Topic: Subwoofer upgrade?

[Rodders]

You've got Arcam as well, Simon?  I bought these online (in black) nearly two years ago for £680.

My speakers are a pair of piano-black Quad 21L2's with a Quad Lite 2 centre.  I also bought a pair of 9L2's with the intention of using them as rears but the wide/narrow shape of my lounge makes them a bit superfluous.  The rest of the system is a Mordaunt Short Alumni 9 Sub with which to punish the neighbours, a Project Genie III Turntable with OM10 cart and Project Phono BoxII USB, an ageing but nice Yamaha K-540 cassette deck, Panasonic DMR-EZ48B VCR/DVD recorder, Arcam r-Dock for the iPod, WD 1080p media player with 1TB Seagate external HD, Sony Bravia KDL32W5500U 32" telly (we actually didn't want anything bigger), and a pair of Audio Technica ATH-M40fs cans.

I'm very pleased with it and, out of the whole lot, the cassette deck and VCR/DVD were the only items I didn't buy online!

[Clive]

That seems a very nice setup Rod.  A lot of high quality gear there! 

[Rodders]

What's remarkable is that, by buying online, I paid around a third of the price of what it would have cost in the high street.  And, NO, it wasn't nicked - honest! 

[Simon]

Mine is the Arcam AVR280, Rod.  Can't see your pics at the moment, but could be the same.  Only disappointment is that it doesn't do HD Audio for Bluray. I have Bose Cubes for the rears, and a Bose centre.  Big floorstanding Mission main speakers, but can't remember the model number now, and an old, but still rocking Yamaha SW320 sub.  Also, an Arcam CD73 CD player.  TV is a Panasonic 37" PX70 plasma.

[Rodders]

Yep, that's the one, plus the DV-135 DVD/CD player.  I could never get on with any of the Yamaha range of subs, but each to his own.  The problem with mine is that the 'sweet spot' is in an impractical location, due to the aforesaid wacky shape of the room.  The absolute favourite bit of my system is the cans, which are able to make all the chavvy shrieking in 'Eastenders Street' magically disappear.

[Simon]

Yup, just checked, and we have the same amps.    I was tempted by the DVD, but having bought this player earlier in the year, I couldn't justify another, especially as I was just getting into Bluray.

[Simon]

Yep, that's the one, plus the DV-135 DVD/CD player.  I could never get on with any of the Yamaha range of subs, but each to his own.  The problem with mine is that the 'sweet spot' is in an impractical location, due to the aforesaid wacky shape of the room.

I have the same problem with the sub, and it isn't in the optimum location now, which would have been next to the left main speaker, but the central heating radiator pipe is in the way.  I could have placed it next to the right main, but as I have a 'diagonal' set up, that would have meant it being against next door's bedroom wall, which I thought impractical, given that they are very tolerant of my lad, who also makes a hell of a noise!

[Rodders]

I'm sending you a hacksaw.  True Audiophiles don't need heat.

[Simon]

I'm actually thinking of replacing the sub, as it does tend to 'crack' under stress sometimes.  I've just been looking at the KEF C4, but reviews seem thin on the ground.  Any thoughts?  Would the KEF KUBE 2 be worth the extra expense, for a living room not quite the size of the Albert Hall, and giving consideration to the neighbours?

[Rodders]

Well, if you can't run to one of these, the KUBE2 won't sound bad, if its rep alone is anything to go by.  Long-distance listening by proxy is no substitute for the real thing though.  So work out which type of sub (forward firing, etc.) would best suit your floor and listening environment, then nip into your nearest branch of Richer Sounds and delight them by asking to audition each of their subs.  Their 5-year warranty is also very much worth having, as they'll give you your money back if you haven't claimed by the end of it.

[Rik]

I don't think I've ever spent over £1000 in one purchase online.  I think the biggest was probably my Arcam amp, which was, I think, £595, but I did also buy a new set of speakers in a separate purchase, from the same retailer, at around the same time.

Buy an Eizo monitor, Simon. 

[Simon]

Well, if you can't run to one of these, the KUBE2 won't sound bad, if its rep alone is anything to go by.  Long-distance listening by proxy is no substitute for the real thing though.  So work out which type of sub (forward firing, etc.) would best suit your floor and listening environment, then nip into your nearest branch of Richer Sounds and delight them by asking to audition each of their subs.  Their 5-year warranty is also very much worth having, as they'll give you your money back if you haven't claimed by the end of it.

Even that could be deceptive, as it could sound totally different when I got it home.  What I want is to feel the spaceship go by, not necessarily hear it.  

My nearest Richer Sounds is in Brighton, and were it not for the poor parking allocations, and the fact that on a Saturday (my only free day), people are usually queueing out the door, I'd give it a go.

[Rodders]

Seems Superfi are doing a special on this sub, Simon.  Although 35Hz isn't particularly low at the bottom end, the reviews are generally good.  So it might be worth checking out at £149 with free delivery.

[Simon]

It's the bottom end I want though, Rod.  My main speakers cope with as low as 40Hz, so I'm looking for something sub 30Hz.  I have bought from Superfi before, but I was less than impressed on phoning, to find that the guy was as clueless as me when it came to offering advice.  "We don't have anyone technical here, we are just an Internet seller.". 

[Rodders]

Yep.  They're box-shifters just like Richer Sounds, et al.  Be that as it may, in practice you might be hard put to notice the difference in grunt between the 35Hz floor of a quality sub and the 20Hz of one with a lower floor.  Listening is prerequisite.