BK Gemini II or REL T51i

Al @ idealav of course. I already have it’s much bigger brother a Fathom F112 v2. They are amazing subs
 
Al @ idealav of course. I already have it’s much bigger brother a Fathom F112 v2. They are amazing subs
Al mentioned he'd just sold two. Are you using yours for music in a stereo setup too?
 
Nice. Does Manny supply directly too?

How have you connected yours? Are you using high or low level inputs?

Not sure about direct supply, I'd imagine you'd have to go through a retailer.

Low level.
 
The fathom is in my lounge for home cinema use. The d108 is for my study/office for a stereo set up.

The advice was to use rca and line level if rca not available.
 
Manny doesn’t supply directly, you need to go through a dealer. However Manny will help out direct if you have any issues. He’s also a bit of sub set up wizard if you need any assistance.
 
The fathom is in my lounge for home cinema use. The d108 is for my study/office for a stereo set up.

The advice was to use rca and line level if rca not available.
Seeing how high the d108 has set the bar, is it unreasonable to expect the Fathom range to perform as well as the price tag would suggest, I do wonder?
 
Manny doesn’t supply directly, you need to go through a dealer. However Manny will help out direct if you have any issues. He’s also a bit of sub set up wizard if you need any assistance.
Great, that's good to know
 
Al mentioned he'd just sold two. Are you using yours for music in a stereo setup too?

@MI55ION inspired me to go for one in my study. I was looking to upgrade my BK Gemini and saw his posts about small subs and his experience with the REL and it tipped me over into getting a d108 - I already new they were great subs.
 
That would indeed do the trick.

I can't see too many suppliers for the JL Audio, where did you source yours from?

So I think I'm either going to go for the SB1000 (not the Pro I don't think) or the JL. With the SVS I'd probably need to buy the cage to go with it, or just take my chances and hope it doesn't get damaged. Taking my chances means it would cost me around £500ish as opposed to the £1000ish for the JL Audio. If I get the cage to protect it they'd cost near enough the same.

I assume the JL is a far better than the SVS (for music)? Or would it just be massive overkill for my use case and I'd just be paying for a huge amount of headroom that I don't need?

Of course you would pick the new Pro model as it`s noticeable step up from the old one with new driver and amp plus the ability to control it via phone app.

SVS has the edge with extension. It´s still 12" driver in larger cab, so JL can´t beat the laws of physics.

SB1000 Pro - -3db at 20hz.

JL D108 - -3 dB at 29 Hz, -10 dB at 21 Hz


Hanz Wetzel used D108 with pair of LS50, review from golden ear:

Hefty looking driver:

e112-DRVR-RRT_53e4198d-7858-45de-9150-33838d5d8cfe_110x110@2x.jpg
 
Seeing how high the d108 has set the bar, is it unreasonable to expect the Fathom range to perform as well as the price tag would suggest, I do wonder?

No, it’s not. They won’t go as low as a huge 15 or 18 inch sub but they hit really hard in that slam area. Gunshots are completely different experience with a fathom.

if you need a smaller form factor sub, you cannot beat a JL sub.
 
No, it’s not. They won’t go as low as a huge 15 or 18 inch sub but they hit really hard in that slam area. Gunshots are completely different experience with a fathom.

if you need a smaller form factor sub, you cannot beat a JL sub.

Sounds ideal for a lounge/living room setup. Would probably need something beefier for a dedicated home cinema room.
 
Of course you would pick the new Pro model as it`s noticeable step up from the old one with new driver and amp plus the ability to control it via phone app.

SVS has the edge with extension. It´s still 12" driver in larger cab, so JL can´t beat the laws of physics.

SB1000 Pro - -3db at 20hz.

JL D108 - -3 dB at 29 Hz, -10 dB at 21 Hz


Hanz Wetzel used D108 with pair of LS50, review from golden ear:

Hefty looking driver:

e112-DRVR-RRT_53e4198d-7858-45de-9150-33838d5d8cfe_110x110@2x.jpg
I was thinking non pro as its cheaper (couple of prices I've had from retailers) and I did specifically ask whether the Pro would make much of a difference in my use case and the response I had from AmericanAudio was probably not.

Sounds like you're saying that the SB1000 would sound better than the JLA D108 though. Thanks for the link to the review. The review seems to think its a good match with mini monitors and the LS50s

"The d108 was more a tactical weapon for use in a few specific types of systems: the ultimate desktop setup, nearfield monitoring, and rooms of small to medium size. I can envision the d108 being a perfectly suitable partner for a small home theater, but I predict that it will most often be used as I used it: in a 2.1-channel system with a pair of minimonitors, or with small two- or two-and-a-half-way floorstanders. Despite being unable to take advantage of a proper bass-management system, I was plenty satisfied with the Dominion d108’s sound in my room."

with a conclusion of

" The Dominion d108 could be part of the ultimate 2.1-channel system for the common audiophile. Given the level of performance it was able to muster in my system, and the fact that it’s the smallest, least expensive subwoofer JL Audio makes, I worry for the competition."
 
Sounds ideal for a lounge/living room setup. Would probably need something beefier for a dedicated home cinema room.

it depends on what you want from a sub even in a dedicated room. If you want below 10hz then JL is not for you (unless you have a spare £17k for a Gotham) If you want huge output at 40hz it’s a monster, then there is the overall quality of the output. The thing is, you don’t find many people moving on from JL subs....that tells you a lot.
 
Of course you would pick the new Pro model as it`s noticeable step up from the old one with new driver and amp plus the ability to control it via phone app.

SVS has the edge with extension. It´s still 12" driver in larger cab, so JL can´t beat the laws of physics.

SB1000 Pro - -3db at 20hz.

JL D108 - -3 dB at 29 Hz, -10 dB at 21 Hz


Hanz Wetzel used D108 with pair of LS50, review from golden ear:

Hefty looking driver:

e112-DRVR-RRT_53e4198d-7858-45de-9150-33838d5d8cfe_110x110@2x.jpg

In room I'm getting flat down to 25Hz, -3db at 20Hz.

JL D108.jpg

Perfect for most music styles except bass CDs from the likes of Bassotronics et al. For that experience I have to go to the main system downstairs.
 
I was thinking non pro as its cheaper (couple of prices I've had from retailers) and I did specifically ask whether the Pro would make much of a difference in my use case and the response I had from AmericanAudio was probably not.

Sounds like you're saying that the SB1000 would sound better than the JLA D108 though. Thanks for the link to the review. The review seems to think its a good match with mini monitors and the LS50s

"The d108 was more a tactical weapon for use in a few specific types of systems: the ultimate desktop setup, nearfield monitoring, and rooms of small to medium size. I can envision the d108 being a perfectly suitable partner for a small home theater, but I predict that it will most often be used as I used it: in a 2.1-channel system with a pair of minimonitors, or with small two- or two-and-a-half-way floorstanders. Despite being unable to take advantage of a proper bass-management system, I was plenty satisfied with the Dominion d108’s sound in my room."

with a conclusion of

" The Dominion d108 could be part of the ultimate 2.1-channel system for the common audiophile. Given the level of performance it was able to muster in my system, and the fact that it’s the smallest, least expensive subwoofer JL Audio makes, I worry for the competition."

No, not saying it would sound better, can´t know that without listening both.

Seeing the steps SVS has taken with 2000 Pro and 3000 range i would without hesitation buy the latest Pro model cause there is clear performance gains plus the new larger models reportedly sounds better. That is if you go with SVS.

JL is clearly one of the best brand if woofer needs to be small, gorgeous looking and one that sounds good. Beefy drivers with lot´s of power to compensate the smaller size. They aren`t talked here as much as in AVSForum (US). For music rig from the talks they are one of the best sounding woofers there. For movie systems they can´t compete with the smaller cabs and high prices against ID brands. JL has 3year amp warranty, same as REL. SVS and Arendal offer few extra years.
 
In room I'm getting flat down to 25Hz, -3db at 20Hz.

View attachment 1470043

Perfect for most music styles except bass CDs from the likes of Bassotronics et al. For that experience I have to go to the main system downstairs.
Are you using any EQ or other DSP to get that? Or is that just just the sub managing that on its own out the box?
 
That's the in-room response with room modes EQ'd out at a distance of 1.3m.

Very nearfield measurement (10cm from driver) show the sub naturally rolls off from 30Hz like most subs this size. However there is some shaping between 70 and 110Hz which perhaps explains the easier integration with mains.

If you do get the sub or any other for that matter, do ensure you apply EQ to get the most out of it.
 
That's the in-room response with room modes EQ'd out at a distance of 1.3m.

Very nearfield measurement (10cm from driver) show the sub naturally rolls off from 30Hz like most subs this size. However there is some shaping between 70 and 110Hz which perhaps explains the easier integration with mains.

If you do get the sub or any other for that matter, do ensure you apply EQ to get the most out of it.
What would I need to do that?

my amp doesn’t have any EQ or DSP and I’m guessing it’s not built into the D108.
 
The plug and play option then is to use an Antimode. It's limited to EQing your sub only.

For advanced speaker/sub integration and EQ you'd need a miniDSP 2x4HD and UMIK1 Mic

If your PC was your source, JRiver Media Player is excellent alternative to the miniDSP. As for hardware, you'd just need the mic:

For all of the above (except Antimode, although still useful) you need to familiarise yourself with Room EQ Wizard software:
 
The plug and play option then is to use an Antimode. It's limited to EQing your sub only.

For advanced speaker/sub integration and EQ you'd need a miniDSP 2x4HD and UMIK1 Mic

If your PC was your source, JRiver Media Player is excellent alternative to the miniDSP. As for hardware, you'd just need the mic:

For all of the above (except Antimode, although still useful) you need to familiarise yourself with Room EQ Wizard software:
Thanks. Looks like I have some reading and learning to do!

I do have two computers via DACs I can use as a source too but I’d want any solution to apply to everything and the CXN is the source I use most often as the computers are often tied up with work.
 
There are miniDSP options that have Dirac Live built in so you don't have to get too technical.

Otherwise, a pricier option is to change out the amp for one with room correction, Lyngdorf (not sure what models) come up often as an option.

Don't worry too much about it, you might get lucky and find the sub integrates well on its own with very few issues.
 
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