prateekatasniya
Well-Known Member
from soundstagesolo.com
By this measurement, the best subwoofer of the bunch was a slim, dual-10″ sealed model from Von Schweikert Audio, which I measured with a -3dB response down to 19Hz. The worst was a 15″ ported model from B&W (in the decades before and after the company spelled out Bowers & Wilkins), which had -3dB response down to just 30Hz. Yet in my blind tests, the panelists raved about the B&W’s deep bass extension and complained that the Von Schweikert didn’t have enough bottom end for action movies.
Baffled by this, I ran every standard test I could think of to explain the difference (including pulling the plate amps out and measuring those), and then I started concocting experimental measurements. I finally got my answer when I used an Audio Precision analyzer to measure the subs’ output in dB versus distortion, at 20, 40, 60, and 80Hz. This measurement lined up perfectly with the listener impressions—the chunky B&W delivered ample output at 10% total harmonic distortion at 20Hz, while the slim Von Schweikert was down about 15dB under the same conditions. It appeared the Von Schweikert sub had been EQ’d with a bass boost to make it flat down to 20Hz (still a common practice with small subs), but its amp and drivers didn’t have the physical capacity to deliver those low frequencies at a useful volume.
CTA-2010
The CTA-2010 standard eventually codified subwoofer output measurements, which have become a common component of subwoofer reviews for some publications. But that left a legacy of about two decades’ worth of subwoofer measurements that misrepresented the products’ capabilities—and we still see this misrepresentation on some subwoofer spec sheets.
I was trying to explain this since a long time ( which I learnt from my experience).. finally I found a source which people would take seriously. Hope this helps you choose better subs.
By this measurement, the best subwoofer of the bunch was a slim, dual-10″ sealed model from Von Schweikert Audio, which I measured with a -3dB response down to 19Hz. The worst was a 15″ ported model from B&W (in the decades before and after the company spelled out Bowers & Wilkins), which had -3dB response down to just 30Hz. Yet in my blind tests, the panelists raved about the B&W’s deep bass extension and complained that the Von Schweikert didn’t have enough bottom end for action movies.
Baffled by this, I ran every standard test I could think of to explain the difference (including pulling the plate amps out and measuring those), and then I started concocting experimental measurements. I finally got my answer when I used an Audio Precision analyzer to measure the subs’ output in dB versus distortion, at 20, 40, 60, and 80Hz. This measurement lined up perfectly with the listener impressions—the chunky B&W delivered ample output at 10% total harmonic distortion at 20Hz, while the slim Von Schweikert was down about 15dB under the same conditions. It appeared the Von Schweikert sub had been EQ’d with a bass boost to make it flat down to 20Hz (still a common practice with small subs), but its amp and drivers didn’t have the physical capacity to deliver those low frequencies at a useful volume.
CTA-2010
The CTA-2010 standard eventually codified subwoofer output measurements, which have become a common component of subwoofer reviews for some publications. But that left a legacy of about two decades’ worth of subwoofer measurements that misrepresented the products’ capabilities—and we still see this misrepresentation on some subwoofer spec sheets.
I was trying to explain this since a long time ( which I learnt from my experience).. finally I found a source which people would take seriously. Hope this helps you choose better subs.
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