2. speakers
  3. 133582-107338

How do SVS subwoofers compare to REL?

I'm looking for subwoofers (one or two) that have a very "tight" natural sound and are not overly boomy. In the future I hope to pair them with some Magnepan speakers. Magnepans are known for having a natural sound, and I want to compliment that.

I've been told that the REL subwoofers (e.g.,T/9i or S/3 SHO, etc., are a good match for Magnepan speakers. However, SVS subwoofers have also been recommended to me.

I don't have any background in high-end audio, so I am interested in opinions of folks here. Are SVS subwoofers considered generally as good as REL in regard to the features I'm interested in? Is either clearly superior? (I had never heard of SVS before yesterday.)

Which subwoofer size (in REL or SVS) would be a good match for a pair of Magnepan 1.7i in an 18 foot x 15 foot room (ceiling about 10 feet) with carpet on floor?

I'm looking at these so far:

REL T/9i Subwoofer about $1300
REL Acoustics S/3 SHO Subwoofer (Super High Output) about $2100
SVS SB-4000 13.5" 1200W about $1600
Any other recommendations?

Total subwoofer budget is around $2600 max. ($2000 or less would be better.)

Also, I believe it is better to buy two smaller subwoofers, compared to one larger one, right? (I'm just not sure where I would put two. Placing one is easier in this room. And I plan to connect everything with speaker wires, not wireless.)

Thanks

lowoverdrive
hogarthd
4 posts
 
I'm running Maggie 3.7i with an SVS SB16 Ultra.  It's amazing. I have a huge room, too.  I'm not an expert at subwoofer tuning, though...actually, anyone that can point me to a thread about how to tune all the options beyond just the simple cutoff frequency on the SVS SB16 would be really appreciated (phase, etc). 

Maggies are being driven by Classe CP-800 and a Parasound A21 (I have a Classe CA-2300 that is currently being repaired - see my other thread to hear about that 5 month nightmare). 
icanskate
20 posts
 
I have Maggie 1.7s... started with a Rel T7 but after a year the amp in the Rel developed a problem..picked up a PSB sub and it sounded fantastic. So good in fact that it ended my love/hate relationship with my Maggie’s. PSB subs in my experience have a great synergy with Maggie’s.
lowoverdrive OP
147 posts
 
@hogarthd

...anyone that can point me to a thread about how to tune all the options beyond just the simple cutoff frequency on the SVS SB16 would be really appreciated (phase, etc).

What I read is that phase is important only if there is more than one sub. Set each sub to the opposite phase. It's not important which is which, as long as each sub is different.

If I can find the link to the article I read, I'll post it. It was a good article.

Also, check out the Antimode 8033 as recommended by @willemj 
lowoverdrive OP
147 posts
 
@icanskate - which model PSB sub did you select for your Magnepan 1.7i speakers?
Ag insider logo xs@2x
steve_zettel
19 posts
 
My experience with some of the equipment you are considering is a bit tangential at best -- I owned Magnepan 1.6 QR speakers for several years, but never tried to use them with subwoofers. I spent some time at friends home who used REL subwoofers very successfully with Spendor SP100 speakers. I currently use a pair of SVS SB16 Ultra subwoofers with KEF 207/2 speakers.

I think the SVS are a great value and don't give away anything to much more expensive subwoofers since the introduction of their DSP amplifiers, newly designed 16" and 13" drivers, and integration with a very intuitive app. The SB and PB4000 share the same DSP and app control with the SB and PB16 Ultras -- three parametric eq bands, three presets that can be customized by the user, real time gain adjustment. The only thing they won't do is play a test signal and auto-calibrate themselves, but with the flexibility and control of the app, tuning the SVS subs from the sweet spot without having to get up to make adjustments is a piece of cake.

I'm very pleased with the performance of the SVS subwoofers and how seamlessly they integrate with the KEFs.
More to discover