Vinyl and subwoofers


I have a pair of Thiel 3.6 and a Thiel ss1 sub with the prescribed Thiel crossover. I have a pretty good vinyl rig with a Clearaudio performance se, Stradivari cartridge and a ARC PH8 phonostage. Although the Thiels go down to 20hz, an audiogon member  persuaded me that I was missing something without a subwoofer. What I have heard with the Thiel SS1 sub and prescribed crossover is an amplification of record imperfections I was not aware of without the sub. As well, the overall sound seems often muddied. Has anyone else had this problem with vinyl? Is this a problem with my setup? Any insights are very appreciated.
golferboy
Dear @golferboy : As @erik_squires  pointed out the subs set up is not an easy task for say the least.

Problems are not that we need a ruble filter because we need not or bass traps because we need it either.

First than all we need not one but at minimum two active subwoofers wired in true stereo fashion and crossing at around 80 hz-90 hz with the main speakers playing from 80 hz-90hz and up.

You have only one sub that if using two subs we have a hard task to integerated with only one it's a lot harder.

When two subs are well integrated no one can detect not only its position but that we are using subs in the systems other than with organ music or the Telarc 1812.

Seamless integration is the name of the game but really difiult to do it. I took over ayear to arrive " rigth there ".

In the other side we need subs with a very low THD figure. No where we can read your Thiel sub THD.

The best subs for stereo music are Velodyne with a ridiculous 0.5% on THD where the highly touted JL Audio subs has over 5% !!!!!!, maybe your Tjhiel was over that JL Audio figure and this is a deep problem too.

Here is something that I posted years ago on subs:

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


Btw, JBL made an extensive scientific studies on subs using mathematic models and true and real tests where they find out that for a home enviroment and for stereo music the ideal number of subs must be four and the minimum two units. In that studies they told that as more subs in the room each one sound waves compensate in between disappearing room bass nodules and standing waves and bass excessive vibrations ( of course that the SPL in the set up must be according. ). They did not recomend the use of only one sub.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
gloferboy,

My speakers go down the 30hz flat. Yours go a wee bit further.  Did you really need a sub?  If you install the sub and your bass is suddenly exaggerated then you probably didn't need it in the first place. You will have to room tune the wave lengths or E.Q. them to correct the issue..
I personally have found that when one adds a sub to a system that already covers the last octave of usable program material that making it work seemlessly is more headache then it's worthq.  If you do get it properly tuned you've pretty much ended up with what you already had in the first place.
Subs are effective when used with speakers that don't reach further then 50hz or so.  Keep in mind, there is very little usable program material below 40hz anyway.
The Theils are first rate, and in my opinion certainly don't need a sub.  They are powerful below 30hz when the program material calls for it and that is exactly what you want from a speaker.  
Norman

Dear @normansizemore :  """  Subs are effective when used with speakers that don't reach further then 50hz or so.  Keep in mind, there is very little usable program material below 40hz anyway. """

that's a totally misunderstodd of the use of subs  for stereo music. Not only my speakers goes down deeper than yours and that the @golferboy but deeper than 20hz and when integrated my two Velodynes was and is an incredible experience to lisent music on it. Is a new system. Please re-read not only my last post to the OP but this link that can put some ligth about:

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

In the other side there are a lot of sound/music below 40hz even is in stereo fashion.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.