Mate I’m sorry I’m so annoying
@lucid
I’m watching Blu-Rays with DTS HD! Blu-Ray player straight into my Yamaha V373 amp and using the kit I mentioned in the initial post but with my new Gemini II sub.
Where to start?
At the beginning of this thread you asked some specific questions. If you don't mind, I'll sumarise:
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What can I do for £300 to improve my system?
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Is the Gemini better than the Wharfedale?
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If the budget is more flexible, can I get something better? Then you said up to £400 for the sub
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Will a sub alone improve the performance of my existing satellites?
To those questions, I answered
- Buy a centre speaker and sub and speaker cable (Wharf' SW150 @ £160, centre speaker at £80-£150, thicker all-copper speaker cable)
- Yes, but don't compromise the centre speaker for the sake of the sub
- P12-300 sub
- No
It's still my opinion that the Gemini II is a better sub than the Wharfedale because it has close to the same bass extension but can articulate faster, play bass notes with greater insight, and has a much smarter crossover which opens up possibilities that aren't an option with the Wharfedale. By comparison, the Wharfedale is slightly cruder. Here's what I think is the crucial difference. The Wharfedale sounds like it's trying hard whereas the Gemini II is effortless. Putting it very crudely, it's easier to provoke the SW150 in to banging and crashing about that some people might misinterpret as being more bassy. The Gemini II is better at keeping things under control. Neither sub though has the power and size to produce room-shaking teeth-rattling bass.
Comparing either of those subs to your CA S80, they've each got a bigger bass cone and more power. Your S80 has a 6.5" driver and 50 Watts according to the spec sheet I've seen. That means it will reach its limit of performance far sooner and so start hitting its end-stops. That makes any sub noticeable, but not in a good way.
How much bass you think is enough is a very personal decision. I've just helped a guy from South Wales upgrade his system. At first, I thought you and he were the same person, but you're not. His old sub is a Yamaha. For him, the upgrade to a Gemini II was a massive step up. For you, it could be that your desire for bass won't be satisfied until you hit a £500+ sub with 12" driver and 500W. Even then, that might not be enough.
In the mean time, I think you should work on the sub settings and positioning until you decide what your next move will be.
Start with positioning. A corner placement will give the biggest amount of bass boost (quantity) but rarely give the best bass quality. It's a trade-off depending on your priorities. A better place is at 1/3rd of the room width or room length. For your room that is 122" wide x 144" long then that means either marking a point 44.5" across the width, or 48" along the room length, and then placing the sub at either one of those two points. This will give you the most even bass.
Next, your seating position up against the back wall is working against you for sound. Divide the room length in to 1/5ths or 1/7ths. If possible, move your sofa away from the back wall so so that your head is at a 1/5th point, or at least a 1/7th point.
Finally, if the sub isn't loud enough then adjust its level in the speaker menu or via the Gain dial on the back.
Anything that would give a similar impact but around the £500 mark?
BK Monolith or Monolith+ is about the closest you'll get for around £500