Speakers better without subwoofers? Crossover and synchronization issues? What do you do
I bought main speakers 25 years ago, spkrs seemed to have much larger bass drivers back then, and nowadays subwoofers are a staple in audio systems, while bass drivers have tended to get smaller in diameter on main speakers, why is this?
Wouldnt it be better to have a larger bass driver in a main speaker rather than having timing issues with a pair of subwoofers? Also seems crossover designs might allow for a better sounding experience if they are part of a main speaker. I do have a Single subwoofer that I use to vibrate the room which works pretty well watching movies, simulating tank movement is really cool although don't use it in two channel listening at this point since it's older.
The friend drives his K'temas with a Bricasti Design M25 and I have not heard a dynamic speaker sound better. In this regard I would not change a thing. Up against speakers like Magicos and Wilsons they are dirt cheap and an amazing value. I also think they are cool looking. I also would not add a subwoofer unless you were going to do it right, which means a digital processor and two of the best DACs
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@knotscott - I agree with everything you said, and one thing people tend to forget is that when the main speakers can run full range, its probably a good idea to use most of that range on the main speakers, unless you are having problems getting loud enough with the current amp speaker combo. Sometimes cutting the mains back to 80 Hz will reduce distortion in the upper bass because the lower frequencies and increasingly larger cone excursions that go with them tend to raise overall distortion on that low frequency driver in the mains. But its something definitely worth testing if there is any question. For my own part, most of my speakers are full range so the crossovers to the subs get set around 40 hz or so...and then its time to do some level matching to get the subs integrated. Not to hard if you are systematic about it. Just time consuming. The second reason to set that crossover as low as possible is to retain the directionality of the bass from the mains as much as possible, maintaining coherency, phase, etc. At very low frequencies it probably doesnt matter, but at midbass frequencies it very much does matter |
When I first tried to set up my sub (REL T9), the result was a hot timing mess, so I let it gather dust. Main speakers are PearlAcoustics Sibelis SG. A year later I gave it another go, and got it to work where the sub is not audible directly, but I notice the difference turning it on on/off. I have no clue what I did differently. I am not interested in window-rattling bass, am actually rather bass averse, yet a bit of low frequency condiment makes the overall musical experience more tasty. I would venture to guess that the allure of a sub is BASS!!! and that leads to bad quality sound. After all, when spending money you want something for it. However, restraint is key to success. Less is more. |
