Use a sub with your hi-fi system?

So do I and I still use two subs!!!

 

Up until recently I always ran my subs with 2ch music. I went through a big evolution this last year and I thank this website or the way my wife sees it blames. A few months ago I had the JBL 15inch drivers in my DIY subs re-foamed edges. By John at Van L Speaker works. That started me down this path that ended up with me getting a McIntosh C2500 preamp. I was all concerned that I would not be able to control the subs with this preamp. When I got it home the c2500 has much better bass than my Bryston SP 1.7 pre/pro and I really don’t think I need or want it anymore.

I did think of a good way to implement them if I really want to pound out some bass.

Movies subs are a must!!!

I plan to run REW with and without the subs to see how much bass is in the room.

 

There are many folks that will argue with you. I really don't have any opinion, but I have some friends that get quite animated about big speakers and sub (pro and con).

 

Yes and no. The Polks I'm using for the mains in system #2 need serious help on the low end. I ALMOST bought a pair of SVS subs, but what I did was use the Realtas as subs, sittng beside the Polks and being fed by system #3. The Nakamichi preamp has two outputs, one of which feeds the Emotiva preamp in #3, which has a subwoofer output. I bring in the Realtas around 70 Hz, and they're good down to at least 28 Hz. I'd like 16 Hz, but that'll do for now. Slightly complicated, but very blissful reproduction.

And with the money I saved on not buying subs, I can buy a new amp.

 

I do not use a sub. My system produces more than adequate bass with large full range speakers.

AJH

 

Yes, a sub for me. It is placed between the speakers and on the same plane. While this reduces the amount of bass in the room, it makes it easier to blend.

 

Stereo music: No. Surround sound TV: Yes.

 

I was experimenting with a sub in my Fisher 400, as it has a center channel out

it helped anemic speakers out, but I was always having to adjust it between different albums/types of music

IMO just get a decent pair of speakers and there is no need for a sub, for music

for home theatre I would probably use one though, with a surround system.

 

I run small 10" sealed stereo subs for my 2 channel setup. I run my mains full range and use the subs for reinforcement and extension. Nothing crazy. Just to the point that I notice them. I crossover the subs pretty high at 100 Hz. I like a little extra oomph in the midbass. Mainly listen to rock and electronic music.

 

I run small 10" sealed stereo subs for my 2 channel setup. I run my mains full range and use the subs for reinforcement and extension. Nothing crazy. Just to the point that I notice them. I crossover the subs pretty high at 100 Hz. I like a little extra oomph in the midbass. Mainly listen to rock and electronic music.

 

I don't care for low low end so no subs at all for me. I'm quite pleased with the range of my Celestion DL-8 II's as well as the even smaller NHT SuperOne's.

 

I have a Fisher 500. I use two subs but they are not dialed in to throw me threw a wall but only to get the bottom last octave or two and fill out the room.
My speakers are capable of doing a great job but in my 5 decades of experience it takes a sub or better two subs very good ones to give you that fullness and flexablity that we all enjoy.
Ofcourse if I could Id get a Wilson or any number of 100,000 dollar speakers and do without the subs-maybe....John M.

 

subwoofers are absolutely necessary unless your running big expensive three way speakers bi-amped.im running a single 10 m&k and you really wouldn't even know its there.my dunlavy sc2a mains blend right in with my sub.I want a REL woofer when I get the money.the crossover on most mains does not go low enough to live without that punch at the bottom end....

 

I agree.but maybe 30k would get it done haha

 

I ran a test CD tonight, on one of my secondary systems using Pioneer DSS-5 speakers (10" woofer ported) there was very useable bass at 31.5 hz.

On my main rig with Pioneer Elite TZ 9 speakers (2x10" front/rear firing dual port each tower) there was very useable bass at 25 hz.

In my work room system with vintage Nova 8 RadioShack speakers from the early 1970's with a 12" sealed cab there was very useable bass at 31.5 hz. I didn't bother with the several other systems I have.

Seeing I don't listen to pipe organ or electronica, I have more than enough bass extension without a sub. And for A/V, I really don't need silly room shaking bass to make the movie enjoyable. At some point it becomes distracting. Just like those fools in their cars with ear drum ruining subs. There will be a lot of deaf folks from that generation as they age.

 

it depends on the size of the drivers in your mains and the crossover cutoff,those pioneers have 9 1/2 inch woofers.my dunlavys dont have much bass below 60 hz.

 

Dual 8" woofers in my floor standers. Sub woofers never worked out for me, so I do not use them. Notice I said them, as in a pair. Which is the only way I would ever use a sub, if I did, but never will. I hope that makes cents..

 

I use an ACI 12" unported sub along with my Vandersteen 2Ce speakers (driven by Rogue Atlas amps). In theory
the Vandy's should go down to 38 or so, but adding the sub with crossover at 50 (lowest setting) really
adds some weight to rock/jazz/classical. I probably have some overlap bloat but it is worth it to me as hearing
the low understones makes the music more engaging and realistic to me. I use a Y for the preamp outs
to split and send to both the sub amp and the main amp.

 

No. I only use a sub for 5.1 movies.

 

I thought the same thing exactly until I measured my room, like you I could not hear the need for subs but; the measurement curves show plainly a need for them. Try measuring your room and see!!!

 

I started with two Paradigm bookshelf speakers and a sub. Sounded nice, much better than anything I'd owned to that point but still wasn't "it." Upgraded to full-range speakers (w/out the sub) and wasn't entirely happy with the bass response. (Which was very surprising, to be honest - I expected more out of these speakers in the low end department, to be honest.)

Put the sub back in and things improved, but definitely had some issues with my room. Added a second sub and ran them in stereo, and all of a sudden I have magic. No frequency bumps in various positions around the room, excellent full-range sound (the speakers were already fantastic on the high end), still get the deep deep lows for movies (my system is a double duty music / HT system, although everything was selected for music first).

I'm extremely happy with my setup now, and I think running stereo subs was a big factor in this.

 

No sub for main system music. I am happy with the lows produced by my Koss CM1030s.

For 5.1 audio, yes, a single sub.

 

Not for nuthin' but I don't have a sub (nor do I want one) in my 5.0 system either.

 

I disagree with this, a least for most practical situations where you don't have a recording studio. I used to think this way but not any more Reason? You HAVE to position your main speakers to optimize imaging, reduce first wall reflections, etc. This takes a lot of time and moving speakers, but the problem with full range is that your base drivers are along for the ride and its very unlikely that they'll be optimized for flat low-end response. So you are compromised.

Best solution,nearly full range speakers (say with 40 hz response) with one or two subs/parametric equalizers. Hook them up in parallel with the mains. You can position the subs so as not to excite room modes too much and then dial in the response with the equalizers. This gives you the freedom to optimize the mains for imaging etc.

You can't do this correctly by ear, you need a low-end spectrum analyzer. Lots of good subs have these built in. Once you get it set right, the subs disappear aurally.

 

Yes I currently use an 8 inch sub to help my Spica's out. They drop off pretty dramatically around 55 hz and the sub fills in everything nicely.