Which subwoofer?
April 8, 2002
I have as my main speakers (newly purchased) Sonus Faber
Concertinos. I am trying to make up my mind about which subwoofer to purchase: Cambridge
SoundWorks Newton P500 or P1000, ACI Titan II or Force, or one of the Hsu subwoofers that
your site has brought to my attention. I am more interested in musicality than in a big
boom -- I listen to classical music mostly. Obviously, the best sub for the least money is
what I want.
T.F. Woods
There are many factors dictating which subwoofer is
"best" in any given application. The first factor is the room and the system
with which it will be used. I typically look for some flexibility in setup-configuration
controls such as an adjustable crossover, phase, and various types of inputs. Integrating
a subwoofer with your loudspeakers is no easy task, though you have a good chance since
you have speakers that play fairly low to begin with. Speakers that have decent low-end
response tend to be the easiest to work with because they don't require the subwoofer to
play too high in frequency.
Regarding the choices you have given, though I
can't say which one would work best for you, I can say all three companies are reputable
and make good products from what I know.
Listening fatigue
April 5, 2002
I am at a loss as to how to correct my system for
high-frequency sibilance. Basically, I am completely unable to listen to my system for
much more than about 20 minutes without suffering significant fatigue. I have tried moving
the speakers back and forth away from the front wall, as well as damp the sound with a
thick wool rug on the wall behind the speakers. Is this a problem requiring a change in
some of my components? I run an Arcam 8SE CD player with a Cyrus 5 amp to Legend Acoustics
speakers. The interconnects are Cabletalk Broadcast 3 and the speaker cable TARA Labs.
Gabriel Chan
You mention moving the speakers back and forth with
relation to the wall behind them. You don't say whether you experimented with the
speaker's toe-in. As you alter the speakers toe-in (difference between pointed straight
ahead versus straight at you), the high-frequency characteristics will change. If you have
the speakers pointed straight at you, angle them away in small increments, being sure to
note the change in sound quality with each step. Some speakers are really "hot"
directly on-axis, but become quite a bit more tame as you move off-axis just a little.
How much to spend?
April 4, 2002
I'm wondering if there is any rule of thumb or guideline in
allocating dollars to each component in a properly matched stereo system. For example, if
I spent $100 on a receiver, should I expect to spend $50, $200, or $1000 on a pair of
speakers to complement the receiver? If I spend $100 dollars on a set of speakers I really
like, would I expect to pay $1, $50, or $200 on a receiver to drive them? In effect, which
component has the most monetary weight in a well-balanced system?
Gary
You certainly know how to open Pandora's Box! I
advocate spending the largest percentage of your budget on speakers, since they vary the
most and will therefore be the largest determinant of sound quality. I also recommend
buying them first, and then choosing amplification based on the speaker you'll be driving.
A speaker's sensitivity, impedance, and the number of drivers will be factors in
determining which amplifier works best, and without this knowledge beforehand, you really
can't move forward. I'd buy the source component last and spend the least here. Although
many will disagree, an economical system based on the latest in digital technology (like a
good DVD player) can perform at a very high level.
So there you have it -- spend the most on speakers,
then your amplifier, and then the source. And cables, although they can be important,
would be budgeted the least.
Subwoofer choices
April 3, 2002
I have been visiting and reading stuff from your site for
the last few months and I just love it. Kudos to you guys on a such a great, informative
site. My current setup is a Sony DVP-NS400 DVD player (I use it to play both DVD and CD),
Onkyo TX-DS787 receiver, B&W DM602 S2 mains, B&W CDM CNT center, and Cambridge
SoundWorks surrounds. I use this for both movies and music. I had a Velodyne CT100
subwoofer and was not very impressed and have sold it. I live in a small townhouse and
listen at moderate volumes mostly. I would like a sub as much for music as movies.
I am looking for a good subwoofer in the $500-$1000 range.
I am closely looking at:
Velodyne FSX12 MK II - $550
HSU Research VTF-2 - $499
SVS Subwoofers 20-39 PCi - $649
Paradigm PS1200 - $619
Can you rate these products and help me decide? Thanks.
Chella Palaniappan
Thanks for the kind words. Regarding your question, it
is very difficult to rate the products you mention in absolute terms, especially
considering we have not tested much of what you ask about. Adding to the complexity is
that you are trying to choose a subwoofer, which is typically one of the hardest
components to integrate into an existing system. Generally speaking, there are a few
things to look at. Whichever model you choose, I would look at the flexibility of the
controls so that you know you have adjustments that will help with integration. A phase
control and adjustable crossover are minimums I'd say. You may also check with a dealer
that carries B&W, as it is likely they have some experience supplementing a
B&W-based system with a powered sub. Perhaps B&W has a subwoofer that would fit
the bill?
Inexpensive home theater for music?
April 2, 2002
GoodSound! has really helped me quite a bit to
assemble a good stereo on a budget. Thanks. I'd like to know what you think of inexpensive
home-theater components (like DVD players) for music.
John Horne
Just as in anything, there's good and bad within a
genre. I do think there are some tremendous values available in the home-theater realm,
partially because home theater is hot right now and there are a lot of manufacturers
competing at any given price point, and therefore offering a lot of value for the money.
DVD players are a prime example of an area where your dollar goes a long way. I recently
heard a DVD player fronting a system with an integrated amp, a small pair of bookshelf
speakers and a subwoofer. The system sounded great, and it was assembled for very little
money when considering the performance the system was attaining. Don't let the tag
"home theater" or "stereo" be a determinant. Go with what you like and
what sounds good, and in the end just call it yours.
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