2. speakers
  3. 159321-128813

A case for running speakers full range - Tekton Double Impact SE w/ SVS SB16 subs

I've finally had more time to experiment more and contrary to what I normally hear/read, I find running my speakers full range and adding the subs at 50hz sounds much better than relieving the speakers of <50hz activity. 

I see zero effects less dynamics, in fact i feel much more. I feel like the narrative of relieving the amp of the low freq creates more dynamics is probably just a theory created by people who have their speakers set up wrong or are using very small speakers.  

I definitely agree with rolling off bookshelf speakers because they don't play well low anyway, but I'm not sure I agree with cutting off big speakers that can dig low.. I say let them dig low, then let the subs barely augment.


dtximages
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz
13,381 posts
 
The mains in my HT rig are full size floorstanding speakers and have always been run full range.
So have EVERY pair of floorstanding speakers I have ever used as mains in the HT rig.
Both subs fill in the very bottom and augment the rest of the bass effect.
dtximages OP
364 posts
 
@uberwaltz    thanks...  I feel I've read a lot recently about how relieving your amp/speakers from the low freq's opens things up and things are overall more dynamic, but I'm totally not seeing that. If anything, I see it as less processing and thinking your amp has to do.  

Now, this is as long as your speakers are up to snuff.

Go crank up Rod Stewart's song "This" really loud on both settings.  Those kettle drums or tympani's will pound your chest. In my system, much more so with my speakers on full range. 
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Its better to run full range, for the simple reason that the more bass sources the better. This is the principle on which Distributed Bass Array is based, that more subs is better than few. This is another one where people have repeated something that looks good on paper (relieve amp/speakers) even though it works poorly (if at all) in practice.
More to discover