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Why not two little RELs?
Yep. Two F12-400's would be a better fit for your room size and budget.
I have two F12Gs with my 1.7s and they work great. Two are way better than one!
With Magnepan LRS+ speakers, you might consider the GR-Research 8in OB servo subs. You can build a modular version and stack 2-4 per side. This gives you the same dipole radiation pattern as the LRS+ and bass down to 30Hz. I know, as I demonstrated them as 4x8in OB servo sub stacks at CAF2023 with my MG10/QR speakers and dspNexus 2x8 DSP processor as DSP crossover and time delay for the main planars to have the wavefront match up to the subs.I know Rythmik Audio is working on the HX series servo amps to drive them. Not sure of time frame. The one amp will drive up to 4 servo subs per side in mono and less cost than the A370PEQ servo amps. Two servo amps for stereo subs.Depends on how fast you want them and how low you want to go, as the 2x12 OB subs do go one octave lower.
I have a single pre-owned REL S/5 that I have connected wirelessly (via REL's Longbow system) in a corner to the right of and behind my primary listening seat. Not one person who has visited the room has aurally identified the sub's location. It can't be easily seen because of a large chair in front of it, and everyone thinks that my primary speakers are the source of all bass, or that there is a sub hidden behind the speaker grill under my TV, front and center.My room is 20' x22' with a 9' ceiling.I do have experience with planars and subs, as long ago I had a pair of the legendary Martin Logan CLS full electrostatics, supplemented by a pair of Kinergetics subwoofers. My single REL far outperforms that setup, effectively disappearing, but extending my main speakers below 20Hz in my present room. The used price for my REL was $1200.
If you're doing a combo of HT and music, I'd get the OB servo subs for music and a separate sealed sub for HT.
Since you are looking at dual Rhythmic subs don't overlook the FM8s. Dual 8" paper drivers that play up to 200 hz. Will output almost the same volume as the 12s but are faster. Gives a lot of options to crossover high. If I had the LRS I would make stands to have them above the FM8s to gain stage height and cross them over as high as works. You would have to work out something to high pass the Maggies but to me that is what I would do if I entered back to Maggie land and would not care about the rest of the line.Make sure to get the gloss black FM8s, beautiful. I have a pair of FM8s with GR Super Minis. Here are a couple videos for proof of concept. Subs have 4 hours, Minis about 30. Crossover is 200 hz. Still a lot of work to get things right, but a start. Room in new house is challenging, but a miracle to even have the system there, ha. Acoustic foam has yet to be put on the front baffle. I have since raised the subs 10" off the ground with the funny things on the sides. They are Specially Tuned Harmonic Resonators that create an out of phase signal to cancel out box resonances. They also just happen to be fantastic grab handles to move the speakers to they listening positions.
The FM8s are impressive for sure. I just don't think I have any interest in crossing over that high though. I'll probably be crossing over at 60Hz.
Just wanted to update that I bought the Rythmik F12-400. I started with just one to see before I bought two and I'm glad I did, I'm actually really happy with the single one. Maybe my room isn't as hard to drive as I thought, also helps I don't play at crazy SPL.I haven't gotten crazy deep into going around my room with a microphone connected to REW and taking measurements but just tuning the crossover and gain by ear so far I'm getting a most excellent result. To my ear the 24dB slope on the crossover sounded better and basically I just kept lowering the crossover point until I didn't hear any more bloat. Wound up being like 40 on the dial (which I believe doesn't actually mean 40)Drum kicks have that chest impact I was looking for and also mid bass has zero bloat. The sub truly does disappear, it just gives more body to all the bass instruments and impact to the drums but it doesn't feel like it's coming anywhere other than dead center in the image even though I have the sub placed far right. Those drum kicks felt like they were just coming out of thin air in front of the projector screen, in-between the maggies.I had my dad over to listen and he did a jaw drop and head turn, looked over to me and just kinda nodded like yeah, this is good. He had a pretty kickass Paradigm setup back in the 90s and was amazed speaker, amp, sub all together was only $2700.I highly doubt I could build anything better for this price.Anyway, I obviously can't comment on how the Rythmik compares with OB subs but I'm very happy with the Rythmik having heard just that.
Just wanted to update that I bought the Rythmik F12-400. I started with just one to see before I bought two and I'm glad I did, I'm actually really happy with the single one. Maybe my room isn't as hard to drive as I thought, also helps I don't play at crazy SPL. ...