Are the JL Fathom subs really that good....

Chris, I don't know how big your room is, but at a distance of about 12 feet from the sub I can't tell where it is.

Too bad we're not all in the same neighborhood. Hearing each other's systems is great fun, and talking is better than posting.

Nvp, I agree time alignment is only one factor, and not always a big one.

Johnnyb53,
Well said...well said.

These things are pure magic, yes?

Larry

Johnnyb53, the speaker position in a room gives the most natural midrange will almost never yield also the best bass response. Whether or not one will obtain good results by placing the subwoofers close/next to the main speakers depends entirely on the room geometry - it is certainly not a given. Having the ability to place the midrange-high frequency source in the ideal place and the bass source in its (different) ideal place is the main advantage of using a subwoofer.

Irv, you may have hit on something. I am less than 12' from my speakers due to my smaller room so there is less chance for the sound to blend before I hear it. I wouldn't call my setup nearfield but it isn't "farfield" either. I thought that when I went to full range floorstanders the subs might be too much in the room but that is not the case with the proper (to my ears) adjustments.

Interesting. Since your post, Bizango1, I've more carefully listened to see if I could tell where the subwoofer is in my room. I have to admit the results inconclusive, for two reasons. First, my sub is positioned about midway between my main speakers (though not exactly midway), making the sub more likely to appear blended. Second, a lot of recordings are mixed with mono bass. Perhaps most recordings. This, of course, means that a centrally placed sub will blend even better. So it possible that the only reason I can't tell where my sub sits is because that's how the bass would sound even if the sub weren't present.