Do you think you need a subwoofer?


Why almost any one needs subwoofers in their audio systems?

I talk with my audio friends about and each one give me different answers, from: I don't need it, to : I love that.

Some of you use subwoofers and many do in the speakers forum and everywhere.

The question is: why we need subwoofers ? or don't?

My experience tell me that this subwoofers subject is a critical point in the music/sound reproduction in home audio systems.

What do you think?
Ag insider logo xs@2xrauliruegas
Rauliruegas...I basicly agree with your argument. But please note that I do not cross over at 80 Hz (as you state). After many frustrating years of trying to find the "right" X/O frequency I have realized that there is no one right frequency, even for a particular system. It depends on the music. I have therefore chosen an electronic crossover where the frequency is easily adjusted with the twist of a knob.

Where the music has little LF content, I push the X/O down to 40 Hzm or so. My Maggies are fine at 40 Hz. Where the music has a great deal of LF content (typically organ) I push the X/O up as high as 200+ Hz. I can do this because my subwoofer systems include a 12" NHT woofer that is used up to 800 Hz in their systems, so my SW systems are not band-limited on the high end. (They actually go up to about 400 Hz without audible distress). 80 Hz is just where I am set before these music-sensitive adjustments.

Another feature of my system that I think is good is the placement of the subwoofers as a line array (if 2 drivers make a line) behind the Maggies so that all the sound originates from the same place and with planar dispersion characteristics.
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For further aggravations See,
http://www.ultraaudio.com/twbas/twbas_20080401.htm
Dear Eldartford: Please remember that those posts were posted years ago and in one of them you stated that 80Hz crossover frequency.
Thank you for the up-date.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Dear Gregadd: Its curious t, the Harman International research on subs that is named in your link is the same that I posted ( I'm only take a high-light on a 30+ white paer pages. If I remember that reference was posted by Scott. ).

Thank you Gregadd.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Rauliruegas...No doubt that I said that in the past. But I get smarter every year! Don't we all. It was really a great relief that I don't need to worry about finding the "golden" X/O frequency.