I agree for big Bing/Bang/Boom movies. However, here's my problem for most music. When you use a sub, you define/set your crossover. In a full range speaker, the speaker designer defines and executes the crossover. Somehow, I don't think my subjectively determined crossover point, or my AVR's crossover execution can possibly be as good as that of somebody like Dennis Murphy.
ImcLoud, when I was shopping for new speakers, you recommended Phil3s ahead of several much more expensive speakers. I went with the Phil3s. I consider them "affordable". I have 2 very strong subs. But most of my music listening is done in stereo w/o the subs. True, I get more bass w/ the subs, but I feel I get better bass w/ just the Phil3s.
So while I would absolutely recommend a sub or 2 for any HT system, I would not necessarily recommend using them for most music. It depends entirely on your Front L/R speakers, and they don't have to cost $120k.
Hey herb, I agree, yes DM is much better at tuning a speakers network then I am, lol. BUT I think when it comes to the subs range, the room changes how much we need, I did the tower thing, and in a smaller room where that design is good enough for, they sound great, but in a larger room I found my self turning the level higher than I wanted to listen to fill that room. I am making sense?
NOW, always keep in mind we all like what we like, I like my lows a bit heavy, and I can satisfy this with the push of a button with a 2.2 system, with out messing with or needed a tone knob... So while DM and AJ are awesome builders, don't let their ears dictate what sounds good to yours.
I always tell people that say "all stereos sound the same to me" that they are SUPER lucky, because I like a certain sound, and so far I havent found it in a $50 package. I WISH it was that easy for me, but I am cursed with good taste
, LOL...
NOW in a system with a much higher budget, and certain genres, 3 way towers can be sublime, when trying to build an impressive system with say $3,000 and under, I have yet to find the tower that fits in there, while you can pair a set of sealed 12" svs subs, with a pair of decent books, and a really nice integrated amp to make something special. Take my svs sb12 and carnegie csb1 system, a few grand and it screams so clear and clean, with all the great sound you would expect from a system costing much much more. NOW a lot of this is attributed to the books being able to work well in their comfort zone, taking the burden of the hard to reproduce lows off of the main amp and speakers is a huge benefit, couple that with handing that responsibility off to a set of over powered and sized subs, you can really tune it in properly...
BTW I stand by the phil 3's recco, I love them, wish they were aesthetically more pleasing to my tastes, but they are awesome, none the less, I don't generally label them as "budget friendly" just because like I said you can build an entire system for that, that entire 2.2 I mentioned above with a parasound preamp, 2 - 200w mono blocks, a turntable, and all the stands cost about the same as just your set of towers alone.... You just have too much money
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