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Subwoofer and EPI 100 speakers???

CKDC

CKDC

Super Member
Anyone out there ever use a subwoofer with EPI 100 speakers?

I am considering adding a subwoofer to my 100's, not looking to make them go boom boom but to go a little lower and possibly improving on the midrange by taking the load from the bottom of the woofer.

I am thinking about buying one, possibly 2 of the Dayton Subs. I am unsure if I want the 8" or the 10" version.

Thanks for your thoughts.
 
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CKDC said:
Anyone out there ever use a subwoofer with EPI 100 speakers?

I am considering adding a subwoofer to my 100's, not looking to make them go boom boom but to go a little lower and possibly improving on the midrange by taking the load from the bottom of the woofer.

Thanks for your thoughts.
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I don't have EPI speakers but I can tell you of my experience with quality subwoofers... the affect on the midrange might not be heard but they will do exactly what you want with the bass. Talking powered subs or those with a dedicate amp, off loading bass from the speakers and their amp will improve the overall sound, at least at higher listening levels. The transition, action of the crossover needs to be set to make it as seamless as possible... no boom or affect on vocals what so ever. Very pleasant sound, adds an octave to the lower end.
 
NHT made a nice 8" sub with an outboard xo/amp. I had no problem integrating it with several different systems.

Also came in 10" and 12" versions.
 
Just to clarify...

My hope(possibly unjustified) was that by making the subwoofer take the load from the woofer of the EPI, the midrange would improve.

I could see (in my un-informed thought process) that the crossover might need to be changed.

In the end, I think I will end up getting different speakers. I threw this out the in hope that the more experimental have tried this sort of thing.

Again, I appreciate your thoughts on this issue!
 
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CKDC said:
Just to clarify...

My hope(possibly unjustified) was that by making the subwoofer take the load from the woofer of the EPI, the midrange would improve.

I could see (in my un-informed thought process) that the crossover might need to be changed.

In the end, I think I will end up getting different speakers. I threw this out the in hope that the more experimental have tried this sort of thing.

Again, I appreciate your thoughts on this issue!
Click to expand...

Cross over doesn't need to be changed. The subwoofer will take care of that.. it is a stand alone unit with it's own low pass element, sometimes a pass through with high pass too but there is nothing you need to do with the crossover in the speakers. Try it with a competent one, you'll like it with most any speaker you have.
 
Does your receiver have a dedicated sub woofer output? If so, it might have a built in crossover that will let you limit the amount of bass signal to your EPI 100's.
 
from what i remember of the EPI 100's sound, a subwoofer would really help by taking the load off the woofer below 55hz, the lower limit of the EPI 100. without the cone flapping wildly on low bass notes at high volume, it can only sound better.

of course it will allow you to play the system louder. you will need an active crossover however, like a DBX pro model but they are fairly inexpensive. you can bypass the sub's xover or set it at it's highest point and feed it from the 2 way unit. this is what i do and i have mine set at 60hz. you can go lower and with AS speakers you get a gradual rolloff.

my brother bought a Dayton sub last year, an inexpensive 15" model and it is surprisingly good. it is a sealed cab, i don't know if they still offer it...
 
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well then you could just insert a large electrolytic cap (say 100 to 200 ufd) in series with the EPIs and experiment with the subwoofer xover freq.

of course the amp would still be driving the full frequencies but the speaker distortion would be lower.
 
I own EPI 70's and 100's. For the 70's and sub is a must. For the 100's it's a luxury. Nice but not an absolute must have.

I don't think adding a sub to the 100's improves the midrange. It just simply fills out the bottom end. I wouldn't want the EPI midrange messed with anyways. It's world class as is.
 
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