Full-Range to Monitors

I also want to point out how much technology has really changed. Honestly the sub/satellite system from M&K was awful.  The sub was under powered, and in the room, without any EQ or room acoustics, it was either feast or famine. There was no good combination of settings which let me have a wonderful, immersive sound.

Now, a little miniDSP and the right measurement software and I'm in absolute musical and HT heaven. Of course, I make loudspeakers so what I consider easy may be a royal PITA for a lot of audiophiles. My point is just, the state of the art for the old satellite/sub concept has improved by decades. Not to mention vendors like Hsu putting out AMAZING hardware for dirt cheap prices.

I have never heard a system that was digitally EQ'd that did not sound unnatural.

If you find low bass room effects hard to deal with do not use subwoofers.

Reproducing lower than 30 Hz will just lead to frustration in all but the biggest rooms.

The transition from main speaker to subwoofer is always unnatural IMO.

I had to downsize to accommodate a smaller, shared living space. I considered larger “monitors”, but chose a small, sealed enclosure 3 way floorstander which occupies no more real estate than stand mounts. 67 pound weight per is manageable if the need to move arises. The sound is close enough to the range and scale of the much larger ones I replaced and satisfying bass soI don’t need a sub .

@don_c55 

I have never heard a system that was digitally EQ'd that did not sound unnatural.

I believe you have not. This is why I really like the JL subs. They do it very nicely. So do I. In both cases, we avoid EQ above the subwoofer. 

If you find low bass room effects hard to deal with do not use subwoofers.

Well, I don't know I would go that far, but I will say this is non-trivial. 

Reproducing lower than 30 Hz will just lead to frustration in all but the biggest rooms.

The transition from main speaker to subwoofer is always unnatural IMO.

I don't agree with you at all, but you illustrate why I give the advice that I do. Experience, bass traps and EQ are essential in most rooms to get this right. It is possible, and quite glorious, but it is so rarely done right that this experience appears mythical. Many have never heard this happen. So, in the absence of this, I agree, get a smaller speaker and avoid a sub, but this is not an impossibility either. 

Best,


E

Just to clarify, I love the JL audio auto-eq, but wow, those are pricey beasts.