westsounds
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- Mar 30, 2007
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I know this debate has been has many times but I am really torn between which one to get.
My thoughts are I personally would prefer forward firing bass. However I do think downward firing are far better when it comes to looks especially if it is in your lounge or on bit of a lifestyle system which is meant to be as discrete as possible. They also have a much much better WAF.
It is probably quite difficult to tell the difference in sound in practice and this would also depend on the rooms floor etc which would be a big factor. When it comes to the sound though it must be better having the driver point directly towards or into a room rather than at the floor. I have listened to a few subs and some good speakers which have bass drivers orientated or directed at the floor and yes there is lots of slam but its not quite the same as having it directed into the room. Isolation is another factor if the speakers going up and down unless there is dead weight on top of it, it is not going to have the same affect as some spikes or rubber feet underneath it griping and holding it from movement, especially something as powerful as the xls200 which has a lot of movement on the driver.
I'm on a lamented wood on concrete floor at the moment in my lounge, but there is always the possibility that in the future I may put the system back in my loft room where it is a wooden suspended floor.
If I was buying one second hand there wouldn't be the option but as there are non around at the moment I have to choose. I have seen that bk try to help out with special requirements. It would be nice if you could have the option so you could have both. If I bought a FF that's all I could use it as, but if it was a DF you could possibly removing the legs and putting a grill on, but are the spike holes on a FF unit that visible once removed? The other thing is the panel would be on the side if it was used as FF which is something that you could live with.
Decisions decisions.
My thoughts are I personally would prefer forward firing bass. However I do think downward firing are far better when it comes to looks especially if it is in your lounge or on bit of a lifestyle system which is meant to be as discrete as possible. They also have a much much better WAF.
It is probably quite difficult to tell the difference in sound in practice and this would also depend on the rooms floor etc which would be a big factor. When it comes to the sound though it must be better having the driver point directly towards or into a room rather than at the floor. I have listened to a few subs and some good speakers which have bass drivers orientated or directed at the floor and yes there is lots of slam but its not quite the same as having it directed into the room. Isolation is another factor if the speakers going up and down unless there is dead weight on top of it, it is not going to have the same affect as some spikes or rubber feet underneath it griping and holding it from movement, especially something as powerful as the xls200 which has a lot of movement on the driver.
I'm on a lamented wood on concrete floor at the moment in my lounge, but there is always the possibility that in the future I may put the system back in my loft room where it is a wooden suspended floor.
If I was buying one second hand there wouldn't be the option but as there are non around at the moment I have to choose. I have seen that bk try to help out with special requirements. It would be nice if you could have the option so you could have both. If I bought a FF that's all I could use it as, but if it was a DF you could possibly removing the legs and putting a grill on, but are the spike holes on a FF unit that visible once removed? The other thing is the panel would be on the side if it was used as FF which is something that you could live with.
Decisions decisions.
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