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Musical accuracy in subwoofers

I'm hoping some members who are more musically & technically knowledgeable can answer my questions about subs. While sub shopping, web research and sales people make referrence to subs with accurate timbre. The Linn & REL lines were reported to be more accurate than Sunfires in this respect. After playing my sub at a 45-48 hz. crossover without the main speakers, listening leaves me wondering how timbre ( at this low a crossover point) can be an attribute of a sub when most aspects of timbre are a product of higher frequencies. It seems that pitch accuracy, lack of bloat & "overhang," freedom from cabinet resonance, and the ability to tune crossover, volume, & phase accurately are paramount. But timbre?
photon46
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
Higher frequencies you may think are unaffected by a subwoofer, because they have no bass. Actually every note comprises a fundamental frequency and harmonics which comprises a much wider frequency spectrum than the fundamental note being played. This is why a high note played on a piano sounds different from the exact same high note played on a violin, which sound different from the same note on a flute, clarinet, oboe, and so on. The hardest thing for a full range speaker to reproduce accurately is the lower frequency bandwith.

Ever notice how a large open building like a cathedral or concert hall has a sound? You can sense you are in a large building. They have a certain ambience. A good musical sub will fill in the lower frequency spectrum of the instruments playing, as well as the room ambience you can feel, as well as hear. High notes become clearer when the whole sound is reproduced to the fullest.

detlof
1,899 posts
 
Sugarbrie is right. To test for timbre I suggest the following:

Set your crossover point on the sub to its lowest possible setting, preferably to 30hz. Play a disc containing a lot of bass information at your normal listening level with the rest of your equipment switched off, so that you are solely listening to your sub. The sub, which allows you best to distinguish between a base guitar, a double base, the lowest notes of a concert grand and the low pedals of an organ has the best timbre. Cheers,
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
Right on Detlof! I was focused on the high notes because of Photon's question. The improvement in the low notes is also worth a listen. On some orchestra recordings I have; what was originally just the strings playing very low, became the Cellos and String Basses playing a very low cord with the sub added. I could hear the separate instruments better with the bottom filled in. If the cord changed slightly, for example the Bass Strings changing slightly from a E natural to an E flat against the cellos, it was much easier to hear clearly with the sub than without it.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,247 posts
 
Excellent question. It's probably that the timbre issue is the result of semantic confusion. Pitch accuracy coupled with low overhang should result in accurate timbre.
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