gosub?

[Arith]

Hi all,

Looking for a little advice, as im in about 5 million minds what to do.
My bedroom is roughly 11.5 x 13 feet. Not big, and pretty full, bed, pc desk, drawers, chairs etc. Not that much floorspace left. Oh and the setup(32 inch dx40, yam 630). Currently got M74's in here, which seem ok with movies, but weaker with music. Not enough space i think. I used to have RTL2's but wanted more bass. I initially got a paradigm ps1000 but it sounded absolutely awful in here, boomy, slow etc not to mention huge. So i tried bigger floorstanders instead, giving up on subs. However i still feel im missing something at the bottom end with DD/DTS, and music doesnt sound good at all.

Should i try a sub again? Im thinking pro50 size i guess, something small but tight sounding and not boomy as possible. I think the fact its bedroom hence no solid floor isnt helping. Id then get some good standmounts for the front as music would improve measurably. I think the M74's are good speakers for the bucks, esp with movies, i could possibly bung them and stand them back a little more if i had a sub as an alternative.

Think i should go for a small sub? Would i be gaining much going for a small one anyway? If so any advice, £300-400 range.

Thanks.

 

[Nobber22]

I know everyone deserves to have great sound in their system and that not everyone has their own home, but I am always AMAZED at how much stuff you guys try to cram into your little bedrooms! Thereafter you go throw in a pair of huge floorstanders or a sub. Then you say the sound isn't so good & that something is missing & try to anaylse the equipment .....it's free space that you need, not more stuff in that room, lads. Funny how most of the bedroom pics we see posted on the forum have single beds in the rooms - these guys probably don't have a wife/girlfriend telling them "how ugly it all looks" - lucky sods!

Now, before you have a go at me for telling someone off who hasn't a larger lounge or a dedicated HC room, I want to make it clear that I always read these threads and start out trying to give advice and find a solution for the person asking. I am not here to find fault with anyone's setup or call you a fool. I have received much help on this site and want to return the favour each time I post. A small room (not always a bedroom either) is a tough problem to sort out for anyone, including people here with much more knowledge than I have...

Now back to Arith: mate i have used Yamaha Amps (620) and Mission speakers (M73's and my neighbour uses the same amp and M74's) in small rooms so I have some experience here. Those M74's are way too big for your room or just about any guys I know's bedroom. On the end of a Yam amp they will just sound wallowy. As for music, what are you using as your source? A budget/midrange dvd player? Not the best source for tunes, unfortunately.
Your idea to get some smaller speakers is bang-on. Good standmounts or even a sats setup will be less overbearing and give you a chance to try to integrate a good little sub like the MJ50 - however that is only a maybe. You may find that the lack of space makes any sub sound pants and you have to work with kit which gives a clearer midrange (good bookshelfs) but less bass until you get a larger room one day.

I have re-read my post & am afraid I sound like my dad telling me "keep it down up there, you little punk!", but wish to make it clear that I am (only) in my late twenties and like it LOUD in my house too! Good luck with your trials and hope I can give your more tips; if you want to hear from me again

 

[Arith]

Oddly enough, its the biggest room in the house. £350k Farmhouse, 300 years old, the idiots back then made every room small and almost square. Not to mention the almost 3 foot thick walls.
Music isnt really a problem, for proper listening there is the all NAD setup downstairs with the RTL2s. It really is me purely wondering whether a sub is needed for DVD playback.

out of interest i'm 31, live and work here with the folks. Trapped in the country as it were. Dont even mention Broadband......

 

[Nobber22]

Originally posted by Arith
Not to mention the almost 3 foot thick walls.

Oooh, I'll have some of those in my semi to keep the neighbours off my back!


It really is me purely wondering whether a sub is needed for DVD playback.

Whether it's "needed" vs "nice to have" is another story. A good sub will fill in the lowend on any DVD soundtrack better than (any) pair of speakers. As you have found tho', it is tough to get a sub well integrated in a small room without it booming/distorting all over the place. The Pro50 will be better and tighter than the old one you had, but it may still boom.....grrr! Unfortunately unless you can demo a Pro50 in your own room, the only choices are:
1) buy one and take a chance that it will be ok
2) try to rearrange your room and better integrate the Missions and furniture
3) just live with what you think is "that something missing"
......not the favourable option in anyone's book I'm afraid.

Maybe someone else with more sub experience than either of us can comment?

 

[Lowrider]

Whatever you decide, large speakers will always be harder to fit in the room than a reasonable subwoofer + standmounts...

So I would start by downsizing the speakers, then adding a sub, the pro50 is probably adequate, closed box, downfiring...

 

[Arith]

Well, i got the pro 50.

The difference is phenomenal. Its not the depth, as anyone knows the pro50 is limited by its size, but its the quality. After about 2 weeks of moving about as far as its leads will take it, its found a place where the bass is 300% better than before. Much, much less boom(the m74s now bunged and only handling things above the yamahas crossover. There is just a little bloom between 50-60hz, but nothing like the m74's had. Its purely down to being able to position where the bass is generated in this squarish ;( room. And its got that kick that i wanted.

It is a fantastic little sub. Exceedingly musical and subtle, it does very well what its meant to. Very nice build quality too.

Just dont expect it to compete with the big boys as far as movies go.