Low cost Subwoofery

Is it worth getting a cheap sub?

Simple as that.

I am basically very happy with my system on most music but there are times when I could do with more bottom end (my speakers are -6bd @ 40htz). Like last night for example, I was listening to "Dub plates from the elephant house" and on a track I know has deep bass lines it was all a bit too light, the bass is there but its simply too quiet.

So to that end I was considering an MJ acoustics or REL sub for around 300-400 as a possible solution.

Is if fair to say that at that level I'm going to have rotten boomy crap or will I be able to buy a decent bit of bass?

Obviously I'll buy S/H.

 

Naw....the REL's are pretty good even the cheap ones. Now if you want cheap richer sounds often has some real cr*p !! You just need to time align them so the bass wave coincides with the satalite speakers. Makes a huge difference...probably why some sound realy bad.

 

At the top end of your budget you should be able to get a decent second hand REL Strata or Storm that if well set up should provide some excellent underpinning for your speakers.

 

Well worth the effort for that money. I'll endorse the MJ Acoustics (I've got a Reference Pro 100). No preference over the RELs, just happened to be available for the right price (on ebay) at the time I was looking. MJ claim lower frequency responses than REL, but I suspect it may down to the way the measurements are made.

The perceived wisdom seems to be downward firing if your prime interest is music; forward firing for cinema (more "punch" which must therefore imply more high-frequency content in the signal).

 

Dont know much about the subject but these have a good following;

http://www.bkelec.com/new/Special_Offers/sp10.htm

 

that looks very familiar!!

 

yeah, I'm happy with my sub for music - but for me - connecting the sub via speaker cables instead of the default phono lead in much, much better...I understand that RELs benefit using this connection...my sub certainly does.

 

Deapends on your classification of cheap....one range I would wholeheartedly recommend is SVS.

These run from cheap to downright expensive,and all have attracted excellent reviews on price and performance.
The only drawback is that the company sells on via the net,and exports from the US,but the service,and delivery times are superb.

I have a PC-Ultra,which cost £750 and simply isn't in the same league as the REL Q201E it replaced...the bass is faster,cleaner,and much deeper without any evidence of distortion or doubling.
It easily outperforms subs costing up to twice as much(incl the B&W ASW850,bigger RELs,and M&Ks)

If you wanted a good cheap sub,even incl P&P etc from the US,you could look at the PB10

http://www.svsubwoofers.com/subs_pb10_isd.htm

This thing is superb value....I'm not affiliated to SVS btw,simply a very satisfied customer.

 

if you check on AVforums.com - there is an SVS PB10 Subwoofer for sale, around 320 quid, only a few months old...supposed to be very good, tho, it's massive and grey...

 

That measures out as 15"x19"x22" and weighs 60lbs...not hugely bigger than a REL Q201,except in depth(not just depth of bass!),but if it's anywhere near as good as the bigger ones,superb value.

 

yeah, more info here - http://www.svsubwoofers.com/subs_pb10_isd.htm

it goes down to 20Hz (claimed), but however, it only has a single phono input - so, it may not be that good for connecting to a stereo amp - I can't really comment on that since not having listened to one, but I do know that my sub sounds much better using a set of speaker cables instead...

 

I've got one of the PC-Ultra models,which has both phono and speaker connections.....frankly,these work much better using the phono inputs,and setting it up carefully to get the best results...read all of the info on the site(thats for Jools btw),and also use SVS's info email...the response will be very helpful and very fast also...well worth asking them for any advice you might need.

 

how about this one, or soemthing similar; a MJA reference 1 on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3275&item=5758428352&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

 

The BK subs have many followers and if I was in the market this would definitely be on my list

see http://www.bkelec.com/new/Special_Offers/sp5.htm

£280 in real wood veneer