Subwoofer with music: Yes or No?

[Hyfi]

HT is one thing but for music, why would you not want that? It would make a more coherent sound stage.

Modern Amplifiers have no bass management. Modern HT Receivers do and it is intended for HT and not 2ch music, although it's there to make you think that. Good Modern Amplifiers do one thing, take an input signal and amplify it. Garbage in = Garbage out.

As for the original question, sometimes yes and sometimes no. When I use my Dynaudio 82s, I never even think of turning on the sub. When I use my Clearfields, I sometimes do flip it on if recording is bass shy and I am listening at lower levels in Passive mode.

I much prefer to hear the detail and clarity that a good speaker displays then have bone thumping bass without. There are good musical subs out there and it takes a lot of time, placement and playing to get them properly integrated and un-noticed in the mix.

[markw]

Modern Amplifiers have no bass management. Modern HT Receivers do and it is intended for HT and not 2ch music, although it's there to make you think that. Good Modern Amplifiers do one thing, take an input signal and amplify it. Garbage in = Garbage out.

This is my point exactly. What I finds works best, particularly with music, is to run the amp and main speaker full range and simply use the crossover in the powered sub as a low-pass filter that comes into play right about where my mains start to fall off, keeping in mind that it's not a brick wall fiter. In the case ofthe Maggies, that was somewhere around 50 - 60 hz.

[Hyfi]

This is my point exactly. What I finds works best, particularly with music, is to run the amp and main speaker full range and simply use the crossover in the powered sub as a low-pass filter that comes into play right about where my mains start to fall off, keeping in mind that it's not a brick wall fiter. In the case ofthe Maggies, that was somewhere around 50 - 60 hz.

Well as you heard the other day with my Clearfields, when the music had good bass, and it was cranked enough, it needed no sub and with the sub on it did not make things way better, maybe less detailed if anything. But thats just my sub and setup, I'm sure others may have better luck to their own ears.

[markw]

Well as you heard the other day with my Clearfields, when the music had good bass, and it was cranked enough, it needed no sub and with the sub on it did not make things way better, maybe less detailed if anything. But thats just my sub and setup, I'm sure others may have better luck to their own ears.

And your system is very nice. I did notice minimal effect when the sub was kicked in simply because that particular piece of music really had no "sub-worthy" information in it to begin with. I didn't note a smearing of clarity and the effect I did hear I attributed to the slope of the subs crossover allowing a bit of creep into the range of your fine mains.

As I said earlier, given good speakers, which yours most certainly are, I don't really think most music really benefits from a sub excepting, of course, organ, synth and other rarities.

[harley .guy07]

My opinion is that it is dependent on the speakers used for one thing and only if installed and crossed over right should a sub be used to music. I agree that a sub will have capabilities that all but the most expensive and large speakers have and if set up right with the main speakers will add to the experience it is rare that a system using a sub has a perfect blend with the main speakers. This is something I have been thinking about a long time and have come to the conclusion that I will need to build my own sealed enclosure custom built sub in order to get everything I want a sub dedicated to music to do. Most subs that companies build have either home theater yon the mind or music with also a home theater capability. You hardly ever see subs that only are built for music. While they are out there they are way to expensive for what they have in them component wise so I have decided that building my own will give me the most for my money.