Hi,

I am looking at adding a subwoofer to my AV/Hi-Fi system. It consists of a Yamaha DSP-E800 Processor/Arcam Alpha 8 amp hooked up to a pair of Tannoy Mercury M3 floorstanders (fr) and Tannoy Mercury MX1 bookshelf (rr) and MXC (cntr) speakers. I am actually happy with the sound at the moment but I think sometimes that movie soundtracks lack the 'wow' factor a subwoofer would give me. The room isn't large (15ft x 15ft approx). I am concerned that a subwoofer might overdo it as when I purchased the kit a few years ago I was advised by the salesman to utilise the front speakers for the bass. Does anyone have any comments to make on this and if anyone thinks my system could benefit from a sub, can anyone recommend one? I was looking at something like the Tannoy TS8 to keep everything Tannoy but figured I could go for something else like a REL Quake or MJ-50. I am looking at replacing the Yamaha in the future but am kind of holding out as I like the Arcam for CDs.

Cheers,

Dave Duncan

A subwoofer will definitely give your system a bit more 'poke', but whether that's what you really want is another matter. For a start, check that your amp or processor has a dedicated subwoofer channel (if it doesn't, you won't get the full benefit anyway). Also, to get the full benefit of one of REL's monsters, you really do need a sizeable room for those long waves. The smaller Quake is very very good, but you're probably better off trying a less costly one in your more bijou pad - the Tannoy could well be a goer.

Are there any guides in existance re. how to chose the right sub - this is an area I know very little about. Can anyone help?

Nick there's a decent guide to subwoofer choice and set up over on this site

http://www.whathifi.com/newsMainTemplate.asp?storyID=54&newssectionID=3

It mentions how to pick the best sub for your room, speakers and needs as well as how to best set it up.