Do you think you need a subwoofer?


Why almost any one needs subwoofers in their audio systems?

I talk with my audio friends about and each one give me different answers, from: I don't need it, to : I love that.

Some of you use subwoofers and many do in the speakers forum and everywhere.

The question is: why we need subwoofers ? or don't?

My experience tell me that this subwoofers subject is a critical point in the music/sound reproduction in home audio systems.

What do you think?
Ag insider logo xs@2xrauliruegas
Dear @noble100 : Sorry, my english is to bad but as you said I think you have the whole " idea ".

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.
Raul,

     I think I'm getting the gist (main idea) of what you are saying but please correct me if I seem not to understand.

     You are making the effort to communicate in writing in English as a 2nd language which I understand must be difficult.  The least I can do is make the effort and take the time to understand your meaning as best as I can.

     I do not want you to stop posting, since practice is likely only going to improve your English written skills.

Thank you, 
  Tim

       .  
Dear friends: I already connected my main monoblok amps to each one electrical power regulators I bougth.

I decided to buy it after I discovery the huge ( no words to explain it. ) improvement inj the quality level performance of my Velodyne’s.
I had several doubts that really could be a real improvement and not only a diferent kind of sound because my 20.6s are fully regulated input to output.

So why external electrical power regulators for?, I have no precise explanation why I bougth it even the amps kind of design other that " curiosity " and after connected and gave a deep listening I would like to know what is happening. Let me explain it for you can give an opinion or share similar experiences:


for years my amps were connected directly from the inside electrical power amp input through my 30A electrical dedicated line power box, no single connector in between. When I did it the improvement was inmediatly, connectors even here and even top ones degrade the quality system level performance. Why?, I don’t know for sure.

Before the amps wre connected to the electrical line regulators I made it some usually ( for me. ) tweaks: changed its stock power cable by passing all connectors all from inside input to the line power box.

What happened when I switch-on the system and started to listen through my personal test evaluation process?:

something unexpected for me and it happened and still does just from the very first MUSIC " note " in the LP tracks and CD ones:

first thing I was aware is that my system already very low noise gone not even lower but now exist NO noise floor level. I just can’t detect it.

That " simple " fact makes several things in my MUSIC everyday listening sessions. When you hear my today system performance, believe or not, you can think you are enjoying MUSIC in " wonderland ". Like me you can’t believe it till you can have this kind of unique experiences.

It’s not only that no-noise floor characteristic but if with the experiences I shared here with my subwoofers the ROOM interaction goes down at this moment/time that same ROOM just gone. I can’t explain it in other way.

I’m feel like a Symphonic Director’s Orchestra at his stage position whre exist only HE and the near field sources/instruments ! ! ! !

That sesation can be understand it only if you been listening in a true Music Hall at that position that as I posted somewhere in this forum I been there twice.

In that listening position there is no ROOM/venue but direct MUSIC and t’s almost here where the recording microphones are seated.

That’s why I said : listen to the recording and not your ROOM that’s what you are doing rigth now in the same way I did it.

Room treatments?, the best room is NO ROOM.

I think I already posted here: for me the audio/MUSIC hobby just begin with and I’m discovering so many things that I really can’t assimilated and I can’t be sure about explanations yet.

One thing is sure: I have to re-set the whole tonearm/cartridge set up that I was thinking was fine when was wrong ! !, go figure.
This time the word ACCURACY have a true and real meaning on that subject and this time more than ever the MINT LP protractor has its real necessity.
Now there is no " land " where any minimum mistake can hide it and not only in the whole system performance but today I’m aware of recording errors and the already analog limitations goes higher too or at least more real than ever and my many years touted digital alternative shows its several advantages at a higher levels.

How can be that my so hard work on system set up been plain wrong for so many years?
I think because the ignorance levels we have that impede to grow up and stay sticky with what we thougth is " great " when in reality is not that way.

WHAT A KIND OF AUDIO LESSONS and I’m fortunate to discovery all those and many things to come trhough my listening times.

Yes, I only want to listen MUSIC as never before and we will see what I can share over time.


Regards and enjoy the music,
R.




Hi Raul,

     I'm glad that you're very pleased with your system's performance after you added the electrical line regulators.  I'm not exactly sure what regulators these are but I'm very interested in them since reading about your great results.

     After re-reading your posts, I found that we agree on several opinions:

1. The importance of a low noise floor not only in presenting music recordings accurately, with more easily heard details and enjoyably but also because it enables the affects of small changes ('tweaks' such as power regulators, turntable tone arm/cartridge/VTL setting changes, power cord/speaker cable/interconnect cable changes, etc.) to be more clearly heard due to this increased accuracy, neutrality and audible details.  

       You achieved accuracy, neutrality and a low noise floor via component selection and your regulators.  I achieved this mainly through a change from a class A/B amp to a pair of class D mono-blocks (Aragon 4004 to D-Sonic M3-600-M).  I believe my mono-blocks have built in regulators that conditions the electricity prior to introduction into the amp's input stage.

     We use slightly different methods of regulating the home electricity going into our systems for the same purpose of eliminating artifacts and lowering the noise floor. 
 
2. The importance of good bass response in not only extending the frequency response lower for a more realistic experience but also because of the affect that good bass response has on improving a system's mid-range/treble performance and resultant improvement in a system's ability to create a more solid and stable sound stage illusion.

      You have achieved good low bass in your system by fine tuning the positioning of your 2 Velodyne subs over a period of years and I achieved it through the use of the 4 sub Audio Kinesis distributed bass array system following their progressive setup procedure.  

     The important thing is that,  through slightly different means, we've both achieved good  bass response in our rooms.
     The less important question of which method performs best, will have to remain an open question
     I think we both agree that the most important thing is that we're both happy with our systems and enjoying our music.

Thanks,
  Tim  

 
 
Dear @noble100 : """  1. The importance of a low noise floor not only in presenting music recordings accurately, with more easily heard details and enjoyably but also because it enables the affects of small changes .... to be more clearly heard due to this increased accuracy, neutrality and audible details.  ""

I don't know other audiophiles but me when read something about audio room/system noise floor never had the true significant meaning like this time like these " today " unique experiences.

It's obvious that all those twecks we did and do it with our each one system has as a target to improve its quality level performance and even if we do not took or take its importance every time we improve ( in any way. ) the quality level of the room/system what we did it was and is lowering distortion levels that improve /lower the room/system NOISE FLOOR but this time is the very first time I'm really aware of this system/room characteristic and its crucial/critical importance to enjoy at maximum the listen recording experiences.
For me the improved diferences were " an order of magnitud ": outstanding!

That is a real no-return path/road and a must to achieve in any audio room/system.

Perhaps, many of us think we already have it but perhaps as me we don't have it.



"""  2. The importance of good bass response in not only extending the frequency response lower for a more realistic experience but also because of the affect that good bass response has on improving a system's mid-range/treble performance .... """


as I posted the bass range is the foundation of MUSIC and to enjoy in our audio room/system we need first that that audio system be a full range one, not from 28-30hz and up but true full range ( even a little lower than 20 hz. ). With out that " full range " characteristics we just can't listen adequatly the MUSIC/LP/CD overall experience. This is a necessity not something that we could wish and it does not matters what kind or price level has the audio system: if it does not has the " full range " factor then it be short of and the MUSIC experiences are totally incomplete for say the least.

As you said the importance of good bass response, (I can add: good FULL bass response, is not precisely for extended bass frequency only but for the midrange/treble really shines too. I explain it in this thread here:

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

yes LIGTHS ON, we left the darkness! We must try it and please forgeret about that: " I have no space/land/room " for two subwoofers because this is only one way to say: " I don't do it  because I don't think is an improvement in my already good quality level performance I have " .
That kind of way of thinking only makes we are loosing the real MUSIC meaning enjoy.

I can tell you and all audiophiles that no single tweack kind of changes we can do in our room/system can gives us the full rewards as the rigth bass management achievement along that lower NOISE FLOOR.


Btw, was so impressive what the electrical line regulators did it in my audio room/system that I tested through my bedroom 4K TV with outstanding  results too. It's like instead of 4K resolution the TV pictures/images been " 16K ( that does not exist. ). Of course I already bougth a 1K regulator that's the one rigth now I'm using with.

Regards and enioy the music,
R.