Any subwoofer is better than No sub all?

Hi,

I use the Kef Qseries for my homecinema.(q50,10 and ref100)
It's OK basswise...but i heard that SUbwoofer will add a whole dimension to my home****************.

So i have been checking the subs out...and i came down to the usual suspects. Rel.
My prob is that it's a little OVER my budget.It would fit great in mysetup...but not my budget;-(
So i was thinking of buying a budget Subwoofer...or at least a sub that;s currantly on sale(read ld models)
I have the choice between the Magnat project 200,Bns "little sub",yamaha YS45 or the Wharfedale Topaz 15.

Most of these subs are so old that i don't know anything about them...and i also can't find any info about them.
Can some one help me out?
They say that they are around 300pounds normally but are now on sale for around 100 pounds.

Do you think using cheap Subs with my speakers(Kef Qseries) will have any effect or even worse...will have a negative impact?
Or is any Subwoofer better than No subwoofer at all.
And can you recommend me a budget Sub.


thanks a lot,


DT

Well one thing is for sure - a crap sub is definitely NOT better than no sub at all.
The problem with real budget subs is that they don't actually produce sub-bass. I.e. flat response down to 20Hz. Some don't go anywhere near 20Hz (the specification for Dolby Digital) and you end up with a peak in the mid-bass region.
So rubbish subs usually just add mid-bass, making the overall sound boomy.
You could try the subs in your setup to see what effect they have. But if you don't know what you're listening for, you might be impressed by mid bass boominess, to only later realise that it's not what subwoofers are all about.
If I were you I'd save up and get a decent sub. You can pick up s/h Q50s and Q100es fairly cheaply now people are upgrading to Q200 and Q400s.

I would recommend you buy a Tannoy MxSUB10. I heard one, but have not been able to buy it yet as its a new product and nobody has it in yet. There was a small shipment in late decmeber, but i missed it.

I was suprised how good a sub actually sounds. It made a huge difference to the sound on my friends setup. Almost as good as a REL sub. The Tannoy retails at £250, but Empire direct will be selling it at £190 when they get it in.

Also consider the Paradigm PS-1000 or the PDR-10 which cost £150 and £200 from Richer Sounds.

At the end of the day, if you have the room save up for a REL, but i personally thought that the Tannoy sounded excellent in a small HC.

[Phil Hinton]

Tan,
Wait till you have a little more money,(or do the finance thing),and then go and demo the rel subs and even the smaller M&K models.
Buying a sub is not like buying anyother home cinema kit, because if you get the choice right(and invest some money)the sub will last for years to come,and if its a rel will blend with any speaker system you choice to use with it.I have owned a REL STORM (original)for 4years and recently bought a second to compliment it.I have used three different speaker packages with them since.(2 B&W and 1 Kef).
The best advice i can give is that it takes time to get the set up right and can take up to 6 months for the sub to run in properly and to make the slight adjustments until it is perfectly set.But once set you will get years and years out of it.

So invest in the best you can afford and stay away from the cheapies or you will be replacing it within the year.

[andyp]

Hi tan1415

I'm in exactly the same position as you, having just purchased my surround full range speaker package (B&W), I’m now thinking of a sub. As you say, everywhere you turn you hear that illustrious word…. R-E-L !!! :-)

I too can’t really afford a Q100 (my preferred choice), but have just about made my mind up that unless I buy one, I will probably end up regretting it for years to come! You know how it is…… “I wonder whether a REL would sound better than that xxxx sub I bought……..”. One thing that may help your budget situation is finance, most of the bigger retailers offer 0% finance. Not a fan of finance myself, but when it’s 0%APR you’d be stupid not to take advantage of the offer. I have just done this with my B&W speaker package purchased from Sevenoaks Sound & Vision,

Hope this helps.

Andy P.


[This message has been edited by andyp (edited 21-01-2001).]

Thanks for your answer.
I maybe can stretch my budget to get one of them.
But i am already paying to buy a new TV and Amp and DVDplayer.
So i am pretty low on cash right now.

I think i'll put the HIGH end on the REL Q100.
But has anyone heard the Yamaha yet?
The 300 has some solid reviews and is pretty cheap.They compare it to the q100 power wise.
Does this mean it's better than the q50?
Anyone heard how the new Yamaha 320 sub works out?

Well thanks for your response.

I don't have a sub yet either. No one I notice has mentioned the Definitive Technology Pro 80 Sub or Boston or Monitor Audio...

In the UK look at the online retailer: http://www.hifibitz.co.uk/acatalog/H..._Audio_66.html
and http://www.hifibitz.co.uk/acatalog/H...oston_393.html

I can't afford a full setup with 5 speakers and HC amp, so I am thinking of purchasing the toshiba SD200 DVD and using its subwoofer output, together with my older stereo system! I can't see why it shouldn't sound pretty good.

Obviously it won't compete with a full 5.1 system.

I agree with spinball on this one. You'll be far better off either buying used (Loot?) or saving your pennies for a while longer. I've heard cheap subs...aghhhhh! The only point in buying one would be if you've got cheap & nasty speakers.

------------------
www.baldyplex.com

What's a cheap Subwoofer actually?
Below 300 pounds? the yamaha yst-w320 priced around 300pounds is not considered a cheap sub right?


Tfraser; i don't think using 2 speakers and a sub will actually work.
I'd better use the money for a sub to buy a center and 2 surroundspeakers OR buy 2 big floorstanders.
Floorstanders can go quite low(to 40 hz) and will provide adequate bass i think.

If you really want homecinema experience you can do 3 things.
1)Buy a TV with build in decoding: hitachi WF810 series or the philips 9616. 2)Or buy a A/V Amp and center/surround amps lastly3) allinone homecinema set like JBL esc 300.