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Does a REL subwoofer make the speakers' job easier?

Gentlemen,

Let’s assume we are following REL’s recommendation by connecting the sub to the amp instead of the preamp through the high-level connection. Then which one of these two would be true?

1. The sub would make the speakers’ job easier by not sending the low bass signal (i.e., below the crossover point) to them.

2. The signal sent to the speakers would still include the low bass even when the sub is used. Therefore the speakers would still receive the full range signal.

If (1) is true, how is it accomplished electrically? I am asking this as someone who has little knowledge about how the signal flow between amp and speakers works.

Thanks in advance!

johnson0134

Showing 1 response by snilf

snilf's avatar
snilf
193 posts
 

Thank you, bdp24, for the best brief subwoofer tutorial I've ever read. I made a screen shot of it for my now extensive file. It's humbling how much some of you know, and really understand, about the technical side of this hobby.

FWIW, I've got an NHT SubOne in my system, and it has the high-pass filter option attributed here to the Vandy, Hsu, and other designs. I find that connecting with this option does indeed improve the sound of the system as a whole—I presume for the reasons bdp24 so clearly articulated. However, the NHT also has a two-position phase switch, and I've found that engaging this (so, 180 degrees out of phase) also helps very slightly: it improves the integration, so that the overall sound calls no attention whatsoever to the sub while enriching the presentation in subtle but important ways. Perhaps I just happen to have the sub placed where "16 feet" of electronically simulated distance is just right. Or maybe I'm just not that critical a listener.

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