NP's or MT's with sub, ideas?

[nodiak]

Hi all, I think I've started to catch on to what is available here enough to get started. Quite an opportunity, thanks Jon and others who work out the designs. I wanted to check in with my plan and a couple questions. Would like to know about any experiences with similar systems.
After much pondering I am leaning toward building MT's and sub instead of Natalie P's (even tho I agree Leon was her best role, Jean Reno was great too). Reasons are I'd like to not go too tall, and I want low bass.
My room is narrow but has some saving grace by being long - 11.5' x 26.5'. System is set up on one 11.5' wall, but speakers are out 5-6' which is nice, but only 2.5' from side wall to speaker center line, drat. Main listening seat is 17.5' from front wall (11'+ from speakers, good soundstage for a small room). I typically toe in speakers more than usual to avoid some side wall reflection.
I have a pair of Meniscus 1284 subwoofers in 3cf sealed cabs. I'd like to eventually try the RS315HF's and can use these cabs. Have Marchand XM-1 electronic xo kits to be built. Is their 24db slope possibly compatible with MT's? I'm open to getting a plate amp that someone would recommend too. Have an Adcom 555 that needs a little work, would that be good enough with 315's and xm-1's? (The Adcom/1284/xm-1 bass system isn't up and running as it needs work. So it's a good time to replace anything.)
I'm hoping for good power handling as I play it loud at times. Will use as a music system mostly, but movies sometimes too.
I'm a woodworker with a shop so construction will be no problem. I've built several speakers using North Creek method, and have their 14ga coils, Zen caps and Ohmite resistors to use on xo.
Thanks, Don

[ThomasW]

If it's in the budget I'd go ahead and make the NatP in a box similar to the one from PE. That will sit on a sub box just fine. It will give you more displacement, therefore a lower workload on the midwoofers. It will also give you a MTM configuration something I personally prefer over other driver configs.

24dB/octave is the slope you want for the subs regardless of the main speaker you build.

[nodiak]

Hi Thomas, with the NP's I could alternatively make the full scale tower version and use one sub for below 40hz. That way I could locate sub for best response. I'm new to really dialing in a sub. I figure in this smaller room NP's to 40 hz could work well, and a single sub do the bottom octave. Does that sound reasonable?
Don

[ThomasW]

It depends on what you want the speaker to do. Since you already have the 1284's, the Marchand, and hopefully a Adcom 555, seems to be sort of a waste to just let them sit around.

There's not a huge amount output difference between the bookshelf and a mini-tower version of the NatP

So, with bookshelf sized NatP's each sitting on top of12" sub, you'd have a primo system able to handle any bass emergency that might come your way...:wink:

[nodiak]

Thomas, I do like the idea of NP's for their sensitivity and power handling. The extra height I could deal with as a trade off.
Whether 50L tower or 28L bookshelf might not matter if using subs. The only experience I have with getting subs to work well was in a different room where one sub worked out sounding cleaner/coherent/more boom-free than stereo pair.
If the 28L size still goes solid to 40hz than that should give alot of options for sub placement and/or levels. Would still keep the option of NP's on top of stereo pair if it works out best.
OK, I'll sleep on it .
Thanks for your input Thomas.
Don