As with many terms, "subwoofer" no longer means sub. It simply means "center woofer" or "dual-channel woofer". The original meaning from the "High Fidelity" era was "ultra-low frequency woofer", such as a 15-inch in a 6 cubic foot enclosure. Your main speakers now don’t actually have any woofer. The have what is advertised as 5.5 inch "woofers". If woofer comes from woof (sound made by a very large dog), those are more like "yelpers". It is not possible for such small drivers to move enough air at low-frequencies to be significant. The Rythmik FM8 has "dual" 8-inch woofers, so only a tiny step above what you now have. The KEF R400b has a pair of 9-inch drivers, hardly an improvement. The JL audio e110 is a 10-inch, still not serious bass power. All of these depend on built-in high-power amps to push the driver to high dB levels in the 50-150 Hz range, and that means louder bass that you already get smoothly from your current speakers. I suggest that you look for a 12-inch dual VOICE COIL system (one driver with two voice coils) in either a 2.5 cubic foot or larger cabinet. That type can provide smoother response and less distortion in the 20-100 Hz range, supplementing your present system well.
Has anyone added a small subwoofer to 2 channel and been thrilled with the result?
The subwoofer can of worms.
I’d like to add some bass to my otherwise fine 2 speaker setup and have limited space so perhaps a single 10in?
After a few weeks of research the only conclusion I can come up with is - everyone agrees they have to be setup properly. Every brand and technology has their own following and most recommend using 2 (which I don’t want due to space concerns). My room is 12 x 13 ft with box raised ceiling.
After much research, these are the subwoofers I’m trying to pick from, for various reasons:
Rythmik FM8 - lots of hifi fans
JL audio e110 - fantastic support
REL T/9i - sort of a gold standard
KEF R400b - interesting technology, makes me grin.
I've never heard any of these.
System:
Hegel H160
SF Concerto speakers on stands.
Ben
I’d like to add some bass to my otherwise fine 2 speaker setup and have limited space so perhaps a single 10in?
After a few weeks of research the only conclusion I can come up with is - everyone agrees they have to be setup properly. Every brand and technology has their own following and most recommend using 2 (which I don’t want due to space concerns). My room is 12 x 13 ft with box raised ceiling.
After much research, these are the subwoofers I’m trying to pick from, for various reasons:
Rythmik FM8 - lots of hifi fans
JL audio e110 - fantastic support
REL T/9i - sort of a gold standard
KEF R400b - interesting technology, makes me grin.
I've never heard any of these.
System:
Hegel H160
SF Concerto speakers on stands.
Ben