Do you use a subwoofer with music? Why or Why Not?

Do you use a subwoofer when listening to music

  • Yes, Bass is a must

    Votes: 145 55.1%

  • No, Speakers only for me

    Votes: 100 38.0%

  • No, But I plan to

    Votes: 14 5.3%

  • Yes, But I am unhappy with the result

    Votes: 4 1.5%
  • Total voters
    263
In regard to the two-channel setup I use everyday in my living room: Yes. They're an absolute must-have. Though rated down to 20 Hz, the pair of KLH 9154s I use audibly "roll off" circa 35 Hz or so at my average listening volume of 57 dBA. Below that, the three 12" subs in my space provide visceral depth/impact that the speakers by themselves simply cannot - especially in regard to the lower registers of instruments such the violin, upright bass, bass guitar, bassoon, and kick drum while listening to classical, jazz, and rock. The music sounds good in and of itself without subs, but the subs provide a full-bodied presence that makes listening to it dramatically more engaging.
 
The reQuests have 12" woofers in sealed enclosures in their bases, and my room is very small. I actually have the bass attenuation switch turned on for both of them.
 
Depends on the content. Some of my content is in 5.1. For general 2 channel listening the JBL's don't need sub.
 
My Acoustat Monitor 3 which I love are flat to 30hz but I still use a pair of 12" subs. My system has no tone control or eq so they act as crude room correction by ear,

and also, those sound engineers gotta be kidding if they think I'm gonna always settle for what they leave.

Everyone needs at least 2 subs in the house no matter what
 
We've had chats about this before. I personally don't like them in a domestic environment with a stereo system which is primarily used for music listening. I have heard so many that are not set up properly - and it is quite difficult to set them up right. My own preference is to have a speaker system which can go low enough to play the low bass itself. But that isn't always possible or practical as you do need fairly large speakers to do this (damn physics rears it's ugly head again).
On the other hand, if you have an AV system where you watch a lot of action movies (or serious pipe organ music) for example, then there is a use for them as the sound tracks can go far lower then musical instruments can. But these subs need to be big and well managed to be effective.
 
Powertech said:
We've had chats about this before. I personally don't like them in a domestic environment with a stereo system which is primarily used for music listening. I have heard so many that are not set up properly - and it is quite difficult to set them up right. My own preference is to have a speaker system which can go low enough to play the low bass itself. But that isn't always possible or practical as you do need fairly large speakers to do this (damn physics rears it's ugly head again).
On the other hand, if you have an AV system where you watch a lot of action movies (or serious pipe organ music) for example, then there is a use for them as the sound tracks can go far lower then musical instruments can. But these subs need to be big and well managed to be effective.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree. I have a sub for my HT setup but in the same room I have a separate two channel system (Marantz 1060/Imperial 6s). In our small living room we dont need any more bass than the Imperials deliver. For the last week the Imperials have been in the shop getting recapped and I have been using a set of KLH 17s in their place. They are an excellent sounding speaker but after the Imperials, they sound a bit light.

There are so many variables that making a blanket statement about whether or not a sub is required is truly impossible.
 
I don't use a sub with any of the three systems I have set up right now. The main system is capable of producing all the bass I would ever need or want. The other two systems are sufficient for the kind of listening that is done on them. To be honest the system in the party hut(she shed to some folks)could use a sub, but I'm not actively trying to piss off my neighbors by shaking the walls late at night.
 
I used to use subs mainly because I've always been a bass nut. Nowadays, accuracy is very important to me whereas before it kinda took a back seat. As long as the walls were shaking and the windows flexing....it was all about impressing the listener with muscle.

I can still do that with horn loaded subs but with much less power......and accuracy-musicality I never got from the mass market subs.
 
Gee folks I don't know what to say. You're talking like a kick drum is a hard to get low bass thing. Here they're as loud, snappy and punchy as I could imagine anybody would want. I thought a kick was mid bass. And some organ, piano and a few others is where the really low lives. I'm down below 30 with plenty of presence.
So no sub for me.
If I had just one pair of incredible speakers that needed help I would get a sub. And I see the HT thing.
 
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Don't need to for music. I bought a good tube system 15 years ago that produces the Bass i was missing with solid state.
 
I have subwoofers in 3 of my 5 hi-fi systems, because one of the things that strikes me when I attend the symphony is the power of the low frequencies. Subwoofers help to deliver the dynamic impact of hi-res recordings (e.g., SACD, Blu-ray, 24bit/192kHz FLAC) of large-scale orchestral music. My frame of reference: full season tickets to the symphony and opera (plus other smaller scale classical performances). IME, the double bass, bass drum, and pipe organ deliver powerful bass content in large-scale orchestral compositions.

These 3 systems of mine don’t have “wimpy” main speakers - and music with these systems can be enjoyable without a sub. But with a sub is better.

Basement system: Front, center, and left speakers are Klipsch RF-7 II. (Each RF-7II: Dynamic 1.75" titanium Tractrix™ horn-loaded compression driver. Dual 10" high-output Cerametallic woofers.) A single rear speaker is a Klipsch RF-7. Subwoofers: SVS SB16-Ultra, Klipsch R-115SW.

Living room: Stereo speakers are Snell Type CV. (Each Type CV: two 8" woofers, two 5" midranges, one 1" titanium-dome tweeter, one switchable rear-firing 1" tweeter.) Subwoofer: Klipsch P-312W.

TV room: Stereo speakers are Klipsch Palladium P-37F. (Each P-37F: 0.75-inch horn-loaded tweeter, 4.5-inch midrange and triple 7-inch woofers.) Subwoofer: Klipsch P-312W.​

(Two other systems have tower speakers without subwoofers.)

My Oppo universal players (UDP-205 x 2, BDP-105, BDP-95) feature "bass management" - i.e., a built-in configurable crossover, and a connection for a powered subwoofer. With Oppo's bass management, the low frequencies are off-loaded from the main amp and speakers, thereby facilitating greater overall dynamics.

IME, subwoofers can be a PITA, because audio recordings and movies are not consistent in bass content. (I dislike intense LFE in movies. I have no interest in recreating the rumbling of an earthquake in my listening room. I don’t want to be assaulted by my hi-fi system.) Because of the wide variance in bass content in music and movies, my opinion is that a remote control is a useful feature for a subwoofer.
 
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