Will a subwoofer add depth and clarity to my system, or just bass?


hi folks,
I just purchased a set of Focal Aria 906 speakers with stand, powered by a Bluestream PowerNode (not my ideal system but I had a limited budget).  I think it sounds really good, but am wondering if an upgrade to a subwoofer is worth it, and if so, what would pair well with this system -- my audio guy recommended the JL Audio D110 10" Dominion Subwoofer, but that's out of my price range.  Perhaps a SVSPB1000, for $499?  My room isn't very big, and I don't use the system for movies, just listening to mostly jazz and rock (and classical).
Thank you!
jazz99

Showing 1 response by newtoncr

I am convinced that adding a pair of subs 
1. Improves the bass range
2. Cleans up the midrange 
3. Widens the sound stage .
the key being placement and tuning ie the phase setting and volume of subs.
i use my pair of kef blade 2s along with a pair of Jl Audio f113 v2. The sound improvements after adding the subs were phenomenal through the entire spectrum.
i am not a profound supporter of room sound correction programs .
noble100 was right on the dot till recommendations no 5, from that point on I tend to differ from him. Not saying he is wrong but saying his techniques are different .
i would recommend you contact Barry Oder ie the sound doctor. His experience with subs spans over 4 decades. I spent a weekend with him and learnt a lot which I have used for setting up my sound . If you call Jl Audio for help they would guide you to the white papers written by Barry . He is a true guru .
http://www.soundoctor.com/whitepapers/subs.htm
Read the above paper written by him and you can contact him over phone . He is a tremendous resource and loves to help people who love bass. Who doesn’t . 
You don’t need a Jl Audio sub to make great music but you need to have it perfectly aligned with your main speakers to sound great .time domain is in my opinion crucial .