I guess I'll never be a "true" audiophile

[ski2xblack]

Ah, don't sweat it. Enjoy your rig.

Most of us have design and decor restrictions to deal with. And at the other extreme, there are those with rooms strictly dedicated to AV with elaborate rigs that end up seldom being used for one reason or another. If you like music, setting up a system that fits the space and performs well enough to get out of the way of the music is just what the doctor ordered. You're already there.

Oh, as a budding "real audiophile" and architect/interior designer, I would highly recommend you get a copy of Toole's book on acoustics. It may benefit you, both professionally and personally. It's a deep dive into small room acoustics and proven methods on putting the science and tech to work in service to the art. Highly recommended.

 

[MrBoat]

I didn't think I'd get this kind of grief from a simple statement.
My speakers don't suck for bass. They go deep enough for the music I prefer. I like having a 2.0 system, I like it a lot. Maybe "can't fit a subwoofer" doesn't apply from the strictly physical space standpoint, but putting one in the space would not look good in my home office. My wife and I are architects and interior designers, therefore our home is our showroom. I already have a bookshelf in the room where the components sit, flanked by the towers, which are flanked by 2 doors. I also have a chais lounge in the center, and 2 workstations across the room. A sub would look inappropriate anywhere except in the opposite corners, but that's where the CPUs are located for the workstations because between the workstations there's a cabinet... Maybe if you're not a designer you can't quite visualize the room, but there's a big reason why I chose a 2.0 system with towers instead of a 2.1 with bookshelf speakers and a sub. These personal and professional reasons supercede the "need" for a sub, therefore I CAN'T have one in the room. I hope this is clear. If anyone has more opinions on why I should or could have one if I really wanted it, please refrain and keep it to yourselves.
The title of the thread is "I guess I'll never be a true audiophile". I'm realizing that in addition of loving my budget system and not pining for upgrades as I stated in the first post, another reason is because I prefer not having a sub that would diminish the room aesthetics over deeper bass that I don't think I need.

I have full range speakers that I love to listen to without subs. They have that mid bass punch in the chest, which often makes me forget about deep sub bass. They still rumble the room. I have a pair of JBL towers that are 3-way design with 12" woofers that are rated to mid 30 hz area and they tend to accurately translate all of the musical bass contained in the music I listen to, and with authority, I might add.

My bedroom system is 2.0 with a pair of DIY 5" bookshelf speakers and a WiiM amp. I meant to connect a sub to it but it's so damned pleasing to listen to, I left it as is. It's my latest addiction that I visit every evening and morning now.