2 channel system, would a sub be friend or foe?

You have come this far so don't muck it up with a sub. You have one killer system And the 20.1's will fill in that last little bit that you are looking for.

If your only trying, not buying, go ahead, it won't kill you. I've always felt it best to leave the whole frequency range in the hands of the speaker designer. IMHO, it is very difficult to blend a sub with speakers on music successfully. I've heard a lot of attempts, but subs should be left to HT use, again that's just my opinion. If it won't cost you anything, it wouldn't hurt to 'play' around with it a little. I would recommend using the lowest crossover level possible.

John

A sub would be a friend indeed. Especially for the Maggies which start to peter out at what 33Hz?

Of course it matters what sub and how musical it is. But there is a lot of musical info way below 33Hz that you are not hearing. And I'm talking classical and instrumental and folk and pop. Not to mention the organ.

My full range Aerial Acoustic 10T speakers are rated down to 28Hz before rolling off entirely somewhere around 21Hz. My sub goes down to 18Hz before rolling off.

It's amazing how the sub just adds a fuller and warmer demension and presentation to the music when called upon. And the 10T's are pretty wonderful at reproducing low bass on their own (given the right amp).

I don't care what music you're listening to (unless it's only folk guitar, tamborine, and picollo), you are missing much music way down under.

-IMO

I'm in agreement with Stehno. I also considered adding a sub to my system only because of the introduction of movies and home theater. With 2-Channel audio, the low end of my system was more than satisfactory with the Thiel 22's. When I choose my sub, I felt that enhancing my 2-Channel system a priority to home theater.

Like the others have mentioned, intergration is key to getting a positive result with subs for music listening. It is key to getting a sub that will crossover low enough to match good full range speakers as well as one that has enough crossover point for good intergration. I am crossing over by Rel Stadium III at 23Hz with my Thiel's. I would have never thought that I would be crossing over this low.

It will take one many hours of critical listening in adjusting crossover points as well as subwoofer volume levels, but once the correct adjustments are found, the listener will be simply amazed on what a good sub can do to an already great sounding system. All musics will benefit the addition of a good subwoofer. Even music that one would think would not benefit with a sub just sounds better.

It's obvious that I strongly recommend a sub to anyone who wishes to take their system to the next level.

I tried a sub when I had my 10's also. AND it was great in that it "pressurized" the room. Subs can take lots of work intergrating them correctly.-----Hope that the sub you borrow is broken in. I just feel you will love it.

I have owned a pair of 3.6 Maggies and they do sound good. Although they are rated a Stereophile class A speaker, they are in the category of restricted extreme low frequency speakers.

Having a no cost opportunity to audition a good sub with these great speakers seems like a no brainer.

Thank you all for your input, my friend who was telling me I needed a sub brought his REL strata III up with him and we got to listening and he agreed I didn't need a sub- in fact we just got into the music so much we agreed we didn't want to waste time trying set it up- I may not have that last little bit of bass performance but everything else is right on. I think 20.1 maggies, A1 Soundlabs or Kharma midi grand's will one day make me grin like an even bigger fool than I am. Cheers