Hey Sucram,
Here's a copy of my post in another thread a while back. In short, I'm using my sub with some M-Audio BX5s in a small room (10' by 10' or so). I'm using a nearfield set-up, with my ears 3-4' from the BX5s and the sub between them, in front of my feet. The sound is amazing, really--better than my pricey home stereo--allowing my mixes to transfer very well to other systems. But, to be frank, the sound is only that good in that sweet spot. If I move to the back of the room or off-axis a few feet, there's a noticeable drop-off in quality. Of course, this type of sound change is also true of many other nearfield set-ups.
Here's my earlier post since you asked about it. Please keep in mind that I would have bought M-Audio's matching SBX sub ($400) if hadn't had so many other things to buy for my studio. I knew the $99 Wharfedale would be a cheap, probably temporary fix; I'm just surprised by how damned great it works. Now I'm thinking that I may keep using it for some years to come.
J.
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A suggestion for anyone considering BX5s with a sub...
What I like most about these babies is their adaptability switches for a variety of environmental issues. Like most people who've heard them, I really like their crystal clear mids and highs while noting that their low-end (like most 5" monitors) can be challenging to mix with. The mids and highs of my recordings always translated well to other systems although mixing the lows was always a trial-and-error approach: burn a copy, try it on other systems, and and then try again until the sound was right. A lot of wasted time.
I'd agree with others that
the M-Audio SBX would be the way to go. It integrates very well and solves to low-end problems--if you have $400 to spare.
I've been buying other equipment for my little studio, though, and have been holding off on the SBX sub, hoping for a price break--at least I was, until I found an excellent temporary fix.
I spent some days searching for a much cheaper sub that would integrate well with the BX5s, and I finally found one: the Wharfedale PowerCube. Because I have such limited physical space, I bought the 8"/100-watt model for $99 but noticed that the 10" model was available for $125 (+ shipping.)
The 8" model sounds great, at least for my jazz-fusion and acoustic music at the low-medium volumes I like to work with. I can't speak for other types of music, higher sound levels, or a larger studio space. I suppose that the 10" model might sound even better, but I"m fully satisfied with the smaller model, which might actually help to reduce the low-end thumpiness that I'd worried about when adding a sub. With the 8", the low end is tight and plenty deep for my needs.
I believe that this Wharfedale sub is a great budget find for the following reasons:
* it has RCA line ins and outs, so there's no messing with speaker wires. Just plug and go. Most subs at this price don't offer both line ins and outs.
* it has an adjustable crossover, so I've set the low-end cut on the BX5s to 80Hz and the sub's crossover at 80Hz. Easy.
* it has a phase switch, which made a big difference in my set-up.
* the sound is well integrated and, in particular, lacking any boominess or low-end mush. In fact, I'm wondering if the small 8" model (down to 40 Hz)might even be preferable since the low-end is so damned punchy and tight now. It just brings my whole monitoring set-up alive--I can't stop listening to them for pure music enjoyment.
Best of all, after taking many hours to tweak the settings, using a dozen reference CDs, my mixes are translating beautifully to other stereo systems. No more guessing about low-end response. For $120 (shipped), I have a workable system that actually sounds killer. One day, I may move up to the SBX sub, but then again, I may not. For now, this budget monitoring system works well for me, and I have some extra money to spend on all the other equipment I need.
http://www.wharfedale.co.uk/powercube.htm
When I bought the Wharf sub a week ago, I thought I could use it with my office computer if it didn't work well with my BX5s in my music studio. But it ain't going nowhere for a good long while. It's a cheap fix that just works much better than I'd hoped.
Best of luck in your own search,
J.
P.S. I bought my sub from
www.audioadvisor.com but I see that they've recently sold out their smaller Wharf subs.
