D Freeman

Verified Purchase

I have now lived with the Sound Sommeliers for a little over three months and continue to be thrilled by the sound. These remain a viable alternative to soundbars for those with little space as well as being an extremely accurate transducer for music.


Big change. I broke down and tried sub-woofers with the Sommeliers. I have worked in audio for nearly forty years and added my first pair of sub-woofers to a pair of full range speakers in 1977 so I am no stranger to the process. However, even in the early days of working with electronic crossovers and multiple power amps, room placement, etc., this proved to be the biggest challenge I had ever faced.


First, I decided to handicap myself by using existing equipment (my better half insists I own too much already). Based on the frequency response and the natural roll-off of the quarter wave speakers, a dedicated woofer purchased for a Yamaha DSP seemed like it might be just right. However, the Yamaha had a fixed crossover at about 90hz. As the Sommeliers roll off dramatically below 60hz, this didn't seem too bad. However, the sound was atrocious no matter where I set the level.


Next came a dedicated woofer from B&W. Fine audio company. 10" woofer,  Wood enclosure.  Variable crossover. Same results.


Finally, a powered, true sub-woofer from Boston Acoustics. 12" and designed to compliment something much bigger than the Sommeliers. This had last seen use as part of a pair matched with a pair of Vandersteen 2c speakers in the early 2000's. The Vandersteen's and one of the sub-woofers went to my son who gave to a friend who now listens to them in a small studio outside Nashville. I started out with the crossover at 85hz and the output about mid-way. Sound was horrible. The Sommeliers are really extremely efficient. I eventually did what I tell everyone else when setting up a woofer or sub-woofer. Turn the volume on the woofer down to zero. On a steady bass tone, increase the volume until you can barely hear the bass tone form the woofer, then turn it back until you can't hear it. This worked. Then I worked with the crossover and worked it down to 60hz. At this point the 12" sub and the Sommeliers began to sound as if they were meant to work together.


My son came over and we first listened to some vocals with the sub-woofer in and bypassing (the Boston has a bypass switch). With the sub in line, the Sommeliers have a much richer tone everywhere from the lower mid-range all the way through the lower treble. I have actually never heard a sub make such a difference in the entire frequency range.


After auditioning vocals for about 45 minutes, we switched over to some acoustic jazz and the results were even more gratifying.


Finally, and the reason I wanted to add the sub win the first place, we retrieved some old war horse classical music starting with Beethoven's 5th and 9th symphonies. The sound was absolutely thrilling. There was no cap on the dynamics as the Sommeliers could literally soar (within their limits). We then switched to Wagner and when I started to ask my son something he hushed me as he was in the midst of pulling Excalibur from the stone (if you don't know of what I speak, rent "Excalibur" form Netflix.


If you are interested in these speakers, the are superb by themselves. If you want them to deliver unbelievable sound to give you chill bumps, look for a good (this will probably bee much more than the speakers) sub-woofer to mate. Pay close attention to both cross-over and volume level of the sub as I have never set the volume level on a sub so low as I have with these. However, the total sound is definitely equal to systems costing at least five or six times the total cost of the two items (speakers and sub) together. Of course, a pair of the Boston subs would probably make this sound much better. Not so much for any added volume as I would probably need to decrease the output level, but there is still a great deal of imaging information at levels down to 40hz or so that a pair of subs would show off much better than a single.

Sorry for the epistle as no one but me was probably interested.