Geez, a lot of academic mumbo jumbo in this thread. I have spent countless hours listening to full sized speakers with a -3db point between 22 Hz and 40 Hz. Without question, the lower extension speakers have dramatically out performed over enough of my listening list that it is important. Of course, sometimes 40 Hz is all you need, but there is plenty of music that plums the lower depth. I have had Revel Salons, Thiel CS5s and CS7.2s in my listening room at the same time to compare along with less bass proficient speakers to compare. It makes a significant difference.
A full range speaker?
Many claim to be, but how many can handle a full orchestra’s range?
That range is from 26hz to around 12khz including harmonics, but the speakers that can go that low are few and far between. That is a shame, since the grand piano, one of the center points of many orchestral and symphonic performances, needs that lower range to produce a low A fully, however little that key is used.
I used to think it was 32hz, which would handle a Hammond B-3’s full keyboard, so cover most of the musical instruments range, but since having subs have realized how much I am missing without those going down to 25hz with no db’s down.
What would you set as the lower limit of music reproduction for a speaker to be called full range?
I’m asking you to consider that point where that measurement is -0db’s, which is always different from published spec's.
That range is from 26hz to around 12khz including harmonics, but the speakers that can go that low are few and far between. That is a shame, since the grand piano, one of the center points of many orchestral and symphonic performances, needs that lower range to produce a low A fully, however little that key is used.
I used to think it was 32hz, which would handle a Hammond B-3’s full keyboard, so cover most of the musical instruments range, but since having subs have realized how much I am missing without those going down to 25hz with no db’s down.
What would you set as the lower limit of music reproduction for a speaker to be called full range?
I’m asking you to consider that point where that measurement is -0db’s, which is always different from published spec's.
- ...
- 196 posts total
Yes. Suppose I framed it differently. Have you ever had bookshelf or stand mount speakers that you consider full range? If you spend enough, of course you can buy full range speakers. But some decent ones can be had for under $3k The term full range speakers is not the same as full range drivers, which is a separate category. I failed to make that clear in the beginning. One definition from the web, of which there are many: "The term “Full-Range” connotes the speaker that covers the entire range of the human voice. Most full-range speakers have a low frequency of around 60-70 Hz. Larger units with 15” drivers will reach low frequencies, while those of 10” LF drivers or less will roll off closer to 100 Hz." Here is one example of a dictionary of audiophile terms, I’ll look for others. https://www.moon-audio.com/audiophile-terms-guide#F |
William53, I think the definition is rather arbitrary. What is important is how speakers perform in reality in a normal room at normal distances. You can not rely on specs particularly when it comes down to low frequencies. There are painfully few "full range" speakers that make it down to 20 Hz gracefully particularly if you try to run room control. Read the article I just posted in this section. Low bass is a problem that is best handled in isolation. IMHO as moon-audio defines it there is no such thing as a full range loudspeaker. Good performance certainly under 80 Hz requires entirely different parameters than the rest of the audio range particularly when it comes to positioning the drivers. You might want to use totally different types of amplification such as a tube amp above and a SS bruiser below. Not that it isn't impossible but I have never heard a "full range" speaker produce adequate bass. |
I have no control over what people do with their listening rooms, so that point is moot to me. The sordid details of their listening room are theirs alone to solve. This is strictly asking people that reply to the post to make a statement as to what hz on the lower end makes a speaker, not a particular driver, but the finished product, full range to them. My number used to be 40 hz, now it is 32 hz. Whether I add a sub or not is up to me, and not relevant to the question. |
- 196 posts total