With Full Range Speakers is a sub necessary?

[AVRat]

Malvado,
There are no good pics of these centers that I know of. I like Def Techs and they are excellent speakers but I'm not impressed with the way they provide information. The website doesn't provide enough spec info. No pictures of driver configurations. No manuals available for download, etc.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I think that for music you're best off using just a very good pair of full-range speakers. You lose stereo separation if you use only one sub. .

Not sure I follow you here. There is no stereo imaging at such low frequencies, especially at home.

 

[Privateer]

And Def Tech claims the 20hz figure on their BP10Bs using only 2 6.5in woofers!

I would not trust any specs from def tech, I would put them in the same catagory as bose for BSing there specs.

 

[tbewick]

Hi Mtrycrafts,

According to several sources, including this website, low frequency sounds (i.e. below 80 Hz) do contain stereo effects. Not only that, there are problems in having a subwoofer placed too far away from the main speakers. Having two full-range stereo speakers can help to smooth out bass response. Of course you can do this with two subs, but that takes up much more room.

Full-range speakers can be more efficient than a sub + speaker set up, if they are of a horn-loaded design.

 

[snickelfritz]

Powered subwoofers essentially bi-amplify your system.
This can greatly extend the power reserves of your receiver, preventing high level LFE from driving your amplifier into clipping.
It also allows your main speakers to sound better in the lower midrange, regardless of how deep their bass extends.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Hi Mtrycrafts,

According to several sources, including this website, low frequency sounds (i.e. below 80 Hz) do contain stereo effects. Not only that, there are problems in having a subwoofer placed too far away from the main speakers. Having two full-range stereo speakers can help to smooth out bass response. Of course you can do this with two subs, but that takes up much more room.

Full-range speakers can be more efficient than a sub + speaker set up, if they are of a horn-loaded design.

Are you confusing bass response caused by room modes with stereo imaging?
If you cannot localize below 80Hz, how does it have a stereo effect?

 

[tbewick]

There are articles on this website that say you can localise below 80 Hz:

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/loudspeakers/subwwofertowerspeakers.php
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/loudspeakers/LFE_output.php
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/loudspeakers/bassmanagement01.php

 

[Buckle-meister]

Don't forget speaker location. Mains are limited where you can place them

Are you referring to the sound that we will actually hear from the listening position as opposed to the sound leaving the speaker? If a speaker is rated down to 20Hz, surely it is capable of producing it. No?

Most subs fire down, theirs fires up (for obvious reasons.)

What obvious reasons?

Regards

 

[mtrycrafts]

Are you referring to the sound that we will actually hear from the listening position as opposed to the sound leaving the speaker? If a speaker is rated down to 20Hz, surely it is capable of producing it. No?

Yes, they are, but at what spl level, is the important question, right? 70dB spl at 20 Hz is meaningless. So, it is important to review speaker measurements by credible reviewers who measure them to their capability.

So, just beacues they are rated to 20 Hz, doesn't mean it will deliver it at an acceptable level. You may want to check some back issues of S&V where Tom Nousaine has tested a number of subs. He may not have reviewed the DefTech.

 

[mtrycrafts]

There are articles on this website that say you can localise below 80 Hz:

http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/loudspeakers/subwwofertowerspeakers.php
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/loudspeakers/LFE_output.php
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/loudspeakers/bassmanagement01.php

I will read them, thanks.
But, what must be heard are the shallow slope of the filters as it will allow frequencies above 80Hz to be reproduced and that is what you will localize. You need a very steep cut off filter.