Good points here too. My room is well-treated, with absorption and diffusers on the walls, but I lack bass traps in the upper corners. I also need to play around with the SUB at different (feasible) positions to find the less boomy location, but definitely this is a paliative until I replace it with the first L12, and eventually a second one. Thanks for your support.

When incorporating a sub into one of my systems, I set up my trusty Radio Shack analog SPL meter and then play a Stereophile CD of test tones. I usually run the scales several times - from 20Hz to 1000Hz, while adjusting my crossover point and volume levels. This can never be perfect, due to room/speaker/amp effects. I usually aim to set the sub's volume level at close to an average of 1dB below my main speakers, as I like the bass to be there, but not overwhelm.

Yes, it seems that may be the case here. I know the Velodyne I have is for HT applications and not for music, but I thought more or less these would assist in music nevertheless. I have been dissatisfied with it and unless location makes a big difference, the Velodyne will be retired. BTW, I've never heard this SUB do that low / deep vibrating thing, just bursts of boomy sounds which detract from the clean and tight mains' mid-bass work. Shame the Inspire does not have the power to make the mains' bass sound at ideal levels.

I got lucky with a cheap "sub." Picked up a little Energy "subwoofer" which has an 8" driver and about a 100 watt amp. It is really more of a woofer, as it doesn't do much below 40Hz. $40 off of Craigslist.

I use it with my Inspire SE EL84 amp, which produces almost no low bass and little mid-bass. When I set my preamp to filter sub-100Hz from going to the SE EL84 and setup the sub as described earlier, at -1dB from my average output from 100-300Hz, it does a very nice job of filling in the lower bass. Also this frees my SE EL84 from even seeing the low bass, which enables it to play louder and cleaner.

In my small system using Focal Aria 906 bookshelf speakers (approx 88dB efficiency), the 4wpc Inspire does okay when using the sub. Without the sub, not so much, easily driven into clipping on low notes. I have a pair of more efficient monitors, DIY speakers using full range Fostex FE206E banana pulp drivers. These play louder but I don't like them. Should sell them off.

Got Inspired all right!
 

Yo, does anyone actually have any luck reaching Mr. Had through his eBay channel? I gave up after trying a few different ways with no response or replies over 90 days. Originally, I wanted to buy one of his newer custom build spec Inspire amps for my smaller speakers - oh well. Since I could not reach him, decided to try and buy one of his former amps for my big speakers from back in the day when he was at Cary. Now have the Cary V-12R, wow. It's a keeper - with NOS tube and more updated coupling cap upgrades, this baby is a keeper, sounds amazing with the right speakers in Ultralinear or Triode modes. Thanks Dennis, wherever you are :)

After my tube-rolling progress during the last 6 months, I had unconsciously raised the bar so now the unfit SUB contribution has become evident. I just hope upgrading the bass sub-system will remove my dissatisfaction with the lack of oomph during demanding passages. Everything else is just great with the gear. I'm sure your point is valid, as I now believe any decent SUB by today's standards ought to outperform mine, it is just a matter of optimizing its contributions through placing and adjustments. Over time, I should try the stereo configuration to see what is all the fuzz about, but like Rosco65 stated, just replacing my SUB with a decent, capable one should make a significant difference.

Great review on that amp here:

http://www.audioreview.com/cat/ampli...2_1583crx.aspx

Of course, this is a power monster compared to the Inspire line. BTW, Dennis used to reply quite promptly in the recent past, so I could not tell why he has not replied to you yet. Congrats on your clever purchase.

Thanks Music Amantem.

Appreciate the link. Some of the base V12 and V12i units in the review were okay, and once they came out with the "V-12" with the fixes, then it became a contender according to a few folks I've met since that keep them in rotation and managed to hang on to their R models. And, picking up a nice 12/12i can be upgraded to the V-12R. I'm still playing with the different UL/Triode modes and NOS tubes. Doing some of the more modern coupling caps, hexfreds, bypass caps here in a few weeks to see if I can take it to another level. Still have a hankering for a nice little low watt SET amp too down the road. Seen a few of the DH amps come up on eBay, but I would only consider it if I could send it in and get it checked, upgraded by the creator himself. Thx.

That amp reminds me of the Mesa "Baron", a strange trip into home audio by the Mesa people. Which also makes me wonder if the maker of my fave guitar amp, a Burriss "Royal Bluesman" (it's blue), could, or would, make a stereo amp. This guitar amp is a small "lunchbox" style head that's a hand wired Class A single ended masterpiece of 18 watts…even has a spring reverb behind the face plate…maybe Dennis could make a guitar amp as I refuse to plug a guitar into the HO (maybe I should try…I can do without reverb for a few minutes).

After trying 50Hz and 70Hz High Pass Harrison FMOD's in my system I have removed them from the signal chain. Testing with a SPL meter and the Rives Audio Test CD, I found that the FMOD's lowered the input signal to my amp at frequencies above the FMOD crossover point.