Someone please explain "time aligned"
Subwoofers.... one 10" or two 8"?
I'm looking to fill out the bottom of my simple 2 channel system (Musical Fidelity X-Ray CDP through Peachtree Audio Grand Integrated amp to a pair of Mirage OMD-15 full range speakers). I occasionally will play the TV audio through the system for movies, but not interested in an HT setup. Music is the prime focus. The room is "medium" size. I know that will not give the deep bass feel of a 12", but the difference should not be too great, and a 12" may be overkill for that room. I've also considered getting two 8" subs to keep the sound balanced between the left and right channels. I think the 8" may be enough bottom for my room and tastes. I'm on a budget so getting a pair of anything bigger than 8" may not be in the cards.
Any opinions or suggestions as to whether I'd be better off with one 10" or two 8" subs?
Any opinions or suggestions as to whether I'd be better off with one 10" or two 8" subs?
- ...
- 60 posts total
@leotis That's a huge amount of "group delay." I think you are confusing that sub's are often located several feet behind the mains. As for aligning by ear, great googly moogly no! :) It's far easier, faster and more accurate to fully align with a tool like OmniMic or AudioTools or Room EQ Wizard than by ear! :) Assuming the room modes are dealt with, the second stage in integrating a sub are to integrate it with the main speaker. This runs into the same issues a speaker designer would have in blending one driver with the next. Meaning, crossover slopes and phase alignment to provide a seamless transition from the subwoofer to the main's output. You should not be able to tell by looking at the frequency response where the sub ends and mains start, it should appear like 1 single speaker. Best, Erik |
@larstusor It means a lot of things, but in general it means making sure that each driver you are listening to blends seamlessly with others despite being located at different distances from the listener. It matters in multi-way speakers as well as in integrating a subwoofer with a main speaker. This really is "phase alignment" but in use it's often called "time aligned." In flat baffle designs, each driver has a different acoustic distance from the listener. Phase alignment means you've taken that and the phase of the crossovers into account so that the frequency response has no dips/valleys where they meet. Here is an example from a speaker I designed, the LM-1. Look at the second and last chart for more information. At it's most stringent, time alignment may mean having a perfect impulse or step response. Van DerSteen is famous for this type of design. Look at the step response in Stereophile's review of the Seven and compare it to the LM-1. Thiel is also a manufacturer that specialized in time-alignment. Best, Erik |
@oleschool Um, not sure the context, but true subwoofers have no real reflection points, the waves are so big that a reflection point would be around 10’ wide. At the mid to high frequencies where the wavelength is near or smaller than the driver dimension, sound travels like rays, so reflection points in a room matter a lot and are easy to treat with conventional panels and diffusers. On top of that, most panels are completely ineffective below 300-400 Hz. Instead we rely on bass traps placed in corners where the maximum pressure points occur. Even a lot of "bass traps" don’t go much lower than 120 Hz, and below that is where the big issues occur. In this area, the GIK Soffit traps are unbeatable for effectiveness and cost. Best, Erik |
- 60 posts total