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To Sub, or not to Sub...

TheDecameron said:
I had a mad one when I got the BK 400 up and running last night....has anyone used a sub in a room while using open backed earphones?
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Not with sub but often with the main units going - a by product of using a headphone amp as a pre and not being arsed to turn the power amp off as the switch was at the back. It was quite pronounced just how much this added, and how much disappeared when I did switch off. I suspect it shows how much of the lower register if felt rather than heard. Part of the emotional impact of live, loud music is undoubtedly visceral - it does feel like your internal organs react. I’ll leave some bait out here for the medically and physiologically minded amount us by suggesting it’s all down to the Vagal nerve and the PNS
 
Peter, I’ve done that inadvertently and noticed the sound was muddied, taken the headphones off and found the room speakers playing away.
 
Peter Keen said:
Thanks for pointing that thread out radamel - I should have done a search I guess, but this discussion has thrown up some more insights, as well as some valuable Fox knowledge!

Thanks everyone for your contributions - I've gone for a BK XLS200 - just one for now as there is simply nowhere to put the other at the moment, but it looks likely I will end up with two eventually. I'll report back when it's here and set up.
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Hi Peter, I ordered mine Monday night off their Amazon site (I had some vouchers to spend), DPD tried to deliver yesterday! Anyway we weren’t in, so it’s now coming Sunday, hope yours is as quick.
 
I'd look at a used REL Stata 3. They go on eBay every week for about £175 and are brilliant quality. Better than the BK in my opinion as they were still made in UK at for and up to Strata 5 - after which manufacturing went to China so one has to assume the 'quality control' on the production line might not be what it was when REL were British made.
 
When REL subs were made in the UK, I believe it was BK who built them. Thus the similarity in design, such as the use of similar 3-core Neutrik connectors.
 
I borrowed a friends BK Gemini and compared it to my REL Strata 5 and I felt my Strata 5 'just' had the edge over the Gemini. Couldn't quite put my finger on it, just a smoother bass I suppose. But that was in a different set-up to what I have now. That was with Isobariks and a Sondek turntable. It would be interesting to see how the BK subs sound in my current Naim/Sara/Michell system. BK are really well-made though and I love that they are English made.
 
Used to have a rel sub with a pair of Naim SL2 speakers which I found bass light in certain areas and worked very well but since have swapped systems and now have a pair of speakers that have no need for a sub and give plenty of bass when required.
Of all the subs that I have heard rel subs seem to integrate well in various set ups.
 
Buying floorstanders, or other speakers that don't need a sub, is an idea. For me, I just love the sound that Linn Sara's produce, but they are very 'middly' and although there is good bass there, they don't quite have the 'felt' slam that I like, hence a Strata 5.
 
BK subs are excellent. I've had a couple in the past, & just bought a S/H XLS200 Mk II for use in a second (mostly AV-based) system. BK also make a rather good 1,000w digital panel amp., which I used to replace the one in my SVS sub (for AV use in my main system) after the latter decided to burn itself out irreparably & SVS wanted £800 for a new one. I did visit the BK premises near Southend once; very much a cottage-type setup. I've always found them extremely helpful to deal with.
 
BK subs are excellent. I use the XL400 with my Focal 1008 be speakers, the sub is fast and tuneful. If you speak to technical support you will speak to the main man. When I bought mine I asked for a change in the xover freq and for a 30 min auto off, both of which did gratis.

I use three subs in my system for AV and just the BK for stereo duties. The BK is plumbed in via the neutrik and is wired from the main speakers. I use the foam bungs in the Focals and the xover dialled in at about 55Hz - works brilliantly.

I used to own a ported REL Strata III, could never get it properly dialled in for all music types/albums, very frustrating, so I ended up using it solely for AV.

M
 
Well, mines landed an hour or so ago (BK XLS200), will report back with a more complete response, but ‘profound’ is a word that springs to mind!
 
Update

So, the BK XLS200 arrived a week ago and went straight into the second system (Yamaha R-N803D digital receiver into Neat Motive 3's). It's been a great upgrade! Important to share that from the outset I used the YPAO facility on the amp to do it's room correction thing and my conclusion is that this a significant part of the success story here. When I had a play with correction switched off and attempted to "tune" the sub in manually it got pretty messy and I quickly flicked it back on. Hugely impressed with BK: sound, build quality/engineering and service. Truly amazing VFM in my experience. Although the system is primarily audio (the Yamaha is a 2.1 amp, not a AV beast) the value added by the sub to film watching is a wonderful bonus. I've never really given home cinema much thought before but this upgrade has been a revelation.

Thanks again for all the advice given.

Peter
 
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