Grimm Audio LS1s Stereo Subwoofers — Pair

Description

LS1s adds the lowest octave to a compatible Grimm LS1 system. This listing is for a pair, preserving a stereo bass arrangement and turning the main speakers and subwoofers into a coordinated three-way system.

Designed around the LS1

The 70Hz phase-corrected crossover operates in the LS1’s own processing. Grimm specifies a Peerless woofer and 400W Class D amplifier, with response extending to 20Hz. The LS1s is a system-specific bass extension, not simply a universal home-cinema subwoofer.

Placement is part of the result

The upward-facing cabinet fits between the LS1’s stand legs, but can also be placed separately when the room benefits from another bass position. Correct integration depends on placement, settings and the room; the published extension is not a guarantee of an identical response at every listening seat.

LS1s or SB1?

Choose LS1s as a stereo extension for a compatible LS1v2 or LS1a system. Compare SB1 when you want Grimm’s Digital Motional Feedback technology or need its supported third-party-system mode. These are different designs, not two names for the same subwoofer.

Confirm the system before ordering

Tell us the exact LS1 model and existing controller/interface. We can confirm compatibility, cables, placement and what setup work is included. This pair listing does not include the main loudspeakers; confirm current supply timing.

Manufacturer specifications and documentation.

The wider view: Grimm Audio LS1s reviews in brief

The LS1s is a pair of subwoofers made for Grimm’s LS1 speakers. The crossover at 70 Hz already sits in the LS1’s own processing, so adding the subs turns the pair into a three-way system that reaches down to 20 Hz. Each sub faces upwards and fits between the legs of an LS1, or it can come off the footplate and stand wherever the bass works best in the room.

Both reviews we read are from 2014 and both heard these subs with the original LS1. Robert Jørgensen of SoundStage! Ultra found the LS1 very satisfying on its own, yet he definitely preferred it with the LS1s for the far greater headroom and the near-perfect join. The bass was always well integrated and tuneful, and he called the whole system “the most neutral and, overall, highest-performing speaker system I have ever tested”. The Ear heard the low end go very deep with the subs in place, with real punch and excellent definition.

The Ear also found a reason to hesitate. Its reviewer admired how pure and transparent the system is but missed some romance and emotion, and found that it lays bare every fault in a poor recording. On records the subs also reproduced the rumble of groove noise between tracks. Jørgensen adds that the system needs a good source and a room whose acoustics have been dealt with.

They suit an owner of an LS1 or LS1a who wants the lowest octave and more headroom. Classical music gains most from them, and they pair with our LS1v2. The SB1 is Grimm’s other subwoofer and a different design. Tell us your exact LS1 model and its controller and we will confirm what fits.

What the reviewers say, in a nutshell

• SoundStage! Ultra, Robert Jørgensen, September 2014. With the original LS1 the most neutral speaker system he had tested. The subs added headroom and blended almost perfectly.
• The Ear, June 2014. With the LS1 the bass went very deep with excellent definition in a very transparent system. The reviewer missed some emotion.