Do I need a subwoofer?


Hopefully I’ve framed this in a way to help people answer. Up until recently I have had a combo 2-channel/home theater system (Krell preamp with home theater bypass, Bryston 5 channel amp, PSB Synchrony 1s bi-amped speakers, Marantz home theater receiver, Power Sound Audio XV15 subwoofer, Oppo CD player). I wanted extra oomph for surround sound movie watching and occasionally some rock music, hence the sub. I was never really impressed with the XV15 sub (have it for sale now). It is insanely large and I wasn’t sure it was adding the oomph I expected, even after having a local hifi shop owner come out for a listen and tune.

What’s changed: A few weeks ago I inherited my late father’s B&W 801 speakers circa 1980, which I have put in place of my PSBs and am enjoying thoroughly despite the age difference.

My questions: (1) would a sub still be of value in my setup (I still like a lot of bass) and (2) what might folks recommend?

 

Thank you.

olfac87

Well, this doesn’t have anything to do with law but rather experience in audio.  I stand by mine.  What’s yours?

Saying thank you again. I will definitely look at both SVS and REL, and I've already reached out about room treatments before I do anything else. I really appreciate the input as I put my audiophile research hat back on.

@olfac87 ,


Do you know exactly what series it is? It should be on the back.

The series 80, the first ones, didn't go that deep on the bass, they were 2db down at 37Hz (quick check) and by 20Hz would have dropped a lot. Subs would definitely help for the deep bass.

The series 2 was tuned to achieve much deeper bass. They were flat to almost 20Hz. However, the series 2 to work "properly" required the external equalizer.

I am definitely a subs person, and high pass the mains. It reduces distortion. Would that benefit the 801? It is a trade off. Using the bass of the 801 with external subs will even out the bass at the trade-off of more distortion in the 801s. A challenge and fun experiment to see what you like better. I do recommend for subs learning how to take room measurements. It is cheap and much quicker and more accurate than trying to do it by ear.