Subwoofers - Need and Setup

I’ll tell the wife

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Surprise her. It might be more fun.

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To some degree we have been discussing subwoofers at cross-purposes as people view the use of subwoofers in a variety of ways.

In my experience, a subwoofer may be used differently in various systems:

  1. To add the bottom octaves to satellite or bookshelf speakers. If your speakers go down to only 80Hz adding a sub will reproduce the bottom two octaves, greatly enhancing the sound.

  2. To add slam and power to a system, such as in home theater use. Some music listeners enjoy this extra energy as well.

  3. To complement your full range main speakers by smoothing out the response in the bottom two octaves.

I suggest number 3 should be of greatest interest to audiophiles.

For example, my main speakers extend to 20Hz, but the system still needs a subwoofer. This is because the best location of the main speakers for flat upper register response and imaging is not the location which produces the flatest bass response.

Enter the subs. They are placed to integrate with and complement the main speakers to produce the smoothest, most accurate bass response at the listening position.

In short, one adds a subwoofer not because your main speakers needs a sub, but because your room needs a sub.

Fascinatingly, a properly integrated subwoofer not only provides better bass - making all music sound better, regardless of genre - but also increases ambient retrieval.

Sounds produced in a room pressurize the space and generate difference tones which extend into the lowest octaves. Accurately reproduced these low pitched sounds, even though they are quiet, greatly increase the sense of occupying an actual physical space.

Most intriguing is this is true for instruments and voices which do not by themselves produce tones below 100Hz. Yet, a recording of a solo trumpet, a flute, a violin in a real space - all sound more realistic when played back on a system which includes a properly integrated subwoofer.

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Very well summarised! :+1:

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You are one articulate dude! Excellent.

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Amen.

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If you look closely at the post I said in all caps TESTED.
Some trust the published specs, some test to determine the real specs.
I’ll jot down in my notes that you prefer published. :slight_smile:

She has mood boards. I’ll print out some pics from the REL site on pin them up. That’ll lower her mood.

Nailed it. Excellent summary.

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You could put some nice flower arrangements on the subs. It can’t hurt. :smiley:

The current one, not in use, has a sculpture on it.

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I’ve had quite a few different subwoofers. Here is a set of home-built 12 x 12 inch towers. lol

In the 80’s, we rebuilt Infinity’s crossover filter, away from servo and into electronic filter.

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Do you still have your Infinity systems?

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I have some models left

Thanks Chris, you prompted me to get the tools out as set up the REL properly. Sort of. I sits on foam and I’ve found a platform for it. I’ll stick it on that. May smooth out below 50Hz. Measurements will have to wait till 2021 (tomorrow) as Deliveroo is on its way.

All the best for the New Year. Maybe in 2021 you’ll progress to the 19th Century (musically speaking), or at least the 1790s. Better music than the 1970s, that’s for sure.

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Wishing you and yours all the best for 2021 as well. Since my musical tastes have been regressing steadily backwards in time for many decades now I think your hope for a reversal might be a trifle optimistic. :slight_smile:

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Nice looking speakers. Did you buy cabinets and finish them, or craft the cabinets from the ground up?

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They are built from scratch, by a Danish speaker diy builder. In black leather. :wink:Unfortunately, I do not have time for that myself anymore.

I have a set of active line-source on the drawing board. But if I get it done, only the gods know. The speaker cabinets, I get a specialist to build them when the time is right.

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Really beautiful work…Happy New Year.

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It’ll be bone flutes and log beating soon enough :slight_smile:

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