Decent budget subwoofer for Edifier R1280Ts speakers?

itm · 19 Jul 2021 at 22:16

Can anyone recommend a budget subwoofer that will work OK with a pair of Edifier R1280Ts speakers? Ideally something that can be found second-hand, as I don't want to blow a lot of cash on it and don't have a great ear for these things anyway. I'm just looking for something to flesh out the bottom end a bit.

hornetstinger · 23 Jul 2021 at 17:01

And your budget is?

itm · 23 Jul 2021 at 17:27

hornetstinger said:
And your budget is?

£50-70 for something second-hand (the Edifier speakers cost around £90 new)

hornetstinger · 23 Jul 2021 at 17:30

Save up some money, look into Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 or similar

At your budget, I wouldn't even consider it, rather have no sub at all than £70 sub.

itm · 23 Jul 2021 at 17:33

The sub in my old Cambridge Soundworks DTT2200 system sounds great to me, and that whole 5.1 speaker system cost < £100. So I'm easily pleased, basically. Just looking something that will be compatible with the budget Edifiers that I have.

hornetstinger · 23 Jul 2021 at 17:36

They're good speakers why get a POS sub just to get a botttom end, which'll make the system sound worse.

I've had subs in your price range (Cheapo Yamaha 45W) I threw it away. Get that SW-150.

Check your speakers does it have left & right out, or can you use bass management in your PC, so <80hz to sub directly, then >80hz to speakers directly.

itm · 23 Jul 2021 at 17:39

£150 for a sub to go with a pair of speakers that cost £90?
(that would make the speaker system worth about 50% of the cost of the entire PC system)

andy_mk3 · 23 Jul 2021 at 17:43

itm said:
The sub in my old Cambridge Soundworks DTT2200 system sounds great to me, and that whole 5.1 speaker system cost < £100. So I'm easily pleased, basically. Just looking something that will be compatible with the budget Edifiers that I have.

Wow, rare to see those mentioned! I got mine around 2001 and still use them at work

hornetstinger · 23 Jul 2021 at 17:45

itm said:
£150 for a sub to go with a pair of speakers that cost £90?
(that would make the speaker system worth about 50% of the cost of the entire PC system)

Subs aren't cheap like I said I threw a Yamaha 8" sub away boomy crap. I use a SW-150 and for the money it's good.

itm · 23 Jul 2021 at 17:48

andy_mk3 said:
Wow, rare to see those mentioned! I got mine around 2001 and still use them at work

Yeah I've had mine about that time. I seriously thought about finding another set on eBay (they go for around £70), but had heard so much about the Edifiers and they were only £90 so what the hell. Just need a cheap 'n' cheerful sub for my very uncultured ears now (anything like the sub in the DTT2200 system would be just fine).

itm · 23 Jul 2021 at 17:50

hornetstinger said:
Subs aren't cheap like I said I threw a Yamaha 8" sub away boomy crap. I use a SW-150 and for the money it's good.

Thanks - I'll keep an eye out for a second-hand SW-150

JasonM · 24 Jul 2021 at 21:24

Most people use subwoofers wrong.

The sub should be used for gentle fill in of missing frequencies. It should be set to a level where sound appears to be coming from left / right speakers only, and only noticed when the sub is turned off.

The problem with adding a sub, especially if using regular phono plugs (not balanced), is you introduce more background noise into the line source and degrade the actual signal. Remember a phono lead is an aerial, and the more length (more cable) the more noise that's picked up.

I use to run a Subwoofer, but moved to 2.0 Prodipe studio speakers, and now don't require a sub.

hornetstinger · 25 Jul 2021 at 08:33

JasonM said:
Most people use subwoofers wrong.

The sub should be used for gentle fill in of missing frequencies. It should be set to a level where sound appears to be coming from left / right speakers only, and only noticed when the sub is turned off.

The problem with adding a sub, especially if using regular phono plugs (not balanced), is you introduce more background noise into the line source and degrade the actual signal. Remember a phono lead is an aerial, and the more length (more cable) the more noise that's picked up.

I use to run a Subwoofer, but moved to 2.0 Prodipe studio speakers, and now don't require a sub.

A good sub will be able to do that, a low quality one won't be able to disappear. Quality cables shouldn't pick up noise.

For a AV system, and a satellite system a sub is a must.

JasonM · 25 Jul 2021 at 08:57

hornetstinger said:
A good sub will be able to do that, a low quality one won't be able to disappear. Quality cables shouldn't pick up noise.

For a AV system, and a satellite system a sub is a must.

I use to run a sub and Yamaha satellites, I had that sub pretty much invisible. With the sub off the lower frequencies were gone, so that setup it was a definite must.

Now moved studio monitors, for the first week I missed the sub, but now I'm not missing it. My studio monitors go to 55hz but they seam a lot deeper.

hornetstinger · 25 Jul 2021 at 09:29

JasonM said:
I use to run a sub and Yamaha satellites, I had that sub pretty much invisible. With the sub off the lower frequencies were gone, so that setup it was a definite must.

Now moved studio monitors, for the first week I missed the sub, but now I'm not missing it. My studio monitors go to 55hz but they seam a lot deeper.

Above is all on my computer setup.

These are what I run, of course on stands, isolation foam. There that accurate I was listing to an Areta Franklin track, and I could hear the background interference from the recording studio mixed into the actual track.

http://www.prodipe.co.uk/studio-monitors/2111-pro-5-v3.html

The following track has some really low frequencies in it, and I can feel these on my hands, how this is happening when there meant to only go 55hz, but I can.

https://www.beatport.com/track/alone/49315

Speaker roll off isn't a brick wall, it will be able to output lower, just at a lower dB level.

I use SW-150 on computer system, it has improved gaming- using bass management in the AVR before I had them run full range (standmounts)

JasonM · 26 Jul 2021 at 04:06

hornetstinger said:
Speaker roll off isn't a brick wall, it will be able to output lower, just at a lower dB level.

Yes your very correct, this is chart of Prodipe's

https://static.bax-shop.es/image/pr...Pro_5_V3_actieve_studiomonitor_per_stuk_5.jpg