Do you use subwoofers when listening in 2-channel?

[AcuDefTechGuy]

...I think the real problem is that many people just like bass and lots of it...

And there's even disparity among people who like a lot of bass.

I love a lot of bass. But I know guys who like a lot more bass than I do.

But I think it's pretty safe to say that most audiophiles love bass.

If they own speakers that could produce the kind of bass they love, then they wouldn't use separate subwoofers.

If they don't own the speakers that could produce enough bass for them, then they will use separate subwoofers.

Or is the question really: Would most audiophiles use separate subwoofers ANYWAY even if their speakers could ALREADY produce the kind of bass they love?

I would say "No" to this question.

 

[MrBoat]

Ah, and there lies the rub: fully integrated. I've measured several people's 2.1 or 2.2 systems at their listening seat with my OmniMic, and with the exception of one they all had the subs running quite hot. (Response at 20-50Hz 8-10db higher than the level at 500Hz. I usually measure at 80db.) Two of the owners said they just let Audyssey do the tuning, but the sound and the measurements were still bass-heavy. For some music, especially 70s-90s rock and roll, a bump like that can sound pleasant, even fun, but on other music, say acoustic jazz and some classical, it sounds just dumb and artificial, so the owners occasionally turned off the subs. I think the real problem is that many people just like bass and lots of it, and most recordings don't have much, so they tinker. And then when the real thing comes along it sounds funny.

I agree. Most people I know, even with surround run the bass way too hot for my taste, and well beyond what I have heard at concerts I have been to with some of the recordings they play. I have a friend who is a fan of modern Reggae and dubstep music. I think he just thinks all music was made like that or is trained to that vibe. It's perplexing when he reports to me of the accuracy and the imaging of his main speakers. He manages to make them sound tiny with his subwoofers and his main speakers are already small to begin with. His car is setup the same way. It's pretty obnoxious if you ever have to ride with him anywhere.

His wife complains about it too. She tells him it's supposed to be music, not an ass whooping. lol

 

[Irvrobinson]

Or is the question really: Would most audiophiles use separate subwoofers ANYWAY even if their speakers could ALREADY produce the kind of bass they love?

I would say "No" to this question.

I agree, with the caveat that they also want it adjustable. The bass tone control knob lives on...

 

[Pogre]

I just do the 3db bump after calibration that most of us do. I like to run it just a touch hot, but don't like it when my subs call too much attention to themselves. They stop sounding musical, imo.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I just do the 3db bump after calibration that most of us do. I like to run it just a touch hot, but don't like it when my subs call too much attention to themselves. They stop sounding musical, imo.

I agree that the bass needs to be felicitous.

I don't want bass all the time. That's annoying to me. But when a T-Rex stomps the ground or a bomb goes off, I want some good bass.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I just do the 3db bump after calibration that most of us do. I like to run it just a touch hot, but don't like it when my subs call too much attention to themselves. They stop sounding musical, imo.

That's the road to perdition.

Most calibrations seem to stick in a rise of 3-6db starting at about 150Hz or so, and they call that flat. I actually agree with that decision, it's the tinkering afterward that I think goes overboard.

Using my own recordings made in the same room, I find that a rise reaching +3db at 30Hz at the listening seat, and a downward slope reaching 3db at 10KHz sounds most natural on my speakers. (So the level at 30Hz is +6db relative to 10KHz.) Some young(er) people think my system is just ever so slightly hot at the high end, which might mean that a steeper high-end roll-off might be more natural for them.

 

[Mikado463]

Vinyl did not limit 2.0. You can get really good reproduction from vinyl and very good bass as well.

Exactly, the 'need' for a sub is dependent on two things IMO. First and foremost, how 'low' can your mains go ? ....... second, room acoustics / dependency play a big part.

 

[bikdav]

View attachment 20879 In my system, I use one 15 inch subwoofer as the woofer in each of the 3 front three-way speaker cabinets. The crossover frequency between woofers and mid-woofers is set at 190 Hz with the use of active bi-amping.

That gives me an outstanding full frequency range performance of 20-27 KHz ±3dB.

Of course, when listening in the stereo format, the L & R speakers function as standard 3-way speaker systems.

That looks very impressive.

 

[Carl08]

Just had Accucal come and tweak my system. Sounds much better now. I'm also listening in "stereo" mode with the subwoofers on.

 

[Irvrobinson]

Just had Accucal come and tweak my system. Sounds much better now. I'm also listening in "stereo" mode with the subwoofers on.

How did they tweak it?

 

[Carl08]

How did they tweak it?

microphones and computers and visual calibration machines (Oh My!)

 

[sterling shoote]

I've always got my JBL B-380 powered on. If there's any bass this sub will deliver it naturally, releaving my mains of the chore, which they can not completely fulfill when I'm listening to Dance or House tunes.

 

[Tankman]

I've always got my JBL B-380 powered on. If there's any bass this sub will deliver it naturally, releaving my mains of the chore, which they can not completely fulfill when I'm listening to Dance or House tunes.

Nice post man... united we stand...soon to be a major upgrade with mains...Till than my sub fills in the low end my front mains very nicely also....smooth man...I can dig it...Like that ole Doobie Brothers song goes listen to the music my brother! ..You are enjoying your set up no doubt in my book with the music you mention...

Mike