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cornedbeef
1
Apr 5, 2017
What's a good subwoofer to go with this DAC? Appreciate your reply audiophiliacs.
DrPhilGoode
39
Apr 12, 2017
cornedbeefDepends... How much subwoofer do you want to invest in with a $199 DAC/AMP? What sort of speakers are you pairing with? My sub is a 15 y/o Acoustic Research S108PS, 8" @ 120w and it performs swimmingly. There are a bunch on the market currently that may suit your needs. Lots of reviews available. My main recommendation: save some coin, don't go overboard.
Annndy
89
Apr 12, 2017
cornedbeefPolk Audio PSW10 is an inexpensive, nice sounding sub for around $100 on sale (sometimes $90).
Now that I've answered your question directly I have to mention that there are subs that are better for home theater, which I assume is not what you plan to use this for, and others that are better for music. Like DrPhilGoode I think what amp you pair your subwoofer with is not as important as the speakers you pair it with, and the size of the room. The PolkAudio PSW10 fills even a large bedroom with bass very nicely, but if you are trying to fill the formal living room of a 1920s mansion you are going to want something bigger, or maybe 2 somethings bigger! For music in an office the Yamaha YST-FSW050BL2 is nice, compact and probably a little more "audiophiliac" than a low-end Polk, but I think most people would think either sounds good. The Monoprice 108248 also looks intriguing. It's cheap and they seem to produce decent stuff. As far as matching a sub to speakers, there are often subwoofer models in the same series as many mainstream speaker models that are made to go specifically with the models in that family. If you have old speakers that weren't made to go with a subwoofer I personally think it's best to use a subwoofer that is designed more for music than for home theater use. I think home theater setups are more precisely matched to work as a set. Home theater subs are also designed to create big thumping sounds rather than for smooth integration with a set of stereo speakers.
DrPhilGoode
39
Apr 13, 2017
cornedbeefPlease pardon my obtuse response, but I did not know what sort of music you listen to or what your SQ goal might be. There was nothing to indicate whether you prefer music or movies, whether you prefer tight, fast and accurate or loud, deep, teeth-rattling bass, what you consider a reasonable budget, whether or not this will be for a secondary system/office system or an entry-level/dorm/small apartment, etc. As such, I thought it would be presumptuous of me to recommend a specific subwoofer. I could only offer an opinion on my preference, which might be an anathema to you.
Also, I did not intend to imply that the amp one mates his sub with doesn't matter. Admittedly, below a certain price point and considering the subwoofer will have an amp built in, this is not a concern (unless you intend to purchase an unpowered subwoofer and a dedicated, standalone sub amp... but that's an entirely different sphere of "audiophilia" outside the scope of this conversation). HOWEVER... I can offer this advice: I recommend you look for a sub with both line level speaker inputs AND an RCA sub input, volume control and adjustable crossover. This insures flexibility should you change amplifiers or speakers in the future. Believe it or not, some do not offer ALL this.
My musical tastes run the gamut. I may listen to Lyle Lovett, old school Motown, The Who, Nat King Cole, The Doobie Bros, John Philips Sousa marches, Marcus Miller, a smattering of Panic! At The Disco and the soundtrack from "Hamilton" in a single sitting ALL while flipping back and forth between the TEAC AI-101DA and my NAD 316BEE amplifiers. Seriously... I've done that. That being said, I prefer acoustic suspension (non-ported) speakers because I like a fast attack and controlled bass. Admittedly, my sub IS ported... finding a good, sealed sub at a reasonable price is challenging, but my NHT bookshelf speakers ARE sealed/non-ported and that was a calculated, deliberate choice.
I don't know your dedication to music listening. I could while away the hours going through my Miles Davis collection, most of which does not include "slap you in the face" bass frequencies. On the other hand, such music might drive you to slap someone. I simply don't know. So, choosing a subwoofer is very subjective. That being said, there are hundreds of reviews from reasonably reliable sources wherein people who're far more "golden eared" than I offer their opinions and list the type of material they used to evaluate the subs. I'm sure, you'll be able to find a sub that will meet all your needs. Best of Luck!
Annndy
89
Apr 13, 2017
DrPhilGoodePlease also forgive me if my response sounded like a criticism of DrPhilGoode's - it was not meant to be. I agree with everything he has said. I could write about the virtues and subtleties of subwoofers for ten thousand words. The subjectivity of "good" in audio truly supersedes all other factors in my opinion. I wish I had that AR subwoofer! It kills me that they essentially went out of business and are making waterproof Bluetooth speakers with colored LEDs in them now - aaagh!
With that I will give another over-simplified answer on possible subwoofers that would pair well with this amp. I mentioned earlier Polk, Yamaha and Monoprice. Those are fine for many, if not most people, and they are reliable brands that have a good reputation for value at their prices, which are low. If you want something that leans toward the more refined, as I hope this little amp does (joined the drop - yay), PSB, Martin Logan and SVS all make subwoofers for more discriminating listeners. Those are still mass-produced brands, but they style their products for the audiophile market and attempt, even in their low end models, to strive more for accuracy, clarity and control than they do for sheer volume. Their low end offerings all seem good to me and although I do not have extensive experience with any of them, I think they offer good value for the more discriminating and cash-laden listener. I think any of their entry-level subs would be a good match for this little amp.
I'm repeating this again - I think the size of the room is paramount. Room size matters more to the low bass even than it does to the other frequencies, so the sub's interaction with the room is a much bigger factor than it is even with regular "full-range" speakers (the speaker/room interaction is fundamental to how the system will sound). I had a cheap 12" sub in a small echoey room and it just didn't work well at all. I thought the sub was just junk. Later I put that same sub in a larger room with more sound absorbing materials and it sounded great - tighter even, and it still does! I also have a really nice JBL sub that is no longer available and originally cost around $500. Not surprisingly that JBL sub is distinctly better than my Polks and Yamaha, but they only cost about 20% as much as the JBL, so obviously there are trade-offs. I think for the money Polk makes great sounding stuff, even if it isn't really aimed at a discriminating/audiophile market. (I can hear the sound engineers groan as I hit submit - I know, I know!)
Thank you DrPhilGoode for your thoughts on this too. I like reading your comments and have been reading them on a bunch of questions over the last few days. I hope cornedbeef likes to read because we are clearly willing to write! LOL
cornedbeef
1
Apr 14, 2017
AnnndyThank you folks for your reply.  Just reading from your replies, I know that you guys know what you are talking about.  I am new to this and was about to buy the Bose Companion at best buy which they said is crap and much better if you setup your own amp, speakers.
Sorry if I didn't mention any specifics - I bought the speakers TEAC LS 101, the one that came with the TEACai-101da. My room is about 15ft. x 15ft. My intention is just to fill the room with high quality music, listening to TOTO, Tearsforfears, Mike Francis, Starship, Stevie Wonder. I'm all about clarity, super crisp sound and looking for a subwoofer that would complement nicely with my speakers or maybe change my speakers???
I'm seriously considering YST-FSW050BL2  that you recommend as I read good reviews about it, plus it doesn't take too much space on my confined room, the price is not bad either. I just hope it is flexible enough that I can still use it if I change setup/setting in the future just what DrPhilGoode suggested.
Again, thank you for sending replies.
DrPhilGoode
39
Apr 14, 2017
AnnndyTHIS... "I think the size of the room is paramount. Room size matters more to the low bass even than it does to the other frequencies, so the sub's interaction with the room is a much bigger factor than it is even with regular "full-range" speakers..." So much 'yes'.
And apologies if I seemed a little prickly. I worked in high end audio many moons ago and couldnt stand it when salespeople "sold" customers on equipment. I would tell customers "I can tell you what I like and why, but what REALLY matters is what sounds good to YOU. Your ears, bro." I wasn't always popular with my managers, but my customers appreciated that.
As for the "little AR sub that could", yes she's a trooper. I, too, was crushed when Recoton bought AR and immediately set about wrecking what was one of the grand dames American audio. It was under Recoton that they began to build ported speakers. My sub was from the middle of their reign and was regarded as a well performing small sub. It has served me well.
DrPhilGoode
39
Apr 14, 2017
cornedbeefBose... Oh, please, lawd... NO. So much nope. I cant even...
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