Subwoofers

Subwoofers

What is a Subwoofer and Why do I need one?

Is Meghan Trainor right? Is it “all about that bass?”.
We think she’s right, but not solely for listening to heavy drum and bass, or rap/dance music, but all across the different genre’s of music.
Typically, a 2-channel HiFi speaker set up, or a 5.0 surround sound home cinema system cannot get to the lower frequencies of 20-200Hz, these instrumental sounds from bass guitars, organs, bass cello’s, kick drums etc cannot be reached through a standard non-subwoofer setup, and movies with full on action will never give you the impact of explosions or rolling thunder the movie director intended when designing the soundtrack.
Were not talking about being a 20 year old with a new car and banging bass, windows open! Subwoofers make up a critical component of any good Hi-Fi system.

What is a Subwoofer & why do I need one?

Firstly, lets cover what Bass is.
Bass notes are the sounds at the lower end of the audio spectrum, these low-frequency sounds with deep drum notes, or a space rocket take off in a movie is what Subwoofers are designed for, that sound you feel and not just hear.
A Subwoofer widens the sound stage, with the depth of sound created in the audio track being delivered to your room. It becomes a vibrant web of hidden sounds that you’d not heard without the sub.
2 channel HiFi systems of bookshelf or floor standing speakers deliver the higher and mid-range frequencies as well as a limited amount of bass. Higher notes like orchestral violins will be delivered by the tweeters and mid-range speakers, but the deep bass of a bass cello or the thumping of the kick drum is where the subwoofer comes into the fray. 
Without a subwoofer, your simply not hearing all of the sound that the creator of the track wanted you to hear. Its not just listening you notice the difference in, its “feeling” the sound, feeling the difference in air pressure when a full action movie really gets your heart beating faster.
What sub do I need for my system?

Power is not the only determining factor when picking a subwoofer for your system, although it is a big part of it.
Questions you may ask are “do I need a passive or active subwoofer?”.
Passive Subwoofers need a dedicated amplifier to drive these. Active Subwoofers have an inbuilt amplifier, so only require a connection to the AV receiver or amplifier to activate them.
Power is determined by the wattage of the subwoofer. A higher wattage becoming a more powerful subwoofer. It is preferable to have a more powerful subwoofer as it will play louder and handle lower frequency sounds (those really deep room vibrating ones), as well as having a lot more flexibility and control over the sounds being delivered.

Still not sure what you need?

CONTACT US and we’ll help you make the right decision for your room and system.