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1) Recently I modernized my preamplifier to an Outlaw 950, which supports Dolby 5.1 decoding. My current main speakers are kit Speakerlab SK (1980's; Klipsch-style corner horn mated to a 7" midrange and EV tweeter), and the sides are Klipsch Cornwalls. The Speakerlabs "claim" 32Hz to (I forget) +- 3dB. Would I get much value out of adding a sub to this system? Can I damage these (stereo) speakers by listening to movies with a lot of low frequency content? 2) I am considering upgrading my system with Seven Pi-18 Premium or Professional, or Seven Pi Professional all JBL, depending on how flush I am at the time. :) Would I get much value out of adding a sub to this system? 3) Is the Adire Tempest one of the better choices for adding to either of these systems? I have heard subwoofers as I walked by at places like Best Buy. Mainly, they made me quicken my pace, as their distorted noise hurt my ears. Younger readers: invest in hearing aid stock - your generation is going to be needing them big time long before they get to my age! :)
There are folks running 6" single driver speakers that are happy with the bass, although it really isn't getting much lower than 100Hz. Then there are others that want the 20-40Hz octave EQ'ed up louder than the mids. As for me, if a system's response doesn't reach 60Hz flat, it sounds lacking. If it can reach 40Hz flat, then it sounds pretty good and full. And the futher down it reaches, the better, because I can really notice the difference between a speaker with f3 of 30Hz and one with f3 of 40Hz. The 40Hz speaker sounds full, but the 30Hz speaker sounds even more so. That's just a matter of quantity though. As long as we're hitting 40Hz, quality becomes more important to me. Adding subs adds bass sound sources, and this smoothes room modes. So the benefit of adding subs isn't just about extension, it's also about sound quality.
Hi Wayne, What do you think of the bass from Pi Seven Theater Series Cornerhorns with Delta 15 drivers? I realize the drivers are very inexpensive compared to JBL's, so an alarm just went off. I'm putting them together as bass boxes, with 40" front horns with Lowthers (I know, not your cup of tea) for the mids and high frequencies. My preamp and tube amps are pretty high end and getting higher. I still have time to stop work on them and size them for JBL's if you think the quality of the bass will be that much better. Regards, Len
The Theater seven π speakers sound nice. I do think that the Professional sevens sound cleaner though. There is a pretty big difference, in that the JBL woofer has a shorting ring. I much prefer them, to be quite honest. The biggest difference is in the midbass and lower midrange, which is a very critical part of the spectrum, in my opinion.
I appreciate the reply. Regards, Len
Dean, My guess is that you don't "need" a subwoofer. That said, I've learned that a good subwoofer can be an awful lot of fun, particularly with movies. I'd never heard (much less owned) a subwoofer and recently built a Tempest. It's really a hoot when movie LFEs kick in, causing the whole house to shake! For less than a $500 investment (including driver, plate amp, MDF, veneer, etc.), it's giving me a lot of pleasure. (BTW, I don't mean to imply that the Tempest is just a rumbler. It sounds great w/ music as well, subtlely filling in the bottom octave.) Tempest Sub Construction Pix