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Have you moved away from full range to standmount speakers + subs?

I want to know if you have been on a journey moving from a large full range speaker to a smaller one paired wit subs, maybe even four subs.


Maybe you moved away from the big speakers because you had too much bass or you got a better soundstage from the smaller speakers. Let me know what motivated you and if you think it’s better now.


My motivation for wanting to try smaller speakers.


I have the Tekton DI and until a month ago I was using a LM845P SET amp to drive them.

It only sounded good on simple jazz and vocals but on complex music everything was falling apart.

I am not playing loud but I think it was the low 2 ohm load in the midrange that made the LM break down.


I bought a used PS Audio BHK250 and pre and it was like getting new speakers. Never ever had it occurred to me that speaker and amp matching could have such a profound effect.


So I am enjoying my speakers now and listen to music I have avoided like the plague and enjoying it (:


But all of this got me thinking, what if I paired my LM845P with an easy to drive speaker and paired it with some subs?


Then the LM845 could do what it's best at, playing glorious midrange and the subs could play the bass.

So that's my motivation for trying smaller speakers.


I am also hoping that maybe I could get better and more even bass with 2 or 4 subs. Maybe a better soundstage because the small speakers have a very small baffle.

martin-andersen
phusis's avatar
phusis
1,133 posts
 
@jjss49 --

Good insights. 

It seems to me though you're leaving out one scenario, namely that pairing the larger full-range speaker (in your case the Spendor SP100 R2's) with a pair of subs. Have you tried out that combination with the REL's of yours?

This is my own preference and actual speaker setup; large floor standing (semi-)full range main speakers coupled to a pair of large (20 cf. volume per cab) tapped horn subs. That's a total of four 15" drivers covering the range of roughly 85 to 600Hz, and two tapped horn-loaded 15" drivers (effectively adding up to the equivalence of four to five 15" drivers in air displacement area) reproducing ~20 to 85Hz. Whilst my main speakers are not full-range strictly speaking (35-40Hz is their lower, stand-alone limit) what matters is that four 15" (high efficiency) drivers are used in outlined region and what this means for the reproduction of this vital frequency spectrum. Important also is that they're high-passed below ~85Hz, meaning they are relieved of LF which cleans up their used range and adds further headroom. 

To my ears nothing beats large main speakers coupled to a pair of large subs. This combination alone leaves many variations to be explored though to fit many different needs and goals. 
martin-andersen OP
139 posts
 

Hi all, I'm starting to get real curious about subwoofer arrays.

https://forum.audiogon.com/users/tony1954 you mention that you have recently bought a sub array, may I ask which one?

tvad's avatar
tvad
11,550 posts
 
Regarding distributed multi-subwoofer arrays (DBA), Duke LeJeune (@audiokinesis) is the resident Audiogon guru. He’s been promoting the benefits of a multi-sub DBA system on Audiogon for over 15 years, offering help and free advice to folks who DIY’d their own distributed bass arrays.

Duke designed and sells The Swarm distributed bass array (with permission from the originator of the idea, Dr. Earl Geddes). FYI...the cabinet is designed for the driver to face the wall.
larryro2
137 posts
 
I just changed from a 80 to a 300 watt per ch amp and with the same speakers the bass response is much better and cleaner.

the mid and hi end RTS and that’s fine since exaggerating the hi end irritates me!
all due to tinnitus, high frequency hearing loss and hypersensitive-in the hi frequencies!

hypersensivity-tinnitus- hearing loss

a trifecta!


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