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musical sub

I need to improve my system with a compatible sub for my system as it has evolved so far. My primary concern is the musicality, although Home Theatre is important, it is not as important as the music enjoyment. We watch a lot of music dvd's and play lots and lots of CD's, and of course third is the home theatre.

For reference, the main pieces of my system so far are:

McCormack HT5 amp (5 channel)
Anthem D2 processor w/ Arc
B&W Nautilus series 804 fronts, HT2 ctr, SCM surrounds
McCormack UDP1 disk player (the upgraded model)
Dennon 3800BDI blu ray player
etc.

What I am looking for is something that will add to the system, is very musical, and that will survive eventual component upgrades as I learn more and refine the sound.

Any suggestions on the sub? (or equipment)

Thanks
still_learning
gotog
120 posts
 
Check out ACI. Their subs are musical and reasonably priced.
still_learning OP
21 posts
 
Afc

Interesting post, thanks.

You have quite a system and obviously put a lot of thought and experience into it. One item on my system that you mentioned was the B&W's. That brand seems to have strong fans and equally strong detractors, I am not completely sure on them myself as time goes on. I'm not sure as sometimes they seem too bright, but other times quite nice and enjoyable.
dawgbyte's avatar
dawgbyte
325 posts
 
Rythmik Audio with their sealed design and servo technology are hard to beat for their price point. Fast, articulate, musical with absolutely no flab or boominess. I chose them for the very reason you are looking for a sub... music first HT, second. Due to the size of my room I bought two F-15's from Rythmik Audio. That's a ton of bass for the money. Highly recommend them.

FYI, Rythmik drivers are quite popular in the DIY market.
martykl
3,578 posts
 
Since your Anthem already includes ARC, one extra bit of flexibility you might look for in a sub would be adjustable Q. The Rythmiks have this feature (I use two 12" Rythmiks and agree with Dawgyte's recommendation), as do certain SVS models.

Marty
afc
141 posts
 
Personally, I like B&W. I think they're good speakers. Thin sounding? Perhaps, but almost anything that doesn't have big woofers can sound thin, particularly in a big space. My Aliantes sounded thin in my room- until I got the JL sub. It integrates so seamlessly that now the Aliantes sound like thunder. It's as if the bass is emanating from the mains, not the sub. It's not just JL products that can do that for you- most anything that's fast and offers a lot of flexibility- can and will do the same for you. The thin sound will vanish if you choose wisely. You may find with a sub that you no longer need speakers as big as your B&W's- a bookshelf monitor may be just as good or better.
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