I’m very happy to hear that the KC62 is working so well for you, as that is the sub I will be adding to my system once I have moved. I know exactly what you mean by the never ending task of feeling that it is ‘just right’. I’ve run into this with a number of upgrades or additions. However, it sounds like you are well on the way to audio/bass nirvana.
I have a Velodyne SMS-1 room correction unit, that maps out the bass response in the room. I haven’t actually used it yet (I have 2 of them), but from what I’ve read it should really help, especially in my situation where my speakers and kit are in my living space, so the speaker placement and room treatment is sub-optimal.
I’m looking forward to the fact that the unit has a remote that I can set 6 presets for different types of music, and listening levels. The preset adjusts both the volume and the frequency level for each setting. My playlists are a mix of Rock, Jazz, Pop, Female vocal, and others, so the sub levels do need adjusting at times.
Best of luck, and if you do get a second sub, let us know how it is.
Thanks, and yes I will update accordingly. I’ve just placed an order for a second KEF sub.
I’ve not got any first hand experience of room correction tools, but reading here and elsewhere does make me think I might have to consider this when sub 2 arrives.
REL six-pack or go home… 
On the more serious side, I have heard one of these and it’s pretty amazing.
If you were using 135s or a 300 for your power amplification and wanted to add a sub, would you need two anyway?
The Blade or the subs 
?
The RELs. I love my curent speakers anyway.
I heard a 6-pack of REL S/510 on a system with Dynaudio Contour 60 and (IIRC) Simaudio electronics. It was quite impressive, not for more bass, but for better bass and better musical cues across the board.
I’ve told this before, but it’s worth repeating here…
When I first wanted to add a sub my wife was against it. I brought one home to demo, and after getting it setup I brought my wife in to hear my vinyl recording of Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin. After she got comfortable enjoying the music I turned off the sub, without her realizing what I was doing. She asked what happened to the music. I asked her to tell me, and she said she heard the soundstage and hall ambience drop away and the violin lost some of it’s woody texture. When I told her that happened when I turned the sub off she insisted we keep it in the system. True story!
Our Meridian DSP 5.1 system had a M1500 Sub (analogue input), which “did very nicely” for a number of years. I then bought it a DSP1500 with a digital data-stream input. That also “does very nicely”, but has left me with an identically sized (roughly a 15 inch cube) sub, the M1500, to find space for. I don’t think that my Meridian 568.2mm Surround processor can handle a digital and an analogue sub at the same time (AKAIK it’s one or t’other).
So the M1500 is in use as an end-of-sofa table in the lounge!
Maybe you can donate it to someone on the forums!
Have you considered moving the crossover point up to say 80 Hz or so. Vandersteen recommends this with his sub woofers. I thought that was too high, but I tried it and I must
say I think he is correct. This is how I run my Vandersteen Model 3 subwoofers feeding my Apogee Scintillas on top. Its a different Mfgr, but he has a pretty keen ear I have come to find out and he tries lots of things to optimize the SQ.
I have tried this, and I immediately thought it was complete bass overload.
I’m still tinkering with positioning and other variables - Hz, volume, orientation (front or side facing).
I’ll try the higher crossover point and place the sub in different locations in the room. I did the “crawl” and located three or four ideal spots.
Thanks.
Did you move the crossover point up to 80 Hz or so also on the upper speakers, or only the cut out of the sub. For this to be effective, you have to do both.
Not sure I can do that, as my sub is connected to my ProAc D2R with speaker cable running from each one.
Is it possible?
This is generally not recommended.
Hifi speakers are designed to operate in a certain frequency range, if you cut that off you may change the physical properties of the speakers which could degrade their overall performance. Full range speakers are best left untouched, with the subwoofer(s) only extending the lower frequencies.
A frequency cutoff should normally only be used in situations where the main speakers and subwoofers are factory designed to operate together, such as with 5.1 or 7.2 surround sets.
I was told that, but found it to not be true. I was only ever happy with the sound of the sub when between the speakers. “Tucking it away” made it weird and unlistenable.
Some subs and arrangements allowed for that. Mine used to intercept the signal between my pre amp and power amp. You could adjust low-pass and high pass filters and the sub volume. But if you’re coming off the speakers, I think they’ll just play the full range. Some impedance effects might change it a bit?
Well, I’ve tried it at 80Hz, and repositioned the sub (in my room in sounds best more or less between the two mains and on the same plane), and it is sounding pretty good indeed.
I also tried the HPF via the dip switches, but I’m not so sure whether this mode on my particular sub is engaged only when in line out setting, and not as I have it configured, which is from the main speakers not an amp.
I too thought 80Hz as a crossover point would be too high, but it’s not looking that way.
From an AV or car audio perspective, the mantra I always went with was a single large sub for DEEP bass or a pair of small subs for ‘Slam’ and speed. From an audio perspective two small subs provides the impact without sounding ‘laggy’ imho
I had a quick scan through the comments and I can’t see any mention of the benefits of stereo subs. If you have 2, you can hook up one per channel giving you the sub bass in stereo also. I am sure this will improve the bass. But at a cost $$… Having 2 also helps the sub disappear, improving integration and giving you more even bass throughout the room.
That’s right. Two is better for the reasons you state.
I did mention above I use a stereo pair of REL R-328 with my full-range floor-standing Dynaudios. The speakers are -3db at 28Hz while the subs are -6db at 22 Hz. Not only do they add better bass, but they improve things across the board.
I am also in the 2 sub camp. I did not try one only, but trusted the views of others who had, and decided to go that route. I have my system tuned such that you would not know the subs are there. It is posted elsewhere, if you can hear the subs, then they are too loud. It should be seamless. This is of course if you are optimized for 2 channel. If you are doing HT, then more bass from the subs will enhance the explosions, and car wrecks, bombs, etc., which is proper for that type of system.