Dear @drbond : Mainly what we listen are the developed harmonics coming from all the discrete frequencies in all the instruments in any score.
Developed harmonics " contaminate " all the frequency range and represent the MUSIC we are listen it.
That’s why is so important in any home system to tame perfectly the bass range and from here comes the subwoofers necessity/a must.
Problem is the integration with the main speakers but when that is solved then the IMD and THD goes lower than before and MUSIC starts to really shines in our room/system.
There are no disadvantages I be aware to usind subwoofers and several advantages including to the main speakers amplifiers.
In asystem with subwoofers the mid range and high frequencies are improved to levels many of us can’t imagine because with out the main speaker low bass those 2 frequency ranges are cleaned de that through the subs the bass harmonics comes with way lower distortion levels, with subwoofers disappears the bass trash developed by the bass in the main speakers: ligth comes in that room/system.
Btw, this article is a learning one about fast bass/slow bass. I took from the subwoofer dedicated thread in Agon that I started in 2005:
SoundStage! Max dB - Fast Bass, Slow Bass - Myth vs. Fact (06/1999) (soundstagenetwork.com)
R.