What is wrong with a sub?

Nope, not at all. Integrating a sub well is the only issue. Done well they are spectacular.

@sgordon1 thanks for the support. To answer the first part, I do not have the time, or the money to test every combo. In cases where I do have the money, I’d like to know what others think hoping to put it all together and do it right. I have a set of speakers that my amp does not drive well. So I ordered another amp. Fun, costly and somewhat irritating. Maybe a sub would be the trick - too late, I ordered the amp.

Had I known how much I prefer the feel of speakers and sub over headphones I would have saved money and time there too. I didn’t need to spend what I did on head phones. A sub helps with that in my limited space. It also seems my speaker sub pair might sound better than what I can do for a few K more.

David, very few speakers do deep bass well. Those that do have what amounts to a built in sub. So, many of us add dedicated subwoofers to our systems to get the bottom octaves. I love my subwoofers. There is no way I could get realistic bass without them. I would think at my age I am anything but a bush leaguer. Enjoy your bass and your system subwoofer and all.  

@elizabeth Exactly!  Seems like most people with subs just want to hear the thump, thump, thump.   


Used correctly a sub should just extend the lower range of your mains linearly within a few dBs.    At least that's the "audiophile" answer.

But lots of people like subs so they can turn them up and thump away.   I have also been known to do that on occasion when my kids were watching a movie.