Is it Time to Upgrade Your Subwoofer?

A

admin

Audioholics Robot
Staff member
Wondering if it's time to upgrade your old subwoofer to a newer, more powerful model? Audioholics goes over what factors should play into your decision, including room size and listening habits. In addition, we give you a method so that you can personally determine whether more subwoofage is a worthwhile investment. If you're curious to find out if your subwoofer is holding your system back, click to keep reading! If you're a true Bassaholic, you probably already know the answer ;)


Discuss "Is it Time to Upgrade Your Subwoofer?" here. Read the article.
 
agarwalro

agarwalro

Audioholic Ninja
A few lifetimes ago, I was at an Infected Mushroom concert, dropping "stuff". I (kind of) actually recall hugging (as in, bro love) the bass cab. Until I can recreate that memory of visceral bass at home (while sober), the answer will always be, no, no, NO, not enough.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Time to upgrade? :eek: I got it just 8 monthes ago. Seriously, for my room, its more than enough sub.
 
Marshall_Guthrie

Marshall_Guthrie

Audioholics Videographer Extraordinaire
Here's my simple chart:

Is it time to upgrade your subwoofer? ---> yes

:)

In all seriousness, it's tough to balance all the priorities of a home theater, but a minimum you need a big screen, good speakers, and a gutsy sub. With a ton of great $500 options, don't be afraid to get 2 subs. This article, in combination with others like this: HDTV: When is it time to Upgrade Your Display? | Audioholics

...make it easier to balance those priorities.
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
If you have to ask, the answer will always be - yes
 
K

kleinwl

Audioholic
5000 cuft EXTREMELY SMALL subwoofer!

Chart is backwards.
 
Marshall_Guthrie

Marshall_Guthrie

Audioholics Videographer Extraordinaire
Chart is backwards.
No, to use the chart, you have to add up the points at the top of the chart. Both a very large room, and a very small current sub, would net you 3 points each, and land a recommended upgrade.
 
H

herbu

Audioholic Samurai
Chart is backwards.
I don't think so.
If you have a big room, (lots of points)... like to listen loud, (lots of points)... and currently have only a small sub, (lots of points)... then you have a lot of points and need a new sub.
Right?
 
P

Paul Lane

Audioholic Intern
I now run twin Subwoofers, It does make an even bigger difference.

Just added a pair of smaller (10") Dayton subs to a 2 channel system it has made a big improvement in coherence. I can tell the Bass is moving across the soundstage. ::D
 
M

Muzykant

Audioholic
I had a friend over (a pro concertizing musician and conservatory professor) and played some music for him through my DefTech SM-55s and SB-2000 sub. I was shocked that he preferred the sound of DefTechs alone with no sub! I had my SB-2000 crossed over at 50 Hz with 24db/octave slope with lower gain setting than what I found to be ideal for my listening. Yet, he still found the bass to be unnaturally loud and told me he could hear it coming from the sub!
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
I had a friend over (a pro concertizing musician and conservatory professor) and played some music for him through my DefTech SM-55s and SB-2000 sub. I was shocked that he preferred the sound of DefTechs alone with no sub! I had my SB-2000 crossed over at 50 Hz with 24db/octave slope with lower gain setting than what I found to be ideal for my listening. Yet, he still found the bass to be unnaturally loud and told me he could hear it coming from the sub!
This is a classic issue with the way many people balance their systems. "I paid good money for that sub, and I want to hear it!" Also bass is fun. Acoustic instruments have surprisingly subtle bass, at least surprising to those who don't listen to live acoustic instruments in small to medium sized venues a lot. Even those of us who know better tend to run our subs a little hot with rock and roll. Then it's better than live. ;)
 
BoredSysAdmin

BoredSysAdmin

Audioholic Slumlord
I had a friend over (a pro concertizing musician and conservatory professor) and played some music for him through my DefTech SM-55s and SB-2000 sub. I was shocked that he preferred the sound of DefTechs alone with no sub! I had my SB-2000 crossed over at 50 Hz with 24db/octave slope with lower gain setting than what I found to be ideal for my listening. Yet, he still found the bass to be unnaturally loud and told me he could hear it coming from the sub!
How old is your conservatory professor ? At age of 50 or so he'd be lucky to be able to hear 100 hz or so. I'm 37 and I already almost lost anything above 16 khz and below 80hz
 
M

Muzykant

Audioholic
I guess so... What baffled me was that I find the transitions in bass passages between bookshelves and the sub to be absolutely even and seamless at my normal setting; I normally set up the sub to the level at which I can hear the bass but not feel it. For my friend I had it about 3db shy of my normal setting. Take into account that the system is in an extremely large room, and I am just confused...

I am also a pro acoustic musician for the last 30 years.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
How old is your conservatory professor ? At age of 50 or so he'd be lucky to be able to hear 100 hz or so. I'm 37 and I already almost lost anything above 16 khz and below 80hz
Speak for yourself! I'm... well over 50... and I just tested myself a couple of months ago. 15KHz was no problem at all. Bass is really no problem.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
I guess so... What baffled me was that I find the transitions in bass passages between bookshelves and the sub to be absolutely even and seamless at my normal setting; I normally set up the sub to the level at which I can hear the bass but not feel it. For my friend I had it about 3db shy of my normal setting. Take into account that the system is in an extremely large room, and I am just confused...

I am also a pro acoustic musician for the last 30 years.
Well, you fooled me. perhaps you should measure your system with REW or OmniMic to tell you what's really going on.
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
Nah I'm happy with what I got, but if I hit the lotto...never gonna happen.:p I really am content with my SVS/Dayton/OSD.
 
M

Muzykant

Audioholic
How old is your conservatory professor ? At age of 50 or so he'd be lucky to be able to hear 100 hz or so. I'm 37 and I already almost lost anything above 16 khz and below 80hz
He is not even 30 yet.

Wow, sorry for your hearing problem. I guess you were exposed to loud music for longer than me. I still have 20-20000 Hz ears.
 
fuzz092888

fuzz092888

Audioholic Warlord
He is not even 30 yet.

Wow, sorry for your hearing problem. I guess you were exposed to loud music for longer than me. I still have 20-20000 Hz ears.
It's not necessairly a hearing problem. Everyone loses their hearing at the extremes at different rates, regardless of the levels they have listened to music or other things in the past, which isn't to say protecting your hearing won't help you keep it longer.

How have you verified that you are still 20-20khz if you don't mind me asking?
 

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