Should I bother to try a subwoofer?

I have friends who say
Quote:

"Oh....your cheating!" when they see my sub in the corner.

And I've also heard

"OH, I thought that was all coming from your speaker, Your using a sub!?)

Like using one is like wearing platform shoes or something?

My sub is crossed low and set at around 50 hz or so. I don't turn it up alot,just enough.....you know... tastefully!

I run into certain ....mind sets.... that don't like the IDEA of using a sub. These people want a set of speakers to do it all for them, because they FEEL a proper set SHOULD give them ALL the sound.

In large rooms, using big speakers is fine, most people don't have big room.
If you set up good, small speakers on stands and use a quality sub you can get most all the benifits of great sound.

Why try and let the idea of what a thing should do or be. limit you on what you could have?

If I try and run large, full range speakers in my smaller room (11x22), I forfeit good imaging, soundstage, air, depth and so on. I would just get a ham fisted BOOM sound.

Me no like ham fisted booom sound....

True...there are those who are ethically challenged by subs, and I would be also if I spent $6,624.37 on "full range" speakers just to discover somebody gets a similar experience from adding a good sub to a more modest speaker. My groovy sounding Silverline Prelude/REL Q150e combo was purchased (used) for less than the cost of a decent brake job.

I fall into the 2 subs are better than one camp.

Nrenter,

At least one person here is recommending a crossover point of 80 hz (or higher). Me.

Marty

My earlier post explains my thinking. My own experience leads me to believe that high crossover points work best in most rooms, provided extreme care is used in managing the crossover function. I understand you prefer a different solution, but mileage does vary.

The "proper" sub frequency point should depend on the main speaker's low frequency capability and careful listening...if I set the REL too high up into the main speaker territory it gets muddy, untoward, unseemly, tawdry, flabby, unfocused, unrealistic, overbearing, and innacurrate, thus harshing my mellow.