Where are the subs?


In listening to the Bach Toccata and Fugue BMV 565, I was struck by how well the organ pedal notes are reproduced since I moved my primary setup to another room. I complemented myself on a fine job of integrating the Velodyne HGS-10 subs with the KEF Ref 1s, using 40 Hz low-pass with 24 dB/octave. But as I thought about it, I didn’t recall connecting the SMS-1 bass manager to the Ayre KX-5 Twenty preamp. I checked. The subs were not connected. The Ref 1s alone where reproducing that satisfying bass. Amazing for stand mounted monitors. I sure as hell didn’t expect that. To confirm, I played the Saint-Seans 3rd Symphony. Same result. Makes me wonder if I need bother connecting the subs.
Ag insider logo xs@2xdbphd
dbphd, better room for bass. If you want the most out of your subs put them right in the corners and cross them over higher, 100 Hz at least.
Play with it. It might take some work to get it sounding right but I am sure you can make further improvements not just in the bass but the lower midrange also. 
Using the long port, KEF states it can get to 30Hz in-room at -6dB, so not much of a surprise.

However, audio <40Hz that needs real power is best handled by a subwoofer.

Despite the specs. I highly doubt your 10” sealed subwoofer can get to 25Hz anechoically.

Play the opening scene of the movie Edge of Tomorrow, that is an amazing test on the bass extension of your setup, it goes down to 10Hz (start with the volume low to prevent potential damage).
Hello dbphd,

     I'm glad you're enjoying your system so much in a new room.  However, I believe your initial experiences in your new room are more a fortunate combination of factors than something you can rely on experiencing on a consistent basis with a larger sample size of source material.
      Your  Kef Ref 1 monitors, I'm assuming on speaker stands, are excellent speakers with exceptionally good bass extension for a monitor type speaker of about 40 Hz.   As you know, The Bach Toccatta and Fugue BMV565 has deep organ notes that likely require the full bass extension of the Kef's bass drivers at times.
     I would highly recommend utilizing your Velodyne HSG-10 subs and your xover in your system.  Not only because you'll be gaining the capacity of high quality bass reproduction of most of the bottom octave in any music (16-32 Hz) but also because you'll be relieving the Kefs of the burden of trying to reproduce bass frequencies at their woofers' physical limits of about 40 Hz.  
     There's also the added benefit of relieving your amp(s) from needing to supply the significant power the Kefs would demand when attempting to reproduce bass frequencies near their limits.  You'll notice the Kefs have an improved sound quality performance from the mid-bass through the midrange and treble with a greater sense of effortlessness when you add your subs and xover back into your system.
     You may also notice overall system performance improvements by raising the low-pass cutoff frequency a bit.  
   
     If you'd like state of the art bass response in your new room, utilizing 4 subs in a distributed bass array configuration would provide it.

Tim
  
The 14' X 19' room used for HT as well as music has a 100" projection screen, and two HGS-15s with SMS-1 bass manger that can make you feel pressure on your chest.  Unfortunately, both need repair, so the only functional subs in the room are two HGS-10s that are not connected.  I'll reconnect the HGS-10s, but really need to haul the HGS-15s to LA for repair.