Best sub for music,

I'm pretty sure an ear cleaning and a posted ear test is in order.. LOL

Voices mozartfan, "Nothing below 160" mercy what kind of music do you listen to? LOL I think even Cher get down there.. 

There is all kinds of music from 250 down.. 60 - 150 is BASS, 120-280 is MB and really directional. The issue I still have is vibration in the monitor cabinet..

80-300 is still hard to dampen in a cabinet, with mids and highs there too. Time alignment is impossible without separate cabinets (Mechanically) Sub frequencies 60< forget it. Not in my monitors cabinets.. or MB for that matter. BOTH are separate cabinets.

1. Subs GRs servo system
2. Band pass MB columns, direct coupled. NO passive XOs excellent cone control..
3. Monitors (split dipole) hybrid LS

All separate cabinets..  The best way I've found so far. IB MB columns and an OB servo sub system.. They work WELL in any room.. So far..

Regards

A response to "No sub is the best sub" and so I have also said....however, while we say, the cello is at 200 hz and the kettle drum can register at 110hz, the actual frequency isn't a pin point. While each instrument is most pronounced at the frequency point, the instrument contains a wide range of frequencies even much lower (and higher)than expected. As with photography, the black forms a key element even in the brightest pic. Our audiophile hobby resembles photography. All the frequencies (all shades of color) form the creation of a lifelike reproduction. Even human voice contains such very low frequencies that when removed or added can dramatically change the reproductive realism. My new sub is on the way....SVS SB-2000 Pro, its sister will follow next year. Any Thoughts?     

Long time lurker, first time poster...

I have to jump in and state what mijostyn stated above is excellent advise. After 30+ years in the audio world (home hi fi, car audio, Pro Audio), having large (or many) cones move very minimally is the key to low distortion and, if using ported cabinets, very little cause for port noise.

I am a big fan of sealed cabinets, but a ported cabinet can extend lower with a flatter (on paper) response if done correctly. However, with gain, crossover point selection and room loading, a sealed cabinet can provided a flatter response than what is shown on paper, like a ported cabinet can, as frequencies get lower.

Two (or more) subs seem mandatory to my ear. I can hear the soundstage pulled towards the subwoofer in a single sub setup in a home system or pro audio system.

In my main home system, I am using two 18" JBL 2269H drivers in specific JBL cabinets (vented design for recording studio use) for low frequency extension beneath my JBL 4349’s for strictly 2 channel music reproduction. Each sub frequency driver is being run by a JBL Synthesis SDA-2200 amp in bridge mode at 790 watts (admittedly, not the most high end of amplifiers-but I’m affiliated with a JBL Synthesis dealer, so I use what we sell). The 4349’s are driven by a McIntosh MC312 and the system is crossed over by an outboard home hi fi crossover at around 80 hertz. Lots of power for effortless driving of the system. I am tainted by JBL low frequency "color" due to all my years in pro audio. There is a familiarity to me of how JBL low frequency drivers reproduce low end and I enjoy it. I could go into why I like the accordion surrounds, paper cones, etc., but that gets boring...

18’s in a home? That seems illogical and nonsense. However, those cones simply don’t move at low to moderate levels. Again, goes back to what mijostyn states about low distortion levels when the cones (air pistons really) are not moving much. I have zero vent noise or chuffing. Again, being a sealed cabinet guy, I was quite hesitant on these cabinets but after implementation of the system, that large driver (and it’s construction) simply sounds good. At full tilt with the drivers reproducing frequencies in the 20’s, it’s scary as to how much fun it is. I have other systems in the house in smaller rooms with tiny cabinets (and one system with a tiny subwoofer) and 50 watts of power, but I hardly listen to them anymore due to just how much fun it is to listen to a large system with subs driven by big power in a big room.

I’ll probably get promptly booted out of here and banned for life for suggesting 18" JBL drivers on an audiophile forum, but just wanted to share my experiences and I’m having a ton of fun with this setup. Dual 10’s or 12’s should be a starting point for any addition of subs. I applaud everyone for at least considering subs in their home system. For decades I ran a small, low power, no sub, intimate system in my main room thinking, "nah, I’m good if the cabinets start rolling at 50 or 60 hertz". Life indeed begins below 40 hertz.

I’ll probably get promptly booted out of here and banned for life for suggesting 18" JBL drivers on an audiophile forum

Nah. 18s are cool. The bigger cone needs less excursion. Very nice for extension in the bass. The only real issue is the size of the cabinet to work with one.

jheppe815, welcome. You are absolutely right. Having a system that really produces low end is a lot of fun and frequently brings on smiles and laughing. I have many recordings of large organs that are so much fun to play for people. Every time a 32 footer lights up your vision actually blurs!
You get some really funny reactions. But most importantly with good live recordings you can close your eyes and feel as if you are at the concert. It is every bit as audibly enjoyable as being at the event. If you just listen to solo female folk singers playing guitar then I suppose you can do without a subwoofer but for everything else? Let's put it this way, the people that have decent subwoofer systems are having a lot more fun:-)

jheppe815, I use QSC amps to drive my subwoofers. I am not familiar with the JBL amplifier but using an expensive high end amplifier on subwoofers is totally unnecessary. Commercial amps are much more fairly priced and there are many sound reinforcement amps that have excellent bass. 1000 class AB watts with a damping factor 500 or above and a big power supply will generally fit the bill perfectly.