Subwoofer buying advice?

I have a Marantz SR4200 receiver and Wharfedale Diamond 8 speaker package. I am now looking to add a sub but am not sure which model to go for. The options that I am considering are:

Wharfedale Powercube 12a - seems like an obvious match for the rest of my speakers, and I can knock a decent chunk of money off the RRP by buying online.

MJ Acoustics pro 50 or REL Quake,- I know that these are generally more highly rated, but I have some reservations about paying as much for the sub as I did for the whole package!

Would it really be worth paying so much extra for either of these models?

One important factor is that I am primarily concerned with movies rather than music - the 8.3 floorstanders give an impressive amount of bass so I don't think that a sub would make that big a difference with music (or have I got this wrong?).

At the moment I am leaning towards the Powercube, but I am still not completely sure, so I would be grateful for any advice.

Cheers!

 

I have the same 'Diamond' setup and I just bought the MJ Acoustics pro 50... I'm well impressed!

And you're right by saying that a sub would not benefit music, but in movies, you can definately feel the difference!

 

Sorry but you are both way of here.

Think I'm correct that the lowest note on the piano is 28Hz, the 8.3's produce round about 40Hz. so therefore a sub for music makes a tremedous amout of difference.

Don't know how far wrong I'd be when I say that music would probably use lower frequencies than movies,( majority of the time) movies use 30Hz upwards most of the time and below 30Hz on those big occasions. So a sub would benefit a music fan more, you two not heard of club music, real banging bass.

A sub is very imprtant and it's equally important to get a good quality one, it can make a whole lot of difference in the way your system sounds.

 

It's a common misconception that, other than organ music, there is little really deep bass in recorded music. One of the clues that tells us we are in a large auditorium, is a very quiet background rumble, caused I guess by low-level traffic noise and other low-frequency events that trigger resonances within the large acoustic space. Take that background rumble away and you lose some of that 'you are there' feeling. And it is really just a feeling. Try listening to a recording of a live event in a large building with and without a sub in your system. Without the sub, some recordings can sound totally flat and lifeless whereas with the sub, they suddenly come alive, even though you can only barely hear the sub.

Provided it's well integrated, and not too loud, and also providing that your amplifier/receiver/processor is able to carry out it's bass management function without introducing excessive distortion (some are much better at this than others), having a decent sub in the system can improve that sense of being there, which is after all what we should be trying to achieve. On that basis, I don't see the harm in trying to get the best sub you can afford. Should work just as well for movies too!

 

Lookout for some cd's by 2 live crew if you want ultra low bass.

They carry a warning on the cover: BEWARE the music on this cd goes below 15 Hz Subsonic and may damage your speakers !!!


They also carry a parental warning as they swear a lot


I used to use them when demo'ing 8 x 10" subs in the back of a nova gsi.

 

I would advise keeping an eye out for REL Q-bass, Q50, Q100 or the various Paradigm subs in the "For Sale" forums.

I picked up a Q100 for £300 about 6 months ago.

Cheers,
Liam

 

Ok so it seems that, as far as music is concerned, I may have underestimated the effect that a sub could have.

So the next question is, how much of a benefit would I get by opting for a more upmarket model, compared to something like the Powercube model that I mentioned?

Although I like my speakers a lot, I figure there's no point in getting a sub that completely outclasses them. I can probably get the Powercube for under £200 online, which means that I would probably be looking at a minimum of an extra £100 for a pro 50 or quake.
Would the benefits justify the extra expenditure?

I realise this is not a simple 'yes or no' answer, but I figure any advice is better than none!
I don't know of any local dealers who stock the powercube, so it will be difficult to compare the different models myself.

Cheers!

 

TBH, the powercube wouldn't cut it as a musical sub. To get a fair musical representation, you should look at a more controlled sub, controll being the key. It's no good just to push loads of air, it has to do it rhymically, so an entry level REL or one of Uncle Eric's cheaper Velodyne's would be much preferable, if your budget can stretch.

 

Thanks for the advice. So where can I audition/buy a Velodyne? And how much would an entry-level model cost?

REL Quake and MJA Pro-50 are the other names that spring to mind. Does anyone have any views on which of these would be the better buy?

 

Just last week all the senior guys on the forum who had heard the Quake VS Pro-50 prefered the Pro-50.....said the Quake goes lower, but is a bit unruly. The Pro-50 is also easier to set up apparently.

 

I have just put out a question for Uncle Eric to answer, This may help with some of your questions as well.

This is what I have noticed, and Jase will back me up.
Have always had Speakers set to small and bass sent to the sub (crossover 80Hz) no way did I expect the amount of change from my system, yes from the bass side of things but not the other speakers, the sound was crisp and clear, I have never heard my speakers sound like that, ever.This is what changes you can expect when going that little bit higher in quality.

Would the benefits justify the extra expenditure? A very big YES, not only would you benefit from the better quality bass, but the rest of the speaker system sounds like a million dollars.

Have a look on the Power Buys Forum, think the Velodyne CHT10 is about £325.

 

merci Bob

 

As Bob has said, adding a decent sub has had a knock on effect on the rest of the system, certainly in my case with the CHT15. When the subwoofer is producing bass and not boom, the rest of the sound spectrum takes on a cleaner sound, quite strange when you first hear it. I´m certainly much happier.

 

I hadn't really heard of Velodyne before visiting this forum. I will consider the £325 powerbuy on the CHT-10.
I have a couple more questions that I am curious about:

1. What is the normal RRP for the CHT-10? (just to get an idea of how good a deal £325 is)

2. Does anyone have any thoughts on this model versus the MJ Acoustics pro-50?
Or are there any other 'musical' subs around this price that I should consider?

Thanks!

 

Had a quick look on the Power Buys Forum but doesn't say what the saving is, don't see any problem in you contacting Uncle Eric with your questions regarding the CHT10, just send him a PM or post your questions on the CHT thread in the Power Buys Forum, Uncle Eric will not pressure you into anything you don't want to do, he will be honest and only give you his best advice.