Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Calling Jakeman...

like he mentioned, he wanted a uniform bass response in his whole room, and really, the only way to accomplish that is with a subwoofer on each wall.

Why not? you would then have dual EP400s on opposite walls achieving what he found to be the most beneficial.

I'm curious how the EP400 fits in anywhere. Does anyone on the boards have one? (I mean, other than Amie, Ian, Alan, etc...)

NADishman has one. I'm not sure about any others. I'd love to get my hands on one and do a side-by-side comparison with the 600. It's common knowledge that the sub used to be ported and now it's sealed. It's this in particular that has me intrigued.

4 400s would make for an incredible audio system. a 500 plays twice as loudly as a 400 ie. 106db vs. 109db anechoic but has the same extension and what looks like a 12db rolloff per octave rather than brickwall digital filters at 100hz in the 500/600. In some applications, especially with monitors that sloping rolloff can be helpful when blending one sub with speakers. On the other hand multiple subs with long rolloffs can pose a challenge for the mid-high bass output of the mains. The brickwall filters with their steep rolloffs are very useful in keeping sub sound and harmonics out of the higher frequencies which is the job of the speakers. That rolloff characteristic would more than anything distinguish the sonic qualities of the 400 compared to the other EP subs. The 400 has slightly less extension and much less output than the bigger subs but with four I would rule out output as a limiting factor in any room. Heck just a pair of them would make a big impact in any but the largest rooms.

From the perspective of smoothing FR no question four 400s would be just as effective as four 500s or 600s. Without actually testing these subs I'm hesitate to update that table. However I would venture that a system with 4 400s could overall make a better sonic presentation than a pair of EP600s because of their ability to flatten room nodes. The giveup would be in 3hz of extension favouring the 600s. Output would not necessarily be compromised because of coupling among the subs. Two subs potentially can increase output up to 6db depending on distance between them while 4 subs have the potential to add up to a further 12db.

Could be an interesting followup project...

Jake,

I'd be grateful if you can point me to your table.

The advantage of higher frequency harmonics in the sub is the "snap" or "slam" that is heard as the stick or foot-pedal strikes the drumskin. I am snap/slam-challenged right now...even when I turn my receiver right up (I saw that coming, Rick ).

That's high frequency enough it should be handled by your mains.

Hi Mojo,

Its more a list which was reproduced earlier in this thread that came about after months of testing and listening to the various configurations. Its a tough call on whether the higher harmonics add or detract since it depends how well you have the sub(s) blended with the mains. The further a sub from the mains the more phase becomes a factor at the higher harmonics. The 500/600 brickwall filters removes the above 100hz harmonics which may or may not be an advantage depending on your room and speakers.

Right after FR and distortion, I find the transient response of the sub to be a big factor in hearing the snap/slam. Its often stated that sealed subs have an advantage in TR but that is a generality and their are many exceptions. In the listening tests I have had with other subs, the EP subs were far more "musical" than other ported subs though I see more manufacturers now focussed on this important aspect of sound quality. I'm curious to see how a sealed 400 would sound compared to a ported 500 with regards to snap. I might try to get ahold of one for some comparisons.

"I might try to get ahold of one for some comparisons."

Thats what I am talking about...but only 1??????!??

Maybe. I'm not ready to debate "snap/slam" at this time. Let's just say that this is the final dimension that I am personally missing in my environment. Frankly I am not very happy about it but I am patiently exploring various options.