MJ Acoustics Subwoofers, how good?

I am planning to get a pair of active studio monitors and if I choose the ATC T16's I will want to add a subwoofer because they only go down to 70hz. Please note I have a small room. My studio/listening room/bedroom!!!

The MJ Reference 100 seems about right for my budget and it goes extremely low at 13hz! Also I remember reading about a MJ sub in Hi-Fi Choice or something and it was only bettered by the REL of a much higher price.

SO.. what do you guys think of it??

If I get the ATC's I would probably take them to Sevenoaks and demo the sub with them right there. Even so, I'm interested to hear your opinions!

Thanx,

Simon

 

i demo-d the Ref 100 with my old Kingstons. They didn't really gel, and it ruined their bass response. Theres no way that little baby goes down to 13hz- think they claim that figure with the pro50 too!!

not a bad sub for £350 though- certainly a step up from Yamahas, Mordaunt Shorts, Missions etc.

 

Well I will make sure I take my test cd to see how low it goes Thanks for the heads up! Maybe it is 13hz but at a -26db drop? dunoo...

 

MJ sell excellent value subs that perform well but I do wish that they wouldn't quote such ridiculous and meaningless statistics in their marketing.

Most £3,000 subs won't go as low as 13Hz

 

Yeah - quoting 13Hz is ridiculous. They quote 15Hz for the little Pro50 (50 watt, 8" driver)! One of the guys over at avforums did some measurements of a Pro50 with no room loading and at -3dB is went down to 33Hz (at -6dB is was 27Hz) - those figures look far more reasonable.

Bull*hit aside, they are nice little subs and you should try them out but in your own room if at all possible.

If you are able to spend a bit more then also check out the REL Strata III, MJA Ref 1, B&W ASW675 and Velodyne SPL800/1000.

Matt.

 

Agree with Matt F - to match the power, grunt, control, and dynamics of the ATCs you'll probably want a somewhat more capable sub than the wee MJ. Not that it's bad for the money and size, but a sub that size is invariably going to be horribly compromised. Step up to one of the models Matt mentions and you should get a significant step up in performance.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the ATCs are likely to provide a very satisfying bass performance (unless you're Wadia Meister ) - keep in mind the quoted response down to 70Hz is at +/-2dB, and despite the port-loading, I believe they're designed (like all ATCs) to have a smooth, gentle bass roll-off. In-room you should get useable bass output waaaay below 70Hz.

I would try the ATCs without a sub first. I wouldn't be surprised if after hearing them you no longer felt the need for a sub. In any case, their bass response should tide you over until you can save up for one of the higher-end subs Matt mentioned.

Dunc

 

Thanks Dunky,

I REALLY want to hear these ATC T16's... but the man at Funky Junk (proaudioeurope.com) tells me they are only made to order and so he does not have any to demo me!

I just phoned HHB (finally got through) and they said they are going to be demoing the T16's for the BBC Tuesday next week and I am welcome to come and see them the day after as they will be in their showroom. SO...we shall see what happens.. lol!

What you say about saving up make sense. I do actually have an active sub. Only it is not very good, 'tis an Aiwa something 8 inch which cost about £250 a few years back. Having said that, it didn't sound at all bad with my Monitor Audio GR10's once I built my own active filter crossover thing.