Subwoofer suggestions

[irv]

@alphacentury100 It really helps. Thank you. Now a few hours everyday will be dedicated to research on these. I think the research and reading up reviews have become a more pleasurable activity than actually buying one....
I am more into music than movies but can't afford a dedicated sub for both....
From what I have learnt from you and other experts I feel I should look for used subs either Rel or Rhythmic and if they are not. Available BIC. Seems like there are many happy customers of BIC. Aren't they huge? I would like to have a 10" sub. Also high level inputs are necessary as my pm 6006 has no dedicated sub out
By the way which sub are you using?

 

[alphacentury100]

@alphacentury100 It really helps. Thank you. Now a few hours everyday will be dedicated to research on these. I think the research and reading up reviews have become a more pleasurable activity than actually buying one....
I am more into music than movies but can't afford a dedicated sub for both....
From what I have learnt from you and other experts I feel I should look for used subs either Rel or Rhythmic and if they are not. Available BIC. Seems like there are many happy customers of BIC. Aren't they huge? I would like to have a 10" sub. Also high level inputs are necessary as my pm 6006 has no dedicated sub out
By the way which sub are you using?

Well, I started my journey with Onkyo, went to Polk, then stepped in to the Big leagues, the SVS PB13Ultra and then to KEF and after that XTZ and finally ended with Rythmik as of now.

 

[irv]

Well, I started my journey with Onkyo, went to Polk, then stepped in to the Big leagues, the SVS PB13Ultra and then to KEF and after that XTZ and finally ended with Rythmik as of now.

Great journey.... Wish I could travel that road a little... What about the speakers?

 

[pkhammu2005]

Well, I started my journey with Onkyo, went to Polk, then stepped in to the Big leagues, the SVS PB13Ultra and then to KEF and after that XTZ and finally ended with Rythmik as of now.

Which Rythimik u r using?

 

[DB1989]

We all love to upgrade ( I just meant the speakers)
Since audition is difficult, you will have to make a blind purchase. Of course we all have made blind purchase at least once and the outcome was sometimes rewarding and sometimes an expensive lesson. Of course that is part of the AV life.
I will just explain the characteristics of some subwoofers (These are just my perception). Hope you get some clarity.
SVS: Very good for movies and average for music.Thick and heavy sound with lot of bottom end and average midbass. Has a lot of features and impeccable after sale support and warranty but pricy compared to the US price.
RYTHMIK: Very good for music but will be behind the SVS for movies. A bit lean sounding compared to the SVS but has even more bottom end than the SVS and can even reach 12.5hz with authority but the midbass strength varies based on the model. Very musical and very fast and tight but some people may need getting used to the sound of it to like it. Good built quality like the SVS but less feature rich compared to the SVS. The price was good but the recent hike (The price got increased twice in India during 2020 even though the International price had no change) in the indian price has taken it closer to the SVS in terms of price, which is a disadvantage as SVS has already been well established in India and no other brand until now can match the customer support provided by the svs.
REL : IF you are a 100% music guy then this is the sub most of us will recommend you until you can get a pair of Seaton Submersive HPi or a pair of Funk Audio Subs. Very nice mid bass, but very poor bottom end. Very good for music but not recommended for movies. Very fast and clean sounding. Their pricing is also in pair with the international price. Well built and very very beautifyl. Got decent features like High level input. But a remote app would have been great. Will have less placement issue as its lowend isn't that strong.
XTZ: These subs bas a bit of both the worlds. Decent Bottom end but not comparable to SVS or Rythmik. Midbass is also decent. Not so clean as the Rythmik or fast as the REL but a Jack of all trade. Pricing is also good. Recently they have launched Sealed dual opposed 12" 1000W sub, which may be more musical (just my prediction). Have also lauhcned a 15" ported model to compete with the big boys like the SVS and Rythmik.
Velodyne: Good for both movies and music but extremely over priced.
BIC: Good sub for beginners. Good value for what you pay. Will give you a taste of what HiFi subs are all about. Any person without exposure to highend sub will love this sub. Does every thing well for the money.

Hope it helps.

very nicely summed up. I'm yet to hear a veoldyne or a rhythmik but your insights on the others are similar to my experience with them. Somehow the REL HT series is overpriced in India. Any leads on Rhythmik subs online or dealers in NCR would me much appreciated.

 

[raghupb]

@irv
If you are into music mostly try REL T9i. It is the most sanely priced sub in Indian market for its performance.
It does something for movies, don't expect rumble, but background music will sound great.
Check this thread (my journey into REL).

To Bangalore FMs: Do you have a REL sub integrated into your 2-Ch or HT system?

I may be on the hunt to change the existing sub in my rig. Recently, a few FMs posted in another thread that REL subs are good for 2-ch integration. If so, they should be decent enough for HT usage too. Pinging Bangalore FMs to check if they have REL sub/s in their setup. If yes, would it be...

www.hifivision.com

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[Yogesh]

I'm hoping to get a NAD C275BEE power amp very soon though I'm going in blind cuz I've never heard it. Would really appreciate some inputs for a good power amp or integrated around the 75 - 1.2 range.

Buy it quickly and put your 6006 on block!

 

[Michelangalo]

Well, I started my journey with Onkyo, went to Polk, then stepped in to the Big leagues, the SVS PB13Ultra and then to KEF and after that XTZ and finally ended with Rythmik as of now.

after using all the reputed sub brands, which one you liked the most and the reasons for it.

 

[DB1989]

I am also in same boat...For Power amp , please see offering from Parasound.

Parasound NewClassic 275 v.2 - 2 Channel Power Amplifier

90 watts x 2 into 8 Ω (all channels driven) 150 watts x 2 into 4 Ω or 2 Ω (all channels driven) 200 watts x 1 bridged into 8 Ω or 4 Ω 20 amps peak current per channel 2 Ohm stable operation with load selector switch Two pairs of speaker outputs with front panel A/B buttons Rear-mounted lockout...

theaudio.co

OR

Parasound NewClassic 2125 v.2 - 2 Channel Power Amplifier

THX Ultra2 certified 150 watts x 2 into 8 Ω (all channels driven) 225 watts x 2 into 4 Ω or 2 Ω (all channels driven) 400 watts x 1 bridged into 8 Ω or 4 Ω 35 amps peak current per channel 2 Ohm stable operation with load selector switch Two pairs of speaker outputs with front panel A/B buttons...

theaudio.co

@raghupb Sir has it , and you can get feedback from him.

Till now for integrated amp these are my shortlisting, in same order.

1. Rega Elex-r
2. Creek Audio 50a
3. Parasound Pre + power
4. Cambridge Audio CXA 81/80

If you want to try used items , please get in touch with @Harshad80000 and @vinod_david , They have nice piece of gears, they were out of my budget , hence skipped.

Thanks

The CXA 80 was going for around 80k last i saw on amazon. I saw the parasounds on the mentioned websites but they are way overpriced, hence not considering them. Another forum member happened to mention the Schiit Vidar for 70k on headphonezone. I think they are pretty well positioned considering the power on offer and that there are next to no options for power amplifiers in that price range. Somehow the quad qsp elite did not inspire much confidence (based on their whathifi review which i have noticed are aligned with my experience of gear so far and hence, i consider them reliable) despite the fact that they are available for a very good price on hifimart right now and i have the Quad S5s. I hope i haven’t made a blunder by asking my dealer to get the NAD without having auditioned it first.

 

[DB1989]

@irv
If you are into music mostly try REL T9i. It is the most sanely priced sub in Indian market for its performance.
It does something for movies, don't expect rumble, but background music will sound great.
Check this thread (my journey into REL).

To Bangalore FMs: Do you have a REL sub integrated into your 2-Ch or HT system?

I may be on the hunt to change the existing sub in my rig. Recently, a few FMs posted in another thread that REL subs are good for 2-ch integration. If so, they should be decent enough for HT usage too. Pinging Bangalore FMs to check if they have REL sub/s in their setup. If yes, would it be...

www.hifivision.com

Cheers,
Raghu

Rather, i’d say they are the most insane bargain right now. It is possibly the only mid fi subwoofer thats priced substantially lower than international prices (i got mine for 79k whereas the uk and US prices were approx 1L. US prices have dropped since then and are hovering around 86k mark).

 

[DB1989]

Buy it quickly and put your 6006 on block!

Ha ha. Lets see how the NAD turns out (since i have no idea what they sound like). Who knows, i might be flipping the NAD before the pm6006

 

[chander]

considering you want to hook it up with an AVR, look at the REL T Zero, brilliant sub. Should be within your budget too.

 

[DB1989]

You didn't mention which amp you are using and where you purchased the REL sub from. I found the RELs are way beyond my budget as I searched for it. Tell us more about your components. The way you have described the q350s I feel that is the speaker I should get, I too like to listen to foot tapping music. But I think these too will be beyond my budget. Do you know of any other speaker at lower price points which have similar characteristics??

My apologies for the late response. Didn’t realise this was a question directed towards me as my post wasnt quoted. To my mind, the KEF Q350s are the perfect endgame speakers for somebody who has more than just a passing interest in music and care for sound quality. I realised it after getting the Quad S5s and reinforced after getting the Evos. The price to performance ratio is unbeatable, especially when you consider that in a room that is not too large, they negate the need for a subwoofer (unless one has a REL ). Insofar as audiophiles are concerned, theres no such thing as perfect speakers as there’ll always be the constant itch to try out something different. My system is a PC/Ipad pro/firestick 4k connected to a marantz sr6013 with its Front channel preamp outs connected to a pm6006 for driving Evo 4.2s. I’m running the Kef q350s as my mid surrounds and the BA A26 as the rear surround. Centre duties are being performed by a QA concept centre and atmos is the onkyo skh-410 in downfiring mode as they are placed on top of 6 feet tall book shelves On either side of my listening position so they have decent elevatation (or so i believe) when im seated. If the Rels are out of your budget, you can look at the psb alpha s10. Steve guttenberg had some nice things to say about them insofar as pairing with music was concerned which you can check out on youtube. They are currently available for 39k on hifimart. Another speaker to consider within your budget (which i assume is below 40k) is the QA 3030i. You can’t go wrong woth them as i have personally heard the 3020is and 3050is and found them to be a close match to the kef q350s insofar as Rhythm and musicality are concerned. Another speaker which i havent heard but look promising and have great reviews are the mission qx2s which are available for around 33k which is a really good deal.

 

[DB1989]

considering you want to hook it up with an AVR, look at the REL T Zero, brilliant sub. Should be within your budget too.

That would be not solving any purpose as the REL tZero is not meant for HT applications or for a proper music listening setup (in John Hunter's own words). Rather, it is for when music is playing at background levels or for your desktop PC setup and the like when one is working with nearfield monitors. The REL t5i is the minimum required for proper music listening. As @alphacentury100 so meticulously put the use case scenario for each sub, it would be a safe chart to follow.

 

[irv]

My apologies for the late response. Didn’t realise this was a question directed towards me as my post wasnt quoted. To my mind, the KEF Q350s are the perfect endgame speakers for somebody who has more than just a passing interest in music and care for sound quality. I realised it after getting the Quad S5s and reinforced after getting the Evos. The price to performance ratio is unbeatable, especially when you consider that in a room that is not too large, they negate the need for a subwoofer (unless one has a REL ). Insofar as audiophiles are concerned, theres no such thing as perfect speakers as there’ll always be the constant itch to try out something different. My system is a PC/Ipad pro/firestick 4k connected to a marantz sr6013 with its Front channel preamp outs connected to a pm6006 for driving Evo 4.2s. I’m running the Kef q350s as my mid surrounds and the BA A26 as the rear surround. Centre duties are being performed by a QA concept centre and atmos is the onkyo skh-410 in downfiring mode as they are placed on top of 6 feet tall book shelves On either side of my listening position so they have decent elevatation (or so i believe) when im seated. If the Rels are out of your budget, you can look at the psb alpha s10. Steve guttenberg had some nice things to say about them insofar as pairing with music was concerned which you can check out on youtube. They are currently available for 39k on hifimart. Another speaker to consider within your budget (which i assume is below 40k) is the QA 3030i. You can’t go wrong woth them as i have personally heard the 3020is and 3050is and found them to be a close match to the kef q350s insofar as Rhythm and musicality are concerned. Another speaker which i havent heard but look promising and have great reviews are the mission qx2s which are available for around 33k which is a really good deal.

Thank you for the details...Till now I was wondering as to what you are doing with all the speakers you have mentioned because I had the impression that you are running a stereo. But where are the quads?!
It was quite a relief to hear that qa 3030i and 3020i sound musical like the kef350s.. These were in my favourites list now that you testify them to be good is very exciting. Will keep that option. I am not a bass head and can live without a sub if decent bass quantities is provided by the qa 3030i. I am not a die hard audiophile or purist who cannot forgive the imperfections-dont know if I can even detect them- I simply want to enjoy the audio and the present system (pm 6006+ WD 220)leaves much to be desired though Movies are enjoyable. Hindi music sounds very ordinary. I will keep the 3030is in my wish list.

There is an FM who has the qx2s and is quite unhappy... He is running them, with a quad vena amp. I don't know if it is a compatibility issue ..

 

[chander]

The suggestion for the Tzero has been shot down on another thread I posted. Apparently not a very popular sub for AVR use. I did use it in a small HT room, and it did a great job, but my room was pretty small and I generally do not like a lot of bass in HT setup , will refrain from suggesting this for AV.

 

[raghupb]

The suggestion for the Tzero has been shot down on another thread I posted. Apparently not a very popular sub for AVR use. I did use it in a small HT room, and it did a great job, but my room was pretty small and I generally do not like a lot of bass in HT setup , will refrain from suggesting this for AV.

Haha. No worries mate. It's just that it can't pressurize the room.
Even the REL T5i can't do so in many situations even for music, let alone for HT
I home auditioned with T5i to get a taste of REL and bought the T9i.
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[DB1989]

The suggestion for the Tzero has been shot down on another thread I posted. Apparently not a very popular sub for AVR use. I did use it in a small HT room, and it did a great job, but my room was pretty small and I generally do not like a lot of bass in HT setup , will refrain from suggesting this for AV.

My reasons rest more or less on Raghus lines. I think many of us who are not fortunate enough to have a dedicated HT room run their setups in their living/grawing rooms and therefore, having a decent sized sub with adequate power becomes necessary to properly pressurize the room for HT use or for that matter, even music when you are playing it loud.

 

[DB1989]

Thank you for the details...Till now I was wondering as to what you are doing with all the speakers you have mentioned because I had the impression that you are running a stereo. But where are the quads?!
It was quite a relief to hear that qa 3030i and 3020i sound musical like the kef350s.. These were in my favourites list now that you testify them to be good is very exciting. Will keep that option. I am not a bass head and can live without a sub if decent bass quantities is provided by the qa 3030i. I am not a die hard audiophile or purist who cannot forgive the imperfections-dont know if I can even detect them- I simply want to enjoy the audio and the present system (pm 6006+ WD 220)leaves much to be desired though Movies are enjoyable. Hindi music sounds very ordinary. I will keep the 3030is in my wish list.

There is an FM who has the qx2s and is quite unhappy... He is running them, with a quad vena amp. I don't know if it is a compatibility issue ..

If you find your wharfedales ordinary when paired with the PM6006, I know where you're coming from as I drive my Evos through the same amp. A warm amp with a warm and laidback speaker do not make for a great match. Coincidentally, I happened to audition the QA 3020is and the 3050is with a Marantz SR6013 (the very one i happened to pick up for myself) and they had an exciting presentation that made for an engaging listen. Considering the fact that the PM6006 sounds near identical to the SR6013, i can confidently state that these speakers pair well with the PM6006. And i would suggest saving for a bit and going for the 3030i's because we can always do with a little more bass in our lives.

Since most of my listening is in stereo with the other speakers coming to play only when i watch streaming content with 5.1 audio, the quads are staying put in their place and I have placed my Wharfedales parallely alongside them. Since the Quads have that wonderful air and space and three dimensionality to the sound and can leverage the width to great effect, they get to maintain the outside track. I'll eventually move them inside to the bedroom alongwith my PM6006 when my power amp arrives (the one disadvantage of living with floorstanders is that their position is more or less cast in stone once you have placed them somewhere. they're a pain to move around being heavy and unweildy - case in point, the Quad S5s weigh nearly 30kg/piece). That would allow for a much wider placement than where i have positioned them currently. With plenty of space in between the speakers and from them to the sidewalls, I'm excited about the prospects of what the S5s may be able to achieve.

 

[irv]

If you find your wharfedales ordinary when paired with the PM6006, I know where you're coming from as I drive my Evos through the same amp. A warm amp with a warm and laidback speaker do not make for a great match. Coincidentally, I happened to audition the QA 3020is and the 3050is with a Marantz SR6013 (the very one i happened to pick up for myself) and they had an exciting presentation that made for an engaging listen. Considering the fact that the PM6006 sounds near identical to the SR6013, i can confidently state that these speakers pair well with the PM6006. And i would suggest saving for a bit and going for the 3030i's because we can always do with a little more bass in our lives.

Since most of my listening is in stereo with the other speakers coming to play only when i watch streaming content with 5.1 audio, the quads are staying put in their place and I have placed my Wharfedales parallely alongside them. Since the Quads have that wonderful air and space and three dimensionality to the sound and can leverage the width to great effect, they get to maintain the outside track. I'll eventually move them inside to the bedroom alongwith my PM6006 when my power amp arrives (the one disadvantage of living with floorstanders is that their position is more or less cast in stone once you have placed them somewhere. they're a pain to move around being heavy and unweildy - case in point, the Quad S5s weigh nearly 30kg/piece). That would allow for a much wider placement than where i have positioned them currently. With plenty of space in between the speakers and from them to the sidewalls, I'm excited about the prospects of what the S5s may be able to achieve.

Thank you

That reinstates my plans to get the Q A 3030i, or the 3020i if I can add a sub. Actually the wharfies were suggested to me by Mr Anil himself and I had no reason to doubt.....
Wish I could listen to the wonderful and enviable set up one day