Are subs worth the price for music?

Mr. Schroeder

Uh, yeah, my speakers, my whole kit is well under a hundred K, maybe a third of that...........I'm a champagne taste, beer budget guy...............My friends would call my system extravagantly expensive, crazy even, but they're not audiophiles, so they have different priorities :) In audiophile land, it's a very nice system, but hardly stratospheric.........but I get your point and I am looking into the addition of a sub or subs to compliment what I have.......just not sure if I can make a sub work, given my room layout.............I can do anything I need to with the room, but the construction is what it is, can't close up doorways, etc.. :)

I went from a 2.1 to a 2.0 system and then added the sub back to the system! Honestly, the frequency response of the speaker may be accurately reported by the manufacturer but as pointed out in other posts, the sub gives the system bloom. My floorstanders are pretty much full range but I crossover at 80 Hz, which is a common recommendation for good reason - it sounds the best in my system. I am now on the hunt for a second sub to add to my system to take it up to 2.2. My room isn’t huge: basement man cave measuring about 20’X20’ but with ceilings only 6.5’. I will add that it doesn’t matter what type of music you play; they all benefit from a sub. Acoustic guitar right through to full on electronica. True, some people are never satisfied with the integration of a sub into their system but I sense that their are more happy 2.1 campers than not. 

Thanks tangramca.................wow, 6'5"................I thought MINE were low!!........Hope you're not a basketball player :)..............I think I'll give Vandersteen a call next week, describe my room layout and ask them their opinion. Might as well talk to the guys that built my speakers :0.......If they think it's a go, I'll give it a shot........I'll buy used, if it doesn't work out, resell and take a small loss just for the experience.......... Agreed, most of the responses are for subs, rather than against.

Audio is my sole form of electronic entertainment now, gave up TV/movies a while back. Winter is coming, long cold days and nights. Might as well pump the system up :)

You need to jack that house up a couple feet brother, give that system room to breath!! LOL

Century home. Have thought about digging out the basement numerous times but my Better Half is dead set against it. My son is 6'4" so he barely fits. I'm 6'2 so I fit no probs. Good luck with your sub search. I have a JL Audio and love it.

My question is, for strictly music, are subs even worth while...$$$......if so, why? What could I expect that’s different and/or better than what I’m already hearing..............No experience with subs and music, so forgive the lame question for those of you who already use them.

This is particularly true with larger musical ensembles in larger music venues: The frequencies that define the dimensions of the auditorium are much lower than the lowest frequencies of most of the musical instruments involved. If you want a credible re-creation of the sound of the performance in its auditorium, which includes infrasonic content that defines the dimensions of the performance venue plus the energy that defines the venue and the performance, you will get that only with one or more subwoofers that can re-create the dimensions and energy of that venue.
The lowest frequencies generated by the instruments involved is irrelevant; it’s the re-creation of the infrasonic energy of the venue that puts you squarely in the performance. Many of the omnidirectional microphones used for recording in such environments capture frequencies below 10 Hz. This is how deep plummeting subwoofers can augment even solo classical guitar performances.

Go to http://www.tonepublications.com/magazine/toneaudio-magazine-26/ and read the review of a pair of JL Gotham subwoofers and you'll see what I'm talking about.