DdDesign Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Hi I am considering a subwoofer for my B&W601s2 speakers and Rega Amp. Ideally I would upgrade my speakers but this is an interim solution until I can put more $$ into new floor standers. A PSB subsonic 5 i has come up for sale second hand and I am wondering if it would suit and is good value at $250. Also will it be easy enough to integrate into my current amp and speakers Here are the specs: Specifications Type: Self-powered subwoofer Woofer: 10" polypropylene cone with 1.5" rubber surround Frequency Response: 30 to 150Hz Maximum SPL: @ 100Hz, 109dB Amplifier Power: 150 Watts continuous "Class H" Crossover Variable: 50Hz to 150Hz (24dB/octave Linkwitz-Riley Low pass filter) Inputs/Outputs: Low/Line Level/LFE Gold-plated RCA Inputs and OutputsHigh/Loudspeaker Level Gold-plated 5-way Binding Post Input and Output Internal Volume: 1.01 cu ft (28.6 liter) Design Type: Bass Reflex Internally and Externally Video Shielded Dimensions: 12.63 x 16.5 x 14.88 (W x H x D) Weight: 33 lbs. Finish: Black Ash Vinyl Veneer Here is one review I could find about the sub http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0604/psbsubsonic5i.htm I would really appreciate others thoughts. Cheers Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 id honestly get this one, buy well and buy once.... http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/85264-fs-legend-kurlo-6-sub-woofer-112-years-old-in-brand-new-condition/?hl=kurlo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DdDesign Posted August 2, 2015 Author Share Posted August 2, 2015 id honestly get this one, buy well and buy once.... http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/85264-fs-legend-kurlo-6-sub-woofer-112-years-old-in-brand-new-condition/?hl=kurlo Love to but its over my budget and a I would prefer to put that sort of money towards a complete speaker upgrade. Plus I am in WA and it would be high shipping costs. I guess, I am wondering if the PSB sub will actually give me some improvement for now or actually detrimental to what I am already using. I have heard that a subwoofer that is not well integrated can make music sound worse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 from reading your other posts...you have a huge area. subs need to energise a space. a too small(in capability) sub will be lost in it. Also with regards extension whether add anything to the experience consider how deep they go. with regards subwoofers the no 1 most important thing is location location location. it is its response in room vs that of your speakers and position of the main listening position that will either make it easy or harder to integrate. using a poor sub placed sub optimally can make sound worse....vs the quality of sound your mains provide (depends on the league of your speakers and what they are capable of) as to whether this particular sub is "good enough" you'd probably only be able to gauge once spent some time with it to integrate in your room and system. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Macfarlane Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 (edited) Hi DD, I have a Whatmough sub, that I want to sell. It uses a 10" Peerless XLS driver and has a 240w amp. It weighs in at 30 kg and while the finish is a bit tatty it sounds excellent. There is no model name or number on the sub and I have forgotten what Whatmough told me it was but I seem to remember it was about $2000 new. Drop me a pm if you want to have a look. Cheers, Gordon PS : Looking for around $400. Edited August 2, 2015 by Ozcall 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DdDesign Posted August 2, 2015 Author Share Posted August 2, 2015 (edited) Hi DD, I have a Whatmough sub, that I want to sell. It uses a 10" Peerless XLS driver and has a 240w amp. It weighs in at 30 kg and while the finish is a bit tatty it sounds excellent. There is no model name or number on the sub and I have forgotten what Whatmough told me it was but I seem to remember it was about $2000 new. Drop me a pm if you want to have a look. Cheers, Gordon PS : Looking for around $400. Thanks Gordon I am still a bit lost on whether to sub or not to sub? Or just to be patient save for some decent floor standers that will fill my room. As Al. mentioned my room big (8x10m) I will get in touch if I decide to go down the subwoofer path. Doug Edited August 2, 2015 by DdDesign Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Spencer Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Hi Doug, That's a good offer from Gordon. Yes, a sub not well integrated can make things worse but it can also deliver bass with the kind of authority you won't get with main speakers. Some buy a sub and regret it. These are the people not willing to invest the funds or learning curve to get it right. Some buy a sub and then can't live without it. Generally it's the beginning of a journey. These are the bass nuts. Many are in the middle. One thing to keep in mind is that a sub is not a substitute for floorstanders. It's a completely different way to do bass. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyr Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 (edited) Love to but its over my budget and a I would prefer to put that sort of money towards a complete speaker upgrade. Plus I am in WA and it would be high shipping costs. I guess, I am wondering if the PSB sub will actually give me some improvement for now or actually detrimental to what I am already using. I have heard that a subwoofer that is not well integrated can make music sound worse? Don't know how good the PSB sub is but you are mistaken if you think that "a complete speaker upgrade" will give you the kind of bass you seem to be looking for. That is unless you have at least $50K to spend on some "floor standers". (BTW, the kind of bass drivers a pair of $50K full-range speakers which deliver great bass have ... generally won't deliver the kind of bass which a 15" driver with an 800w plate amp (ie. a sub) can deliver. Why, you might ask ... because it's got an 800w plate amp just for the low bass ... so your Rega amp can deal with the main speakers.) And the more subs the better - 1 is adequate ... 2 is good ... 4 or 5 is much better! It depends how much of a bass head you are - do you listen to Bach organ music or Yello? Andy Edited August 2, 2015 by andyr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantan Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 5 subs FFS. Could not think of anything worse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 5 subs FFS. Could not think of anything worse as the established research goes ....4 is optimum. 2 is best bang for buck...and 1 is just fine as it turns out for one listener ...this from the "guru" himself.... quality over quantity....as with anything so yeah if getting a sub get one really good one, dial into perfection for your self and the main listening position and spend the rest on the music to enjoy and be happy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Spencer Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 as the established research goes ....4 is optimum. 2 is best bang for buck...and 1 is just fine as it turns out for one listener ...this from the "guru" himself.... quality over quantity....as with anything so yeah if getting a sub get one really good one, dial into perfection for your self and the main listening position and spend the rest on the music to enjoy and be happy It's important to keep in mind that this is very system dependent. One sub will often work well for a 2 channel system but sometimes you actually do need 2. In some cases, you may not get an optimal setup with one, but practical positions for a second sub might not offer an improvement. Overlapping rather than crossing over can also reduce the number of subs to achieve a smooth response. It's more typically a HT system with a seating area that really benefits from 4 subs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DdDesign Posted August 3, 2015 Author Share Posted August 3, 2015 Hi Doug, That's a good offer from Gordon. Yes, a sub not well integrated can make things worse but it can also deliver bass with the kind of authority you won't get with main speakers. Some buy a sub and regret it. These are the people not willing to invest the funds or learning curve to get it right. Some buy a sub and then can't live without it. Generally it's the beginning of a journey. These are the bass nuts. Many are in the middle. One thing to keep in mind is that a sub is not a substitute for floorstanders. It's a completely different way to do bass. Thanks for your input and clearing it up for me. Its great to know that every system offers different qualities. For some reason I always assumed that floor standers were a better option for my large space. In some ways I like the smaller form factor of a monitors and a sub or two. Like everyone says it's not until you get out and start listening to different set ups do you really know what's right for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 DD just be aware, just as paul suggests a floor stander doesnt replace a sub woofer...in the very same way a sub-sat setup doesnt replace a floor stander. While a sub and standmount gives best placement flexibility, a floor standers can be quite complex beasts with dedicated mid range and doing that important mid bass ...that neither a satellite (small standmount) or a sub woofer will do as well each speaker has its place...there are certainly always exceptions to above but you tend to have to pay for the privilege...ie a floor stander that has subwoofer capabilities ...or a standmount that is as good or better than a floor stander... e.g. is it better to buy a sub and add to a standmount ....or to buy a better floor stander or better standmount instead in the first place....you will find different speakers excelling in different areas...just matter of deciding what is important to you and fits best with what trying to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getdisdude Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Just from experience, I added a simple velo sub to my 602s and found a pretty decent improvement. I now have floorstanders without a sub and I must say I do miss that low end fill.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts