Are big subwoofers viable for 2 channel music?

Hello douglas_schroeder,

     I have never employed 4 to 12 15" woofers in my room or systems in different configurations of large drivers reaching down well below 20 Hz.  I've only employed a maximum of  4 10" woofers/subs in a single optimized configuration, that reach down to 20 Hz, but not likely much deeper, and were included in the Audio Kinesis Debra 4-sub distributed bass array (DBA) system I've been utilizing in my room and systems for the past 5 years.  
    Since employing the AK Debra 4-sub DBA system, however, I have become very familiar in experiencing and enjoying very high quality bass performance that you very aptly describe as having the qualities of "gradations of power, dynamics, smoothness, ease, tonality, etc."  I would only suggest adding speed, accuracy, detail and naturalness to your list.
     But your apparent endorsement of employing subs with larger woofers and in quantities beyond 4 subs to reproduce bass well below 20 Hz and even further improve bass performance, both surprises and somewhat confuses me.
     It's my understanding that reproduced bass tones below 20 Hz are not audible, mainly just vibrate things around the room including parts of our bodies, there are very few musical instruments that produce bass below 20 Hz with pipe organs being the only ones I'm aware of and there being virtually no commercially available music recordings containing bass frequencies below 20 Hz.
     I prefer bass that sounds and feels natural like when music is played, heard and felt live in person at smaller venues, not like over-amplified arena rock bass.  What am I misunderstanding about music bass below 20Hz?

Thanks,
Tim
 
   
 

You don't know what you are missing until you experience it. 

Frequencies below 20Hz add realism when watching movies. In real life if a train rolls by, or there is a gun shot or explosion, there are frequencies you feel. The sensation added by low level deep frequencies can contribute to emotion during movies. The ability to reproduce those frequencies is a good thing. 

There are frequencies below 20Hz used in some of today's music. 

Smodtactical, the best advice you have received is to listen. When things settle down from the virus, find as many listening opportunities as you can. Continue to do research here and other sites. 

The construction of your room matters (concrete or suspended floor etc.) Your preference for bass matters. Some people love sealed subs, others do not. 

I have two JTR S2 subwoofers in a 14x29x8 room. I use a mini-dsp to adjust the subs. There are times I have caught myself thinking, wow, I paid all that money for these subs and I can't even hear them. Then the music or sound track calls for it and I get a big smile across my face. These subs are special. 

You are planning a large room, bass requires displacement of air. Larger drivers move more air. 

I am in SC. You are welcome to come listen when things are safer. Oh, by the way, my in room response is +/- 3 db from 100 to 6 Hz. I have also added a BOSS platform as detailed in The Hideaway Theater thread on another forum. Large sub-woofers can be great!

Enjoy the journey, and have fun!

John    

John I like your approach. I infact may go dual RS2s as well. But I might go ported just to maximize the low end extension especially for movies with the captivator 4000.

Or sealed S7201 or ported TV42Ipal.
But I think im settled on going for big subs.
Another approach would be 4x 18 spread around my space for a smoother response.

Smodtactical,
     The subs I bought were being sold used, locally. A friend who had listened to my system before suggested I needed large sub-woofers. That same friend told me these were available. I listened the first day without purchasing, after that I could not get them out of my mind.    

The S2 is my first sealed sub-woofer and I must admit, they took some getting used too. I never realized it but I like/am used to distortion. These subs are so different than what I have ever heard before. They are tuneful, effortless, and can send you running for the remote. I know it is a cliche but I am hearing things in familiar movies and music I did not realize were there. 

The JTR 4000 promises to be a pretty amazing sub-woofer. The JTR 2400 would probably be easier to place and is also special.   

My advice is don't spend any money yet. Research as much as you can (Google is your friend here),  give appropriate weight to opinions that have actually heard the speakers in question, and listen for yourself. 

   

Hello jwmorris/John,

I just wanted to respond to a few of your statements on your last post:

"Oh, by the way, my in room response is +/- 3 db from 100 to 6 Hz." and "There are frequencies below 20Hz used in some of today’s music".

Your profile has no system details and I’m wondering if you could list the main speakers and subs you use in your system? It seems like you use your system for both stereo music and HT playback, just as I do.
     Your stated in-room bass response of +/- 3 db from 100 to 6 Hz is impressive. My Audio Kinesis Debra 4-sub distributed bass array system only has a bass response of +/- 3 db from 100 to 20 Hz.
     However, I’m fairly certain that 4K Ultra HD Bluray discs and streaming videos don’t contain any audio content below 20 Hz. I’m virtually 100% certain that no commercially available stereo music content, whether issued on LP, CD, SACD or Hi-Res digital file, contains any audio music content below 20 Hz because not one of the numerous individuals, that I’ve asked to identify a single specific example of a stereo music recording with bass below 20 Hz, has been able to do so. I’ve even searched for a single example myself without any luck. Can you name a single example? Anybody reading this thread know of a single example?
     My main point, which I believe you likely agree with, is that it makes little sense to have an audio system capable of bass down to 6 Hz if there’s no HT or music content that contains bass that deep. Are you sure you’re not listening and feeling bass that’s going down to 20 Hz and just thinking it’s going down to 6 Hz?
In my room, even bass down to only 20 Hz sounds and feels very deep with powerful impact and realism on both HT and music. I don’t perceive I’m missing a thing.

Tim