JL Audio f113 Fathom Dialed In

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

My Twin Gothams are "Bambi & Thumper"!

Bambi......I remember that animated flick.. I saw it when I was a kid. I remember the line," Thumper, if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

[PHC1]

Great review Dan. Try to work on the phase to match the wave launch to your speakers. Have someone adjust the phase slowly while you are sitting in your listening position and playing a test tone below your crossover point. Once the bass gets fuller, you've hit it but let them go further and then come back to the setting where the bass was fullest. Once done, you will have to readjust your gain to preference. You can also do it yourself by slowly adjusting the phase and you will hear the bass get heavier but the results may not be as accurate as from the listening position. Enjoy your new sub.

[jdandy]

Serge.......Thanks for the pointer. I will do that.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by JFR0317

Yet another great review by Dan!

I am so glad you are enjoying your new sub. The JL's are indeed special.

I can hardly wait until Sunday afternoon to experience Ivan's Gothams!

John.......The Gotham subs are in a class of their own. They hit so hard when called upon that the theater chair I was sitting in felt as though it left the floor and landed in a new position.. To make that happen you have to move a tremendous amount of air very quick, and stop it just as quick. I don't believe the JL Audio Gotham sub has a peer. There's only room at the top of the mountain for one, and the Gotham is it, in my opinion.

[facke02]

Dan, very nice write and thanks for sharing. It's probably time for me to redo my sub calibration as well...

[US Blues]

Great review Dan! You know, I hear that Bryston makes a fine electronic crossover...

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by US Blues

Great review Dan! You know, I hear that Bryston makes a fine electronic crossover...

US Blues.......No doubt about it. The Bryston 10B is very well respected. Were I to bi-amp the PMC's that is the one I would use.

[US Blues]

Originally Posted by jdandy

US Blues.......No doubt about it. The Bryston 10B is very well respected. Were I to bi-amp the PMC's that is the one I would use.

If you bi-amp the PMC's you can avoid all those calls for you to throw down for a pair of 1.2 KW's. It would be a wonderful experiment in sound.

But seriously, enjoy the Fathom's, and let us know how the McIntosh sub does down in the studio.

[jdandy]

Serge.......I took your advice on the phase setting, and spent about three hours this morning tweaking the Fathom f113 sub. I used the Rives Test CD2, repeating the tracks that output 25 Hz, 31.5 Hz, 40 Hz, 50 Hz, 63 Hz while changing polarity, to determine the best setting. Turns out zero, not inverted, is the best for the sub location. Repeating the same test frequencies again, I adjusted the phase control approximatley 10 degrees at a time through it's range, listening closely, and eventaully settled on 45 degrees as the sweet spot, with the gain setting very slightly reduced from its previous setting. I also spent some time reevaluating the low pass crossover point, and finally settled on 75 Hz as the smoothest transition that sounds the best. The results are well worth the time and effort. The Fathom is now as much a part of the musical presentation as the PMC EB1i's. The speakers and the sub coexist as though they are one. The bottom octaves are richer, the bass frequency textures are more vibrant, and the deep bottom authority creates a new dimension in the audio spectrum. I am very pleased with the total package. The Fathom f113 is well worth the price of admission.

[Masterlu]

Excellent work, the time spent to set them up properly is greatly rewarded. My Gothams crossover at 82hz, surprisingly high. However they are seamless with the XRT2K's.

The entire line of JL subs have remarkable Musicality, Speed, Power & Electronics; not to mention build quality.

I truly feel they are underpriced for what you are getting; "Subwoofers of the Gods"