Why bookshelf rather than floor-standers??
- Thread starter Bigmoonface
- Start date
Nightcleaner
Super Member
When they are situated in Cars I never quite worked out are they for the people in the car or outside the car
Records need 'Big Box' speakers with AlNiCo magnets and 12 inch minimum woofers.
you talking bout vinyls?
Records need 'Big Box' speakers with AlNiCo magnets and 12 inch minimum woofers.
I'm with ya, but I'd make it a Long - throw 12 inch ..
Some of those old short throw drivers are pretty limited ...
RunOutGroove
Addicted Member
I'm quite happy my setup of small bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer. I have the subwoofers set pretty subtly as I'm looking for a smoother, more accurate kind of a sound rather than a more obviously heavy bass kind of treatment. I find what I have works pretty well but even so there's the rare recording that I'll put on where I can hear a bit of a "jump" where maybe one part of a bass guitar run is mostly coming out of the bookshelf speakers and then a low note or two will be mostly out of the subwoofer. That jump between the two sounds weird and is a bit distracting. This happens pretty rarely (with only certain passages of certain recordings) but it seems like a bit of a disadvantage to this kind of setup. A larger floor type speaker that doesn't need a subwoofer is going to have bass that's somehow more integrated so that there's always a perfectly smooth transition from the upper to lower bass frequencies...
DavidZak
Well-Known Member
My cutoff frequency is set at 60 hz. My Bookshelves go down to 48 Hz .Frequencies lower then that are pretty much non directional. Phase adjustment does wonders. Pretty hard to tell where it comes from in my case. I do sit 20 ft from the system though. No complaints at all coming from this Bass player. Another Great thing about subs is the Headroom saved from the amp by not having to send power to the speakers for low frequencies.
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Before I had a dedicated room, I used my towers with multiple subs tuned 40hz and below and 40hz to 90hz. I felt that allowing the dual 8 inches on my speakers to not play that content had them behaving much better with all types of music. This room was 16 by 26 and open to the rest of the house where the bass could spread out. Now in my smaller 11 by 10 room I don't need the power so no subs. YMMV
Subs usually play from (hence why note specific) 15-800hz Woofers are usually 30-1600hz. IMO Its the upper mid bass in woofers that make the transition seem smoother because they can play higher up in the frequencies. When I browse P.E. I noticed that the larger 10inch and up subs don't go past 800hz but the smaller 8inch and under subs seem to go high into the 1khz range and over. These subs that play the higher frequencies tend to blend better with bookshelves or Satellite speakers IMO. Also the smaller subs sound tighter and punchier then the bigger subs which could also be from the upper mid bass. This is just my observation.
darkblue94
The Devil made me do it.
If they're playing 800Hz or higher they aren't subwoofers, they're woofers.
If they're playing 800Hz or higher they aren't subwoofers, they're woofers.
I must be old .. where I came from they were subwoofers when they were playing under 30-40hz ..
But that was back in the day when speakers had woofers ..and when I started there was no such thing as a subwoofer ..
darkblue94
The Devil made me do it.
Subwoofers have been around for quite a long time.
If they're playing 800Hz or higher they aren't subwoofers, they're woofers.
If you look at the specs on 10inch or larger Sub drivers frequency response some can play up to 800hz, 500hz. 300hz.
This sub can hit 19hz but still play all the way up to 500hz. https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-um18-22-18-ultimax-dvc-subwoofer-2-ohms-per-coil--295-518
Subs do play under 30-40hz. but most subs do have higher frequency response its just most are crossed over at a lower points. Its all about where you cross them over. Most sub amps variable cross over points vary from 20hz/40hz up to 160hz/200hz.
bluesky
Lunatic Member
Yes - LPs
DaveVoorhis
Addicted Member
Note that AlNiCo magnets are considerably weaker than modern magnetic materials like samarium-cobalt and neodymium.
I think you mean vinyls. Nobody calls them LPs any more.
So have I ..
Started in the 70's .. M&K and one other that I can't remember ..
They figured out how to make a longer throw woofer (like 2") that were subwoofers ..
They were 12' and 15" drivers but they went way lower because of the longer throw .. ..
And 800hz is well into what used to be considered the midrange ..
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Once was a day when 12" was the standard .. 10" and you're giving up something .. then along comes increased throws, and pretty soon you're at *' 8" two-way with a fast tight upper bass, great mid-range integration and with a ported box ya still have a hint of lower bass ..
When ya get to them little boxes ya lost me ..
A 12" driver has great lower bass notes but gets sloppy in the upper bass.. 10" is a compromise position ..
The whole gig is a compromise without multiple drivers, but then you lose the coherence of a single driver..
Endless compromises .. name of the game ..
When ya get to them little boxes ya lost me ..
A 12" driver has great lower bass notes but gets sloppy in the upper bass.. 10" is a compromise position ..
The whole gig is a compromise without multiple drivers, but then you lose the coherence of a single driver..
Endless compromises .. name of the game ..
I understand that it would seem that way, but this is audio and you have to hear things for yourself. Can you visit an audio store and listen to some good bookshelf speakers?