Do you use a Subwoofer when listening to stereo?

noble100
thanks so much. awesome

so maybe setting up the speaker settings to large (rather than small) makes more sense so that it completely opens up the main speakers. Why bother restricting bass on mains, and then set the subwoofer separately via settings on back of cabinet..

The sub array setup may have merit in a larger room. My room is 12 x 16 with 7 1/2 ceilings. The extremely large asw 2000 from b&w with 12 inch driver set lower would seem more than adequate. I do need acoustic panels.

Hello emergingsoul,

     Are you using an audio/video receiver to power your main speakers?  If so, yes you should set the front l+r speakers (your 804Ds) to "large" so they run fullrange.  Why do you have them set to "small"?
     You should also connect your asw 2000 sub to the "sub out" or "LFE" output on the back of your A/V receiver and optimally position your sub in your room, and in relation to your listening seat using the 'sub crawl method (google it). 
      Then adjust the volume, crossover frequency and phase controls on your sub until the bass sounds best to you.  The goal is to set the sub's volume and crossover frequency as low as possible while the bass still sounds very good to you.  
      Give this a try and report back with your impressions.

Later,
 Tim   

Having heard and loving the sound of B&W, always hearing that they do produce the amount of bass they say they do:

there is no way I would add a sub to those speakers

except

IF I felt the PORT was a bit muddy,  then sending low bass to self-powered sub only; thus out of both the main amp and speakers, might be preferred, that is what I suggest you listen for.

IF I was trying to fill a too large space with low bass.

I have been using a pair of Vandersteen 2Wq subs with my mains for about 12 years.  I wouldn't want to listen without them.  Deep, clean, powerful bass makes listening more involving and leaves more power for my mains.  The battery biased external crossovers keep things transparent.  Bass integration with these subs is superb, and in my room, corner placement works best, as they were designed for corner placement.

Hmm. Could someone explicitly confirm what I read here is true: that, even if I use twin-subs, I should set the bass on my speakers to 'Large'?

My setup: a Denon X3700H AVR (used as a pre-amp) --> Parasound A21 --> Focal Electra 1038Be + Twin ML Dynamo 1000w subs.

Currently, I have main speakers set to small with crossover at 60Hz.

I've read elsewhere that this is the way to go, unless one is using very powerful amps. While my A21 amp is rated to 250W with 60A peak current capability, the 1037Be (close enough to 1038Be) speaker measurements on Stereophile.com show that my speakers may be quite difficult to drive at <60Hz frequencies (a combination of low impedance and -ve capacitive phase angle).

TIA.