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Can a subwoofer help a bad recording?

Currently, I am running a little push/pull tube amp through a pair of fairly, high efficiency Silverline Panatella floorstanding speakers. When I play a CD by Sade or Neko Case, the bass is excellent. The bass drum thumps and bass instruments are not boomy. However, on some CD, the bass just isn't there. I can hear it, but it has no authority. Is this the recording or can a subwoofer help out in some cases. I am think that a subwoofer won't help because it can't reproduce information that it isn't given.
matchstikman

Showing 2 responses by cfjohn

cfjohn
15 posts
 
It's possible the Sade and Neko Case recordings have overly accented bass. Probably a better test than listing to thumping would be to play a good recording of a full classical symphony orchestra like Beethoven's Symphony #3 to see if the bass is full bodied or is thin. If thin, it's probably one or more elements in your system. The next step is to try replacing items one by one to see what makes the biggest difference. Try to borrow from friends or a good hi fi store. Chuck
cfjohn
15 posts
 
Not all CD will have good bass. There seems to be more variation in engineering of popular ones which is why I suggested playing classical to determine what your system is capable of. Since they sound rich on your system, something comes to mind since you listen at low levels. The ear doesn't hear low and high notes as well as mid frequencies when played at a low volume. In this case a sub may help give the bass punch you wish.
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