Is it important to match sub/speaker brands? (1 Viewer)

After reading the review of the new Aerials in the new SGHT (or was it Home Theater?), I had a thought. This was a VERY expensive (at least for me) speaker package, and the reviewer recommended 2 subs. At around $4000 a pop, this adds substantial cost onto the package. Theoretically, if I were ever to invest this much into a set of speakers, would it be sonically advisable to go with the "recommended" sub or at least a sub from the same manufacturer? Or would an excellent, lesser-priced sub similar in performance (i.e. SVS) suffice? Just curious if sound continuity would be affected. Thanks.

It would not hurt the overall system at all really. Timbre matching is usually a concern between the 3 front speakers and, if you really want your system perfect with the rears as well, however purchasing a different sub, as long as it is of equal quality should have no harmful affect on the sound. If you can swing those speakers with a PB2+ or something similar I think you'd have a great setup.

Thanks, Seth. Anyone else care to comment, please do...

I 3rd's Seth's comments

I'll 4th's Seth's comments.

plead the 5th

I didn't realize a sub and speakers COULD be timbre matched. I agree with everyone else that speakers don't have to be the same brand as the sub and vice versa.

As long as it's a good sub, it isn't going to be tough to blend it with any speakers you pair it up with.

have you checked out svs subs?

I agree that its not improtant to match the brand of the sub to the rest of your speakers.

i HAVE checked out SVS subs...i've been drooling over them for months now. currently i have a paradigm pw-2200 and a decent 7.1 paradigm setup, but i'll be moving into a larger house soon and plan to build a dedicated home theater room. so, a new sub is out of the question until i get there, but it will most definitely be an svs.

Up till a month ago, I had those very same Aerial speakers in my room. I had the Rosewood finish LR5's up front, Rosewood CC5 center channel, and black SR3's on the sides. My sub was a Velodyne HGS-18 (now a black SVS PB2-Ultra).

That Aerial speaker lineup was just absolutely killer. In the end, I decided to sell it as it was just too much for my smaller room. Make sure your room is large enough to handle these speakers. They are very large, and the center channel cannot be mounted on top of a RPTV, which is what I had. The Sound Anchors stands definitely make a strong statement in any room. They don't have a high WAF. The reviewer alluded to this in his article. My wife never liked the boxy Aerials, and brutish looking stands. I liked them, but it's probably a guy thing.

Don't get me wrong, I loved these speakers, and wouldn't hesitate to purchase them again if I had an appropriate room for them. Make sure your front end gear is worthy of the task of driving them as well. I used a Lexicon MC12b and Theta Dreadnaught II.

My current speakers are Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors for the front L/R and side L/R, along with a Cremona Center, and of course the SVS PB2-Ultra.

So to get back to your original question, I never noticed a timbre mis-match between my Aerials and the Velodyne sub. And I don't notice a mis-match between the Cremona's and the SVS. I did have the same concern as you, but in the end it sounded fine to me. Of course, if you ask your dealer, he most definitely will say that you'll need to match the sub with the speakers or performance will be degraded, as he's going to want to sell you the subs along with the speakers. If you can afford it, the Aerial SW-12 is one of the finest speakers out there. But Aerial dealers will always reccomend you get two of them.

Good luck with your decision!

Thanks for the info, Kevin. I'm still a couple of years away from even the POSSIBILTY of speakers as good as the Aerials, but I just wanted to start accumulating knowledge on the subject. I'm planning on putting a dedicated theater room in my new house, so if the size is complimentary to the Aerials, that might be a good choice. What size was your (too small) room, and what is the minimum size room you would recommend for these speakers? Thanks...