Need Helping picking a sub to integrate with Sonus Faber speakers

[bomt697]

Hello, I recently got a pair of Sonus Faber Lumina V towers and wanted to add sub to get the deep down (sub 30-50) frequencies. There are alot of options out there for a "musical" sub and its getting to be a bit overwhelming.

Here are the specifics:
1. budge: $800-$1200
2. size requirements: small foot print, 12" sub or smaller
3. room size: finished basement with carpeting, 27x13x8, ~2800 cubic feet, semi open layout, sorta flows in another room
4. primary use: 2 channel stereo music listening only. Sub will be paired with: BlueSound Node 2nd gen, Schiit Bifrost 2 DAC, Schiit Freya S preamp (dual pair of active RCA pre-outs), Schiit Vidar amp, SF Lumina V speakers.
5. Listening habits: just getting into music again after many years, therefore will be listening almost any type of genre. Huge Metallica fan however.
6. appearance: something to compliment the SF speakers in terms of its air of sophistication
7. Timeframe: 1-3 months
8. Wants: Not looking for chest stomping bass that would be used for a HT setup. Ideal sub would be for it to blend in and disappear while enriching the low frequencies. A sub that can be crossover calibrated to better work with SF speakers.

What are some options that would fit the above mentioned requirements? Thanks for all the help, cheers!!

 

[Beave]

Faber, unless the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has started making speakers.

As for the subwoofer, the usual suggestions are to look at SVS, Hsu, Rhythmik, possibly others, and pick one that fits your list.

 

[Beave]

Consider a pair of 12" subs from one of the above mentioned vendors for somewhere near your upper budget range of $1200 (ie, two $600 12" sealed subs). And then spend effort on optimizing their placement and EQ, and that should give you really nice bass.

 

[shadyJ]

If the Sonus Faber speakers can not dig down to 30-50Hz, and you need a subwoofer to supplement that, you have a problem. No tower speaker should come up that short.

 

[TLS Guy]

If the Sonus Faber speakers can not dig down to 30-50Hz, and you need a subwoofer to supplement that, you have a problem. No tower speaker should come up that short.

It probably is a problem speaker. Specs quite and FR of 38 Hz to 24kHz. There are no 3db or other limits stated. It is a three way with two 6" woofers, a 5" midrange and a tweeter. Crossover points at 260Hz and 2,600Hz.

There are some crude measurements in Home theater which show a significant drop in response across the 260Hz crossover region. That would make these speakers seem very week in the wind, and bass deficient.

The Sonos Faber 2 which is similar with 5" woofers has good measurements in Stereophile which also shows this null, and bass response falls off like a cliff after the box tuning.

So I have reason to suspect a sub is only a partial solution.

I really think this is a design done at the instigation of the marketing department, like so many. "It has to be a three way." This speaker would, I can be pretty certain, be a far better speakers as a 2.5 way and cross to tweeter at 2.6K. I would never do a passive crossover in a speaker like that at 260Hz.
I have had a rule not to design a passive crossover below 400 Hz. If a lower crossover is required, then the speaker will be active, no exceptions

The lesson here is to buy speakers that have good third party measurements and listen to them either at a dealer, or in your home with a good return policy.

There are two parallel outputs on the back. I suspect they are parallel, I highly doubt there is a buffer amp to isolate the outputs, given the manufacturer. So he will need a sub with right and left inputs and have to run two cables to the sub.

All I can say is good luck with this. The omens do not look favorable.

 

[bomt697]

Consider a pair of 12" subs from one of the above mentioned vendors for somewhere near your upper budget range of $1200 (ie, two $600 12" sealed subs). And then spend effort on optimizing their placement and EQ, and that should give you really nice bass.

I see the klipsch spl-150 on Adorama are on sale for about $550, worth looking into doubling up on this sub or keep looking else where?

 

[lovinthehd]

I can think of other ported 15" subs I'd rather have than Klipsch, but $550 is at least a decent price (compared to list). Two could do a nice job of smoothing things out and the price ain't horrible....