Will a subwoofer add depth and clarity to my system, or just bass?


hi folks,
I just purchased a set of Focal Aria 906 speakers with stand, powered by a Bluestream PowerNode (not my ideal system but I had a limited budget).  I think it sounds really good, but am wondering if an upgrade to a subwoofer is worth it, and if so, what would pair well with this system -- my audio guy recommended the JL Audio D110 10" Dominion Subwoofer, but that's out of my price range.  Perhaps a SVSPB1000, for $499?  My room isn't very big, and I don't use the system for movies, just listening to mostly jazz and rock (and classical).
Thank you!
jazz99
Hello plga,

      I think you may also want to consider the SVS-SB1000 subs that go for $499  each.  I know SVS regularly ships to international destinations and would accept returns from Argentina, even though I know you'd prefer not to bother.  But you would get almost $1,000 back to put towards another pair of small subs like the KEF Kubes just in case they didn't work well for you.  The SB1000 are small (13-1/16"W x 13-1/2"H x 15-5/8"D), have powerful 300 watt class D built-in amps , go down to 24 Hz, weigh 27 pounds and have a 5 year warranty.
     These subs do accept speaker line connections from your amp but you'll get varying opinions on the importance of this to sound quality.  The main idea is the sound qualities of your amp will be imparted on both your main speakers and subs when both are fed signals from the same amp.  I've heard REL subs hooked up via the amp and preamp methods and didn't notice a significant benefit of the speaker line method, but others claim they do and you may be able to notice an improvement, too.
     However, there's also a benefit to connecting the subs via the alternative preamp method.  You could run a single rca cable from each L+R channel output on your preamp to each L+R sub input and then an rca cable from each L+R sub output to each of your L+R inputs on your main amp.  
     Each sub has a built in crossover with a filtered rca line output (fixed at 80Hz, 12 dB/per octave high- pass. This method means the subs would reproduce the bass  at 80 Hz or less (or whatever frequency you set the low pass filter on the sub to from 50 to 150 Hz or less) and your main speakers would be freed up to just reproduce frequencies of 80 Hz and up.  I have heard significant improvements in the sound quality of the main pair of speakers when they're freed up from reproducing any deep bass signals. I believe these sound quality benefits are much more obvious to most people, imho, than the less significant improvements gained by using the high level  speaker line connection method provides.
     There's also another option using line-level rca cables connecting your preamp to the subs that entails running your main speakers full range and adjusting the subs low pass crossover frequency by ear until it sounds best to you.
     The main point being that you have a wide range of hookup methods with the SVS SB1000 subs to experiment with in your system.  This means your probably more likely to find a method that sounds and works best for you.

Tim
Tim,
Well I started out thinking save some money but between opting for the second amp, upgraded Morel drivers, and finished in Rosewood mine will probably be about the same all-in as a Swarm with the extra amp. Lotta work. Although, when I told Duke about the Morels he said mine will "kill" his, so maybe worth the trouble after all! lol! As if anyone will ever know. The Distributed Bass Array seems to be the best kept secret in audio, so relatively rare nobody ever gonna compare. Although last time I said that was my turntable, and then Chris Brady actually came over one night so who knows? Maybe Duke finds himself in Seattle some time....!

Anyway between your reviews, Duke's encouragement and the growing excitement of this project coming together I can hardly wait to hear it. Working this weekend but fingers crossed it will reach early hook-up stage next weekend.

Chuck
Hello Chuck,

     I was sort of adding your costs up in my head and thought it might of been less to buy a Swarm but I didn't want to ruin your fun. Anyway, you're going to have the only Swarm Deluxe Morel Special Edition....in Rosewood!
   
Possibly setting up next weekend? Wow, you're fast.  I also just realized I don't know anything about your room and the rest of your system.  Do you have time to describe?

Thanks,
  Tim
Dear friends: Sorry to be late in this thread but normally I don't post in this Agon speakers forum but more in the analog forum.

Well years ago I decided ( with out experiences about. ) to add a pair of self powered subs to my room/system even that my main speakers goes down 16hz.

My first step was to investigate some subwoofer manufacturers designs and due that my ADS speakers are sealed/acoustic suspension design I choosed that my subs must be sealed design. Then looking through different models from several manufacturers I stopped at Velodyne that in those times, and I think that even today, designed the subs with the lower THD: 0.5%. JL touted subs trhough a STP review measured around 
Till today only the Magico subs meets that spec for 200K+ pair of powered subs ! ! !

I decided that my ADS main speakers been/functioned as true satellite speaker system along the subs and for this a high-pass filter is a must to.

This is what I posted in my subs thread that explain my decision/reasons in those times:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/do-you-think-you-need-a-subwoofer/post?postid=310058#310058

I took several months for those Velodyne's been integrated in my system with out room corrections software/hardware but trial and error long testing sessions.

I was lucky enough that in reality I did not to add the external hardware for the high-pass filter ( the Velodyne high-pass as any other external filter only degrades the signal. ) due that my monobloks by Levinson are capacitor coupled and the only I had to do, with additional advantages in the signal handled by the monoblocks, was change the input wima caps by a lot lower value of Teflon Cu VH-caps and resistors by Vishay Z-foil naked 2275 series.

So the preamp signal goes directly to the Velodyne low-pass filter and directly to the monobloks with no single degradation but the other way around: a serously improvement in that input signal that goes to the main speakers.

Here I have to say that my ADS are " heavy " mofied over the stock design and similar up-grades are inside each Velodyne.

Yes I'm really satisfied with because with out rigth bass management we really can't have top quality audio system performance levels.

I think that any passive speakers needs for a pair of self powered subs, any.


Time after the integration of the Velodyne's I found out this link:

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/00da/51387c572cfd27c0256cb15e44e976a1a72e.pdf


where we can read that the " ideal " number of subs is: 


""  Four subwoofer at the wall midpoints (configuration 11) was the best practical configuration in terms of MSV. Two subwoofers at opposing wall midpoints (configuration 6) was nearly as good and also offered stronger low-frequency support. Configurations with more than four subwoofers were not found to be advantageous, especially when cost is factored in. These results appear to be generalizable to reasonably dimensioned rectangular spaces [19] .   """

Bass management must be our system main priority to achieve top quality listening levels with passive speakers.

Well integrated system subwoofers makes a huge differences for the better always: nigth and day differences.

We always have to remember that trhough all frequency response system ranges signal/music notes always develops harmonics that can switch onn the " ligth " or switch off it.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.