[BrandonB]

I am about to finish my NX-otica's in a few weeks, So I am starting to focus on my subs.  If I had my cake and could eat it too I would have an OB eight stack in front and four sealed subs in back for movies.  I'm being sarcastic about all that but I do think I am going to get both.  Im not sure what I am going to do first though. Does anyone have any sealed subs with their NX Series?  Also does anyone have OB subs paired with their Brute or Bully?  In my mind it seems like the sealed subs would be better at hard hitting punchy stuff but the OB subs would be good at low rumbling base and the cello.  What are your thoughts? 

[Huskerbryce]

I currently am running 2 of the double trouble open baffle subs up front next to my mains in a home theater.  I also have a rythmik sealed 15” sub up front and behind and then a massive dual opposed 15” rythmik sub in the rear of the home theater.  I use two speaker presets.  One for music and one for movies.  The music preset is flat bass response with emphasis on the prime listening position with phase.  The open baffle subs are blended flat to the mains and just a hint of the sealed subs to fill in the really really low end.  For movies I change the phase slightly to add more whole room response to the sealed subs and emphasize those much more.  Open baffle subs remain flat while the sealed subs gain come up 2.5 db above flat.  I find movies to be much more fun with that configuration.  I just ordered an NX otica kit to replace my aging diy mains.  Cant wait to be able to play around with those.

[BrandonB]

I currently am running 2 of the double trouble open baffle subs up front next to my mains in a home theater.  I also have a rythmik sealed 15” sub up front and behind and then a massive dual opposed 15” rythmik sub in the rear of the home theater.  I use two speaker presets.  One for music and one for movies.  The music preset is flat bass response with emphasis on the prime listening position with phase.  The open baffle subs are blended flat to the mains and just a hint of the sealed subs to fill in the really really low end.  For movies I change the phase slightly to add more whole room response to the sealed subs and emphasize those much more.  Open baffle subs remain flat while the sealed subs gain come up 2.5 db above flat.  I find movies to be much more fun with that configuration.  I just ordered an NX otica kit to replace my aging diy mains.  Cant wait to be able to play around with those.

That is a lot of subs and sounds very impressive.  I am looking at the 15in rhythmic sealed subs also.  What do you think about them?  Would you change anything?  How large is your room?  Are you changing the presets in your preamp?

[Early B.]

Mating sealed subs with the NX series is criminal.

What's more important to you -- music or movies? You gotta pick one. If music, then grab as many OB servo subs as your room can handle. For movies, a couple of 15" sealed subs are all you need.

[mkrawcz]

Mating sealed subs with the NX series is criminal.

What's more important to you -- music or movies? You gotta pick one. If music, then grab as many OB servo subs as your room can handle. For movies, a couple of 15" sealed subs are all you need.

I agree with this. If you try to use sealed subs with the fast responsive drivers of the NX-Oticas, it sounds very sloppy. I’ve tried mine with a pair of real good Rel subs and it just doesn’t cut it compared to the OB doubles. It’s a totally different sound and experience. The sealed subs kind of ruin it all, it’s better without subs at that point IMO.

[Nickando]

What about with the sealed servo subs that GR Research offers? Have you heard those with yhe NX series speakers??

[Tyson]

The OB subs that GR offers are not really 'subs', IMO.  They are 'bass extenders' for the main speakers.  If you want the front speakers to play full range (down to 20hz) then you need a pair of OB subs for that. 

Sealed subs act more like traditional subs and those are what I'd use for movies. 

The only time I'd used sealed subs for music is if my main speakers were also box speaker.  Like the Encores, for example. 

[BGA]

I have two Rhythmic 15 sealed subs and two double trouble GR subs. My experience is exactly how Tyson stated, I use the sealed for movies with my standard box speakers and the double troubles with NX-Oticas for music.

The sealed Rhythmic 15 are great for movies and sounded good with my Encore towers before I upgraded. I use room correction for movies to smooth out the response across a few more seats with absolutely no complaints.

[sortner]

I run the triples with the NX oticas, they are nothing but outstanding, if I were to do it over I would of went with four on each side as they are closer in height to the speakers....You will not be disappointed with this set up. I want nothing more with this set up, except for maybe a better room and line forces. (I have listened to them) WOW!....Thanks Jay!

Steve

[BrandonB]

The OB subs that GR offers are not really 'subs', IMO.  They are 'bass extenders' for the main speakers.  If you want the front speakers to play full range (down to 20hz) then you need a pair of OB subs for that. 

Sealed subs act more like traditional subs and those are what I'd use for movies. 

The only time I'd used sealed subs for music is if my main speakers were also box speaker.  Like the Encores, for example.

Yeah the OB subs up front is the plan.  Its just taking longer than expected to get.

[BrandonB]

I have two Rhythmic 15 sealed subs and two double trouble GR subs. My experience is exactly how Tyson stated, I use the sealed for movies with my standard box speakers and the double troubles with NX-Oticas for music.

The sealed Rhythmic 15 are great for movies and sounded good with my Encore towers before I upgraded. I use room correction for movies to smooth out the response across a few more seats with absolutely no complaints.

Do you have box speakers and NX-otica in the same room?

[BrandonB]

I run the triples with the NX oticas, they are nothing but outstanding, if I were to do it over I would of went with four on each side as they are closer in height to the speakers....You will not be disappointed with this set up. I want nothing more with this set up, except for maybe a better room and line forces. (I have listened to them) WOW!....Thanks Jay!

Steve

Four would be cool you just have to use two amps or a bigger dual mono amp.

[Glady86]

I’m using sealed 15 inch subs with NX-Oticas for now. I think I’m missing out on the full experience, though the setup still sounds better than any of my previous speakers. Damn you guys, now I think I need to break down and finally order double troubles or triple threats, hm not sure which yet. 

[mlundy57]

With the NX-Oticas and X-Tremes, the OB subs are mating to OB woofers. With the NX-Studio, the woofer is sealed so mating it to a sealed servo sub wouldn't be a mismatch. Also, the Studio Monitor was designed to be able to be placed close to the wall. If The SM is mated to OB subs, this ability is lost.

Do the SMs sound great with OB subs? Sure they do, but they also sound great with sealed servo subs. I have two main systems in my house, the full OB system upstairs and a system with a sealed servo sub in the living room. The main speakers in this room are a pair of N3 transition line towers. I have had the Studio Monitors in this system also and they sound fantastic.

The point being that in the NX series, the Oticas and X-Tremes need the OB subs while the Studio Monitors work well with both and if the reason someone chooses the Monitors is they don't have the room to get OB subs at least 3' off the wall, a sealed servo sub is a perfectly capable and exceptional sounding option.

[Glady86]

 It took a bit of tinkering to get the decent results with the sealed subs, changing positions, adjusting crossover range and type and eq. I’m sure it doesn’t ruin the merits of the NX-Oticas sound, just not ideal. Also, an  unrelated change I made was replacing the QRD panels behind the speakers with GIK Evolution polyfusers, seems more precise spaitial cues, tonal balance and imaging. May be room dependent, but I like the change.

[Early B.]

Damn you guys, now I think I need to break down and finally order double troubles or triple threats, hm not sure which yet.

Don't settle for troubles when threats are what you want.

[BrandonB]

Don't settle for troubles when threats are what you want.

Is four OB Subs Quad core or Quad squad.  We need to make up a names for four and six.  I don't think I have ever seen five.

[Early B.]

Is four OB Subs Quad core or Quad squad.  We need to make up a names for four and six.  I don't think I have ever seen five.

Love the "Quad Squad." Six would be the "Hexadragons." 

I have three dual subs, so should I call them, "Triple Doubles?"   

[Tyson]

What's crazy is when you consider the number (and quality) of the drivers in the GR Research OB speakers, it really dwarfs the other commercial options out there.  I very rarely see speaker systems as big as NX series and when I do they are all north of $100k. 

Heck, just look at what we are talking about here - towers of servo controlled 12" bass modules.  Very rare to see anything like that at all with commercial offerings, and when you do it's very very expensive. 

[mlundy57]

What's crazy is when you consider the number (and quality) of the drivers in the GR Research OB speakers, it really dwarfs the other commercial options out there.  I very rarely see speaker systems as big as NX series and when I do they are all north of $100k. 

Heck, just look at what we are talking about here - towers of servo controlled 12" bass modules.  Very rare to see anything like that at all with commercial offerings, and when you do it's very very expensive.

And once you get used to this level of performance, you are spoiled. I didn’t hear any system at Southwest Audio Fest that I liked as well as I do mine let alone better