ASW750 Vs. ASW825 which one?

[Ash]

Hey Guys need your help,

My next upgrade will be the sub. I have an ASW1000 which i'm not very happy with, it gives boomy and undefiened bass. I'm not saying its a bad sub, but it's not that great, especially with music. It's either too low (to avoid the excessive boomyness) or out of control. I played around with positioning and all that, but it only got slightly better.

Anyway I'm considering to buy either the ASW750 or the ASW825. I have read many good things regarding the ASW750, however, I have no idea about the ASW825 (I'm sure its better, but how much better???). What benifits would the Rohacell give over the Paper/Kevlar?

Does anyone own or even auditioned those subs?? Is so please share some of your expereince. Further, if anyone has tested them against each other, that would be great, because I would love to know the difference (because I have to order and I can't listen to them).

Also do you think it is worth the extra $700 to buy the ASW825 instead of the ASW750.

Thanks & Regards
Ash

[csuzor]

Interesting question...

My comparison of 804 and 703, which look similar, is that the 703 had "box resonnance" that the 804 did not (similarly, some people have said, the sound is in the box for 703 and out of the box for 804). This would be the advantage of the matrix interior.

So I can extrapolate to the sub, where box resonnance is probably a huge factor, and conclude that the 825 is worth the extra money to avoid the resonnance, with the advantage of the matrix interior.

It's a little simplistic, but it's a conclusion I can live with.

[Ash]

Thanks for the reply csuzor.

Good theory. I'm not sure if just the "matrix" would be worth the extra cash. I mean, the ASW825 has other technologies as well, such as "Switched Mode Power Supplies" and of course the "Rohacell". Furthmore, the shape and of the cabinate is also different.

However, still I need to know how they sound or how they compare to each other to make a decision. I think the difference in price is significant, but if the improvement is also significant then I migh just go for the ASW825.

[johan]

You could look for a second hand ASW800. You should be able to get one for the same money as a new 750. That will save you the burn-in time as well, wich is a loooooong time.

[Ash]

I'm not into the second hand market! I perfer buying new. Thnks for the suggestions though.

[Ash]

Guys???

Anybody???

No input?

[zero-100]

have you considered the asw850??BTW,is one large sub better than 2 medium subs??

[gostan]

I upgraded my ASW-2000 to a ASW-850 last summer and I have never regretted this expenditure. If you can afford the 825 then go for it at the time of your initial purchase. I suspect that you will eventually trade up from your 805's for floor standing 804's or 803's (as most of us have) and the 825 will be a better fit then and will sound even better now with your 805's. It will provide a smoother fuller bass response than the 750. Luck to you.

[Ash]

How much better was the ASW850 when you compared it to the ASW2000? What would I notice by upgrading to a subwoofer such as ASW825??

[bigburner]

Ash, does the ASW825 come with a remote control? (The B&W site is down so I can't check at the moment). I've recently bought an ASW750 and though I'm really happy with the sound, the icing on the cake would be a remote control. I use my 750 in a 2-channel stereo and I find the level of bass varies dramatically from one album to the next, and sometimes from one track to the next. Changing the volume on the 750 manually is a hassle. My next sub will definitely have a remote. If you're an HT fan then this is probably less of an issue.

[Ash]

Zero-100,

That is a very good question. I'm wondering would two smaller subs perhaps from the 600 series (ie. ASW650) be better than the ASW750?? I think I could get a very good discount on the ASW650, making the price of two ASW650 cheaper than one ASW750.

Guys what do you think? is two ASW650 for a price cheaper than the ASW750 is a good deal for the sound performance?

[Ash]

bigburner,

I don't think that the ASW825 has a remote. I have read the ASW825 page and they did not mention anything about a remote.

But I know what you mean regarding changing the volume with different tracks. I was so tired of this process that I had the sub volume set on very low, to avoid ever going to the sub a reducing the volume. It can get really anoying. I think that a remote control is a must. I don't know why B&W don't have them in their subs, its only logical to have them.

This was actually one of the problems I faced with my sub and I though that better subs won't have this problem so much!

[csuzor]

Zero-100,
That is a very good question. I'm wondering would two smaller subs perhaps from the 600 series (ie. ASW650) be better than the ASW750??
...is two ASW650 for a price cheaper than the ASW750 is a good deal for the sound performance?

The 600 and 650 are interesting, because they have speaker binding posts, so you could connect the amp L channel to the sub, ignore the sub amp, and high-pass to the L speaker, and same with the R channel. I tried this in a store, with 705s, and got good results.

Higher level subs (incl 675) only have line inputs, and high-pass line outputs, so installation is not as easy (need to high-pass between preamp and amp), but the sub is then using its own amp, a big advantage.

The problem with stereo sub setup, is that there is no sub connected to the LFE channel, and few (if any?) preamps can mix the LFE into the L/R channels for external input (mixing bass from channels into LFE is common). So this would require 3 subs to also hear the LFE channel in sacd/dvd-a!

From B&W manual:
Using more than one subwoofer
Using more than one unit in a single installation can improve performance in the following ways:
• Maintain stereo separation to the lowest frequencies.
• Cope with larger listening rooms.
• Enable greater maximum sound output– often useful for effectively reproducing special effects in Home Theatre applications.
• Smooth out the effects of low frequency room resonances.
If you are using two subwoofers for 2-channel audio, stereo separation is improved if each channel has its own subwoofer, providing each one is placed
close to the relevant satellite speaker.

[Ash]

csuzor,

Thanks, very helpful information. I've made my mind I'm going to buy two ASW675 tomorrow. I hope that they will sound good with my setup. I'm excited to have two subs.

[jimmyp58]

I am not familiar with the B&W line of subs and I am not trying to hijack this B&W thread but I have a question. Do any of the subs you are considering have a remote control to help you set your level(s) from your listening position.

I ask this because there are many now available that do and it is a great feature to have/consider.

Jim

[Ash]

jimmyp58,

Actually the ones I'm considering don't have a remote. And yes remotes would be very useful. But my options are very limited and I love B&Ws. I wish that B&W had remotes, this would really make my life easier. I hate going over to the sub just to adjust the bass level. Therefore, I rather the sub on low volume just to avoid that hassel!

[jimmyp58]

Bummer because it is a very nice feature to have.

[Rags]

I have owned quite a few B&W subs (inc the 675, 750, 850 and now an 825) and -

- The 825 in my opinion is marginally better than a 750. Its a small difference and and the extra money is mainly buying you the 800 series finish and looks.

- The 850 is significantly better than the 825 for movies simply because it has a larger driver and hence goes lower (just play something like Titan AE and you will notice the difference). The 850 is no longer in production but B&W should be releasing a new 15" Eq sub with remote soon.

- If you really want a remote wait for B&W's Eq subs to arrive (model number 865 and 875 I think). The Eq can bring massive benefits as with the Velo DD series but if you dont need it then its a lot of extra dosh to pay for a remote.

- Two 10" ASW 675's are not going to equal an 850 or even an 825 in my opinion. One large sub is for me the way to go. 10" drivers can lack depth for movies - having two of them isnt going to change that. What two subs is going to give you is extra headroom but if you have a decent sub and a reasonably sized room you dont really need it. Something like an 850 can reproduce brutal bass at ridiculous levels without breaking sweat. Also in certain rooms it is very difficult to integrate two subs properly - I played around with two 750's in my room but couldnt get the set up to sound right.

Whilst the 675 is a decent sub the 750, 825 etc are significantly better due to their larger drivers and amps (500 vs. 1000 watts rms)

[Ash]

Rags,

Thanks alot for the advice, I'm sure that the 750 and the 825 will sound much better that the 675, due to the bigger drivers and beefier amps. However, I got an amazing deal on the 675s that I could not resist (both for cheaper than the 750), Therefore I bought two of them today, I couldn't help it!

However, I really don't know how to connect subs. There are inputs (L&R) and outputs (L&R), two knobs (volume & lowpass freq) and a few other switchs (EQ, Low pass filter, phase). I'm really clueless of these things except for the volume. I don't know, should the lowpass freq on the sub be set according to cross-over that I have in the receiver??

Any help on any of these areas would be appretiated

[alkalay]

Hi Ash,

Congrats for your new pair of 675. :T

The manual (any one of the two you have) should give you a very good idea what all the knobs and switches are. I strongly suggest a good read of it.

As for the low pass freq. If you have your receiver taking care of bass managment you could simply turn the low pass switch on the 675 off.

Enjoy those 675's. I think the 675 is a great sub, very musical, responsive, fast, tight and accurate.

Itai.

[Ash]

Alkalay,

Thanks, I'm really happy with the purchase. I didn't test them much, but initial testing was great and I think that you discribed them accuratley. I will turn the low pass frequency off, thanks for the advice.

[alkalay]

How 'bout it?

Hey Ash,

How 'bout showing your new system? (given it's possible, of-course).

Itai.

[Ash]

alkalay

I really want to show my system, however, my digital camera got distroyed. I'll try to get a camera off one of my freinds and post some in the pics thread.

[BlazeMaster]

I know some people here will say that the B&W subs are a little bit overpriced compared to something similar that SVS would make. What if I can get a ASW750 for $400 off the MSRP, due to trading in my DM601s? Does that ASW750 at $1150 make it a more comparable value to a SVS? Anyone did any comparison of the ASW750 with any other subs out there?

[Ash]

BlazeMaster,

I'm not sure about the B&W comparison with other subs because until now I did not seek a product other than B&W. However, I think that $1150 is a good price for the 750. You should consider it.