Do you think you need a subwoofer?


Why almost any one needs subwoofers in their audio systems?

I talk with my audio friends about and each one give me different answers, from: I don't need it, to : I love that.

Some of you use subwoofers and many do in the speakers forum and everywhere.

The question is: why we need subwoofers ? or don't?

My experience tell me that this subwoofers subject is a critical point in the music/sound reproduction in home audio systems.

What do you think?
Ag insider logo xs@2xrauliruegas

Showing 3 responses by dan_ed

Very interesting topic, Raul. Based on the responses here from you and Eldartford I'll be holding on to my 10t's for quite a while! These are good down to 28Hz, assuming a good supply of current that is. It's funny since this was always the most frequent complaint about these speakers, "the bass is too loose because of those 12 inch woofers". Now, I have spent a good deal of time and effort building DIY tube traps and absorbers to help treat the room responses and I also use the heavy Aerial stands. It seems to me that speaker designers sometimes shy away from really strong low frequencies because this makes them difficult to place in many rooms, with no control of treatments or flexibility as to placement, and get them to sound good quickly, as in the case of demonstrations. I mean, the first thing I have learned about sound and speaker placement is that you have to control the bass response if you want the mid and high frequencies to sound good and proper. I assume that this is very much true of systems that use strong SW's.

I know that many times when I go to concerts, even an all accoustic night with Godsmack, I do here more bass than what I would normally think I should here. Other times I here bands playing in small venues. I always come away thinking that the bass was too prevelant or the overall sound was too bright. But I have come to believe that this thinking on my part is due to my expectations from listening within my own specially treated and tuned environment. Yes, we do need to here these low frequencies when they are present to get the feel of a live performance.
This may not mean much but I thought I'd share abit along this theme about 'tables and LF speakers. My old Aerial 10t's are rear ported and just drip with chest pounding bass, even when pulled out 6 to 7 feet from the back wall. I once used a decibel meter and found that if I pulled the equipment stand out at least 18 inches from the back wall that the LF build up dropped off dramatically. Also, it was best to avoid the area equal distance between the speakers along the back wall.
Bruce Edgar recommends lifting his mid-bass horns a few inches off the floor. My implementation of his mid-bass weight so much I had to put them on casters so by default they are lifted almost 3". The bass horn is also lifted ~3" only because the casters make it easier to adjust room location.

I've not heard anything as tuneful as bass done by horns. YMMV.