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I read in the Stereophile review of the DD 18 that it had a "high density" surround, but the author never said what the surround was made of. "High density" sounds to me like a foam surround, but those fail fairly regularly.
Does anyone who has seen one of these subs (I'm interested specifically in the DD 15") know whether the surrounds are foam or rubber?
Many thanks,
George
Follow Ups:
I have a DD-15. The surround appears to be either heavy, textured rubber or impregnated fabric. "High density" describes it(it is thick. strong, and not very flexible.) It is not foam and shows no signs of degradation after six years of daily use.
If you buy a DD-15, consider a few light modifications. Replace the in-line AC rectifier bridge on the plate amp with discrete Schottkey diodes. Replace the internal speaker wire with audiophile wire. Coat the inside of the cabinet with several layers of Cascade VB1X. Mount the sub on good footers(I use a Starsound SP-1 platform).
One thing I like about the early DD software is that the crossover can be set lower than 40hz. Later DD software versions mandate crossover at 40hz or above. Also for my applications I prefer line level inputs to speaker level inputs(as provided with REL.)
Thanks, Dave, for this information.
I've gotten lots of suggestions for buying others' favorite subs, but I have either never heard of them or find there are no reviews or information other than that someone likes them. I was impressed by these posters well-meaning advice, but I am reluctant to spend money on those suggestions alone.
I zeroed in on Velodyne DDs because of the review of the DD-18 by Larry Greenhill in Stereophile. This was partly because Greenhill is a Quad ESL 989 owner and enthusiast, and shows in his reviews how well the adjustments on the DD-18 worked to smooth and extend his overall system response. He also used the DD-18 measuring system to evaluate other makers' subs' setup arrangements.
Like Mr. Greenhill, I am a Quad enthusiast although I have the older ESL-63s. I owned a pair of Gradient's SW-63 dipole bass units for the Quads, but I did not care for the way the associated crossover effected the Quad's midrange--very audible differences and not so happy ones.
I thought a DD-15 would be about right for me. I want something where I can choose a variety of low crossover points to leave my Quads alone from, maybe 80-100Hz up and have a bit more bass from the sub to help along the Quads, that have nothing below 40Hz.
I thank you again for the information you provided.
George
The Velodyne is very good for HT applications (only).
The best musical sub is REL, especially, the older models.
Assuming we all take reviews by the audio press with varying degrees of skepticism it would seem that your comment, "for HT applications (only)" would be in bold print at the beginning of the many Velodyne reviews published so far.
Considering HT controllers and receivers have differing internal methods of equalization or room correction and usually a fixed crossover at 80Hz makes the need for Velodyne's sophisticated adjustability and control of the subwoofer redundant and your opinion questionable at best. If you have heard a DD or DD Plus in a two channel system then it wasn't set up correctly. They should disappear into the presentation of the mains with their presence made possible only when turned off.
{Note to OP; this level of performance is usually attained through Manual Adjustment which can take time to become familiar with.}
It's my experience there is simply no such thing as a "musical subwoofer." Any sonic preference or what you refer to as "musical" is actually the ability to control the subwoofer. Volume, phase, and crossover, are simply not enough control for most situations. You would be amazed by the potential the Studio III offered when repositioned much farther away than its proprietary high level cabling would allow, stood on its side for direct radiation, and supplied by line level (low output) via Velodyne equalization.
Thank you, fantja, for your recommendation. I'm surprised by your comments about home theatre only because those reviews I have read about Velodyne's subs suggests they have good pitch and timbre definition for audiophile use.
One reason I like them was that I intend to use them to support the bottom end with a pair of Quad ESL-63s. I liked the Stereophile review of the DD-18 which showed extensively the calibration methods of matching the DD-18 up with the author's Quad ESL 989s.
The ability to have a wide range of adjustments on the sub for its crossover point with the main speakers seems to me essential for getting bass reinforcement for my system without the subs mucking up the lower midrange of my Quads.
If you have specific models of REL subs that might fit that bill, I would love to know about them.
Best,
George
My pleasure George.
I would hate for you to make a buyers error. The REL Studio or Britania (B) series were superb. I like all of the models, really. Although the ere is some talk about the newest models being made in china- I would like a definitive confirmation.
websupport@velodyne.com
From memory, I think my DD18 had a different material than my DD12 plus'. Can't say for sure.
The type, makeup, and quality, of materials can differ greatly. I've got a new zip free Flash Bomb wet suit, neoprene technology is just incredible.
Lots of decent subs on the market but few if any offer the amount of listening chair control that Velodyne does. In my room I find altering the ELF volume, preset EQ's, and or phase, from track to track to suit my taste has become a welcome alternative than the set it and forget it subs.
If you look at the picture online, it doesn't look like foam. However, if I were buying a subwoofer, I'd buy a Rythmik Audio Subwoofer. You can save a lot of money with Rythmik compared to Velodyne.
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