Does an audio system need a subwoofer?

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Does an audio system need a subwoofer?

Postby audiostar » Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:12 pm

This article was written for readers of the Philippine Star and in answer to queries from the paper's readers. It lacks the technical information that most WS gurus are interested in.


Modern Living

AUDIO FILE By M. Val A. Villanueva
Saturday, January 19, 2008


Ocean deep

Image


One of the valuable lessons in audio that I learned from the late Mang Johnny Cruz of Balikbayan Handicrafts is that to be rated “good,” an audio system must have the ability to recreate lifelike sound.

He told me that a system must be able to “soar high up in the sky and comb the depths of the ocean floor.” The analogy, of course, refers to how high and how low in frequency an audio system can go.

Getting the high frequency from a system is somewhat easy to achieve with vintage and even modern loudspeakers. The low, or the bottom octave, is the most troublesome and often the most complicated to achieve.

I often say that the presence of bass in an audio system is akin to the charisma of the color black in photography. Without it, a photograph looks dull and unappealing. Only a few speaker models, and with a heavy price tag at that, can reproduce sound frequencies in a broader spectrum.

Most of the speakers that are reasonably priced and are common in various audio showrooms are of the monitor type: those that are usually designed to roll off at 70 or even 50 hertz, which means that sound frequencies start to be less audible at those levels. Other cleverly designed speaker systems, however, can give you an illusion of a broader frequency even if they roll off at 60 hertz, but sound purists will have none of these tweaks. They dislike being shortchanged.

Why is bass necessary in audio? Your perception of an orchestra playing on a stage in front of you is significantly enhanced. With it, the sense of the chamber’s volume is more fully conveyed. Also, recreating the circulation of the vast amounts of air being displaced by a full orchestra adds magic to what you hear, so what full-range music brings is the perception of the real thing!

If you have monitor speakers and wish to add the bottom octave, you can try experimenting by hooking up subwoofers to your system. My system rolls off at 30 hertz and I tried in vain to solve the problem by placing my speakers at different locations in my music room. I finally found the answer when I added a pair of subs, which took the load out of my main woofers in reproducing the deepest low.

I have auditioned many subs in the market and settled for Vandersteen 2Wq sub. The problem with the others is that they cannot seamlessly integrate with my system the way Vandersteen does.

The Vandersteen sub uses three eight-inch drivers firing downward rather than a single large woofer. Its cone area is in effect equal to a 14-inch driver but has the speed (transient) to deliver the punch. Each voice coil is within a massive 40-ounce, high-gauss magnet structure for amplified control and effectiveness. Vitally damped, long fiber cones with environmentally stable butyl rubber surrounds are used for exceptional firmness and linearity.

My listening experience with the subs hooked up on my system is just like what Mang Johnny had perfectly described. This Vandersteen, a modest-sized cube sub, can rock and literally shake the room. The 1812 Overture sprang to life with its magnificent cannons, and I actually felt the bass rumble in Holst’s Suite Number 1 in E-flat.

Listening to Earl Klugh’s Late Night Guitar has never been more appealing. Earl’s superb plucking seem more commanding; the expression and lucidity of the bass are simply spectacular.

We equate the use of subs with home-theater systems, but these low-octave speakers can also do wonders in a pure audio environment. Feel and hear your system as it takes you into the deepest of oceans, as what Mang Johnny believed a good system should be capable of.

* * *

For comments or questions, e-mail me at audioglow@yahoo.com or at vphl@hotmail.com. You can also visit www.wiredstate.com for quick answers to your audio concerns.
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Postby qguy » Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:23 pm

Nice article !!!
may similarities pala tayo.. stereo subs :twisted:
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Postby ras1842 » Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:59 pm

qguy wrote:Nice article !!!
may similarities pala tayo.. stereo subs :twisted:


how do you connect your stereo subs? low or line?
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Postby qguy » Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:10 pm

ras1842 wrote:
qguy wrote:Nice article !!!
may similarities pala tayo.. stereo subs :twisted:


how do you connect your stereo subs? low or line?


speaker level
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Postby ras1842 » Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:17 pm

qguy wrote:
ras1842 wrote:
qguy wrote:Nice article !!!
may similarities pala tayo.. stereo subs :twisted:


how do you connect your stereo subs? low or line?


speaker level


ok, thanks qguy.
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Postby JackD201 » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:15 pm

I'm also a believer in full range and also a believer in using 2 subs instead of 1 tucked in a corner.

Another nice article Val :)
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Postby Noel_14 » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:56 pm

Nice write-up sir :)

Heres additional information for vandy 2Wq sub-woofer: http://www.vandersteen.com/pages/Pdffiles/2wlit.pdf

Enjoy reading

Cheers
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Postby dimfer » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:43 pm

nice article Val. I am a believer of full spectrum sound as well. This dictates my choice of gears. My first venture into tube gears was the New Audio Frontiers SET 845 int amp - very hard to fault in the mids and high region, but lacked the ummph (even at louder volume) that's why it only took me an hour to decide not to keep it.
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Postby saltuhin » Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:02 pm

Having seen and heard Sir Val's system, I definitely agree on all the things he wrote. Very good ang integration ng subs nya. It was never boomy or suffering from overhang. Very tight. :roll: Basta!
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Postby audiostar » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:28 am

Thanks guys :D Writing about the things I love doing gives me the thrill. It's fun and fulfilling sharing the little things that I've learned about our dear hobby :D
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Postby Octaver » Sun Jan 20, 2008 12:49 am

Might be a good analogy:
High (White) & Low (Black) Frequency defines contrast in your system
while (Mids) defines true colors for you to hear(picture) how good is your system. :roll:
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Postby rlmaceda » Sun Jan 20, 2008 4:33 am

Full spectrum audio indeed.

A few comments:
I don't think you need a sub to appreciate guitar music... 1812 definitely, guitar maybe?
The sub needs to blend with your monitors. Sometimes a simple crossover and volume control will do it, but there is really more to this. When we first hear those missing notes we jump for joy. But really there is bass and then there is bass. I have a pair of lowthers and a pair of passive subs that I've been trying to mate for years... and I'm still trying :cry:

Great article.
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Postby marcyao » Sun Feb 24, 2008 6:21 pm

nice article. :)
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Postby bass_nut » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:43 pm

a single sub-woofer for me... if it is not there the sub will not sing kasi sub can't invent what is not there... but when those low lows are there the sub delivers with control and authority.. 8)

very nice article sir Val 8)
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Postby leo » Sun Apr 20, 2008 10:30 pm

fermacarayomd wrote:a single sub-woofer for me... if it is not there the sub will not sing kasi sub can't invent what is not there... but when those low lows are there the sub delivers with control and authority.. 8)

very nice article sir Val 8)



Same here.

Actually I was just experimenting with using a sub for my stereo setup as I got curious from the threads I've read here in WS.

When my HT sub broke I decided to get a new one. But instead of getting any high powered sub, I thought of getting my hands on a "musical" or "stereo" sub. My search led me to the ERA Sub10, as the Vandersteen 2Wq, although was quite recommended, was beyond my budget.

Fortunately, I've managed to integrate the subwoofer perfectly with the VR-1s using a borrowed SPL meter. The Sub10 comes in whenever it is needed only giving a more sense of depth. I don't notice the sub at all but rather I only hear a seamless flow of music.

So does an audio system really need a subwoofer? Maybe not always. I still think it depends on where you will be happy or how much you are contented with what you are hearing from your setup.

In my case, my curiosity has been satisfied and my listening experience now I believe is more fulfilling.

Just sharing.
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Postby randybarba » Sat Apr 26, 2008 9:50 pm

Nice article Val. Gave me something to think about. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I have to put the brakes on spending for audio :( for now due to our coming little one :D
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Postby TheAnalogSource » Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:26 am

imho, you dont need one doc. those VRs are great speakers. pretty sure it can manage well the deep blue ocean region with ease :wink:
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Postby Voltraizer » Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:40 am

also a believer in the use of sub ... in set-ups i heard ,imho)the use of 1 sub would suffice ... but i'm not discounting the fact that 2 subs might be better...
never heard or tried it yet (for music).
nice article, sir val
:D :D :D :D
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Postby Le_Stat » Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:44 am

have not heard a setup like this. But I think that it may far exceed some floorstander setups especially with good bookshelves.
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Postby Voltraizer » Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:03 am

Le_Stat wrote:have not heard a setup like this. But I think that it may far exceed some floorstander setups especially with good bookshelves.

now the question is:
wc is better, floorstander setup or bookshelves w sub/s?
:D :D
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