Do you think you need a subwoofer?

Actually, this is a great analogue question - Most RIAA equalizers are designed for roll off about the same place as a full range speaker. Here's the wierd part - records can and do go lower. I would be curious if anyone knows why this is even though the spec's for the RIAA say otherwise - maybe the gain/db matching is different? I think subs have more to do with your own ear and the music you prefer: undertones and overtones plus the way the music is engineered are very important. If you're listening to Living End or Charles Mingus you'e going to want one. If you like cello chamber music you are as well. However the only two good subs I've heard with crossover's that work and don't detract or overly color upper frequency output are the Paradigms and the REL's (this only holds true for the Paradigms if you have their speakers as well). Haven't heard Merlin's though. Otherwise if you are using papercones or something, other than Merlin's, I would just stay away, because generally it seems to me speakers in that $4000-$10000 range are better quality anyway. In the under three grand range I really haven't heard anything better than the Paradigms, a point of some contention, but I think it's held up by the fact that every salesperson I've seen posting anonymously here and on positive-feedback has a pair. The Vienna Acoustics, Sonus Farber's and Opera Piega's of the world have enough extension as it is. The Velodyne's to me just seemed to make an under-enthusiastic whomp-whomp sound - a real one note wonder. Of course if you're in a condo or apartment, why bother? A little tube integrated and a pair of bookshelves will fill up your room well enough. With analogue, it will be musical and satifying.

I have Quest Z's Martin Logan's and the els panels crossover
at 150HZ .The speakers have frq down to 28HZ.I use to own a
Sunfire Signature Sub. and I wish I would have kept it.Well it was great for entertainment on movie tracks,but it added
more to every recording.The sub brought back the fullness
and proper timbre to the whole orchestra,and also gave every recording its proper depth of field,BUT the Sunfire was used when I had small mini monitor Paradigm speakers.
So do I need a sub now I DON'T KNOW?

You have been chastised by the Category Police and redeemed by Biomimetic! Jolly Good!
All I want to say is there are those who have told me they "hate bass" or that they "dont care about bass" and that bass "always messes up the sound". My opinion is that if you listen to certain kinds of music with little bass content you might be safer without a sub. But going by music I have heard live, most contains at least bass harmonics that fill out the sound. Much music will sound like it has no foundation without solid bass. It seems that some are looking for a sublime listening experience that can exclude bass but is realistic in most other ways and others find solid bass fundamental when trying to recapture the original "event".
In some rooms (like mine) a 'fullrange' speaker can sound bloated because of room effect and tailoring a sub (or pair of subs) can be a better compromise.
I see you are the guy with all those beautiful turntables that makes some of us salivate like certain dogs when the bell rings. With my little monitors -or- with my 2-way "fullrange" floorstanders I usually use my subs (in my very modest setup). You have a very impressive system and you have a sub, yet you dont really show your bias on this subject. What do you think?

Biomimetic,
You have not heard the DD series subs from velodyne.
They will change the way subs are made.

Tim

Dear Stevecham: +++++ " the soundstage opened up on all recordings. +++++ "

This is a plus when we installed the subs. If we haven't then we are loosing this characteristic.

+++++ " I think the main challenge is to take the time to fine tune the sub so that it is "not heard" and just picks up where your mains leave off. +++++ "

THis is our challenge whe we installed the subs. We ( José and I ) take around six months to settle in right on target.

Dear Steve I never had the opportunity to hear your speakers/subs combination but I'm sure they give you a lot of musical pleasure.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.