What percentage of audiophiles use a sub ?

I Dynaudio monitors that do a fantastic job with an extended low end for their size.

Set up properly, they almost do it all but small speakers cannot move enough air to deliver a muscular low end as larger full range designs can. So I have to say they almost do it all, but do require a sub to really do it all to the extent of good full designs. All smaller monitors I have ever heard do, even Magico Minis.

For many, they do it all enough that it does not matter which is fine, but I have yet to hear small monitors that can compete with equally good full range speakers for delivering the oomph that some music requires.

Tigg,

Feel free to stop by (SoCal) and check the RTA in-room readout of a 20hz to 200hz sweep. You'll note that the system is flat to 25hz on axis at the listening chair. Could go lower, but no need for music. You'll also see that the system is +/- 2db below 125 hz - pretty much impossible IME without subs and/or DRC.

Marty

PS If you take a listen to the program material of your choice, you may not hear much below the 43hz you get on your system (very little music goes there) but you will hear the lack of the typical suckout at 80 hz (usually north of 10db) and the missing hump in the 1/2 octave above that (usually north of 10db,as well).

No offense taken at your post - just pointing out that the suggestion of upgraded speakers doesn't eliminate 1/4 wave cancellation, unless the speakers are in-wall, on wall, flush to the wall, and/or digitally corrected.

Incidentally,

You don't want to measure the distortion in the bass on your (or any other) monitor. I'd direct you to any of the subwoofer forums, but the results might make you queasy. Suffice to say that even specialized 8" drivers tend to struggle below 50hz at volume. The large cone (12",15",18"), drivers in the better subwoofers will typically produce about 1/10th the THD of the best 8" drivers at highish SPLs <50hz.

Pre-empting any comments re: "speed" in the bass, I'd personally look to group delay measurements (which tend to correllate with damping rather than driver size), but I'll acknowledge that some feel that these don't tell the whole story.

Mapman - "I have yet to hear small monitors that can compete with equally good full range speakers for delivering the oomph that some music requires."

No argument there. I love full range speakers, especially the Reference 3A. For an apartment dweller I just couldn't go full-range and found my monitors to be more than satisfying. But even then, with a full-range setup I still would not consider a sub. Again, that's just me. My car is a different story. I like it heavy and low and my JL 10W7 gets me just that. ;-) But then I'm not aiming for perfection in a mobile environment.

Tigger,

I will just add that I do think adding a well matched powered sub or two to monitors is quite capable of doing it all well and often at considerably lower cost than most single box full range speakers combined with similar suited amplification needed to match a powered sub.

Plus from the perspective of setup flexibility and convenience, a separate powered sub for the low end helps a lot. Proper setup in the room is key to performance. Often there are things that prevent people from accomplishing optimal setup with big massive single box speakers in many situations. They are just too heavy to move or experiment with easily so people do not bother as much or the placement options within the room is just too limited to get it all right including the low end. When this is the case, there is a very strong case to be made for offloading the bass performance to a dedicated device (a sub) designed to handle only that.