Sub for a non Naim system

Posted by: Timbo on 27 June 2003

Help me out please. I have a small AV system in my study comprising of a Kenwood RDS surround sound receiver, mission 730 front speakers, Rega Aras rear speakers and a JVC mid speaker. The receiver does not have a dedicated sub woofer output so can I still add a sub? and what is the difference between active and passive subs.

OK I know what I should do and thats get a second Naim system but cost prohibits that at the moment.

Cheers

Tim

Posted on: 28 June 2003 by J.N.

Tim

A passive sub is a speaker in a box; i.e. - cheap crappy boombox.

An active sub; has it's own amplifier to drive and control the drive-unit.

REL are the best - (I use a Q400 with SBL's)

Check out the 'Quake' at about £350 I think. Very small and very capable. REL recommend driving it off the speaker outputs of your amplifier (even though it has its own amp) to feed the sub, the same 'character' of bass as the main speakers. This is how I use mine, off a NAP 250. It works very well.

http://www.rel.net/products/Quake.shtml

REL subs have excellent control facilities to integrate the sub, so that it doesn't have any negative effect on the rest of the system.

'Slam' and 'Depth' controls allow you to have it subtle for music or dramatic for AV use.

Good luck.