Small or large sub for music


I've been using a pair of Velodyne HGS-10s to supplement KEF LS50s below 50 Hz, but I read that larger subs are better for music because the cone needs excursion.  Is there any truth to this?  I have a pair of HGS-15s that I could use to supplement the LS50s or Reference 1s (below 40 Hz) if I go there.  The HGS-15s do HT superbly.

db
Ag insider logo xs@2xdbphd
Hello ejr1953,

      Let me get this straight, you bought and installed 2 JL Audio F113V2 Fathom subs, JL's latest and finest that are huge, weigh 133 pounds each and have a msrp of $4,500 each, but were initially greeted with "one note" bass?
      I feel for you, brother, that must have felt like a punch in the gut.       
     Your dealer then added insult to injury and sold you a calibration mic, room correction software and 10 big and expensive bass traps to fix the problem? 
     You must have the patience of a saint, I'm getting worked up just hearing about it. 
      I'm sorry, ejr, I know you're pleased now but  the Fathoms still seem like an unnecessary compromise in many aspects from my perspective.  
     Is it too late to just return everything and start from scratch?  I can tell you, with a high degree of confidence, that either an Audio Kinesis Swarm or Debra bass system would be a significant upgrade from the Fathoms in all respects at a price about $1,500 less than a single Fathom.along with a free 30-day in home trial period.
  
    However, I get the sense that a quality bass system is a much higher priority for you than price.  I'm as certain as I can be that either a Swarm or Debra bass system will provide state of the art bass in your room while also eliminating the need for any bass traps, mics or room correction software.  I know it will provide the absolute opposite of "one note" bass, the ability to choose your cutoff frequency between 30-200 Hz on the front of the 1,000 watt supplied amp and  a choice of wood finishes that actually allows the subs to appear to my wife and I like the art pedestals you often see in the better art galleries.

Tim     
@mcreyn I will let RV know !!!!! I knew there was something wrong with my Model 7, so I tried an experiment, IF you slide the M7 amp over you can block one of the slots, IT improves the base by 50%
.....
mcreyn:

" but a vented subwoofer (whether ported, slot load, transmission line, or passive radiator) works just as well or better when properly designed. With decent quality subwoofers, the vast majority of issues people have are room and tuning related, not equipment related."

     Well said!  I couldn't agree more.

     The Swarm and Debra subs are 'vented enclosure for correct roll-off to compensate for room gain (ports can be plugged with supplied plugs, if desired)'.  I've tried my Debra subs both ways and preferred them unplugged.

Tim
     
noble100
Yeah, my daisy chain remark was directed to the original poster dbphd but I failed to make that point in both of my posts. 
I then confused your use of the Dayton Sub amplifier and High level conectivity with dbphd's HGS subs.

In the word of Rosan Rosanna Danna, "Never mind"! 
ejr1953
When I did a half baked subwoofer comparison between my Velodyne DD-18 with two other sub owners of a REL Studio III and a JL Audio Fathom F113 (v1) using the JL Audio ARO there was a slight but audible peak just below the main speakers crossover point.

This was clearly visible using the Velodyne Room Optimization program. I was able to dial some of it out using the F113s LP freq. (Hz) dial. Bypassing ARO and using the Velodyne Manual Optimization I was not only able to clean up the crossover point make some Q adjustments and cut and boost a few other places to really smooth out its response and improve the F113s overall performance.

I understand JL Audio has made improvements with their v2 and is also marketing an ancillary companion crossover component. Regardless, the JL Audio is a very fine system that provided nearly the same girth of output of the DD-18 that seriously belies its 13" drivers size.