll be glad to forward to you as an E-mail attachment -- just send me your personal E-mail address. (Note: the file is in PDF format, so you will need Adobe Reader to open it.)