TBI inspired audio setups
The system at the left is using Avantgarde Duo's main speakers crossing over at 170 Hz. The Magellan subs in this reviewers system have been praised for their musicality with the horns who naturally have very little diaphragm motion for the sound that they produce. It is typically very difficult to produce a subwoofer that produces good low frequency extension while maintaining a tight upper bass especially at these high crossover points. Many electrostatic manufacturers and customers have attempted hybrids that used this type of alignment but the deep bass suffers. The Magellan VIII su's with a single low mass 8 inch driver per cabinet is replacing the Duos subwoofers with dual 10 inch drivers in each cabinet and producing a better quality sound. We also have customers using the Magellan VIP su to replace the stock Duo dual 10 inch subs. The Magellan VIP su has only a single six inch driver per cabinet so in a similar instance dual 6 inch drivers are replacing quad 10 inch drivers with better results for a quality musical presentation.
The system on the below right is a favorite combination used with the TBI ™ Bass Extension Module.
The monitors are highly acclaimed Galante' Audio Rhapsody point source coaxial speakers that are highly efficient even to their cutoff frequency of 60 Hz. The Galante's are efficient and have a wide sound stage and using a ported enclosure with a 10" driver the cone motion is almost nothing in its' lowest ranges. This situation exists for all high sensitivity monitors with limited bass response. The dual Magellan VI su Anti-Subwoofers™ are driven in stereo by 300 W Marchand mono blocks and filtered using a complementary Marchand electronic crossover. This would be an ultimate system for audiophile application and we welcome the use of custom amplifier-crossover systems and subwoofer amplifiers of your choice. Once the system is setup the additional extension is completely layered in the soundstage with no indication that subs are present. After the proper crossover , phase and level are established there is no need for additional tweaking if the desire is to hear the low notes as they were recorded. Any other type of tonal corrections if possible or desirable should occur in the system at line level and be applied to the mains as well.
The system below is an example of a high end home theater audio system. The NSM towers are paired with dual Magellan VI su's to provide incredible 2 channel audio and surround video performances. The NSM towers are good to 40Hz allowing an incredibly seamless blend with the Magellan's. The main speakers are driven by Art Audio tube amplification (atop the television) with dual TBI 200 su's operating the subs in a stereo or dual mono setup.
The surrounds are quality in -walls with a phantom center. All of the amps, processors and players are top notch no mid-fi receivers here. When creating an audio system today most audiophiles would rather have something that the whole family could enjoy. This approach allows you to reap the benefits of a single system equipment purchase that occupies the best room or in some cases the only one. The small subs could be located vertically behind the chest to be completely hidden and well within the WAF with wonderful sound for home theater and high-end two channel audio. In this case both hubby and wife agreed to let the little subs show for they are a great conversation piece.
Location is one of the biggest problems even if integration is achievable with a subwoofer. It was a problem in the early day to locate two large speakers even though they were set up to produce full range sound. As driver technology improved to produce better quality speakers in a smaller package the only thing suffering now is the deep bass. Large subs that go deep have timing and room problems that are near impossible to completely correct. The new genre of smaller subs have to overcome the limitations of the larger ones while producing deep bass in a small package. This approach is cluttering the market with smaller subs that go deep, need large amounts of power and offer even poorer driver control than the larger ones. ETL™ technology allows for fully integrated deep bass in a small package that can placed almost anywhere if space is also a problem. Finally you can have full rich sound without coloring your systems sonic personality in fact you correct the only defect.
We will be featuring additional systems on these pages to show the compatibility of TBI subs with various mains to include electrostatic, dynamic planar, exotic mini-monitors, towers and others so watch this page. We will try to get customer comments to go with each system to help you make a decision on your Anti-Subwoofer™.
