Subwoofer between speakers?

@hilde45

my question was whether or not a subwoofer between speakers would have a negative effect on imaging & sound staging; if I am reading your answer correctly, you are saying it is room dependent.

@ghdprentice

I have some comments on the video, but I spent another tough day in the garage & I am awfully tired right now. Briefly I would say that while it was interesting, I think that home theater systems & music only systems have different desired effects from their subs. However, with that typed, I realize that the principles (localization, standing waves, etc.) are probably the same. I found the discussion of the subject to be complex, reminding me that I am not doing a good job of integrating into the 21st century. (Good thing I probably won’t have to deal with it a whole lot longer.)

One thing I was able to grasp a rudimentary understanding of is WHY two subs are important. And NOT for the reasons I previously would have thought--music or HT. A couple of other things I learned, my near field listening room is not sub suitable, and, my sub is probably obsolete. (It is a M&K I bought in ’94 after I was introduced to the wonders of Dolby Pro Logic. It was actually my first venture into ’better’ audio equipment.) I just did a 180 in my near field listening room, and although I like some aspects of the rearrangement better than before, I lost a lot of what I had been getting out of my sub. There are three or four other things I want to try with the speakers & the sub, but I am starting to think I may wind up removing it from the system.

My near field listening room has a couple advantages from the previous living room location . . .I enjoy the isolation from distractions, and after my beloved Rat Terrier died last year I over compensated for the loss by adopting THREE dogs, and two of them were Staffordshire Terrier (aka Pit Bull) puppies, and although at a year old they are turning out to strike me as rather lovable, I could throw them further than I trust them (& I couldn’t throw either one of those Tasmanian Devils very far at all), so the near field room it is. Depending upon who outlives who, I may or may not ever be back in the living room, which was far from an ideal room, but even with the distractions and lack of autonomy, I do find that I miss the flexibility.

Oh well, Ramble On. Thank you for posting that video; I enjoyed it, and I may refer back to it.

@immatthewj - I have my dual opposed firing sub facing crossways (30 degrees) in my room, between and to the left side of my standmounts. Since I’ve installed the quadratic diffusers, I’ve unplugged the sub and rarely use it.

It’s crossed so low that there’s not a lot of music that I listen to regularly that has content down that low for it to make a really significant difference. If I’m playing EDM I might plug it in to give a little weight in the bottom end, but mostly enjoy music without it. Of course, that’s very much recording dependent.

Fortunately or unfortunately room treatment does really help a lot, and I’m glad I didn’t ignore the many Agon members who’ve sold me on it - because it took my humble system entirely next level. Investing in the room, is certainly an economical means of system building to get inexpensive performance gains.
And there are a lot of products out there, something’s got to work for you, looks and sound wise?

Tasmanian Devils huh? I lived in Devonport Tas for a bit, in my younger days. Tassie Devils are easily as loud and screechy as koalas in heat - unless you’ve experienced it first hand, you probably won’t believe it sounds like someone, or some fierce animal being murdered, slowly.

@immatthewj

I understood your question. I will tell you that I have moved and measured my subs in virtually all positions around my room. They are currently between my speakers. 

The reason they wound up there was precisely because they (a) sounded best, tonally there and (b) had a positive effect on imaging & sound staging.

(Seen here in a recent shootout):

@whitefishpoint1175

I have no subwoofers at all. Well treated room with outstanding setup, no need. Tried them and sold them…..

Not all subs are created equal and not all can correctly integrate. Unless you have speakers that can get to 30Hz and not screw up 300Hz doing it, subs add a realism out of all proportion to the added Hz.

As a composer friend once said upon hearing my system "Those little speakers aren’t putting out all that gorgeous bass?!?!?!?!?" ... "Every other subwoofer I’ve heard just boomed."

OP Respect for your adoptions. We always have a pair… acquired one, train for a year, then second. No doubt you have your hands full. It is hard enough to train and domesticate one dog at a time… three is got to be beyond difficult… I hope you don’t have to work and have professional training help.

Yes, the wave principles of subs are the same in HT and audio.

G