What percentage of audiophiles use a sub ?

I think the biggest points brought up are probably the exact reasons why I couldn't stand a sub. Placement, cost/quality relative to main speakers, and active sub vs. speaker level and different amps running different speakers. Not least is the cabling as well.

I can imagine that if you really did your homework and found the perfect high quality sub for your speakers to match, the right cables, the right placement and matching amps then I could concur that adding a sub would be a well worthwhile investment. Maybe in the future I'll put my righteous two-channel philosophy to the test. I'll be sure to let ya'll know if I switched sides. ;-)

" if you really did your homework"

That's always the key.

You might get lucky and stumble into a good thing but don't bet on it.

Tigg,

I'm pretty confident that subwoofers will produce better measurements below 150ish hz than virtually any (non-corrected) monitor or full range speaker. I'm also sure that I prefer the sound of a well executed sub/main combo to any full-range alternative that I've heard. I'm further sure that not everyone will share that opinion.

You may never embrace the subwoofer solution. I didn't mean to suggest that a subwoofer is "better", merely that it's hard to argue against the approach with numbers (AFAIK, anyway). But I'd be the first to admit that numbers aren't everything in this game.

Marty

Marty,

I absolutely agree. Numbers only get you so far. It's a good approach but then you have to get subjective at some point.

It's amazing how much nonsense permeates the audiophile community. I swear if some of you guys chose medical treatments the way you choose your audio systems you would opt for foot reflexology over bypass surgery to cure blocked arteries.

The problem with "sound" systems is that they are most often judged on a visual basis. If one sees a subwoofer in the system then most likely one will "hear" it. Based on what we have discovered about reproducing sound in small rooms all of the evidence suggests that using subwoofers is the best way to achieve accurate, full-range sound. Yes, it takes some work, but the results - both measured and heard - will speak for themselves. I think that when audiophiles refer to having "tight" bass in their system, it is often because they have very little bass. It's time we set aside the voodoo and turn to proven techniques to extract the most from our systems.