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I have an uber awesome amp, why buy a speaker with a built in woofer sub-woofer amp

I'm wondering why there is a market for awesome speakers that have built in sub woofer amps - e.g. Triton 1,2,3 ; ZuAudio Definition and so many others.

As far as I know built in amps are almost never put under the reviewers microscope. So while the amp and speakers I purchase may well have been, the amp inside the speaker isn't.

So, if I have a really good amp and I'm looking for a good pair of speakers, why would I (anyone) want a set of speakers with a built-in amp, especially one of unknown quality?
jimspov
dentdog's avatar
dentdog
506 posts
 
While onboard powered subs in a speaker can cause problems in optimal speaker location, their voicing, being that the manufacturer has control of that aspect, trumps the separate sub or subs in some senses. One such instance is the ability to integrate the sub into the overall frequency response pattern, a benefit which answers to some degree the main drawback of adding subs to a system. Cabinet resonance must be dealt with and getting the best ball response and imaging from the same location requires careful placement. In my experience the placement of this type of speaker is even more critical than normal. This was brought to my attention by Jim Smith and I must say he was on the money here. 
Nodes are another factor where having the subs in the same location as the mids/tweeters can cause issues. But to be sure dialing in the correct placement of separate subs can be frustrating as well, not to mention speaker cable placement and ability to have the subs in a user friendly location. 
All in all, I worked it out to my satisfaction and wouldn't change anything. The balance in the spectrum built in by the manufacturer overcomes the downsides, at least in my experience.

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,276 posts
 
I've yet to find an amplifier that plays bass as well as the amps I have. So I tend to prefer speakers that have deep bass response. The speakers I have at home go to 20 Hz and are easy to drive- 98 db, and my amps have full power to 2 Hz so I can shake my home easily enough!

But my speakers are expensive and I've no worries if my stereo takes up space in my living room- I'm involved in the audio industry after all so it had better! But that is not the case for all people of course so a power sub can be really handy for keeping the sprawl under control and also getting some decent low end extension.

I do find though that if a sub is used, one needs to exercise a lot of care setting it up, otherwise blend issues will plague the system. It is precisely that which is why I prefer full range speakers, so I don't have to deal with that.
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
A general rule of thumb is all about a dedicated subwoofer amp may perform better on low frequencies than uber-awesome full range amp.
mapman's avatar
mapman
23,188 posts
 

Two good amps done right are better than one. Especially when bass is offloaded to one designed to do the job and enabling the other to shine even brighter.

Of course one amp can do pretty well also but flat extended bass at high volumes requires gobs more power than the same down to only 40-50 hz or so, especially with less efficient speakers An amp overdriven trying to produce lots of extended bass clips and distorts which negatively affects everything.

SO there you go.

The good news is that many recordings have little in them below 40-50hz or so which is easier on an amp but many also do.


Keep in mind power requirements increase exponentially with lower frequency. Not addressing that effectively one way or another is a common snafu on the road to the best possible sound.


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