Use a sub with your hi-fi system?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Jerod, Aug 28, 2014.

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  1. tim185

    tim185 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Just for peoples info., Its ok to use EQ for peaks around 40hz. But ONLY around that frequency.
     
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  2. Jerod

    Jerod Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nashville, TN
    That's a sweet sub. MUCH nicer than the one I have.
     
  3. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England
    I like it so much I use 2......
     
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  4. Jerod

    Jerod Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nashville, TN
    You use a Musical Fidelity M6I? How do you wire your subs? Thanks.
     
  5. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England
    I use the pre-outs L to Left sub and the R to Right sub.
     
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  6. Bart

    Bart Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    I do use a sub on my main 2-channel system. It's a JL Audio sub; it was pretty expensive, and it weighs a ton. It has room analysis software built in, and other than that I set it's main output level so that it's very subtle. I enjoy the effect. It's totally in-phase, and when I close my eyes I cannot 'see' it -- the real test for me.
     
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  7. nitsuj

    nitsuj Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    Subwoofers for 2-channel audio are great if you need to fill in the bottom couple octaves. My monitors sport 5" cones, I added 2 sealed 8" subs (directly from the extra pair of rca pre-outs on my preamp). They are in a stereo configuration sitting next to each monitor stand firing straight into the room. I run the monitors full-range and low-pass the subs @95hz. I was blown away by what I was missing. Fattened up the mid bass a touch and nicely expanded the soundstage in 3 dimensions as a bonus. Another bonus is they are remote controlled so I can play with phase and volume from the listening position to get the smoothest response. Unlike a "Bass" tone control the midrange is unaffected (based on what my ears perceive) when I cut or boost sub volume, very handy for "tweaking" a bass heavy/shy recording.

    Would I prefer a 30x20x10 treated listening room with 801's and 600w Krell mono-blocks? Yes. Do I feel like I am really missing out? No.
     
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  8. Pancat

    Pancat Senior Member

    Location:
    Merry England
    Yes, I use a sub for 2 channel music. Although my main speakers are designed to be placed near a wall to reinforce the low end they just boom in my room if placed too close to the wall. Bringing them more forward eliminates the boom and opens up their lovely midrange. The sub is dialled in for a subtle bass extension. I'm unaware of its presence unless I switch it off and then I experience the audio equivalent of letting air out of a balloon and the party is over.
     
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  9. Jerod

    Jerod Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nashville, TN
    Ditto
     
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  10. jcmusic

    jcmusic Forum Resident

    Location:
    Terrytown, La.
    I use two sealed subs in my room, I have done all the measureing and adjustments also acoutsic treatment. The subs are just for 80 hz and below, the mains cover from 80 hz up.
     
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  11. Art K

    Art K Retired but not tired!

    Location:
    Corvallis, Oregon
    What he said.
     
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  12. gregr

    gregr Forum Resident

    Location:
    MA
    Has anyone else tried the Polk Audio setup recommendation of placing the subwoofer in the listening position, moving around to room to find the 'best' sound, and, finally, placing the subwoofer in that spot? I've had some success with this....
     
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  13. David Johnson

    David Johnson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta Georgia
    Yes, I use a sub for two channel. B&W 804D with a REL 218. I paid a home audio company to set it up.
    Haven't looked back since. I may change out the 804's with 802's and will probably use a sub with that as well.
     
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  14. Daz

    Daz Forum Resident

    Yup.
     
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  15. Gretsch6136

    Gretsch6136 Forum Resident

    I just added a Velodyne sub to my Polk RT/Denon home theatre system. I have it dialled in nice and subtle, where it is present but not revealing of its location. It adds a very enveloping effect to movies and works nicely with music, giving the rhythm more snap and presence.
     
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  16. The Snodger

    The Snodger Forum Resident

    Location:
    Manchester, UK
    Enlightening stuff...
     
  17. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    It took me about two years to figure out/learn how to correctly integrate a subwoofer into my system. Once you "get" how it's supposed to work, it becomes a lot easier the next time you need to set one up.

    In my small room, the sub is an invaluable addition. It allows me to run appropriately smaller but bass-limited speakers and yet have bass extension. I can also position the main speakers for optimal imaging without compromising the bass performance, which is not always possible with full-range speakers.
     
  18. Raider4life

    Raider4life Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wenatchee, WA
    No...my mains don't need it. I used to use one for movies, but I got tired of it. It's retired in my closet.
     
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  19. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    This is exactly how to do it.

    You can verify that a sub is dialed in correctly if, when switched off, everything still sounds the same except you lose the very lowest frequencies. There should be a very definable point where the mains roll off and the sub takes over. If your mains can go down to the 40's, most of the time your sub will probably be silent or barely there.
     
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  20. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    I've tried that and was not able to get any value from it.

    In my 9 x 12 room, I typically get the best sub performance from positioning the sub away from the side wall about a quarter of the width of the back wall, which places it approximately in line with one of the main speakers. I have it pulled in from the back wall a bit.

    [​IMG]
     
  21. Shiver

    Shiver Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    No. I'd certainly consider it if for whatever reason I had a set-up that seemed like it needed augmented bass, but am not in that position.
     
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  22. Kyhl

    Kyhl On break

    Location:
    Savage
    I absolutely use a sub. It is a labor of love getting it set up correctly with measurements, placement, and room treatments and it is worth it.

    Mine is set up all analogue. Full range signal from preamp outs. Using built in PEQ, high and low crossovers, and variable phase setting. It was a chore to get right but once set properly you can forget about it. When set properly it works the same for any kind of music. If you find it works for one type of music and not the another, it is probably set too hot or with a big peak in the frequency response somewhere.

    A hobbyist can't trust your ears to set a sub. Measure, tweak, repeat for hours on end. You will be glad you did.
     
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  23. chervokas

    chervokas Senior Member

    I'm still using an old Velodyne 12" sub in my music system -- I know there are better, newer options out there but I'm no longer able to spend the kind of money on hifi I once did -- and I wouldn't be without it.

    A little big of tweaking -- like getting the sub up on one of those Auralex sub platforms and of course measuring the room at the listening position with test tones and an SPL meter and playing around with listening position and speaker placement and crossover point -- and response is as smooth and coherent as the room allows. I still need to improve sub absorption in the room -- I have peaks and nulls at around 115Hz, 80Hz, 70Hz, 50Hz and 40Hz, all of which are predicted by even just calculating room modes -- but I have gotten it all mostly w/in 3 dB of the 1kHz reference tone except the circa 115 null which I've gotten to -6 dB and the 40Hz peak. But that's not the subwoofer's fault, next up room treatment for that.

    Without the sub in the system, even though the speakers nominally have solid output down to 38 Hz according to spec, the sound was bass shy, and now I can use a lower powered tube amp within it's comfort zone to handle the mids and highs because I'm not asking it to deliver bass energy it does with less aplomb.
     
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  24. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

    That is a very good point... use of a powered sub definitely helps improve the efficiency of low powered main amps.
     
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  25. tim185

    tim185 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    Just a note for those measuring in case you don't know. You want to be looking at your frequency response, when looking at the low end at 1/48 octave smoothing, or even none. 1/3 octave won't cut it, you will not see your nulls and peaks. 1/3 looks great, but it ain't getting the job done. I'd also suggest freq response is not as important as a waterfall graph (it shows decay of your sound) or an ETC which tells you what reflections are doing in your room. They all go hand in hand. Well worth your time.
     
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