Below 20 HZ Notes/Instruments

The human brain is unable to recognize the directional source of frequencies below approximately 100-150 Hz, (according to my M&K owner's manual.) This would make "stereo" subwoofer use unnecessary. Experiment with your corners for placement and ease your cutoff as low as possible over time. It is easy to think you really need to "hear" your subwoofer when you first get it. Give it time, you will love it. Happy listening. Charlie

Hi perfectimage .... I'm not sure it's a question of being right or wrong .. I certainly would never claim to be right in a matter so subjective as audio. I mentioned my experience because I have read so many posts saying that RELs should be placed in the corner and tuned in, and I just wanted to warn Nil that this might not work, and a position with a lower WAF might be required. I don't have the money for a second sub though I'd love to try it out... the sub cost more than my Spicas and I have a 5 month old daughter who takes priority.

Danvect ... maybe it's the power of suggestion, but I didn't feel that orchestral pieces (where the majority of the deep bass comes from the right of the sound field) sounded correct when the sub was placed next to my left speaker. I am sat in a nearfield listening position, less than 6 feet from the speakers (inc sub) and I feel that it is possible to locate the sub, albeit not exactly. It was a trade off placing the sub next to the right main, but I wanted to avoid centering the sub for fears of driving room resonance.

Anyway I stick with the main point in my previous post ... if your mains are flat to 20Hz then a REL will not work ... it will bleed into the bass of the mains and mess it up. The REL will only work if you can set the x-over below the mains so that the two don't interfere with each other.

Thanks P1s1. I will be sure to check out the top 30 bass CDs. Danvect, that is what I thought but in my case I could locate the 'pressure source' even with lowest possible cut-off of 22 Hz on the REL stormIII and lowest possible useful volume , perticularly with nearfield listening ( relatively speaking, my V's are 9.5 ft apart and sweet spot is at ~8.5 ft distance.)I tried the subwoofer at different loations; near left, near right, middle, back(never a corner since that is the last thing I would want) and each time disruption to main speakers occurs (to my ears,the wife and daughters can't tell the difference!). One thing is for sure , the REL does put out big clean punch during the casual listening and movies ( Watched the fast and furious and Pearl Harbor over the weekend). Seandtaylor is correct that for the V's REL or any subwoofer unless specifically designed would be just counter productive for music.

P1S1, What do you know, I GOT some of the CDs from the top 30 bass discs. 1812 overture, food for woofers #3(i got all 5 volumes), Illegal bass, techmaster P.E.B, Bass Mechanik (this is where I got the freq tone down to 10 Hz, actually this has tones for 10-11-12...100 Hz!)Bass erotica, Bass syndicate, bass society,bass hit, bass alliance,and many more bass cds. These were from my old car bass freak days ( I still am but towards flat and clean bass, My car stereo is so good I refuse to replace my old 88 Honda PRELUDE si) Thanks again. What are the acoustic instruments that can go that low? Not too many i think.

I agree that the rel has to be able to be set lower then the mains. If not its just going to get boomy. Maybe a better Rel? I have Stentors and I think they go down to 17.

Two Rels will break the bank. I had the first one for three years before I bought the second and the only reason I did, when I did, is because the Stentor 3's were coming out and I wanted a 2 to match my current one sonically.

Try the corner and let us know what you think. You have nothing to loose and you may be as suprised as I was.