More Power or use subwoofer to boost bass for music


Hi,   just want to know if anyone can offer their opinions on how to boost the bass when listening to 2 channel music.

I just got a pair of B&W 804 D3 and would like to get more bass out of the speakers.   I remember the bass was pretty punchy when I heard it in the dealer showroom, but I don't seem to get that in my setup.   I currently have Parasound A31 power amp with 250 watts per channel.

So the question is whether I should get a more power amp, or add subwoofer to my 2 channel music.  I'm a little bit of a purist and would prefer not to use a subwoofer for music, but I'm open to this option.

I would definitely appreciate if anyone can share their experience/opinion.   Thanks very much.
128x128xcool
Hello.
Sorry that you have bought a pair of B&Ws.
This has always been there achilles heal. They lack in the low octaves. I know of many B&W owners that have had to add sub woofers to fix this issue.But saying that as you said you are a purist and i used to think the same as you. But the REL subs is the answer as they are faster than nearly all others out there. The key is you need 2. Caution if you go to cheap subs this will head you down the path of no return.
Regards Alex


This has always been there achilles heal. They lack in the low octaves.

Only if driven by amps that can't handle their loading (impedance +negative phase angle) in the bottom end with copious amounts of current,  which nearly all the mid/upper end models have.

Cheers George

Maybe there is a different way for you to perceive people who advocate a technology which you concede has merit?

@audiokinesis

Maybe there’s a different way for swarm fan boys to behave more respectfully towards others and try to answer the OP’s question without asking him to triple the number of speakers in his home??

I did not get to this opinion randomly or without experience. Invariably, the swarm people attempt sideline any other solution that is not swarm.

My perception of the intent of the swarm promoters has gone from thinking they are merely happy fanboys to something entirely different as a result of enough interactions. The combination of lack of acceptance of previous knowledge and science as well as the attempt of fitting into every system, and random people showing up trying to make up reasons why only swarm could possibly work and misquoting experts has really worn my nerves thin.

I cannot imagine this type of behavior as coming from sincerity anymore. Maybe there’s a way the swarm cult can stop thinking I’m a fool who would not notice? Just spit balling.
(At RMAF 2017, Schitt was displaying in the room next to ours. I proposed a trade: a pair of my speakers for one of their amps. They declined; apparently my speakers aren't worth a Schitt... sorry, couldn't resist... )

@audiokinesis - Well Duke I think you lucked out, sometimes the best trades are the ones that are never made. Had you gone through with it you probably would have felt like Schitt afterwards.

@erik_squires - I feel you. In fact there is one particular "swarm" user whose posts I entirely skip now.

As a happy DBA user I don't propose it is the answer to all things bass related, but I also don't feel room treatments is the answer either (and let's face it @erik_squires you do propose it as a solution quite a bit and in the process always mention GIK - whose stuff has never wowed me). In fact in my opinion room treatments invariably do more harm than good, mainly because of the suspect claims some manufacturers out there make regarding what their products can actually do. Getting rid of my room treatments and replacing them with a DBA is probably the best thing I ever did. Don't even get me started on DSP.

Duke is one of the good guys around here and I would like to thank him for his assistance in helping me pick out some new 10" drivers for my next DBA adventure when he had no financial gain in doing so.
@erik_squires wrote: "Maybe there’s a different way for swarm fan boys to behave more respectfully towards others and try to answer the OP’s question without asking him to triple the number of speakers in his home??"

"Swarm fan boys" are not perfect either, and neither am I. I have seen "swarm fan boys" come across as mocking other solutions, and hope I have not done that. But I didn’t see them labelling others as a "cult" or accusing them of dishonesty.

Erik: "Invariably, the swarm people attempt sideline any other solution that is not swarm."

"Invariably"? This is an exaggeration. As far as "sidelining any other solution", that’s a judgment call; could such terminology be applied to your posts advocating room treatments? In practice nobody has time to make a truly comprehensive post so we focus on a few things.

"My perception of the intent of the swarm promoters has gone from thinking they are merely happy fanboys to something entirely different as a result of enough interactions."

This is innuendo, and assumes the worst about a whole group of people based on interaction with a few. And in case you are implying that there is some sort of "promotion" effort by "swarm promoters", I have NEVER asked any of my customers to either post, or not post, anything. I seldom even thank them.

"The combination of lack of acceptance of previous knowledge and science as well as the attempt of fitting into every system..."

These are exaggerations.

"... and random people showing up trying to make up reasons why only swarm could possibly work".

I have not noticed these alleged posts by random people, can you point them out? And did they REALLY say that "only swarm could possibly work"?

"... and misquoting experts..."

That’s possible, but not necessarily evidence of nefarious intentions. Can you show me?

"I cannot imagine this type of behavior as coming from sincerity anymore."

When we assume the worst about someone else, who does that say the most about, them or us?

"Maybe there’s a way the swarm cult can stop thinking I’m a fool who would not notice?"

Name-calling, and assuming facts not in evidence.

Erik, I do not question your integrity. I think you are sincerely pissed off, and I think you are seeing what you want to see. I also think that’s a choice, but of a type we tend not to be aware of.  I think you are defending something which does not need defending. 

"Just spit balling."

Me too.

Duke