Sub w/S2600?

[tom1040]

Do you guys think an JBL L8400 would be a good match with the S2600 speakers? This will be used only for music-no HT.

By the way, are each the same ash veneer enclosures?

Thanks.

[Titanium Dome]

You mean this S/2600?

http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...light=S%2F2600

[tom1040]

Yes sir. That's the one. I am aware that you also own these. Have you found the need ( or want ) for a sub with these? The bass in the S2600 seems very tight and well controlled so I do not want to add the 'boom' associated with some subs but would like to dig a bit lower.

Thanks for your responses.

[Titanium Dome]

I have a few Fosgate Audionics CSS200 THX subs which contain the JBL LE120H-1 driver (like in the L7). Normally I wouldn't use a 12" sub with a speaker that has a 12" woofer as standard kit, but the LE120H-1 isn't a typical twelve incher.

If you cut in the XO low, around 60-80Hz, and tone down the gain 'til the sub is barely audible, you can get some very nice bottom from around 23Hz on up.

I also tried a B380 (15") and a 14" based FS400 (JBL LE14H-1), and they didn't seem to add much beyond the 12" sub. It's important to point out that the LE120H-1 is a far, far better driver than the 12" driver in the L8400P, so bear that in mind.

I currently play the @/2600s without a sub, and enjoy them just fine, but when I get a spare sub, I'll add one for that very slight boost at the bottom. If you ever hear the S/3100 you'll know how good things can sound with a richer bottom end.

[tom1040]

Thanks for your response and insights. Do you prefer the LE120H-1 woofer over the ME120H from the S2600s? Is there a large difference?
If so, would you elaborate?

Thanks.

[Titanium Dome]

I don't prefer one over the other since they're designed for different purposes. They don't compete in the same space, though they're both 12" drivers.

While they both are spec'd to go down to 30Hz, it's not at the same output. The ME120H runs from 30Hz all the way to 950Hz in its application, while the LE120H-1 is doing 30Hz to 180Hz duty.

I've never seen an LE120H-1 set up to run even to 200Hz, though of course it could. Its strength is in the LF however, and that's where it shines. It easily outplays the ME120H below 100Hz. That's why it shows up in THX certified subwoofers, but not in two-way systems that require a LF driver that can efficiently go to 1kHz or above.

The ME120H has a much wider frequency response that powers on between 50Hz–60Hz and actually rises toward 2kHz before dropping off. It excels at midbass reproduction, and it has the oomph to deliver sound up to and beyond the crossover to meet the lower end of the HF driver in a two-way system. It's a great driver, but its strengths are different than the LE120H-1. I've never seen one in a sub, and I wouldn't really want to.

So using an LE120H-1 based subwoofer with an S/2600 is not as straightforward as adding one 12" drive to another. It's complementing one type of 12" driver with a different type of 12" driver that fills in the bottom of the range where the ME120H has to work much harder to produce the frequencies.

Hope this helps.

[tom1040]

Thanks. Helped a lot. Still learning.

One last question: I am buying a pair of L5 speakers. Would these somehow compliment the S2600 in a stereo setup. I know they are both 6 ohms, sensitivity is off a bit, but I am getting a good deal. Perhaps I should use them in another room? I know, the best way is to try it out but I would like your opinions TD.

[Titanium Dome]

Thanks. Helped a lot. Still learning.

One last question: I am buying a pair of L5 speakers. Would these somehow compliment the S2600 in a stereo setup. I know they are both 6 ohms, sensitivity is off a bit, but I am getting a good deal. Perhaps I should use them in another room? I know, the best way is to try it out but I would like your opinions TD.

Well, since I have a pair of L5s, I can give you an informed opinion. They do not mix and match well. The L5 is a four-way, direct radiator design, and the S/2600 is a horn-based two-way design. Other than the JBL label and apparently both being 6 Ohms, they have nothing in common.

The L5s are very, very nice speakers and will do well on their own in the right room. I've used an LE120H-1 based sub with them in the past for extra low end oomph in a large room, but the room they currently occupy (12x14) doesn't need any bass reinforcement.