Rel T5i x 2 or 1 x Rel T7i

[AndyCC72]

I'm on the market to purchase a sub for my Cyrus One/LS50/Bluesound Node 2i set up.

My room is about 25 ft long by 15ft wide so about 375 sq ft (I think). The system is set up on the long wall, at one end of the room with my listening position about 8ft from my speakers.

I was just about to buy a T7i for £849 when the opportunity to get a nearly new Rel T5i for £250 came up.

At £250 for 1 xT5i I can afford to buy another used/ex demo T5i for a fair bit less than the price of one T7i.

So do you think that given the above 2 x T5i's will be as good if not better than 1 x T7i ????

I'm very new to this, so if my questions seem silly it's because my knowledge s hugely limited 🙂

 

[jjbomber]

My guess is the two T5is would be better, as the soundstage is looking for 25' width rather than 15' depth. The only real answer is to test them, but that's my guess. The good news is that you would probably make a profit it you sold the T5i on and changed to a T7i.

 

[AndyCC72]

My guess is the two T5is would be better, as the soundstage is looking for 25' width rather than 15' depth. The only real answer is to test them, but that's my guess. The good news is that you would probably make a profit it you sold the T5i on and changed to a T7i.

Thanks for your response!

I need to make a decision by Monday on the £250 T5i as she won't hold it any longer and being a rank amateur at this game I'm interested to see what people more knowledgeable than me think

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Why do so many people buy LS50s and then feel the need for subs? Bigger rooms need bigger speakers...

 

[AndyCC72]

Why do so many people buy LS50s and then feel the need for subs? Bigger rooms need bigger speakers...

Is that a rhetorical question or should I answer it? Either way it was a hugely helpful response, thank you !

It's a cracking speaker, the best I've ever had. I just think it could be even better with a sub. My total outlay with speakers and both subs will be approximately £1100. I'm hoping that will be money well spent and that it will be as good if not better than many floor standers of the same price We'll see !!

Like I said I'm new to this, trial and error ..... i'm also enjoying it, so it's not all bad.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Point taken - it's just there have been a few such questions recently, and I wonder whether people have been buying them largely based upon reviews and not considering things like room size. To my mind, adding subs to speakers too small for the area seems like a fudge - but that's just me!

 

[AndyCC72]

Point taken - it's just there have been a few such questions recently, and I wonder whether people have been buying them largely based upon reviews and not considering things like room size. To my mind, adding subs to speakers too small for the area seems like a fudge - but that's just me!

I would be lying if I said I wasn't somewhat swayed by the reviews. But I'm genuinely really pleased with them and just feel that the sub would fill out the bottom end a bit, then they'd be even better. I'll let you know if that's the case..............

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Why do so many people buy LS50s and then feel the need for subs? Bigger rooms need bigger speakers...

Big rooms and big speakers can still benefit with the addition of subwoofers. Sub bass is the foundation of sound and with all things being equal it's better to have subwoofers deal with sub bass fq's. The stronger the foundations are the better fq's above will be supported.

A subwoofer is the most important component.

Fwiw, here's some systems in big rooms with big speakers and all are supported by subwoofers -

Ypilson electronics, Rockport speakers and REL Reference No. 25 subwoofers

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaMjAmjxJWc


McIntosh electronics, Sonus Faber speakers and JL Audio Fathom f212 v2 subwoofers



Audionet electronics, YG Acoustics speakers and JL Audio Gotham g213 v2 subwoofers

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

A subwoofer is the most important component.

I'm not denying the importance of low frequencies (I think they are more important than most realise*), but I don't believe this can be true personally.

*Take a double bass, for example - the initial 'hit' is lost without extended and taut bass.

 

[Al ears]

Big rooms and big speakers can still benefit with the addition of subwoofers. Sub bass is the foundation of sound and with all things being equal it's better to have subwoofers deal with sub bass fq's. The stronger the foundations are the better fq's above will be supported.

A subwoofer is the most important component.

Fwiw, here's some systems in big rooms with big speakers and all are supported by subwoofers -

Ypilson electronics, Rockport speakers and REL Reference No. 25 subwoofers

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaMjAmjxJWc


McIntosh electronics, Sonus Faber speakers and JL Audio Fathom f212 v2 subwoofers

View attachment 2027

Audionet electronics, YG Acoustics speakers and JL Audio Gotham g213 v2 subwoofers

View attachment 2026

they are showrooms and totally out of place in the average UK home..... 🙂

 

[MUSICRAFT]

they are showrooms and totally out of place in the average UK home..... 🙂

Here's some pics of systems in UK homes incorporating big loudspeakers supported by subwoofers -

KEF Blade speakers and REL Line Array 6 No. 25 subwoofers

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpalU3sdJV8


KEF Reference speakers and dual JL Audio Fathom f112 v2 subwoofers



Focal Sopra 2 speakers and dual JL Audio Fathom f110 v2 subwoofers

 

[Al ears]

Then the owners have more money than sense.
And dealers just love them.....

 

[MUSICRAFT]

the initial 'hit' is lost without extended and taut bass.

Are you saying that a subwoofer would diminish this please?

 

[Tonestar1]

I'm running a set of B&W 684 as front speakers which go down reasonably low., I've never felt the need for a sub. However, I recently purchased an SVS SB1000 and the difference to the low end and the overall sound has been phenomenal. It could be the fact the amp no longer has to work so hard powering the LF and frees up headroom for the rest for the range. So even with floorstanders i would still wholeheartedly recommend a sub to compliment. Took a bit of faffing to integrate it seamlessly into the soundstage but worth it. Anyway, surely faffing is one of the key components of this hobby. Who hasn't spent an afternoon swapping cables or changing speaker positions in a futile attempt to optimise the sound.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Are you saying that a subwoofer would diminish this please?

Of course not.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

It could be the fact the amp no longer has to work so hard powering the LF and frees up headroom for the rest for the range

Does the setup have some sort of crossover? I'm intrigued as to how the amp 'knows' that it can ease up on what it sends to the floorstanders.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

I'm running a set of B&W 684 as front speakers which go down reasonably low., I've never felt the need for a sub. However, I recently purchased an SVS SB1000 and the difference to the low end and the overall sound has been phenomenal. It could be the fact the amp no longer has to work so hard powering the LF and frees up headroom for the rest for the range. So even with floorstanders i would still wholeheartedly recommend a sub to compliment. Took a bit of faffing to integrate it seamlessly into the soundstage but worth it.

Good to hear 👍

 

[MUSICRAFT]

OP a subwoofer is the most important component. Look at the best possible subwoofer that can be accommodated and one that your budget will allow.

 

[AndyCC72]

OP a subwoofer is the most important component. Look at the best possible subwoofer that can be accommodated and one that your budget will allow.

I’m buying two T5i’s..one used one open box, combined cost £675.

im picking the used one up on Monday and the others getting ordered pay day (also Monday).

the challenge now is to integrate them both ...I’ve had half decent HiFi for 25 years but only in the last 2-3 months have I got the bug....watch this space...I’m quite apprehensive about this part 😂

 

[Tonestar1]

Does the setup have some sort of crossover? I'm intrigued as to how the amp 'knows' that it can ease up on what it sends to the floorstanders.

Yes, I use an AV amp with preouts to a 2 channel power amp. for the front two. I'm pretty sure the crossover is set at 60Hz for the fronts. The difference between using the pure direct mode, no processing two channel only, and straight which uses the sub and two channel only is marked, strongly in favour of the latter.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

I’m buying two T5i’s..one used one open box, combined cost £675.

im picking the used one up on Monday and the others getting ordered pay day (also Monday).

the challenge now is to integrate them both ...I’ve had half decent HiFi for 25 years but only in the last 2-3 months have I got the bug....watch this space...I’m quite apprehensive about this part 😂

Nice one 👍

Yes, the key now is to effectively align, calibrate and dial in the subs. Nail this and you should find that the subs make the most profound difference to the overall performance of your system.

 

[AndyCC72]

Nice one 👍

Yes, the key now is to effectively align, calibrate and dial in the subs. Nail this and you should find that the subs make the most profound difference to the overall performance of your system.

I’ve spent most of the day researching it. I’ve found the video below, which I think explains how to connect two to a class D Amp (mines a Cyrus One):

View: https://youtu.be/InWCT4OPQfM


I’m a bit confused as the video shows how to connect 2 subwoofers to a ‘class d monoblock’. Is the CyrusOne a ‘class d monoblock’?? I know it’s class d, not sure about the monoblock bit ?

I’m confused already and I haven’t even started 😂😂

 

[AndyCC72]

I’ve spent most of the day researching it. I’ve found the video below, which I think explains how to connect two to a class D Amp (mines a Cyrus One):

View: https://youtu.be/InWCT4OPQfM


I’m a bit confused as the video shows how to connect 2 subwoofers to a ‘class d monoblock’. Is the CyrusOne a ‘class d monoblock’?? I know it’s class d, not sure about the monoblock bit ?

I’m confused already and I haven’t even started 😂😂

can anyone confirm it when setting up my two Rel T5i’s to my Cyrus One amp I should follow the instructions in the video I posted above? It’s instructions for setting up two subs with a ‘class d monoblock’ amplifier.

now I know the Cyrus One is class D, but is it a monoblock? Apologies for what is probably a silly question but like I mentioned, im
new to this.

thanks I advance

 

[Al ears]

Haven't watched video but no, your Cyrus is an integrated amplifier. A monologue is one of two power amps, or more, that drives a single speaker

 

[AndyCC72]

Haven't watched video but no, your Cyrus is an integrated amplifier

Thanks, I did know it was integrated but wasn't sure if one could be both, ha ha !!

The confusion was caused by Rel doing a seperate video for how to connect a single sub to class d amps but no video for how to connect two. Only a video of how to connect two to 'class d monoblocks'

Rel support have since come back to me and said that I should follow the instructions in the video above, just that the left and right channels will be in the same amplifier rather than separate amplifiers.

Now the fun of trying to integrate them begins. Thanks for responding!