AudioDIY wrote:I am thinking about adding a sub-woofer to my 2-channels system consisted of a CJ Premier 2 pre-amp, Threshold 500 II power-amp driving a Accoustac 2+2 electrostatic plannar speaker. My system is mainly used for music listening. Which sub-woofer that you would recommend and how to hook it up? Please let me know and thanks in advance for your help.
Well if you can DIY....build your own sub. Electrostatics almost always lack the low end punch, and finding a sub that integrates can be very difficult. Stay away from "heavy" coned drivers. I have had the best luck with cheap accordion style surrounds in the RIGHT box in the right position(this can take ALOT of experimenting). Box design programs are all over the net. LEAP is a favorite, and I like JBLpro too(it comes with a database of TS parameters). Even then you may have to build a few boxes or at least do some heavy mods, depending on driver. I prefer sealed boxes(usually easier to build and much more linear), but vents are sometime a necessary evil, and can be difficult to get right. As for integrating the sub into your system, two possible options. I dont know the preamp, but does is have more than one set of outputs? If not, you can run an active crossover. Lots of options there, limited only by your budget. I have a pair of Maggies that are biamped using a car audio crossover and a medical grade 12vdc power supply. Works great, yes there are dedicated home and pro audio active crossovers, but Im cheap....my setup cost less than $25, the PS was at goodwill for $10, and the crossover I had lying around, but its hardly worth more than
$15 used. Using a $100 ebay Parasound amp for the subs, the Maggies are actually being run off a SonyES(the real ES not anything in this millennium....lol) receiver that has the posts on the back to separate the preamp from the amp. Very handy.
If that is too much and you wanted two subs, you could just build a passive crossover for each right and left and use the same amp, but going from cone to stat, the more "cut" the better, and parts can get expensive real quick building I would think at least a 12db per octave low pass for the subs, 24db preferred. The less the "different types" of drivers "mingle" with each other the better. Hope that helps some....