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How do you know if you need to add a sub (without auditioning one, I mean)?

I like my speakers, I like the SQ of my system, so I'm not asking this question because I'm seeking a remedy to a deficit. I just wonder if it would sound even better with a sub. and I don't want to buy/audition anything based on mild curiosity. Also, like many of us, I don't have an unlimited budget and wouldn't care to stretch it unnecessarily.
How does anyone else decide whether to add a sub or play a pat hand?
My speakers are ATC SC40v2s. By specs, they don't go low. To my ears, the bass is much more satisfying than anything else I've listened to in my limited experience.

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russ69's avatar
russ69
3,467 posts
 
There is low frequency info in a lot of recordings that you are missing if your system cannot go down to 20 Hz. So the answer is you need a sub. I prefer a forward facing sub between the speakers, a stereo pair is better, and stereo towers are best. 
gdnrbob
4,442 posts
 
Though most speakers will go down to 50hz, the addition of a subwoofer adds thae very low bass notes that a speaker is unable to reproduce.

Do you 'need' it, probably not. But, if you are looking to get every bit of sound you can, then a sub is what you want.
When dialed in properly, as subwoofer offers that 'je ne sais quoi'.

My pick for a sub would be a Vandersteen. It utilizes a crossover that relieves the amp from reproducing the power demanding bass notes, and integrates quite seemlessly.
B
simonmoon's avatar
simonmoon
509 posts
 
Not only do subs add very low notes that the vast majority of ’full range’ speakers aren’t capable of reproducing, but there is a lot of ambient information in low frequencies. Especially in classical music, recorded in a concert hall.

Even if the music itself does not have any very low frequency info, the concert hall does.

If you want to hear a concert hall become bigger and the boundaries better defined, add subs.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,196 posts
 
You don't need a sub.  If you're satisfied with your system's sound without one, then you've already answered your question.  Now, adding a sub(s) can have a very positive effect on your system, but I would classify that as a want, not a need.  For some people a subwoofer is essential, for others not so much.
m669326's avatar
m669326 OP
329 posts
 
OP here. Thanks for the responses so far. Is there a consensus as to how much one needs to spend to get a decent sub that really makes a difference? I’m not saying I want to spend the bare minimum, I’m just interested in a basic parameter.
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