[darkwinter87]

I'm moving to a new flat soon and i am selling my monolith and all my speakers and starting over with less powerful gear.

My question is will a bk xls200 be too powerful for a small flat? i dont want to annoy the neighbors (ones directly above)

im looking at getting the aego T speakers off ebay at 58 each delivered but whats the difference in power between the aego t subwoofer and the xls200?
On the flip side i will want power for when a mate comes around so i can show off.

So to me this logically says the xls200 as i can throttle it back when i dont want to be too loud.

What do you guys think?

Cheers for any help

[Badger0-0]

I think going by your own logic, I'd keep the Monolith and throttle that back, although that would require a lot of self control

But yes, I can see where you're coming from if you need to go smaller

[darkwinter87]

Lol keep the monolith!?.... my g/f would kill me. But to be honest its only a small flat and the monolith just wouldnt fit in, as much as it pains me to say it.

[eviljohn2]

I've got 2 in my flat. It really depends on the construction of the building and your neighbours temperament though. Obviously you definitely need to use discretion with any sub in a smaller area.

[darkwinter87]

Originally Posted by eviljohn2

I've got 2 in my flat. It really depends on the construction of the building and your neighbours temperament though. Obviously you definitely need to use discretion with any sub in a smaller area.

The building seemed a well constructed one.

I suppose im just being too nice, im only going to have it on loud once a week for a film. I guess my nervousness is coming from living next door to an old lady who gets scared when i use my monolith now.

[eviljohn2]

Basically, you have to be prepared to turn it down at the slightest hint of aggravation from others. That doesn't mean it's no good quiet though as subs will also add definition at low volumes too although you'll lose some of the welly.

[darkwinter87]

Originally Posted by eviljohn2

Basically, you have to be prepared to turn it down at the slightest hint of aggravation from others. That doesn't mean it's no good quiet though as subs will also add definition at low volumes too although you'll lose some of the welly.

do you recon its worth putting a note through there door saying i watch a film once a week and if the noise is too much to tell me. or will that make them hyper sensitive to any noise i make and make them more likely to complain lol

[darkwinter87]

can anybody tell me how much more power something like the xls200 has over something like the AEGO T sub or similar subs

[Badger0-0]

Originally Posted by darkwinter87

do you recon its worth putting a note through there door saying i watch a film once a week and if the noise is too much to tell me. or will that make them hyper sensitive to any noise i make and make them more likely to complain lol

I've often thought the same thing, but having been involved in several similar discussions, I think the consensus is you're inviting trouble and give the neighbour the chance to knock your door every time you pass wind.

Much better to not take the proverbial and play it by ear

[eviljohn2]

Hyper sensitive I think.

[darkwinter87]

Right well i wont be putting a note through then. I guess im just being hyper sensitive too

[Badger0-0]

I think this is another case of it being really important that you use a SPL meter to set up the system so the sub is no louder than the other speakers.
It's much easier to let the mains tell you if it's too loud, imo, as bass can be a lot louder than you perceive it.
I don't know if you've ever used one, but running a sound test at 75dB makes a sub sound nearly silent compared to the rest.

[darkwinter87]

No never used one, im of the school "hope it works on its own"

im just lazy really, i'l have to get an spl meter and learn "the way of the sub" haha

[Badger0-0]

Trust me grasshopper , it's easy to have the sub 20dB too loud, by ear alone.

[Collusion]

I've got a SVS PB12 NSD in a flat ATM and in normal use there have been no problems with neighbours. Last night's party was too much for them though

[darkwinter87]

Yea so i think if i set it up properly and dont over do it then i should be fine.

i know my next door neighbor is a professor at leeds uni so he wont be in all day, hopefully the people up stairs will be out all day too and i can use my system in the day

[ChrisAV]

Hi there!

Interesting thread as I am in a similar postion, living in a first floor flat with neigbours below (but none to the sides or above ) and am thinking of getting a sub to complement my Wharferdale Diamond 5.0 set up.

I'm not after room shaking effects or thumping bass, just want see (hear?) what I'm missing below the lower limits or the 9.1's and to take some of the work away from them to hopefully get a better sound.

I'm slightly confused though, assuming two subs were both set up correcly (using SPL or whatever) would a larger sub (e.g. bk xls200) transmit more annoying bass to the neighbours than a smaller one (e.g. bk gemini), or would this be offset but other factors such a less 'boominess' and better control? Or does a bigger sub have more bass extension at lower frequencies which is even more annoying?

I would probably use the sub for everything (music, games and movies).

Cheers

Chris
P.S. When I got my amp and speakers I let the neighbours (young couple) below know and asked them to let me know if they could hear it. They were fine and said not to worry, as long as I wasn't playing loud music late at night. Anyway, they've never complained.

[Badger0-0]

I'm slightly confused though, assuming two subs were both set up correcly (using SPL or whatever) would a larger sub (e.g. bk xls200) transmit more annoying bass to the neighbours than a smaller one (e.g. bk gemini), or would this be offset but other factors such a less 'boominess' and better control? Or does a bigger sub have more bass extension at lower frequencies which is even more annoying?

Two different subs set up to give out a maximum, say 75dB, will produce just that. But you would expect the better one to sound quieter on the whole, because of it's lower distortion. The problem is that the deeper you go, the more you feel the bass, which gives an increased perception of volume. That's the bit that is going to really wind up the neighbours.

Even then it's not exactly that simple, because a sub that's averaging the aforesaid 75dB, might actually be ranging from eg 90 to 50db, depending on the frequency. If that 90dB peak happens to be at the bottom end, whilst you won't get it very often, when you do, your neighbours are going to know about it.

And this is why correct setup is sooooo important, imo.

[ChrisAV]

Thanks Badger0-0

I think I follow that. However, if the 2 subs had identical frequency range then am I correct in assuming if they both went down to 20Hz the more powerful sub would be better (read as "less annoying") at the lower level due to less distortion (I think I read somewhere that the frequency response was similar on the xls200 and gemini, but happy to be corrected on that)?

Also, given that the lower frequencies are the more annoying, would I be better with a sub that doesn't go so low (e.g. Wharfedale's SW150 which is only rated down to 35Hz) - I appreciate I would lose some bottom end but still gain over the 9.1's (which are only rated down 50Hz), and the 9.1's would no longer need to work below the cutover (say 80Hz)?

Thanks again.

Chris

[Badger0-0]

I think I follow that. However, if the 2 subs had identical frequency range then am I correct in assuming if they both went down to 20Hz the more powerful sub would be better (read as "less annoying") at the lower level due to less distortion (I think I read somewhere that the frequency response was similar on the xls200 and gemini, but happy to be corrected on that)?

The xls200 will go a fair bit deeper than the gemini, given the 10" driver as opposed to the Geminis 8", I'd have thought, but I haven't heard the gemini so that's a guess.

Also, given that the lower frequencies are the more annoying, would I be better with a sub that doesn't go so low (e.g. Wharfedale's SW150 which is only rated down to 35Hz) - I appreciate I would lose some bottom end but still gain over the 9.1's (which are only rated down 50Hz), and the 9.1's would no longer need to work below the cutover (say 80Hz)?

Pretty much any half decent sub will give you improvement on the bottom end, as you infer. There is also the fact that smaller subs generally can be better for music if you don't want the real low end
But it's not necessarily all about volume. A good deep sub will give good bottom end even at quite low volumes.
Me, I'd go for the best I can afford and turn it down if necessary.
Which is exactly what I do. My Ultra is a fair bit lower than half volume.
The last thing you want is a sub that doesn't "cut it" for you.

Other people might disagree with my way of thinking though

[ChrisAV]

Thanks again - that's given me something to think about.

Cheers

Chris

[ChrisAV]

Originally Posted by ChrisAV

I think I follow that. However, if the 2 subs had identical frequency range then am I correct in assuming if they both went down to 20Hz the more powerful sub would be better (read as "less annoying") at the lower level due to less distortion (I think I read somewhere that the frequency response was similar on the xls200 and gemini, but happy to be corrected on that)?

Found it! Excellent comparison of the two subs: http://www.avforums.com/forums/subwo...vs-gemini.html

The reference to frequency response is in the 'Bass Digger' section.

Chris

[Badger0-0]

I see what you mean and have to admit that surprises me somewhat, but no matter. The consistent theme is deeper and cleaner bass. It sounds like the gemini does a decent job, but one thing that keeps coming up was "more detail".
I also noticed the line where one scene was inaudible on the gemini.
Those things would encourage me to go for the better of the two.
I still stand by what I said earlier, in that if you can afford it, you should go for the XLS200. But at the end of the day, it's your money and your call

[eviljohn2]

I've heard them both in the same place and the XLS200 is significantly better than the Gemini.

[ChrisAV]

OK guys, thanks again . I accept that the xls200 is the significantly better sub (and a number of threads support this), but given that I try to play at considerate levels, which woud be less annoying to the neighbours (or will they both be equally annoying in which case I may as well treat the to some cleaner bass and get the 200)?

Cheers

Chris

[Badger0-0]

Come on mate, you've asked the same question over and over.
You should get the better sub and just turn it down a bit more than you would with an inferior sub.

I see what you're getting at, but the answer will always be the same.
There's simply no getting away from it

[ChrisAV]

OK -point taken! I'll get the best I can (can you lend me £80)?

Chris

[ChrisAV]

Cheers mate, but have the money. Just trying to be careful and not pay over the odds for something I don't really need (bit like Rafa Benitez with Gareth Barry !)

Good luck against Gillingham tomorrow!

Chris
YNWA

[Badger0-0]

Trust me, I'm a ducter (not true, but an "in joke" atm, in my game).

Just trying to be careful and not pay over the odds for something I don't really need (bit like Rafa Benitez with Gareth Barry !)

Good luck against Gillingham tomorrow!

Hmm

Just buy the XLS200 and we'll say no more about it

[ChrisAV]

OK - will do. If you could just PM me your phone number so I can pass it to the neighbours so you can explain to them the necessity of extended bass......