Sony G90 manual Cians often use emphasis in the intensity

cians often use emphasis in the intensity of

notes to build rhythmic structures within the

measures of the music – it’s one of the things

that separates artists from technicians. Bass

that won’t get out of the way (and other

distortions) mars the fine artistic emphasis applied by

the musician, denying us access to the performance’s

inner architecture.

Finally, the presence of deep bass, accurately reproduced,

informs our perception of the music’s physical presence. It not

only adds weight, but it defines the environment of the per-

formance. Orchestral music, for example, is performed in

large venues that have observable modal characteristics only

at very low frequencies. These low modes allow us to hear the

size and volume of the space. It is an essential part of trying to

generate a realistic illusion of a live performance.

The $2,500 Revel Ultima Sub-15 is a stupendous sub-

woofer, when it is well integrated with your main speakers.

Each Sub-15 features a robust 15-inch driver in a compact cab-

inet that blends into your room easily. It offers very low dis-

tortion, with no audible doubling. If it is barnstorming in the

basement, it does so cleanly. Ultimately, I could play “The

Vikings” from Pomp and Pipes [Reference Recordings

RR–58CD] at lifelike volumes (94 dB peaks) without a hint of

strain in the Sub-15s. And the Sub-15 is clean enough to blend

seamlessly with the Salons, which means it should blend just

as well with any other speaker you choose, unless their char-

acters are radically different.

Driving the Sub-15 was Revel’s $6,000 LE-1 amplifier/

crossover. Used with one Sub-15, the LE-1 will pump out 700

watts; with two Sub-15s the LE-1 will deliver 1,200 watts total.

I used two LE-1s with the four Sub-15s. But I didn’t use their

internal analog crossovers, having previously played with the

crossover and having not cared much for its effect on the high-

pass signal. Instead, I relied on the digital crossovers in the

Proceed AVP and Theta Casanova controllers. While I was

playing with subwoofer placement, the LE-1’s phase adjust-

ment feature was invaluable. The blend with the Salons was

more transparent when the phase was adjusted just so and the

perception of the music’s timing improved. Both phase and

level can be adjusted by remote control from the comfort of

your chair.

Diagram 3: Tom Miiller’s All-Media Room