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subwoofer to speaker connection

I am a novice and would like to seek advice from fellow Audiogonians. In  reading the forum 128025-84361 (Jan this year) on speaker and sub connection, I am intrigued  by the comment   from rcprince “Virtually every review I have read remarks on how the mids and upper bass from the main speakers are improved when you add a subwoofer…”. I have a pair of Focus Audio Signature Series (Model 78) speaker and one Audio Physic Luna sub. Would connecting these 2 produce improvement in the sound of music? If so , how  can I  best connect my sub and speaker ? I don’t mind buying the high pass filter and inline cross over as mentioned in the above forum, if needed. Moses


moses189
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,412 posts
 

The reason "the mids and upper bass from the main speakers are improved when you add a subwoofer" is because relieving the main speakers of reproducing very low bass (assuming you are highpass-filtering the signal sent to those speakers and their power amp) can greatly reduce the distortion they are producing. The lower the frequency a speaker is trying to reproduce, the harder it has to work (move air), and the more distortion is creates, generally speaking. If the woofer isn’t having to produce low bass, it can produce upper bass and mids freer of distortion.

That’s why many Maggie owners use subs with their speakers---not just to provide the very low bass that Maggies don’t, but to reduce the amount of upper bass and midrange distortion that results from relieving the panels’ magnetic-planar bass driver of moving far enough to reproduce frequencies below 40Hz or so. The same is true of many other speakers as well.

If one doesn’t highpass the signal going to the main speakers and their power amp, that advantage of bi-amping is lost.

stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,368 posts
 
subs also fill in the "nulls" making the main speaker sound cleaner and clearer.
moses189 OP
23 posts
 
Thanks both  bdp24 and stringreen for providing the "scientific" reason in having bi-amp. I will for sure buy the Hsu high pass filter and will be looking forward to detect the difference. 
On a sonewhat separate but related question I wonder if you can help to advice. There  is another Lectron amp JH50 tube (50watt) amp available from a store possibly selling for $1500. Would there be any major advantage in having 2 rather than just one such amp to drive the 2 speakers I have? (With one such amp,  I normally turn the pre-amp volume control to half way to produce adequate volume to listen in my small room, 12 ft wide, 13ft long, 8 ft high). Moses189
gdnrbob
4,409 posts
 
If you can use them as monoblocks, then yes, it would be an upgrade.
Possibly less so if you want to drive upper and lower frequencies separately.
One of the best things about monoblocks is that you can put the amps close to the speakers. Thus, using short speaker cables.
B

moses189 OP
23 posts
 
Thanks for your comments, gdnrbob.  I wonder if anyone would like to further comment on future upgrades of my system since spending $1500 for  another Lectron JH50 amp will not provide any tangible gain in the sound (to be used as monoblocks) after adding my sub+high pass filter, what would be the next upgrade that you would recommend: change  my  Audio focus (Signature series model 78) speaker, or Transcendent Grounded Grid Preamp, or  Linn sondek LP12  turntable with Karma cartridge?
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