Live sound subwoofer? And which speakers to use with it?

[rileysaudio]

I'm leaning towards buying a pro subwoofer such as one of JBL or Cerwin Vega's. I currently have a pair of JBL L100t3's and I also have a pair of Cerwin Vega AT-15's. I'd like to pair the subwoofer with one of these pairs. But, the problem is that I'm not sure which pair I should keep and use with the subwoofer. The reason I lean towards a live sound sub is because I've tried some home audio subwoofers before and I haven't gotten the output or sound I like from them. I'm sure if I put a good amount of money into one I could maybe get those things but I'm on a somewhat tight budget. I care about sound quality and both pairs of speakers have their own pros and cons. I would kind of like to keep the JBL's and use them with it, but I don't know if they'd work well together. And I'd have to sell a pair to go towards purchasing the subwoofer. So, here's some of my questions I have:

1. Which pair of speakers should I keep and use with the sub?
2. Would the JBL L100t3's even have a chance of keeping up with the sound levels a live sound type sub (would it overpower the JBL's)?
3. How would this type of sub sound with my speakers?
4. Which live sound/pro subwoofer would you recommend?
5. Has anyone tried this and what do you think?
6. (This might sound like I only care about loudness, but...) Does anyone know what kind of SPL the JBL L100t3 or L100t's are capable of?

Let me know your opinions!

Thanks, Riley

 

[Blown Z-06]

Riley,

I use 2 JBL 2245H 18" loudspeakers as subwoofers for my JBL 4435 monitors, and really like the sound. I have plenty of everything, and the subs certainly do not overpower the monitors. In fact, I am thinking of rebuilding and changing the placement of the cabinets for more bass.

I like your L100T3's, I had to google them to get a picture, I was not familiar with that model. They have nice wood.

 

[vinyldavid]

Most pro audio 'subs' are actually bass bins. Most PA stuff doesn't do true low bass (there are always exceptions), but that;s the norm. To get good bass you either have to spend money or DIY.

What home audio subs have you tried and disliked? that could give us an idea of what you are looking for.

 

[rileysaudio]

I have only tried a few that aren't known to be the greatest so I could be a bit biased. I have used a Klipsch KSW-12, an Onkyo subwoofer (most likely from a HTiB), and I've heard a Klipsch SUB-8 and SUB-10 many times. I really am looking to be able to get some pretty good SPL out of whatever sub I choose though. I would like a good sounding sub that isn't just a one-note, slow, or non musical though which is what I've experienced from the others. I don't think I'd need it to go incredibly deep but down at least into the 30hz range would most likely be good. I also might have the chance to get a Bagend Infrasub-18 too. Is this a pretty good sub? Would I be able to get some good output out of it? It is flat down to 8hz which seems really amazing. In summary, I'm looking for a sub that's pretty musical but can really rock the house when it needs to.

 

[Renzor213]

Good luck with your project, as never heard a music system using a subwoofer that properly integrates, and usually just sound's added on. At the very least, see if you can borrow a few, before committing to laying out any cash. My main music system has large speaker's that easlily play to the lowest frequencies, and really world's away from smaller speaker's with a sub tacked on.

 

[redcoates7]

What kind of budget are you working with? All the subwoofers you mentioned are pretty inexpensive (all easily under $300) so I'm not at all surprised they didn't sound all that great

By the time you buy a good driver or two, build an enclosure, and add a dedicated amplifier and electronic crossover this project is going to be a bit expensive. (Expect at least $750 to do it right in my opinion)

Also, vinyldavid hit the nose right on the head with his remark. A bass cabinet designed for sound reinforcement use is typically designed for maximum SPL and durability...not necessarily LF extension. 35-40 Hz extension is pretty typical.

 

[similost]

I've got Peavey bass bins.. they hit hard and sound good, but as noted, they don't drop real low like a consumer sub does...

There are some pro subs that do drop really low, but you better pull out a nice bank account to fund them...

Other wise, start looking at higher end subs in the consumer market.. OR, there is a nice 4 driver sub on Parts Express projects I was thinking about building that will fit under a sofa...