Which subwoofer for a monitor audio package - and does it ever really matter?

[Sean Mc]

Got a Monitor Audio BX Centre speaker and BR5 floorstander fronts, and a Sony DH-820 AVR. My room is a bit higgledy piggledy, but is essentially 4 x 5 metre square. I'm just about to buy either BX2s or BXFXs for rears. (I'm in the process of replacing my cheaper Tannoy system, by integrating my existing BR5s into an AV system).

I've got a budget of £200 and so can't afford the BX10 subwoofer.

My question then is - which sub should I consider?

And a second question, as someone who has no idea about matching subs with other system parts, is: does it really matter? Given the sub is producing the bass grunt, can I simply go for any brand? Or, as when matching amps with speakers, does it really require a careful matching of a sub with the amp/speaker package? I can guess the answer, but don't really understand why it would make much of a diifference.

Happy New Year.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

Most will suggest the sub is very much less system depwndent. I think also that reviews are the best way to determine a subs capability. Some have aan eq system. S/H may be a good bet if u can demo.

 

[Sean Mc]

Thanks Robin. I'll do a bit of research on Ebay etc and see what's around. If it really is less system-dependent that does give me a lot more chance of finding a bargain.

 

[jonathanRD]

Sean, re your other post, if you get the BX1's and they are cheaper than the BX2's, put the money you save towards your sub buget.

When I was looking for a sub to complete my MA BX2 5.1 setup, I noticed that there was not many great reviews of the MA BX10. At the same time I started noticing many great reviews of BK subs.

In the end I went for the BK XXLS400DF on the basis that it was a compromise between music and movies. I had a few questions so I rang BK, and during the conversation they pointed out that their XXLS200 was similar specced to the BX10. The XXLS200 is just over £300. Potentially for £315 you can get a brand new similarly specced sub - but have a look at the specs for yourself.

On the otherhand, if you are happy to go 2nd hand, I'm sure you can find a decent sub.

By the way, my XXLS400 is brilliant!

 

[bigboss]

Look at BK subs. They offer amazing value for money. BK Gemini is within your budget, but if you can extend your budget to XLS200, even better:

http://www.bkelec.com/HiFi/Sub_Woofers.htm

A subwoofer makes the largest difference to your home cinema experience, and I personally would not allocate such a small budget for it, considering the rest of the system.

 

[jacobmorrison]

Got a Monitor Audio BX Centre speaker and BR5 floorstander fronts, and a Sony DH-820 AVR. My room is a bit higgledy piggledy, but is essentially 4 x 5 metre square. I'm just about to buy either BX2s or BXFXs for rears. (I'm in the process of replacing my cheaper Tannoy system, by integrating my existing BR5s into an AV system).

I've got a budget of £200 and so can't afford the BX10 subwoofer.

My question then is - which sub should I consider?

And a second question, as someone who has no idea about matching subs with other system parts, is: does it really matter? Given the sub is producing the bass grunt, can I simply go for any brand? Or, as when matching amps with speakers, does it really require a careful matching of a sub with the amp/speaker package? I can guess the answer, but don't really understand why it would make much of a diifference.

Happy New Year.

I have the BR5s in a similar setup. They are capable of a surprising amount of bass, particularly if bi-amped which your Sony receiver is capable of doing. In my system this improved the bass response without making the setup boomy. The .1 sub-bass information comes through loud and clear but only when there is sub-bass on the soundtrack. Adding a sub to a full range front speaker system theoretically gives them less to do and improves clarity / low end response, but the bi-amp approach does much the same thing, all be it not quite as effectively but at least it's an improvement you can make without spending significant amounts of money. If taking this approach I'd go for the BX2 for the surround speakers as they don't really need bass support from a sub. Make sure you're sending the sub bass info to the front speakers, bi-amp them and re-run the Sony EQ system, then experiment with your BR5 positioning and the sponge rear port plugs in/out until you're happy.

Something else to bear in mind, a single sub is likely to give an optimum bass response in one listening position only unless you're lucky enough to have a bass equalization facility. Move away from that position and the bass could either disappear or start to dominate. Many people prefer to use two small subs rather than one big one as this can resolve these kinds of problems. Keeping the BR5s handing the .1 sub-bass does avoid these potential bass management issues.

The BK subs come with a great reputation but there are no trigger inputs and no low power standby. The cheaper BK subs use class A amps which consume a lot of power so you'll be wanting them turned off when not in use. Everytime you want to use it you'll have to physically turn it on which is fine until you're forced to place it out of the way either to keep the other half happy, or because after trial and error you discover that the optimum position for it is behind a sofa etc.

 

[Sean Mc]

Thank you guys, that's all really helpful.

I've just sorted some plugs/bi-wire cable to bi-wire the BR5s, so I'll check out that sound first. If I'm not getting enough boom I'll take your advice re subs.

Again, very helpful, thanks. :beer: