Do you think you need a subwoofer?


Why almost any one needs subwoofers in their audio systems?

I talk with my audio friends about and each one give me different answers, from: I don't need it, to : I love that.

Some of you use subwoofers and many do in the speakers forum and everywhere.

The question is: why we need subwoofers ? or don't?

My experience tell me that this subwoofers subject is a critical point in the music/sound reproduction in home audio systems.

What do you think?
Ag insider logo xs@2xrauliruegas
Raul,I DID state my experiences,in a "today,or any other today, and yesterday" system!As my friend Sid Marks always states---"if I cannot hear the distortion(or my friends cannot either)then I don't care"....He knows a thing or two about music,as he wrote ALL of the Mercury Living Presence and many RCA LP reviews for TAS,back in the glory days.

He is also a bass fanatic,and I mean "fanatic"!!So if he has no issues with my low freq response,I don't worry too much.

Also,something I would understand you not being aware of(since you are not familiar with my speakers),is my current "main" speaker system has a very complex crossover(two separate ones,at 55 lbs each)which have select/custom damping circuits,that specifically are designed to eliminate IMD,downd to about 28 hz!The system is tri-wired due to this configuration.I "should have" mentioned this before,BUT I did state "this" configuration has given me the better low freq performance(not "more bass",but superior "pitch defined" low bass,and THAT is a big issue unto itself)of all previous "yesterday" set-ups,which had two subs employed in them.

I admit to not mentioning this before,so there could be some confusion here....Sorry!

BTW,you don't have to keep responding to me,as I am sure you are busy with other things,and I would like to move on as well.

Best,as always -:)
Dear Mark: I know who is he and with all respect I don't care that he is a " bass fanatic " because unfortunatelly the main thread subject is not about bass!

I know very well your speakers ( the original importer here and the today one are one of my best audio friends. Speaking on the Ascents not only I know its performance but every single signal manipulation that take inside that complex more than 100+ parts crossover that IMHO is one of its disadvantages. I don't want following speak about those speakers: this is not the right forum. ), don't worry about but thank you to remember me.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Raul, you said, " unfortunatelly the main thread subject is not about bass!"

The title of the thread is "DO YOU THINK YOU NEED A SUBWOOFER?"

Is that a contradiction? If it is not about bass, what is it about? It sure as hell ain't about muffins!

Raul you said in one of your first posts in this thread;
" remember that we use subwoofers not only for a better and extended low bass but for a better midrange/midbass too."

"better quality low bass ( you can have at least one more octave ) and mid bass ( quantity? : you choose it: volume/gain ) ). Now we can heard the " foundation " of the MUSIC ( and its harmonics )"

You also said, "Now you can really know how good ( or not ) is not only your audio system but any single audio item: cartridge/tonearm/cables/TT/preamp/amplifier/CD, and now you can detect any sound reproduction performance problems in those audio items and try to fixed/exchange: now and only now ( not before ) you can say " this is the best cartridge or tonearm or SUT ,etc.. " that I ever heard."

I am pretty sure that is exactly what I said just a couple of posts ago, "And I am hoping you are not testing the tonearm on a system that you have no clue as to what it is doing. Because if you say the low bass is great with the new arm, how would you (and me) know? When you are not even reproducing low bass?"

So Raul What is this post about?

Bob
Yes Raul,I guess you cannot gain any further insight from me,so I will not post,here,on the subject.
Best.
Hi Raul, I have taken this to my thread "In room response".

Please read and I look forward to your response. Here is the link for the photo in "my systems", http://cgim.audiogon.com/i/vs/i/f/1209483707.jpg

I look forward to discussing this in my forum.

Bob