I’ve heard subwoofers of 50 watts in the past. They were absolutely nothing to laugh at. In that case, they weren’t “loudness champions.” But, due to their design, I heard what I felt was deep beautiful sounding bass.
Agree with 50W is enough to get around with deep bass. Repurposed an altec lansing thx rated mx5021 with 50W of power into 4 at 10% thd with spl max 80dB of 6.5inches long throw front woofer rear ported. The power is incredible and performed pretty decently for its size.
50w?! LoL There’s no way it sounded good unless it was capable of much more and you level matched with your other speakers. I’ve sold hundreds of subs and only the dinkiest were efficient enough to work at that power with even 15w per channel available to the mains.
"The sound pressure level depends mainly on the amplification of the subwoofer." No. Sound pressure level will depend entirely on the driver membrane area and throw. Amplification can be a limit on that, especially with smaller diameter subs and smaller box sizes, since they'll require longer throws to reach the same SPL as a larger sub. Rather than spend a huge sum on a big, high-powered sub, i always will recommend getting two subs and properly integrating them into your system. Doubling up on subs gets you a doubling of SPL, so for normal listening levels this works out to you needing only about 1/6 the amplifier power you'd need with a single subwoofer. This will also reduce subwoofer driver throw and thus reduce distortion, since drivers distort more the further out of their resting position we ask them to move. Buy two subs!
I recently paid less than $40 for a Velodyne minivee subwoofer at a thrift store because it looked new. What I found was that at 1000W rms sealed enclosure, it was nothing like I had ever heard. It made some ported subwoofers disappear so I think there is something to how hard that extra power hits.
I have two older SVS Ultra 13 subs and just recently did their plate amp upgrade (love companies that allow upgrade path) and the output now is 1,200 watts RMS, 4,000+ watts Peak power amplifier with fully discrete MOSFET Also I now have DSP app that controls all sub settings from my listening position In my room I typically set the crossover at 50 hz and volume at -16 db any more than that the pictures will vibrate off the wall 😅
Paul is right about that, wattage does not tell the full story and there are many factors to consider. What is the application, how many speakers are in the room? Is this a stereo or Theater setup? What kind of music do you favor? How big is the room and what kind of range are your speakers? From there you can size a sub for the application, choose ported or sealed and determine features. Personally you could also reach out to the company of choice if they offer assistance. SVS for example has guides and staff that can step you through finding the correct sub for your room. I'm a sealed sub man for music and ported for theater and live concert. I tend to push people to at least a good 12 inch to start. But really depends on your needs and budget.
I remember when the Sunfire subwoofers came to market. They were so different and incredible. I wanted one so bad, but they cost so much for my budget 😄
Easy: Position mains to receive best imaging, i.e often 2-4 feet out from front wall, use proper room treatments. Play with your listening position to find best location (not against rear wall). Place at least 2 subs, one front, one back (as an example) or 4 subs in each corners and do your best to integrate them by ear. If you want best sonically improvement use measuring device and a gadget like minidsp to integrate all subs properly. Done!
Speed, that's what I think of to make sure that the subwoofer can get close to keeping up with the main speakers. The Carver True Sub has a 12 inch driver with a passive side. The class D amplification is 2700 Watts. I still have mine in my system and it's still chugging away. I was going to trade it in but then I decided that I don't see the need. My subwoofer sits on a symposium platform and does not move at all probably because most of my music is acoustic jazz, blues, yacht rock and small period Instrument.
If your a tinkerer Build a sono usub. I get mine down to 6hz at 120db and stays within the gap with one of my under rated 300w 12in subs. You can use a old branded pro sound amp bridged to mono at least 100w a side. Also can use a old car audio 12v electronic subwoofer crossover if not using a dedicated subwoofer amp. Easy to do and tons of clean bass when needed.
STILL have a mint Velodyne F-1500-R, bought back in the day, with only 250W, it is musical and plays lower then most any subwoofers that were made back in 1994. And of course, with the Martin Logan Classic electrostats, my dealer paired the ML Dynamo 1600X with Anthem Room Correction to them. Could not be happier with that 'synergy' . It is curious to me why Paul did not start off with mentioning SVS? One of the most well known brands going these days. Sometimes I don't think he knows some of the most common electronics out in the market these days...... 🤔
@@petekutheis3822 You are correct on that. Very much like he can't seem to say 'Klipschorn' . When he must know, that all speaker manufactures owe homage to Paul W. Klipschs' multi driver designs and crossovers dating back to 1946. His late buddy Arnie Nudelle even had a pair !😮
The result you will get with a subwoofer depends Not on the power that drives it, but how much air it can move. Larger rooms demand larger figures of air displacement.
I think the question is a good one. In my mind it asks about pressurizing the room vs the listening area. I recall Darren mentioning that he was building a pair of large subs that would be placed right next to his listening chair. Do subs by your chair need less power than subs 20 feet away? What if you fill 15 Hz to 40 Hz with drivers a couple feet from your head phase aligned to the main speakers 7 feet away? Could you get away with smaller drivers and amps or do you still need a stack of 3 REL subs on each side of your chair?
I have 2 Polk audio 10 inch subs along with the Polk speakers I've had for 10 years and I set them up exactly as you described in a few of your videos and I have BASS within my room now.. NOT Subwoofer BOOM like I did b4. If you pay attention to "Good' advice and instructions your Listening World changes forever! 👍 That's the fact Jack. Thanks Paul for All your help and support. 🎶
Paul, nice work on this one. I wish people who are inquiring about this type of stuff would give more details so they get the best and most appropriate information...we are left to assume this is for 2 channel only, but what type of music, current speakers & amps/power, room size and goals would help tremendously?
if you run a subwoofer(in box) play the hardest frequency it will play, for a small sealed box that might be 15hz. try some small amps and see if it can move the woofer to it limits for a minute.
I remember many decades ago hearing my first speaker where the midrange and tweeters were taken out of the cabinet. The speakers were the Dahlquist dq10. After listening a bit I told the salesperson "They don't have any bass." They countered with they're not bass heavy, they're balanced. Are those $100,000 plus systems they demonstrate at shows, balanced or presentations where the bass dominates everything else? It would seem to me that a sound like that would have the dramatics to generate sales. I personally don't like a sound like that. I am a midrange man and I don't mind the kind of bass that is well defined but you sort of have to listen for it or direct your attention there. It is a known psychoacoustic effect that the absence of bass below 35 hertz makes the mid and upper bass sound more defined. At one time I thought I didn't need bass below 45 hertz. I still don't think I need much bass below 35 hertz. Too heavy a sound seems to lack fleetness to me. Maybe I haven't heard the right combo
Let's not forget about the basic physics though. Larger driver will move more air. If you really crave for that chest thumping feeling , a good rule of thumb is to go with a larger subwoofer from a well-respected brand. Larger the speakers you have , larger the subwoofer, generally speaking. Your main speakers' physical size take precedence over anything IMHO when it comes to choosing subs. Then comes judging a certain subwoofers' ability to blend in and dissapppaer in to the mains , enhancing the soundstage.
With a pair of high end floorstanding speakers and good amp etc etc. when talking about the subwoofer, what is considered the perfect volume to have it set on? suppose I have a crossover on 40hz and suppose the loudspeakers play 65db at the listening position when playing white noise. How loud should I set the subwoofer on? How do you get the correct loudness? and what is the correct loudness?
The wavelength at 20 Hz is about 17 meters (ie the speed of sound in air, 343 m/s divided by the frequency 20 Hz). It's why you only need one subwoofer and why it's difficult to determine where your subwoofer is in the room if it's hidden. You can technically place the subwoofer anywhere in the room.
@PetraKann: That’s why I do subwoofer placement by ear. In fact, I don’t do the - so called - subwoofer crawl. I place in a spot and see how it sounds from my primary listening chair.
@@bikdav You're probably picking up standing waves and reflections of the higher bass frequencies (50-100 Hz) The wavelengths at these frequencies range from about 7m to 3.5m which is getting closer to the dimensions of an ordinary listening room. I have only owned a sub-woofer once and it was placed under the coffee table and could hardly be seen with a draping table cloth. I dont bother with sub-woofer these days. I try to get a quality woofer in the main speakers and focus on midrange and tweeter characteristics. (I eventually made my own enclosures and designed a pair of 3-way speakers)
@@michaelrovner4165 stereo woofers or stereo sub-woofers? You wont pick up any stereo imagine when the sound wavelength is comparable or greater than the size of your listening room.
I love Paul's videos however I bought my Klipsch sub at bestbuy. If Klipsch isn't a reputable or respected brand idk what is. Not saying they are the best but absolutely nothing wrong with buying a sub at a big box store as long as you can demo and are familiar with the brand
As you say, "as long as you can demo and are familiar with the brand". Paul was referring to some strange brand you've never heard like "Maxos" probably made in China and promising more than it can deliver. (So far as I know there is no Maxos brand."
Shoot for quality bass. Not SPL. I'm a big fan of JL Audio. I have 3 Fathom F113 (throughout the house, of course) and an E110. There is something special about a fast, musical sub that plays low and clean. When you feel low tones that are not very audible, it's magic!
JLAUDIO makes great subs for home and automobile.👍 I used a JLAUDIO 8 inch in a custom ported and properly baffled box in my truck. Incredibly deep bass played at low volume.
A 100 hertz wavelength will fit in a 11.3 foot room. A 40 hertz wavelength needs around a 28 foot lenth room. Are you guys sure you're hearing that low a bass?
As a long term 2 channel man, I’ve only in recent years ventured into the world of subs. I wish I’d done it many years ago! My priority is top quality music reproduction. To that end I employ multiple low or moderately powered subs with various driver sizes. You can start with one and build up fron there. In a home theatre environment, my multiple subs do an outstanding job of augmenting that cinema experience. Vut, if home theatre is your priority? Then investing in one or more, large, powerful, room shaking subs will doubtless pay dividends. That is my humble opinion drawn on my own humble experience. Others may offer different advice, based upon their experiences. Their opinions are equally valid. Most of all, enjoy the music!
100 watts Rms for a subwoofer is Okay but not Satisfied feels like there's something Missing, 300 watts RMS is better for a healthy Young Ears beyond that 300 watts RMS is Ridiculously not practical power is free nowadays so if you have the budget Why Not? I am happy with 300 Watts RMS my ear is great
More watts dosent mean a subwoofer Will be more powerful than another subwoofer with less watts, A larger subwoofer will play louder and deeper with the same wattage, i think 10 inch woofers are to weak even for music, 12 inch at least, i use an Arendal 1723 1s 14 inch woofer it moves some air but also very tight and clean
The Audio moment is when you say: WHAT THE F was that I just heard..???👍😎🤗 AND. don’t you 🫵 ever ever call me an Audiophile.😡 You are free to call me anything else but that..😀
He’s not asking how to match the power amp with a subwoofer; he’s asking how to know what wattage powered subwoofer to match his loudspeakers. My general rule of thumb is 2-3x. Any reputable manufacturer will publish SPL at RMS. Compare that to your loudspeakers and 🎉.
