is a subwoofer for music a good idea??



i have standmount speakers which go down to about 45-50hz.i feel my system lacks low end punch,specially at lower volumes. now i need to know if:
1. a subwoofer for music is a good idea in the first place
2. will buying a budget sub($400) really add sufficient low end
3.is there much info in music below 40 hz
4.will i lose imaging if i add a sub to my 2 channel set up

all you experts out there, plese help.
dazedandconfused

Showing 2 responses by sugarbrie

I do not agree at all that most classical music does not need a subwoofer. A subwoofer transforms classical music (including chamber) in a way that is not apparent unless you've heard the difference. (Transforms all music.)

The separation of instruments is greatly enhanced using a subwoofer. The sound of every instrument is more rounded.

For example...assume a piano, flute, oboe, violin, etc, play the exact same note (same frequency); if all that was being played was that exact note, then you would not be able to tell what instrument was playing it; the sound would be the same. But of course we can tell what instrument played the note. A flute sound nothing like a piano. How can this be? The simple answer is that any note played by a musical instrument involves a much broader frequency spectrum than the particular note being played.

Adding a quality musical subwoofer fills in the bottom of the frequency spectrum of every note played by every instrument. The result is....every instrument sounds more realistic.