Low bass in music - Sub or no Sub ?

[Mano]

Wow.

I'm not sure that many stereo music lovers really take subs seriously, even if they have modestly-sized bookshelf speakers. I don't think that I ever have. Obviously, that is a mistake. Your post is the best reason I've ever seen to adopt a sub for classical/serious music listening

Congratulations on good conclusion to this. From problem through ideas and solution to implementation has been a real success. :clapping:

Dear Thad

Please listen to Indian well recorded classical, instrumental music with a well merged (blended sub) to your main speakers (not too much or not too less) you will really really feel that you are in the thick of the concert or performance, especially instruments like mridangam (you can hear and feel the two distinguishing notes from the two sides) and also the tabla or even our local "thappa". Not to mention the new ones like the "fusion" ones.

My 2 cents.

Sorry for the late post, I just happened to stumble on the thread.

Cheers
Mano

 

[arj]

I was talking to a friend of mine who raised two concerns about my setup.

1. The bass notes may differ in their timings in the two channels / there can be phase difference in the two channels in the bass region. Using a single sub cancels these out and so the bass response gets altered.

2. Single sub will make one person feel that there is a single sub and knowing its position will shift the soundstage by playing with psychology. It is better to have two subs to overcome this feeling.

How much of truth is there in these two points ?

actually getting the phase right is not very difficult with single or dual subs. getting the position is not easy with dual.
Ideally the benefit of dual subs come in when they are at opposites so the cancellation can happen but given a choice a single good sub is better that 2 average ones .