Halcro - Why don't you contact Richard Vandersteen about the suitability of the 2Wq for the Quads or John at Audio Connection who is an expert.

Hi Henry (Halcro)

There are a number of Vandersteen dealers in Ontario. I spoke with a couple of them today. There is a design issue with the 2wq for my setup that I was not aware of. The 2wq's require you to make the crossover that comes with the 2wq the ALPHA. Meaning outputs coming out of the preamp need to go through the 2wq first; then on to your main amplifier/s and main speakers. I want the Quad 57's running full with the Music Reference RM10 amp. The sub/s running parallel to fill in the lowest octave only when needed. Unfortunately this is not something one can try before you buy.

Also ...my experiences with Rel, ML and HSU have been that the sound is not as good - when your amp that powers the main speakers are receiving signals from an extra box** , unless that box was designed for them specifically - in this case a Music Reference RM10.

** External crossover's, equalizers, Bass Alignment Filters's , etc...

Whatever else happens going forward will need to work in parallel mode. Preamp has two low level outputs. One L-R for the MR RM10 amp and Quad 57's and one extra L-R for one or two subs.

Bdp24 Yeah Chris (saw your name!)
You can call me Chris, you can call me Chrissy. If we meet in person you can call me Christie - but then you better bring chocolate chip cookies. :^)
Some are comfortable with names, others feel a need for their moniker only - I am good either way.

Bdp24 - have you ever heard 57's with a Music Reference RM10 ?

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker.
Bdp - Short answer is no. And you are reminding me of an experiment I did which was really illuminating for me. So I share it here.

Dm70 Quad 57 Combo

The DM70 is left unplugged making only the woofer active. It started out right under the 57 (looked kinda funky...no ?)and gradually moved forward until the bass wave was aligned with the 57's - to my ears. The problem is the crossover for the dm70 is 500 hz and intruded into the Quad's space. The woofer is designed to work with its own ESL panel. The ESL panel which btw was made for B&W by Janszen. .

1-06-15: Bdp24
Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.
Well I think I have it figured out. I need some time with my wife out for some fun test runs to really test it out. Maybe this weekend.

Also I found out from Rhythmik that you need at least a pair (4 drivers and two amplifiers) to get the same output as one F12.
The OB sub is not good for near field placement. They need a lot of room around them to work properly.

Just sayin....

Cheers Chris

ct0517 November 07, 2015 00:46

Halcro - Why don't you contact Richard Vandersteen about the suitability of the 2Wq for the Quads or John at Audio Connection who is an expert.

Hi Henry (Halcro)

There are a number of Vandersteen dealers in Ontario. I spoke with a couple of them today. There is a design issue with the 2wq for my setup that I was not aware of. The 2wq's require you to make the crossover that comes with the 2wq the ALPHA. Meaning outputs coming out of the preamp need to go through the 2wq first; then on to your main amplifier/s and main speakers. I want the Quad 57's running full with the Music Reference RM10 amp. The sub/s running parallel to fill in the lowest octave only when needed. Unfortunately this is not something one can try before you buy.

Also ...my experiences with Rel, ML and HSU have been that the sound is not as good - when your amp that powers the main speakers are receiving signals from an extra box** , unless that box was designed for them specifically - in this case a Music Reference RM10.

** External crossover's, equalizers, Bass Alignment Filters's , etc...

Whatever else happens going forward will need to work in parallel mode. Preamp has two low level outputs. One L-R for the MR RM10 amp and Quad 57's and one extra L-R for one or two subs.

Bdp24 Yeah Chris (saw your name!)
You can call me Chris, you can call me Chrissy. If we meet in person you can call me Christie - but then you better bring chocolate chip cookies. :^)
Some are comfortable with names, others feel a need for their moniker only - I am good either way.

Bdp24 - have you ever heard 57's with a Music Reference RM10 ?

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker.
Bdp - Short answer is no. And you are reminding me of an experiment I did which was really illuminating for me. So I share it here.

Dm70 Quad 57 Combo

The DM70 is left unplugged making only the woofer active. It started out right under the 57 (looked kinda funky...no ?)and gradually moved forward until the bass wave was aligned with the 57's - to my ears. The problem is the crossover for the dm70 is 500 hz and intruded into the Quad's space. The woofer is designed to work with its own ESL panel. The ESL panel which btw was made for B&W by Janszen. .

1-06-15: Bdp24
Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.
Well I think I have it figured out. I need some time with my wife out for some fun test runs to really test it out. Maybe this weekend.

Also I found out from Rhythmik that you need at least a pair (4 drivers and two amplifiers) to get the same output as one F12.
The OB sub is not good for near field placement. They need a lot of room around them to work properly.

Just sayin....

Cheers Chris

ct0517 November 07, 2015 00:46

Halcro - Why don't you contact Richard Vandersteen about the suitability of the 2Wq for the Quads or John at Audio Connection who is an expert.

Hi Henry (Halcro)

There are a number of Vandersteen dealers in Ontario. I spoke with a couple of them today. There is a design issue with the 2wq for my setup that I was not aware of. The 2wq's require you to make the crossover that comes with the 2wq the ALPHA. Meaning outputs coming out of the preamp need to go through the 2wq first; then on to your main amplifier/s and main speakers. I want the Quad 57's running full with the Music Reference RM10 amp. The sub/s running parallel to fill in the lowest octave only when needed. Unfortunately this is not something one can try before you buy.

Also ...my experiences with Rel, ML and HSU have been that the sound is not as good - when your amp that powers the main speakers are receiving signals from an extra box** , unless that box was designed for them specifically - in this case a Music Reference RM10.

** External crossover's, equalizers, Bass Alignment Filters's , etc...

Whatever else happens going forward will need to work in parallel mode. Preamp has two low level outputs. One L-R for the MR RM10 amp and Quad 57's and one extra L-R for one or two subs.

Bdp24 Yeah Chris (saw your name!)
You can call me Chris, you can call me Chrissy. If we meet in person you can call me Christie - but then you better bring chocolate chip cookies. :^)
Some are comfortable with names, others feel a need for their moniker only - I am good either way.

Bdp24 - have you ever heard 57's with a Music Reference RM10 ?

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker.
Bdp - Short answer is no. And you are reminding me of an experiment I did which was really illuminating for me. So I share it here.

Dm70 Quad 57 Combo

The DM70 is left unplugged making only the woofer active. It started out right under the 57 (looked kinda funky...no ?)and gradually moved forward until the bass wave was aligned with the 57's - to my ears. The problem is the crossover for the dm70 is 500 hz and intruded into the Quad's space. The woofer is designed to work with its own ESL panel. The ESL panel which btw was made for B&W by Janszen. .

1-06-15: Bdp24
Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.
Well I think I have it figured out. I need some time with my wife out for some fun test runs to really test it out. Maybe this weekend.

Also I found out from Rhythmik that you need at least a pair (4 drivers and two amplifiers) to get the same output as one F12.
The OB sub is not good for near field placement. They need a lot of room around them to work properly.

Just sayin....

Cheers Chris

ct0517 November 07, 2015 00:46

Halcro - Why don't you contact Richard Vandersteen about the suitability of the 2Wq for the Quads or John at Audio Connection who is an expert.

Hi Henry (Halcro)

There are a number of Vandersteen dealers in Ontario. I spoke with a couple of them today. There is a design issue with the 2wq for my setup that I was not aware of. The 2wq's require you to make the crossover that comes with the 2wq the ALPHA. Meaning outputs coming out of the preamp need to go through the 2wq first; then on to your main amplifier/s and main speakers. I want the Quad 57's running full with the Music Reference RM10 amp. The sub/s running parallel to fill in the lowest octave only when needed. Unfortunately this is not something one can try before you buy.

Also ...my experiences with Rel, ML and HSU have been that the sound is not as good - when your amp that powers the main speakers are receiving signals from an extra box** , unless that box was designed for them specifically - in this case a Music Reference RM10.

** External crossover's, equalizers, Bass Alignment Filters's , etc...

Whatever else happens going forward will need to work in parallel mode. Preamp has two low level outputs. One L-R for the MR RM10 amp and Quad 57's and one extra L-R for one or two subs.

Bdp24 Yeah Chris (saw your name!)
You can call me Chris, you can call me Chrissy. If we meet in person you can call me Christie - but then you better bring chocolate chip cookies. :^)
Some are comfortable with names, others feel a need for their moniker only - I am good either way.

Bdp24 - have you ever heard 57's with a Music Reference RM10 ?

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker.
Bdp - Short answer is no. And you are reminding me of an experiment I did which was really illuminating for me. So I share it here.

Dm70 Quad 57 Combo

The DM70 is left unplugged making only the woofer active. It started out right under the 57 (looked kinda funky...no ?)and gradually moved forward until the bass wave was aligned with the 57's - to my ears. The problem is the crossover for the dm70 is 500 hz and intruded into the Quad's space. The woofer is designed to work with its own ESL panel. The ESL panel which btw was made for B&W by Janszen. .

1-06-15: Bdp24
Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.
Well I think I have it figured out. I need some time with my wife out for some fun test runs to really test it out. Maybe this weekend.

Also I found out from Rhythmik that you need at least a pair (4 drivers and two amplifiers) to get the same output as one F12.
The OB sub is not good for near field placement. They need a lot of room around them to work properly.

Just sayin....

Cheers Chris

ct0517 November 07, 2015 00:46

Halcro - Why don't you contact Richard Vandersteen about the suitability of the 2Wq for the Quads or John at Audio Connection who is an expert.

Hi Henry (Halcro)

There are a number of Vandersteen dealers in Ontario. I spoke with a couple of them today. There is a design issue with the 2wq for my setup that I was not aware of. The 2wq's require you to make the crossover that comes with the 2wq the ALPHA. Meaning outputs coming out of the preamp need to go through the 2wq first; then on to your main amplifier/s and main speakers. I want the Quad 57's running full with the Music Reference RM10 amp. The sub/s running parallel to fill in the lowest octave only when needed. Unfortunately this is not something one can try before you buy.

Also ...my experiences with Rel, ML and HSU have been that the sound is not as good - when your amp that powers the main speakers are receiving signals from an extra box** , unless that box was designed for them specifically - in this case a Music Reference RM10.

** External crossover's, equalizers, Bass Alignment Filters's , etc...

Whatever else happens going forward will need to work in parallel mode. Preamp has two low level outputs. One L-R for the MR RM10 amp and Quad 57's and one extra L-R for one or two subs.

Bdp24 Yeah Chris (saw your name!)
You can call me Chris, you can call me Chrissy. If we meet in person you can call me Christie - but then you better bring chocolate chip cookies. :^)
Some are comfortable with names, others feel a need for their moniker only - I am good either way.

Bdp24 - have you ever heard 57's with a Music Reference RM10 ?

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker.
Bdp - Short answer is no. And you are reminding me of an experiment I did which was really illuminating for me. So I share it here.

Dm70 Quad 57 Combo

The DM70 is left unplugged making only the woofer active. It started out right under the 57 (looked kinda funky...no ?)and gradually moved forward until the bass wave was aligned with the 57's - to my ears. The problem is the crossover for the dm70 is 500 hz and intruded into the Quad's space. The woofer is designed to work with its own ESL panel. The ESL panel which btw was made for B&W by Janszen. .

1-06-15: Bdp24
Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.
Well I think I have it figured out. I need some time with my wife out for some fun test runs to really test it out. Maybe this weekend.

Also I found out from Rhythmik that you need at least a pair (4 drivers and two amplifiers) to get the same output as one F12.
The OB sub is not good for near field placement. They need a lot of room around them to work properly.

Just sayin....

Cheers Chris

ct0517 November 07, 2015 00:46

Halcro - Why don't you contact Richard Vandersteen about the suitability of the 2Wq for the Quads or John at Audio Connection who is an expert.

Hi Henry (Halcro)

There are a number of Vandersteen dealers in Ontario. I spoke with a couple of them today. There is a design issue with the 2wq for my setup that I was not aware of. The 2wq's require you to make the crossover that comes with the 2wq the ALPHA. Meaning outputs coming out of the preamp need to go through the 2wq first; then on to your main amplifier/s and main speakers. I want the Quad 57's running full with the Music Reference RM10 amp. The sub/s running parallel to fill in the lowest octave only when needed. Unfortunately this is not something one can try before you buy.

Also ...my experiences with Rel, ML and HSU have been that the sound is not as good - when your amp that powers the main speakers are receiving signals from an extra box** , unless that box was designed for them specifically - in this case a Music Reference RM10.

** External crossover's, equalizers, Bass Alignment Filters's , etc...

Whatever else happens going forward will need to work in parallel mode. Preamp has two low level outputs. One L-R for the MR RM10 amp and Quad 57's and one extra L-R for one or two subs.

Bdp24 Yeah Chris (saw your name!)
You can call me Chris, you can call me Chrissy. If we meet in person you can call me Christie - but then you better bring chocolate chip cookies. :^)
Some are comfortable with names, others feel a need for their moniker only - I am good either way.

Bdp24 - have you ever heard 57's with a Music Reference RM10 ?

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker.
Bdp - Short answer is no. And you are reminding me of an experiment I did which was really illuminating for me. So I share it here.

Dm70 Quad 57 Combo

The DM70 is left unplugged making only the woofer active. It started out right under the 57 (looked kinda funky...no ?)and gradually moved forward until the bass wave was aligned with the 57's - to my ears. The problem is the crossover for the dm70 is 500 hz and intruded into the Quad's space. The woofer is designed to work with its own ESL panel. The ESL panel which btw was made for B&W by Janszen. .

1-06-15: Bdp24
Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.
Well I think I have it figured out. I need some time with my wife out for some fun test runs to really test it out. Maybe this weekend.

Also I found out from Rhythmik that you need at least a pair (4 drivers and two amplifiers) to get the same output as one F12.
The OB sub is not good for near field placement. They need a lot of room around them to work properly.

Just sayin....

Cheers Chris

ct0517 November 07, 2015 00:46

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Oh, I neglected to address your desire to fill in only the bottom of the Quad, without encroaching on the it's sound above that. A well-justified concern Chris, and the inability of almost all subs to do just that is exactly why most Quad lovers choose to just live without deep bass, the loss of too much of the Quad's sound being too high a price to pay to get it.

If you read comments on the Rythmik AVS Forum from some of the non-audiophile/more-home theater customers who have bought Rythmik subs after having owned mass-market ones, they are at first concerned that they don't hear their new Rythmik sub as much as they did their old one. After living with it for awhile, they learn that the sub sound they were used to is the thick/slow/boomy sound that characterizes many subs, the kind of bass that makes most subs unacceptable for use with really good speakers, like Quads.

Even the non-OB/Dipole Rythmik is very transparent and non-obtrusively invisible, producing bass that sounds not separate and detached from the speakers, but merely making the speakers sound as if they themselves have gained an octave (or more---many speakers are already in serious decline at 42Hz, the frequency produced by the E string of the 4-string bass played open/unfretted) of bandwidth at the bottom, providing the bass foundation necessary for some music to sound really "right". I used my Quads un-augmented for years (for awhile in stacked pairs for which I made 2-1/4" thick MDF stands, spiked to the floor AND ceiling!), but can't imagine them now without the GR Research OB/Dipole subs. They're THAT good! The subwoofer (and the bass section of the GR Research Super-V, a Danny Richie loudspeaker incorporating the sub) was voted "Best Bass at the Show" at RMAF for quite a few years running. If one of the major loudspeaker/subwoofer companies licensed the rights to manufacture and market the sub, I have no doubt they would sell a LOT of them. Until then, one has to DIY.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 08:50

Yeah Chris (saw your name!), Brian Ding of Rythmik designed and builds the plate amp (some of the electronics are sent to him from China, of course), and worked with Danny of GR Research in the design of the two OB woofers (8" & 12"). They also worked together in the development of the shelving circuit (6dB/octave boost below a certain frequency, to counteract the front-to-back cancellation inherent in all dipole speakers and subs) installed in the amp when it is used for driving the OB woofers. But Rythmik (Brian and Enrico) doesn't actively promote the OB/Dipole sub, Danny Richie of GR Research does. Any questions you have about the sub are better asked of him---it is his "baby". And it is his customers who buy, use, and discuss the OB/Dipole sub, not Rythmik customers. It's an unusual relationship and arrangement Brian and Danny have, but has worked out great. Both happen to be located in Texas, which may be one reason they got together.

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker. Since there is a null on each side of the frame, there is no sonic penalty for doing so, except for any vibration transferred from the sub frame to the Quad. A set of Townshend Audio Seismic Pods between sub and speaker will take care of that. The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 speaker was used that exact way, Gradient even styling the sub to look like it came from the Quad factory, it's size and shape matched to that of the 63. A simple phase-coherent 6dB/octave crossover (just a capacitor and resistor across the input jacks of the amp powering the Quads) can then be used, as the woofers and ESL panels will be closely aligned.

Richard Vandersteen's sub itself uses a 1st order crossover, and has been very successfully used with Quads and other planars. Brooks Berdan was a big fan of them when he was a Vandersteen dealer (one of the biggest in the country), and I heard them at his shop many times. I could live with a pair, and they would definitely be worth a try, especially if you don't want to have to go to the trouble of building or having built for you the frames for GR subs.

The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 was reviewed in TAS in the early 90's, I believe it was. You can read the review at regonaudio.com, in which the advantages and benefits of it's use with the 63's is discussed. And there is a lot to read about the GR Research sub on Danny's AudioCircle Forum. Definitely worth looking into, for what I feel turns any good planar speaker into a way over-achieving (for the investment) full-range (ten octave!) loudspeaker. An OB/Dipole sub really is the ultimate solution to the missing bottom octave of response and limited maximum SPL output capabilities of most planar loudspeakers, non more so than the Quad 57.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 07:21

Yeah Chris (saw your name!), Brian Ding of Rythmik designed and builds the plate amp (some of the electronics are sent to him from China, of course), and worked with Danny of GR Research in the design of the two OB woofers (8" & 12"). They also worked together in the development of the shelving circuit (6dB/octave boost below a certain frequency, to counteract the front-to-back cancellation inherent in all dipole speakers and subs) installed in the amp when it is used for driving the OB woofers. But Rythmik (Brian and Enrico) doesn't actively promote the OB/Dipole sub, Danny Richie of GR Research does. Any questions you have about the sub are better asked of him---it is his "baby". And it is his customers who buy, use, and discuss the OB/Dipole sub, not Rythmik customers. It's an unusual relationship and arrangement Brian and Danny have, but has worked out great. Both happen to be located in Texas, which may be one reason they got together.

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker. Since there is a null on each side of the frame, there is no sonic penalty for doing so, except for any vibration transferred from the sub frame to the Quad. A set of Townshend Audio Seismic Pods between sub and speaker will take care of that. The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 speaker was used that exact way, Gradient even styling the sub to look like it came from the Quad factory, it's size and shape matched to that of the 63. A simple phase-coherent 6dB/octave crossover (just a capacitor and resistor across the input jacks of the amp powering the Quads) can then be used, as the woofers and ESL panels will be closely aligned.

Richard Vandersteen's sub itself uses a 1st order crossover, and has been very successfully used with Quads and other planars. Brooks Berdan was a big fan of them when he was a Vandersteen dealer (one of the biggest in the country), and I heard them at his shop many times. I could live with a pair, and they would definitely be worth a try, especially if you don't want to have to go to the trouble of building or having built for you the frames for GR subs.

The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 was reviewed in TAS in the early 90's, I believe it was. You can read the review at regonaudio.com, in which the advantages and benefits of it's use with the 63's is discussed. And there is a lot to read about the GR Research sub on Danny's AudioCircle Forum. Definitely worth looking into, for what I feel turns any good planar speaker into a way over-achieving (for the investment) full-range (ten octave!) loudspeaker. An OB/Dipole sub really is the ultimate solution to the missing bottom octave of response and limited maximum SPL output capabilities of most planar loudspeakers, non more so than the Quad 57.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 07:21

Yeah Chris (saw your name!), Brian Ding of Rythmik designed and builds the plate amp (some of the electronics are sent to him from China, of course), and worked with Danny of GR Research in the design of the two OB woofers (8" & 12"). They also worked together in the development of the shelving circuit (6dB/octave boost below a certain frequency, to counteract the front-to-back cancellation inherent in all dipole speakers and subs) installed in the amp when it is used for driving the OB woofers. But Rythmik (Brian and Enrico) doesn't actively promote the OB/Dipole sub, Danny Richie of GR Research does. Any questions you have about the sub are better asked of him---it is his "baby". And it is his customers who buy, use, and discuss the OB/Dipole sub, not Rythmik customers. It's an unusual relationship and arrangement Brian and Danny have, but has worked out great. Both happen to be located in Texas, which may be one reason they got together.

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker. Since there is a null on each side of the frame, there is no sonic penalty for doing so, except for any vibration transferred from the sub frame to the Quad. A set of Townshend Audio Seismic Pods between sub and speaker will take care of that. The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 speaker was used that exact way, Gradient even styling the sub to look like it came from the Quad factory, it's size and shape matched to that of the 63. A simple phase-coherent 6dB/octave crossover (just a capacitor and resistor across the input jacks of the amp powering the Quads) can then be used, as the woofers and ESL panels will be closely aligned.

Richard Vandersteen's sub itself uses a 1st order crossover, and has been very successfully used with Quads and other planars. Brooks Berdan was a big fan of them when he was a Vandersteen dealer (one of the biggest in the country), and I heard them at his shop many times. I could live with a pair, and they would definitely be worth a try, especially if you don't want to have to go to the trouble of building or having built for you the frames for GR subs.

The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 was reviewed in TAS in the early 90's, I believe it was. You can read the review at regonaudio.com, in which the advantages and benefits of it's use with the 63's is discussed. And there is a lot to read about the GR Research sub on Danny's AudioCircle Forum. Definitely worth looking into, for what I feel turns any good planar speaker into a way over-achieving (for the investment) full-range (ten octave!) loudspeaker. An OB/Dipole sub really is the ultimate solution to the missing bottom octave of response and limited maximum SPL output capabilities of most planar loudspeakers, non more so than the Quad 57.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 07:21

Yeah Chris (saw your name!), Brian Ding of Rythmik designed and builds the plate amp (some of the electronics are sent to him from China, of course), and worked with Danny of GR Research in the design of the two OB woofers (8" & 12"). They also worked together in the development of the shelving circuit (6dB/octave boost below a certain frequency, to counteract the front-to-back cancellation inherent in all dipole speakers and subs) installed in the amp when it is used for driving the OB woofers. But Rythmik (Brian and Enrico) doesn't actively promote the OB/Dipole sub, Danny Richie of GR Research does. Any questions you have about the sub are better asked of him---it is his "baby". And it is his customers who buy, use, and discuss the OB/Dipole sub, not Rythmik customers. It's an unusual relationship and arrangement Brian and Danny have, but has worked out great. Both happen to be located in Texas, which may be one reason they got together.

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker. Since there is a null on each side of the frame, there is no sonic penalty for doing so, except for any vibration transferred from the sub frame to the Quad. A set of Townshend Audio Seismic Pods between sub and speaker will take care of that. The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 speaker was used that exact way, Gradient even styling the sub to look like it came from the Quad factory, it's size and shape matched to that of the 63. A simple phase-coherent 6dB/octave crossover (just a capacitor and resistor across the input jacks of the amp powering the Quads) can then be used, as the woofers and ESL panels will be closely aligned.

Richard Vandersteen's sub itself uses a 1st order crossover, and has been very successfully used with Quads and other planars. Brooks Berdan was a big fan of them when he was a Vandersteen dealer (one of the biggest in the country), and I heard them at his shop many times. I could live with a pair, and they would definitely be worth a try, especially if you don't want to have to go to the trouble of building or having built for you the frames for GR subs.

The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 was reviewed in TAS in the early 90's, I believe it was. You can read the review at regonaudio.com, in which the advantages and benefits of it's use with the 63's is discussed. And there is a lot to read about the GR Research sub on Danny's AudioCircle Forum. Definitely worth looking into, for what I feel turns any good planar speaker into a way over-achieving (for the investment) full-range (ten octave!) loudspeaker. An OB/Dipole sub really is the ultimate solution to the missing bottom octave of response and limited maximum SPL output capabilities of most planar loudspeakers, non more so than the Quad 57.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 07:21

Yeah Chris (saw your name!), Brian Ding of Rythmik designed and builds the plate amp (some of the electronics are sent to him from China, of course), and worked with Danny of GR Research in the design of the two OB woofers (8" & 12"). They also worked together in the development of the shelving circuit (6dB/octave boost below a certain frequency, to counteract the front-to-back cancellation inherent in all dipole speakers and subs) installed in the amp when it is used for driving the OB woofers. But Rythmik (Brian and Enrico) doesn't actively promote the OB/Dipole sub, Danny Richie of GR Research does. Any questions you have about the sub are better asked of him---it is his "baby". And it is his customers who buy, use, and discuss the OB/Dipole sub, not Rythmik customers. It's an unusual relationship and arrangement Brian and Danny have, but has worked out great. Both happen to be located in Texas, which may be one reason they got together.

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker. Since there is a null on each side of the frame, there is no sonic penalty for doing so, except for any vibration transferred from the sub frame to the Quad. A set of Townshend Audio Seismic Pods between sub and speaker will take care of that. The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 speaker was used that exact way, Gradient even styling the sub to look like it came from the Quad factory, it's size and shape matched to that of the 63. A simple phase-coherent 6dB/octave crossover (just a capacitor and resistor across the input jacks of the amp powering the Quads) can then be used, as the woofers and ESL panels will be closely aligned.

Richard Vandersteen's sub itself uses a 1st order crossover, and has been very successfully used with Quads and other planars. Brooks Berdan was a big fan of them when he was a Vandersteen dealer (one of the biggest in the country), and I heard them at his shop many times. I could live with a pair, and they would definitely be worth a try, especially if you don't want to have to go to the trouble of building or having built for you the frames for GR subs.

The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 was reviewed in TAS in the early 90's, I believe it was. You can read the review at regonaudio.com, in which the advantages and benefits of it's use with the 63's is discussed. And there is a lot to read about the GR Research sub on Danny's AudioCircle Forum. Definitely worth looking into, for what I feel turns any good planar speaker into a way over-achieving (for the investment) full-range (ten octave!) loudspeaker. An OB/Dipole sub really is the ultimate solution to the missing bottom octave of response and limited maximum SPL output capabilities of most planar loudspeakers, non more so than the Quad 57.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 07:21

Yeah Chris (saw your name!), Brian Ding of Rythmik designed and builds the plate amp (some of the electronics are sent to him from China, of course), and worked with Danny of GR Research in the design of the two OB woofers (8" & 12"). They also worked together in the development of the shelving circuit (6dB/octave boost below a certain frequency, to counteract the front-to-back cancellation inherent in all dipole speakers and subs) installed in the amp when it is used for driving the OB woofers. But Rythmik (Brian and Enrico) doesn't actively promote the OB/Dipole sub, Danny Richie of GR Research does. Any questions you have about the sub are better asked of him---it is his "baby". And it is his customers who buy, use, and discuss the OB/Dipole sub, not Rythmik customers. It's an unusual relationship and arrangement Brian and Danny have, but has worked out great. Both happen to be located in Texas, which may be one reason they got together.

I don't know how you feel about this idea Chris, but the width of a W- or H-frame is around 16". The OB/Dipole sub can actually be used horizontally (laid on it's side), and a Quad speaker set on top of it, the sub thus becoming a 16" high stand for the speaker. Since there is a null on each side of the frame, there is no sonic penalty for doing so, except for any vibration transferred from the sub frame to the Quad. A set of Townshend Audio Seismic Pods between sub and speaker will take care of that. The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 speaker was used that exact way, Gradient even styling the sub to look like it came from the Quad factory, it's size and shape matched to that of the 63. A simple phase-coherent 6dB/octave crossover (just a capacitor and resistor across the input jacks of the amp powering the Quads) can then be used, as the woofers and ESL panels will be closely aligned.

Richard Vandersteen's sub itself uses a 1st order crossover, and has been very successfully used with Quads and other planars. Brooks Berdan was a big fan of them when he was a Vandersteen dealer (one of the biggest in the country), and I heard them at his shop many times. I could live with a pair, and they would definitely be worth a try, especially if you don't want to have to go to the trouble of building or having built for you the frames for GR subs.

The Gradient OB/Dipole sub for the Quad 63 was reviewed in TAS in the early 90's, I believe it was. You can read the review at regonaudio.com, in which the advantages and benefits of it's use with the 63's is discussed. And there is a lot to read about the GR Research sub on Danny's AudioCircle Forum. Definitely worth looking into, for what I feel turns any good planar speaker into a way over-achieving (for the investment) full-range (ten octave!) loudspeaker. An OB/Dipole sub really is the ultimate solution to the missing bottom octave of response and limited maximum SPL output capabilities of most planar loudspeakers, non more so than the Quad 57.

bdp24 November 06, 2015 07:21