Subs..................how low can they/should they/need they go??

[fayeanddavid]

Subjective question I appreciate however does need to be met with objectivity I'm thinking;

Stereo speaker set ups, standards A/V set with no sub , yep and I can see and understand the "conventional@ kit, but what of the .1............the sub?

How low do they need to go, I am pursuing replacing my noble Storm as readers will know but recent reviews and articles in WHF (last 2 month's editions) have started me thinking;

How low does a sub need to go?

Does Sound Pressure Levels and Room Pressure Levels have any bearing on performance?

Downward firing, forward firing, sealed units all have issues apparently?

What of "speed and agility" of the sub, I understand it (I think) ut where is it's place with movies?

Is it headroom or necessity that a sub can retrieve 20Hz +- 3dB or 17Hz +-6dB?

How low do music and movie soundtracks go to.............then do you need headroom (lower frequency in this case I guess) to achieve the lowest bass notes

Does the spend on a sub equate in any way to the rest of the system (i.e surround sound speakers say £1,500 then sub spend should £750 etc etc)?

Enlightenment please, and possible recommendations for the "perfect" sub at under £1,000.00

Thanks

 

[Frank Harvey]

Personally, I don't think a sub really needs to go below 20Hz. For me, I want a sub with punch and speed rather than one which just rumbles along doing it's own thing. It needs to be part of the experience rather than it's own entity.

There will be those that believe that 20Hz and below is the holy grail, which is fine if that's what makes them happy.

A sealed sub is going to give you a more even bass response, but sacrifices a little depth. They tend to be more agile than a ported sub.

A ported sub is better for depth (relatively speaking), but brings all the drawbacks of a port. Some will produce a 'chuffing' noise, and the bass response can be a little random. Many lack the ultimate speed of their sealed counterparts.

There are a lot of 'ifs and buts' here though.

 

[The_Lhc]

FrankHarveyHiFi:A ported sub is better for depth (relatively speaking), but brings all the drawbacks of a port. Some will produce a 'chuffing' noise, and the bass response can be a little random. Many lack the ultimate speed of their sealed counterparts.

How about an un-ported sub with a passive resonator, such as (f'r'example) Rel's T-series (I know you don't particularly like them David but as a general design, what do they offer)?

 

[fayeanddavid]

Think what I'm after here is;

How low do movies/music go?

Is extended low end on a sub required to give headroom for low bass sound tracks?

Is there a sub that can do the business without breaking the bank?

Thanks

 

[Frank Harvey]

I've not really had extensive experience of those REL's, but what I've heard, I preferred the older ones from the 90's, although back then I wouldn't say I knew a vast amount about subs so maybe memories are best left as memories.

I feel that with subs, because I prefer speed and control over quantity, I'd rather go for a sub where all drivers are actually driven. Having said that, with it being a sealed cabinet, it could work well - most types of subs can be made to work well as long as they're designed well enough.