Help me decide a subwoofer for music only and high WAF

[jaakkopetteri]

Are you opposed to DIY? Something like the L26ROY and a Monacor plate amp would cost around 500€ with some baltic birch. A plain white cube is not a very difficult build and you could make it a bit smaller and better sounding than similar SVS subs

 

[anotherhobby]

Are you opposed to DIY? Something like the L26ROY and a Monacor plate amp would cost around 500€ with some baltic birch. A plain white cube is not a very difficult build and you could make it a bit smaller and better sounding than similar SVS subs

Getting a WAF quality finish on DIY is a tall order for most humans, but the value is undeniable (have built several myself).

 

[damirj79]

Basicly you have to decide on the budget.
Dali SUB E-9 F is 450€, no DSP functions but it sounds very nice with music. It is BR box and it will just sound stronger on some low frequency content. It also has no hard LR functions and it will not limit low frequencies when playing louder. And it is smaaall.

SVS micro 3000 is also small. But it is in closed box. It has DSP, this gives you plenty of settings (which you might not need) but it also applies very strong LR filters and it can play really low frequencies (for its size) when not playing loud, but once you increase volume, it will also start to limit low frequencies not to bottom out the subwoofer cone. And it costs 1000€.

Then you have also SVS PB1000, but it is probably too big for you. SB1000 is smaller, but then again closed box and DSP artificially transforming frequency reaponse may not be the best for music.

Ps: for most of the music you don't really need subwoofer to play lower than 30-35Hz.

 

[StefanSweden]

I own the SVS-3000 Micro which I use in a music-only 2-channel system like yours. It is absolutely sufficient for your needs. (So is the SVS SB-1000 Pro, which is larger and heavier, but will not perform any better for your needs. It's only advantage for you is that it costs less.)

For integration with the Dali Oberon 1, SVS recommends a low-pass crossover (set via the SVS app) of 60 Hz with a 12dB/octave slope. That will almost certainly sound perfectly fine. See https://www.svsound.com/pages/merlin

If you want to get fancier, you can buy a UMIK1 measurement microphone for 100euro and use the free REW software, and then use the parametric EQ on the SVS to dial down any room modes (below 60 Hz) that you find.

But likely it will all sound fine without bothering. Note that all systems you have ever heard have not been fine-tuned like this. Only we fanatics here at ASR bother to do it.

Also, the Dali Sub e-9 f is probably equally good for you, if that's easier to acquire.

Much apprechiated! Its easy to get caught up in reviews and navigate thorugh opinions of fanatics (in a good way). I just read in an other thread here about "life style subwoofers" which supposedly are KEF KC62, SVS 3000 Micro and SB-1000 PRO there seems to be a standard deviation even among this crowd.

You say that SVS recommends a low-pass crossover via the SVS app, but how do I set the crossover one the amp? Also 60 Hz? Could or should both be used?

 

[StefanSweden]

Are you opposed to DIY? Something like the L26ROY and a Monacor plate amp would cost around 500€ with some baltic birch. A plain white cube is not a very difficult build and you could make it a bit smaller and better sounding than similar SVS subs

Thats not an option for me.

 

[StefanSweden]

Basicly you have to decide on the budget.
Dali SUB E-9 F is 450€, no DSP functions but it sounds very nice with music. It is BR box and it will just sound stronger on some low frequency content. It also has no hard LR functions and it will not limit low frequencies when playing louder. And it is smaaall.

SVS micro 3000 is also small. But it is in closed box. It has DSP, this gives you plenty of settings (which you might not need) but it also applies very strong LR filters and it can play really low frequencies (for its size) when not playing loud, but once you increase volume, it will also start to limit low frequencies not to bottom out the subwoofer cone. And it costs 1000€.

Then you have also SVS PB1000, but it is probably too big for you. SB1000 is smaller, but then again closed box and DSP artificially transforming frequency reaponse may not be the best for music.

Ps: for most of the music you don't really need subwoofer to play lower than 30-35Hz.

I dont know where you live, but in Sweden Dali Sub e-9 f is 525€. May I ask what a "BR box" and "LR functions" are?

One other thing the SVS has is the wireless option. If we eventually rearange our livingroom the speakers will be by the side of our TV with hdmi-arc from the Edge. Then the system will also be used to watch movies from time to time. In that case the SB-1000 Pro is the best option, no?

 

[Descartes]

No idea how they perform but

T/5x- Compact Subwoofer | REL Acoustics

No model in REL’s long history has sold more units nor engendered more affection than our T/5. Here reimagined in a modern, elegant, new form factor, T/5x’s mission remains the same: make remarkable bass far beyond its modest size, do so in a way that complements every interior’s style, and...

rel.net

Formation Bass Subwoofer - Wireless | Bowers & Wilkins

The Formation Bass subwoofer offers profound low-frequency presence that makes every song an occasion and every movie an event. Shop online today.

www.bowerswilkins.com

Sub: The World's Best Wireless Subwoofer For Home | Sonos

Connect Sub to your Sonos system for powerful low-end sound. Add incredible depth to your music, movies, games, and more, without any rattle or vibration. Sub's award-winning sculptural shape and high-gloss finish make it the perfect centerpiece for your home sound system.

www.sonos.com

 

[anotherhobby]

You say that SVS recommends a low-pass crossover via the SVS app, but how do I set the crossover one the amp? Also 60 Hz? Could or should both be used?

Your amp doesn't have a crossover, so your best bet will probably be to just try and set your subwoofer low pass to match the slope of your mains as best as you can. Manufacturers really box people into corners with these little integrated amps with no crossovers, especially when people see the sub out port and assume they are good. An alternative would be to replace your amp with something capable of implementing proper crossovers.

^ corrected 2 posts below.

You can find measurements for the Dali Oberon 1 here: https://www.i-fidelity.net/testberichte/hifi/dali-oberon-1/seite-5.html

 

[StefanSweden]

Your amp doesn't have a crossover, so your best bet will probably be to just try and set your subwoofer low pass to match the slope of your mains as best as you can. Manufacturers really box people into corners with these little integrated amps with no crossovers, especially when people see the sub out port and assume they are good. An alternative would be to replace your amp with something capable of implementing proper crossovers.

You can find measurements for the Dali Oberon 1 here: https://www.i-fidelity.net/testberichte/hifi/dali-oberon-1/seite-5.html

Here Darko says it has a cross over https://youtu.be/QJA8Ss1SMAQ?t=632 would you say he is wrong or am I misinterpreting?

 

[anotherhobby]

Here Darko says it has a cross over https://youtu.be/QJA8Ss1SMAQ?t=632 would you say he is wrong or am I misinterpreting?

Hot diggity damn! Look at me jumping to conclusions! From the POWERNODE manual:

SUBWOOFER (SUBW) OUT A subwoofer can be connected directly to the POWERNODE EDGE. Connect SUBW OUT to a powered (“active”) subwoofer. By default a low pass filter is applied at 80Hz, meaning audio below 80Hz is transmitted through the SUBW OUT when a wire is connected. The main loudspeaker output remains at full range unless additional subwoofer and crossover settings in the BluOS App are engaged. You can also connect the POWERNODE EDGE to a Bluesound PULSE SUB+ over the network.

Looks like there should be something in the App? The built-in crossover of 80Hz should work well for your speakers.

 

[StefanSweden]

Hot diggity damn! Look at me jumping to conclusions! From the POWERNODE manual:

Looks like there should be something in the App? The built-in crossover of 80Hz should work well for your speakers.

Yes, in the app I can turn on "subwoofer" which opens up the crossover controls 40 Hz to 200 Hz.

 

[Tom C]

Have you looked at offerings from @Kvalsvoll ? Seems like they are designed for just your situation, and they are made by your neighbors. Budget could be an issue, though.

 

[Tom C]

This offering from @sigbergaudio might also be worth a look. They are kind of pricey, but unique.

 

[MarkS]

Yes, in the app I can turn on "subwoofer" which opens up the crossover controls 40 Hz to 200 Hz.

That's great. Then the usual default is 80Hz both low-pass (for the sub) and high-pass (for the main speakers), but lower (say 60Hz) might be better if the sub is not near the main speakers. (Higher frequency sound is more localizable, but how much this matters in practice varies greatly with the details of room, speaker positioning, etc.) This is something you can experiment with, but any differences will be subtle.

The SVS advice I quoted earlier assumes there is no high-pass option for the main speakers from your amp (which is usually the case for 2-channel amps). It's great that your Powernode has such an option. In this case you can use the amp to set the crossover and just set the sub to its full range.

 

[Timcognito]

Vote for SVS; looked at both SVS and Elac because they had onboard DSP, good value and mac/android phone apps. Went with Elac because of a sale at 50% works great good for my HT but not low enough, but my wife likes that. For music go SVS SB 1000 pro and paint it any color she likes.

 

[dlaloum]

The Gallo TR1/2/3 subwoofers are available in white, and have been around for a long time now, you might be able to find one used at a reasonable price... they are also very musical - they are designed to work with satellites to make a full range setup, rather than trying to plumb the depths of 15Hz.
I've seen TR1's at very cheap prices used.... and they are robust and last well (I have 2 x TR1's which I have had for about 12 years now)

 

[Chrispy]

Here Darko says it has a cross over https://youtu.be/QJA8Ss1SMAQ?t=632 would you say he is wrong or am I misinterpreting?

Why even pay attention to Darko for anything? He's a loon. Can't watch another of his horrible vids, tho. What did he say particularly? A crossover is a combination of a low pass filter for the sub and a high pass filter for the speakers, and few subs actually have such (or integrated amps for that matter). A Rel is a poor choice for subs generally, particularly that ridiculous little T5x thing.

 

[napfkuchen]

+1 for SVS. Was my choice because of size, color and prize. The SVS phone app might also be an interesting feature because you can easily adjust volume, eq, crossover etc. to your liking.

 

[JLGF1]

3000-micro was designed for exactly this usage case. Do the happy dance that it comes in white.

 

[StefanSweden]

This offering from @sigbergaudio might also be worth a look. They are kind of pricey, but unique.

Looks stunning but unfortunately out of price range.