Do you think you need a subwoofer?

I regard the "subwoofer" not as a separate speaker system, but as part of the main speaker system...the part that the manufacturer left out because of size and cost. Naturally this means that every main speaker has its "own" subwoofer driven by the same channel signal with appropriate electronic crossover.

The reasons for having a subwoofer are (1) to use a larger diameter driver appropriate for LF (or, the same thing, to enable use of a smaller driver for the main woofer) and (2) keep the LF cone excursions out of the woofer.

I think that the issue of "slow" subwoofers is overdone. Low frequency sounds are inherently "slow" and the subwoofer is properly reproducing them. For example: a sixteen foot organ pipe is slow...its sound develops slowly to its full volume/tone. A tuba is slower than a piccolo.

Eldartford, I disagree with you a bit on the slow issue, only because I suspect that those folks who raise the issue are using the subwoofer in the mid and upper-range of bass frequencies, probably with poorly designed or shallow sloped cross-overs so you have a 15" cone producing the same sound at the same level as an electrostat, panel, of small mid-range drivers (as in mini monitors), the end result of which is likely to be a muddy upper bass and perhaps even lower mid-range.

I would agree that using a sub to fill in the bottom octave or so of a full range speaker system, using a cross over with sharp slopes, should cause no problem whatsoever, in fact it would be ideal. Optimally the full ranges speakers bass would not need to be attenuated at all - the cross over would only roll off the subs top end.

At least that has been my experience..........

Newbee...SW crossover frequency depends very much on what your particular subwoofer can do. Based on quite a bit of experementation I have also concluded that the type of music being played also has a big effect, so I have crossovers that enable me to change frequency with the twist of a knob. For some classical music I let the Maggie 1.6 take it from 50 Hz up. For some massive pieces, such as theatre organ, I run the SWs up to 200-300Hz, and there is no doubt that it is better.

An interesting test that I have run is to play white noise and sweep the X/O between 40 Hz to about 400 Hz and higher. With my rig there is no audible change in the sound up to about 300 Hz, which tells me that I have the levels well matched and that the SW (a 12" and a 15" for each channel each driven by their own amp) are not out of gas at 100 Hz. Of course my SW systems are custom designs that have been extensively tweeked, and my results may differ from those using off-the-shelf SW.

Dear Eldartford and Newbee: I suggest that you read carefully the links that Davehrab post here it can instruct about.

Btw, remember that the integration of subwoofers it's not only for a better ( quality/quantity ) bass but for a better midrange too.

Regards and enjoy the music.

Raul.

Dear friends: I wonder why many of the " regulars " on this forum decide ( till today ): " stay away " on this extremely critical subject for the analog music/sound reproduction.

Share with all of us your knowledge and points of view about, in that way all we could receive related audio benefits.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.