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

[sound_cycle]

Ok.. That placement is in the corner of the room i believe.. What sounds acceptable bass, might be different when you happen to measure it.. The bass peaks can be in excess of 20 dB.. Same happened in my room, when i had dual subs in the front room corners..

Anyways, try diff placement once you get the sub..



Perfectly fine to disagree.. When the subwoofer's SPL is matched to that of mains (L/R), you won't hear the sub prominently than mains.. Infact, even after the level matching is done by Audyssey in my AVR, i liked the increased subwoofer level slightly..

I have a sub and it is reasonably well integrated thank you.

And thank you for kindly permitting me to disagree.

Ciao
GR

 

[elangoas]

I have a sub and it is reasonably well integrated thank you.

Congrats on your new addition..

 

[raghupb]

Ok.. That placement is in the corner of the room i believe.. What sounds acceptable bass, might be different when you happen to measure it.. The bass peaks can be in excess of 20 dB.. Same happened in my room, when i had dual subs in the front room corners..

Anyways, try diff placement once you get the sub..
<snip>

I will attempt the corner-ish placement. It will be the ideal from a visual sense and WAF.
Right now there is no boom or misbehavior, but then my sub does not do crazy lows.
If I can get away with the right corner position, nothing like it.
People in the house wont mind as it is kinda status quo.
Also I don't have to counsel my mutts
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[liverpool_for_life]

That is *not* the idea. I don't want to hear my sub.

Agree with this. I once had an extended listening session (close to 3 hours) and I had no idea that the sub was playing. And we were listening at reasonably high levels (90+ dB SPL) where I was sitting. Some of the best music I've heard.

IMO, a well integrated sub doesn't call attention to itself when it's playing. However, if you turn it off, there ought to be a clearly audible difference.

 

[sound_cycle]

IMO, a well integrated sub doesn't call attention to itself when it's playing. However, if you turn it off, there ought to be a clearly audible difference.

Yes. FM @thedude was over last evening for a listening session and the ajinomoto character of the REL was clear ie. drew attention to itself only when powered off.

With the Foo fighters or with Margo Timmins (mining for gold)

The sub level is low, but the contribution is profound.

Ciao
GR

 

[liverpool_for_life]

[...]the ajinomoto character of the REL was clear ie. drew attention to itself only when powered off.

Funny as hell.

 

[thedude]

Yes. FM @thedude was over last evening for a listening session and the ajinomoto character of the REL was clear ie. drew attention to itself only when powered off.

With the Foo fighters or with Margo Timmins (mining for gold)

The sub level is low, but the contribution is profound.

Ciao
GR

The sub is pretty much invisible but you miss it terribly once turned off

 

[elangoas]

but then my sub does not do crazy lows.

Hope the Onkyo sub is part of HTIB package?..

If I can get away with the right corner position, nothing like it.

A sub away from room corners is good.. I have had two subs stuck in room corners in the front and now two of the subs on ceiling.. Feel of the bass all over the room is just cool..

 

[arj]

@raghupb , the way the REL is designed, it needs to be near the wall and usually near the corner since the principle is that the response curve of the sub match the lower end response curve of the Speaker and for that it needs reinforcement from walls.
Ideally this needs to be connected via the Speakon terminal ie High level to the amps speaker terminals

 

[raghupb]

Hope the Onkyo sub is part of HTIB package?..



A sub away from room corners is good.. I have had two subs stuck in room corners in the front and now two of the subs on ceiling.. Feel of the bass all over the room is just cool..

The current subwoofer is a 20 year old model. Onkyo SKW 320.

Specifications of ONKYO SKW-320 Onkyo / Onkyo

audio-database.com

This is the only information I could find on the web.
I remember reading somewhere that it is a class A/B amp (no confirmation)
The current position is slightly away from corner with sub drivers firing perpendicular to L/R mains.
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[raghupb]

@raghupb , the way the REL is designed, it needs to be near the wall and usually near the corner since the principle is that the response curve of the sub match the lower end response curve of the Speaker and for that it needs reinforcement from walls.
Ideally this needs to be connected via the Speakon terminal ie High level to the amps speaker terminals

If I can place it near right corner, WAF and other issues will not even pop.
Take the old one out, put the new one in. "It's just a replacement" will be my argument
The available real estate for placement experiments is up to:
- 40" from back wall
- 30" from side wall
Hopefully, this will be enough play space to get things right.

Yes, if/when I get a REL I will be comparing high-level and low-level to see what sounds best.
High-level is recommended by REL; they claim some magic inside; if it sounds best, very good.
Low-level is supported by the rest of my chain via preamp (which has HT bypass too); convenience.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[elangoas]

The current subwoofer is a 20 year old model. Onkyo SKW 320.

Specifications of ONKYO SKW-320 Onkyo / Onkyo

audio-database.com

This is the only information I could find on the web.
I remember reading somewhere that it is a class A/B amp (no confirmation)

Vow.. The Onkyo sub is rated to 25Hz.. Should be a good one..

The current position is slightly away from corner with sub drivers firing perpendicular to L/R mains.

Ok.. Got it..

 

[raghupb]

Vow.. The Onkyo sub is rated to 25Hz.. Should be a good one..
<snip>

I doubt it can really do that low. But I am bad at assessing what speakers/subs can do in terms of numbers.
I just use my ear for music and in case of movies, my butt on the couch .
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[elangoas]

I doubt it can really do that low. But I am bad at assessing what speakers/subs can do in terms of numbers.

Cool.. Me too neither.. Onkyo subs, usually the HTIB ones aren't rated too low.. May be 40Hz or slightly lower.. But this one was rated at 25Hz.. It may do 25Hz, but the SPL would be less..

I just use my ear for music and in case of movies, my butt on the couch .

Ha ha.. cool..

 

[raghupb]

Update after home demo
I managed to get a REL T5i on loan for a day to check it out in my home + system.
It is a new unit, so followed REL's procedure for breaking in.
I gave the driver/mechanics/amp a good workout before attempting a demo dial in.
Later this afternoon, FW @anirudhchandrashekar dropped in for a listen.
The best dial-in for music we got was with the sub in a corner.
Anywhere else, it does not have the muscle to pressurize the room to optimal level.
Since I do have the control to up/down the sub level from remote on preamp, it saved a few trips back and forth.
Also we could do an instantaneous A/B with sub on and off.
As it was a loaner unit, we did not use the high level connection; just stuck to standard subwoofer cable.

Impressions on 2-Ch:
The little guy is quick and renders bass/drum notes in a taut manner at reasonable SPL.
The sub brings a bit more into the music; it fleshes out the bottom end quite well.
When dialed in, our quickie dial in, it was never in the face or localized.
We also heard a wee bit of cleaning up in the mids/vocals/HF.

Impressions on movies:
Obviously, there can be more here if one is hungry for reference level LFE.
In my room and family's viewing habits, this unit itself will do an admirable job for its size.
A big brother sub will definitely be better.

Conclusion:
The addition of a good sub for music will make a difference; in my opinion a positive impact.
Operating the sub from remote control adds that extra bit of convenience.
A REL T9i seems possible in my room/rig and is very tempting.
The logistics of price haggling will start very soon.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[elangoas]

The best dial-in for music we got was with the sub in a corner.
Anywhere else, it does not have the muscle to pressurize the room to optimal level.

Great..So corner placement works and gives you the best feel..

The addition of a good sub for music will make a difference; in my opinion a positive impact.

Don't think there are bad subs.. Any sub should be good for music, though sealed is preferred for better extension..

 

[ktks1]

Update after home demo
I managed to get a REL T5i on loan for a day to check it out in my home + system.
It is a new unit, so followed REL's procedure for breaking in.
I gave the driver/mechanics/amp a good workout before attempting a demo dial in.
Later this afternoon, FW @anirudhchandrashekar dropped in for a listen.
The best dial-in for music we got was with the sub in a corner.
Anywhere else, it does not have the muscle to pressurize the room to optimal level.
Since I do have the control to up/down the sub level from remote on preamp, it saved a few trips back and forth.
Also we could do an instantaneous A/B with sub on and off.
As it was a loaner unit, we did not use the high level connection; just stuck to standard subwoofer cable.

Impressions on 2-Ch:
The little guy is quick and renders bass/drum notes in a taut manner at reasonable SPL.
The sub brings a bit more into the music; it fleshes out the bottom end quite well.
When dialed in, our quickie dial in, it was never in the face or localized.
We also heard a wee bit of cleaning up in the mids/vocals/HF.

Impressions on movies:
Obviously, there can be more here if one is hungry for reference level LFE.
In my room and family's viewing habits, this unit itself will do an admirable job for its size.
A big brother sub will definitely be better.

Conclusion:
The addition of a good sub for music will make a difference; in my opinion a positive impact.
Operating the sub from remote control adds that extra bit of convenience.
A REL T9i seems possible in my room/rig and is very tempting.
The logistics of price haggling will start very soon.

Cheers,
Raghu

Glad to hear that you are narrowing down on the options. What's the cost of those? And are there any places in NW part of Bengaluru where we can loan these for an audition?

 

[raghupb]

Great..So corner placement works and gives you the best feel..



Don't think there are bad subs.. Any sub should be good for music, though sealed is preferred for better extension..

With REL T5i, the best performance was out of a corner. Guess it takes some reinforcement from walls.
I don't know a lot about subs. The only ones I have seriously heard in my room/rig are my old Onkyo and the REL.
Both are sealed designs with Class A/B amps rated at 100W.
I have heard big bad boy subs at dealers and homes of friends/acquaintances.
But most have been in a HT setup.
This is the first time I heard a reasonably well dialed in sub in 2-Ch rig.

Cheers,
Raghu

 

[raghupb]

Glad to hear that you are narrowing down on the options. What's the cost of those? And are there any places in NW part of Bengaluru where we can loan these for an audition?

Did not ask the price of REL T5i. I am gunning for a REL T9i.
Pricing details will unravel once I start seriously negotiating.
This demo unit came in a very roundabout way.
I am not comfortable disclosing the details on forum until given express permission.
Hope you understand
Cheers,
Raghu

 

[ktks1]

Did not ask the price of REL T5i. I am gunning for a REL T9i.
Pricing details will unravel once I start seriously negotiating.
This demo unit came in a very roundabout way.
I am not comfortable disclosing the details on forum until given express permission.
Hope you understand
Cheers,
Raghu

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