Results 1 to 10 of 22

Thread: subwoofers and bass 101

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    22

    Default subwoofers and bass 101

    Hello. I've got beginner's questions concerning subwoofers and bass in general. I have a NAD 370 amp and CBM 170s. I don't listen to music at high volume levels; e.g., my volume control knob never goes beyond the 9:00 position and mostly it's at around 8:00. I'm thinking about getting a subwoofer, but I'm wondering if they kick in at lower volumes, or do I have to turn up the juice to activate the subwoofer. If the latter is true, then maybe they're not for me.

    Also, if a speaker has a frequency range of 60hz-20khz, does this mean that tones of 40hz on a CD are absent during playback, or do you still hear something? A thank you ahead of time to anyone that may care to answer such elementary questions.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    43

    Default

    yeah you still hear the lower end of the bass, but the loudness decreases. so relative to everything else that can be happening at one time in music, the bass is a lot quieter. so when people say 'how low do they go' what they REALLY mean is 'what's the lowest they'll perform well at'. speaker manufacterers generally specify a hz range, +/- db. without that qualifier it's a useless measurement (you could say that the cbm170's do 20hz-20khz without specifying the db accuracy!)
    Last edited by bamputin; 02-05-2005 at 07:07 AM. Reason: spelhink

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    43

    Default

    and to answer your question - yes if it's a good sub you will be able to tell the difference even at your 'quiet' listening preference.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Charter Oak, Iowa
    Posts
    579

    Default

    Ditto what Bamputin said. Alot of subs have their own amplifier and internal crossover and most recievers have bass management and individual speaker level adjustments. You will be able to tune to your liking no matter what your amp/reciever's gain knob is set at.

    Randy

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Edmonton, Alberta Canada
    Posts
    133

    Default

    DB - one other thing - 'most' music doesn't have a lot of bass below 40 or 50 hz. If your setup is used for H/T as well as music listening, then I would definitely get a sub, but if it is strictly for music listening, and at a low volume at that - the price to performance of what you'll get may not be worth it. I would buy a sub that comes with a 15 or 30 day return policy no questions asked. This way you can judge for yourself if the expense is worth it or not.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    22

    Default

    Thanks to all for your replies. I'm impressed at how quickly I can get some help. Learned a few things this morning. I don't have an HT and not likely to in the near future, so I'll have to consider whether it is worth it to get a sub. I guess my thought was that I might be missing some low-end information in my music; I listen to a wide range of musci from classical to zeppelin, but not hip-hop or rap.
    Your responses did generate some other beginner's questions. What does it mean when a manufacturer states so and so +/- db following a Hz or frequency range? Is a lower number better? db is loudness right? Why is then that on some receivers, the louder you turn up the volume, the db numbers decrease on the digital display?
    Gotta run. I'll check in again later for your answers. Thanks again.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •