You may want to conduct a simple test. Go to an audio salon, and listen to whichever speakers you like, both with and without a subwoofer. You may notice quite a discernable difference when the subwoofer plays.
I heard a REL subwoofer in such a demonstration, and was amazed at how much "fuller" even quiet passages with vocals sounded with the sub!
I also owned Maggie 1.6's for a while, and was content with their bass, for a while. However, after adding a Vandersteen sub, found that it improved the entire listening experience dramatically. It's strange, but having those lower frequencies seems to take some of the edge off the highs...
It was recommended to me by an owner of a high end audio store that I should run a pair of subs, since there's plenty of low freq. information sent to each channel. I ended up buying his own pair of Vandersteen 2W subs. It's true, especially if listinging to such music as smooth jazz, synthesized, etc., two subs do make a stereo image of the low end. With one sub, you hear the boom, with two, you hear which side the boom is coming from!
Now I'm running tiwn pairs of Eminent Technology LFT-8a's with tiwn Vandersteen subs. That's a total of 10 eight inch drivers for bass. It's incredible! Powerful, precise bass, without distortion. It doesn't have to play loud to sound authoritative.
Once you familiarize yourself with good, clean lower frequencies, you'll know when you're missing it listening to other speakers/systems.
Two times I have tried monitors with subs, and both times I went back to floor standing full range speakers. If you want good bass representation in your system, do full range floor standers, and subs. But as previous posters have said, better quality with a couple less hz than boomy boxes with distortion.
You may want to read reviews of speakers on audioreview.com
Some good affordable speakers I have used with clean bass are Vandersteens, Magnepans, Eminent Technology (I switched from Vandys, to Maggies to Eminents).
For economy you can even go with a setup like a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 8.3's coupled with a sub. I had a pair of them in my system and was amazed how good they sounded for an economical speaker. Great bass. Biwire them or biamp them and you'll have nice sound. It's all how many $ you want to throw at the issue.
I heard a REL subwoofer in such a demonstration, and was amazed at how much "fuller" even quiet passages with vocals sounded with the sub!
I also owned Maggie 1.6's for a while, and was content with their bass, for a while. However, after adding a Vandersteen sub, found that it improved the entire listening experience dramatically. It's strange, but having those lower frequencies seems to take some of the edge off the highs...
It was recommended to me by an owner of a high end audio store that I should run a pair of subs, since there's plenty of low freq. information sent to each channel. I ended up buying his own pair of Vandersteen 2W subs. It's true, especially if listinging to such music as smooth jazz, synthesized, etc., two subs do make a stereo image of the low end. With one sub, you hear the boom, with two, you hear which side the boom is coming from!
Now I'm running tiwn pairs of Eminent Technology LFT-8a's with tiwn Vandersteen subs. That's a total of 10 eight inch drivers for bass. It's incredible! Powerful, precise bass, without distortion. It doesn't have to play loud to sound authoritative.
Once you familiarize yourself with good, clean lower frequencies, you'll know when you're missing it listening to other speakers/systems.
Two times I have tried monitors with subs, and both times I went back to floor standing full range speakers. If you want good bass representation in your system, do full range floor standers, and subs. But as previous posters have said, better quality with a couple less hz than boomy boxes with distortion.
You may want to read reviews of speakers on audioreview.com
Some good affordable speakers I have used with clean bass are Vandersteens, Magnepans, Eminent Technology (I switched from Vandys, to Maggies to Eminents).
For economy you can even go with a setup like a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 8.3's coupled with a sub. I had a pair of them in my system and was amazed how good they sounded for an economical speaker. Great bass. Biwire them or biamp them and you'll have nice sound. It's all how many $ you want to throw at the issue.