Any comments please from those with experience of the brand. Please not alternatives, or I need to change my existing system, that is not going to happen.
Temporarily, I am using an Astin Trew AT2-2100 amp. Normally an EAR Yoshino 859se. Speakers are Graham Audio LS5/9. For me, the only limitations are part of the design, the missing bottom octave.
I am not trying to upset the neighbours, rattle windows etc. I have no interest in AV excesses. Just if there is more in the recording, to fill in.
There is absolutely a domestic and budget consideration. It has to be cherry veneer cabinet. The largest I can manage might be the Double Gem.
The room is 24’ 7" by 11’ 10" and the only option is firing the length of the room.
The Astin Trew has mono LFE connection, the EAR will have to be high level.
Hints and tips please.
I use a B&K XXLS400DF and have nothing but praise for it, powered off my SBLs from an EAR534.
I bought this in preference to the Monolith as it is a sealed unit, and it is FAST.
When I bought it I had a chat with the tech support, the owner, and he included an auto off and tweaked the xover for me at NO extra cost.
I can’t speak to the Double Gem, but the company get a hearty thumbs up from me.
I’ve got an XLS200 helping out a pair of KEF T301s on the TV. It’s a great little box - built like a brick outhouse. I believe BK used to (maybe still do) build the subwoofers for other firms. Highly recommended.
Yes great subwoofers at a reasonable price and good service.
Another BK sub. fan here. They’re quite excellent, great value for money, and give very good support. I use one of the little ones (XL something-or-other) for A/V duties in a second system, and use one of their 1,000W digital panel amps to power my SVS sub. in my Atmos surround system.
Don’t hesitate!
Another BK user here, I have a pair of their XLS-200DF’s that I use on in off in pairs or as a single depending on system configuration/room.
Excellent, musical subwoofers that will blend seamlessly with higher end speakers & likely very hard to beat for their price. I’m in Canada so for me their cost was around half compared to the similar options from brands such as REL or MJ Acoustics.
I believe it was said they use to make REL subwoofers (before REL was bought out a number of years back) & possibly MJ acoustics.
Yet another BK user who had XLS-200DF in a system, I was totally delighted with them and although no longer required they are stashed away for if and when they may be needed again. I can only echo all the positive comments above and on the only occassion I had to phone them they were great and very knowledgeable to deal with.
I use a BK P12-300SB-DF Subwoofer coupled with DSPeaker Anti-Mode 8033-SII. Used to fill in the lower registers of my Neat Iota Alphas. I couldn’t be happier with both products supplied by BK and the customer service is exemplary.
As a follow up to my post, I should have added I had excellent dealing with their customer service as well. Back when I bought my subs, probably close to 10 yrs ago now I was one of their first Canadian customers, no issues with shipping & even took the effort to run them in longer then normal (at their recommendation), to help make sure I didn’t have any issues because of my location. I also had them lower the default crossover point, no problems at all.
Because of system/room changes mine have been in & out of service during this time (currently both packed away), but as another poster said, I hold on to them for future use, even though I typically don’t keep gear around I’m not using, I always hold onto these, “just in case”.
Thanks for these, I was heading for BK because my experience in domestic situations has all been AV related, discount models and politely, woolly, boom boom.
As much as I would like one of the bigger models, I have been cutting up and restocking cardboard boxes into the appropriate sizes and they are taking over the room. So the XLS200 are going ground.
Having gotten this far, any thoughts please on downward or forward facing, concrete floor, Marley tiles, carpet on foam crumb underlay. Then, I have read comments of spikes are essential, or decoupling using the likes of a Subdude.
I am looking at buying the B&K XLS200-FF to use with my Proac Tablette 10 speakers. I am not sure how to connect this if I do go down that route, what connecting leads are required to it from either my amplifier, an XS2, or the Tablettes.
Grateful for any advice.
Hi Charles,
I have taken some leads from the + & - terminals of my SBLs into the Hi-Level input. B&K send you the pinouts so you wire it correctly. I have to say that in my case my dealer did it for me, which was far more relaxing 
I also use two MJ Acoustic subs for my centre and rears. I did the centre and it is straightforward - but different manufacturer so again I checked the pinouts with MJ.
hi I have a XLS200 that I currently use in my AV set up but am thinking of trying it with my Nova & Harbeth P3 40th edition as sometimes I wish they would go that little bit deeper. Question is do you wire the sub to the back of the Nova if so how as currently have banana plugs or can you connect it to a speaker.
Thanks
Mike
If you connect to the input terminals on your speakers, I think I’m right in saying that your Harbeths have combination sockets that can take either bananas or spades. So you can terminate the sub high level leads with spades, and use bananas on the main speaker cables.
This saves having to use those piggyback bananas, or soldering two sets of cables into the same plugs, which are alternative methods.
Ok but I have just had a look a the bk manual and it shows connections to both left and right channels which would be hard to set up.
Mike
You can use a low level connection if you prefer. A decent long phono cable may cost a bit more. Which option is easiest to set up will obviously depend on your room layout and what sort of connection the sub has.
Hi can’t use the low level as that is connected to my av amp.
AI have my MJ Acoustics sub connected to the speaker outputs on the back of my Star. I found some banana plugs that let you plug the Naim one into it. ( not a clear description sorry)
I am going to order the B&K XLS200-FF subwoofer but I have noticed there seem to be two variants, one with the cone firing into the floor and one firing outwards Does anyone have a preference for either and why.
Thanks for any comments.