[David C]

Thought I would get some advice and opinions, I am thinking about adding an REL 528SE sub to my 2 channel set up. I have a Bryston 14Bsst2 amp and PB1i speakers. I'm not dissatisfied with the low end but thought a sub might help with room effects and round out the low end. The REL is 12" front firing and passive downfiring. 500 watt built in amp. My room is on the larger side (17' by 26') and has wood floors, rug and cathedral ceiling. I have looked into room treatments but no WAF support.

Is it a good idea or am I just throwing away money for little change?

Thanks in advance

David

[charmerci]

WAF and subs? No problem.


Buy a nice looking tapestry that she likes, throw it over the top and add a vase or two. Simple.

[JLM]

David,

What "room effects" are you experiencing?

Depends on what music you listen to (amount of low frequency content), how loud you listen (a sub will allow overall higher sound pressure levels), and if you are a fan of sound staging (a sub should solidify and deepen a sound stage).

But subs are not neighbor/housemate friendly (even on a basement concrete slab floor they throw lots of energy into the environment), can also make all kinds of things to vibrate that never vibrated before (recent AC poster was going nuts until he found it was the window mutton bars 'buzzing'), and a single sub cannot provide flat in-room frequency response (please read up on "swarm" here at AC or the web and read 'Sound Reproduction' by Floyd E. Toole).

Ideally a stereo system (for music) would consist of two mains and four sealed (and 'fast') subs spread around (i.e. "swarm") in a decent room (like yours) with the crossover set around 120 - 150 Hz (the Schroeder frequency were sound propagation changes from waves to rays).  The concept is analogous to moving your hand back and forth the length of a shallow bath tub to push the water and make waves.  Depending on the frequency and location in the tub the waves will reinforce or cancel each other.  Sound waves in a room act in the same way (+/- 20 dB).  No amount of treatments or EQ can address this phenomenon.  By the way, Duke LeJeune here at AC sells swarm systems for the same price as that REL.

[David C]

JLM
thanks for the response. I did want to put more pressure in the room but I understand the swarm idea as to sound improvement. The room effects as I called them are that the room is open to the kitchem on one long wall, 2 very large windows on the short front wall behind the speakers (I have fabric shades I lower when listening) and a stone fireplace on the other long wall. Currently the bass sounds best behind my listening position which is about 12 ft from the speakers (with a little tow in).

sounds like I'm best to hold where I am (not dissappointed with the sound as is) rather than go down the road of multiple subs. That would never fly with the WAF.

[JLM]

Those are mighty fine loudspeakers David.  I've been a TL fan since the 70's thanks to a patient local dealer that sold Fried speakers.  Soon after built cabinets for a pair of his MLTL bass kits (which were too powerful for a room 5 times the size of yours but sounded magnificent in a chapel).  Now I'm enjoying commissioned TL's in a Cardas prescribed golden cuboid room/setup.

You might consider a swarm of built-in subs (infinite baffle wold be best) if proper adjoining spaces are available.  With the F3 of 24 Hz from the PB1i speakers you'd only need to pressurize at the lowest frequencies (could even go through an outside wall as those super low frequencies shouldn't be objectionable to neighbors.  But frankly I don't think you'd be gaining much regardless of the solution and could smuck up the great sound you undoubtedly already have.  Seems like you're suffering from the typical audiophile "what if" syndrome.