Aright peeps, what is the best thing to do?
I need more bass so,
2 x active subs coming of each Sbl?
1 x active sub coming from high cap?
1 x active sub coming from another amp powered by high cap,
Or IXO ( already have) and extra amp
Your thoughts please
Thanks
Well, as you know, it depends on the sub, the room, and your budget.
If you have the space, two would be a good start. I don’t so I have only one, which is fed from a Supercap.
A word of caution: the dealer from whom I bought the sub wanted to connect it from the rear of my speakers. The manufacturer, after consultation with Naim, advised connecting the sub from the Supercap.
So speak to your dealer, read the threads here on subs, and start saving (if you need to).
Not sure what your thinking is behind this option? Why another power amp when the sub is active?
My experience with an N-Sub was that high level from the speakers was a little better than low level, although both worked well enough, so I wouldn’t totally rule out either option.
I would suggest that you start by choosing one or two subs that match your room, system and budget. Set them up with long, cheap cables so that you can move them around the room and try different locations. If you want them to work well and add bass without making the sound fall apart you need to get this right, and it can take some time and effort.
Once you are happy with the results you can plan the best cable routing to suit the position of the sub. On one occasion I found the best results came from putting the sub behind the sofa, whereas in the corners behind the main speakers can work well in some rooms, and in this case running cables from the nearby speaker would be the obvious solution.
In your situation I’d try a 250 in place of a 160 and see if that solves the issue.
Hmmm, I’d consider moving the SBLs on for a more capable speaker. At their age, a drive unit or something will go and you’ll be faced with a repair or new pair of speakers anyway. And you may find that what comes after makes the issue of a sub a moot point.
That’s the best part of 1k for CB 250
Lot of money just to try,
But would work with my IXO and 160
i have thought of that,
however I could get 2 decent subs for that price, reason for question
Thanks for reply tho,
I would try the IXO if you can source another 160. You could probably sell it again without much loss if it didnt work out. Active makes SBLs work better in my experience. I started my active journey with IXO and 2x 140. Better quality and more satisfying bass, but more benefits than just that too.
Hopefully not teaching you to suck eggs but bass from them also depends on good position close to a solid stone or brick wall, and a perfect top/bottom cabinet seal etc.
SBLs can do great bass quality and definition with good source and amp etc but they are never going to be chest shaking. A sub might work for you, but it would be a fine balance to ensure you don’t lose the pace and energy that SBLs do so well. Cheap subs might rather spoil the picture?
Incidentally if I was going to try a sub I would do a high level connection on one channel first (ie from the soeaker terminals) rather than going for two straight off. REL design their subs for this sort of connection, many other manufacturers don’t offer a high level option on their cheaper subs. One will give you a good start and an idea if the sub route is for you, rather than different speakers.
Bruce
As @BruceW mentions active SBLs can manage bass well. I had active SBLs for nearly 20 years, and thought I would never change them. I was persuaded to move to Ovator s600s with the same amplification. I do not have enough room for another pair of 135s, nor a 250 so I went for a REL. I love what it does, both for music and TV.
I have found a away to add a 250; but, for now, I’m happy.
I use two passive subs.
Graham Audio Sub 3.
No controls to bother with.
Speaker out of amp to Sub 3 and then from the Sub 3 to my Graham Audio LS5/9.