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Honest Experience on Effects of Subwoofer Please

I have read countless of threads on people’s experiences with subwoofers but am still confused. Although I don’t have any experience with high quality music subwoofers, I have been using a decent sub in my audio system for the past 18 years or so. The sub went in and out of the systems and various rooms throughout the years as I was not convinced if the sub was contributing anything to the system. At times I felt I could hear an improvement and at other times I thought the sub wasn’t doing anything. If I bump up the volume and crossover frequency on the sub to hear a larger impact, it’s overly done.

I am aware that a proper set up and/or quality of subwoofer is crucial to ensure a successful implementation of the sub(s) in a system. Let’s just assume that everything is done properly.

To cut to the chase, do people hear a small or appreciable difference with subwoofers, or it’s a big night and day difference? I know everyone’s expectations are different but I’m reading different opinions and experiences on this forum. For the first time in 15 years, I am considering a sub upgrade and have been in communication with the sub maker and dealer. I just wanted to get a clearer picture on the situation.

So, coming back to the question, just two questions;

1. Do people hear a small or appreciable difference with subwoofers, or it’s a big night and day difference?

2 Do subwoofers just fill up the missing deep bass below say 40Hz or 35Hz where the main speakers won’t reproduce, or they will also augment the mid bass and upper bass by producing a punchier sound with better kick, heft and dynamics? The drums or kick drums are usually in the region of the midbass and upper bass, not low bass.

Posts like the one below taken from another thread make me confused.

 

ryder

Showing 1 response by bdp24

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bdp24
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One of the best features of the Rythmik Audio line of subs is the phase control included in their plate amps. It is not a phase "switch" (either zero degrees or 180 degrees), but a continuously-variable phase/delay control knob, adjustable from zero degrees/zero delay to 180 degrees/16ms delay, and anywhere in between.

First find a reasonably good sub location with relatively low mode problems (both nulls or peaks), then use the Rythmik phase control to maximize the phase relationship between sub(s) and loudspeakers. Everyone talks about the long wavelengths of bass tones making phase relationships below, say, 100Hz, mute is ignoring the fact that if the outputs of sub and loudspeaker don’t create a combined flat response at the cross-over frequency (if they are not in phase), there will be a hole in the frequency response created. Loudspeaker designers have to do the exact same thing in the blending of tweeters with midrange/woofer drivers.

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