For clearer, deeper bass and good volume on an active subwoofer, what should i look for...?

Question

To get that clear, deep sounding bass from a subwoofer should i be looking at frequency responce, rms watt, 10" 12" 15" sub?

I currently have a set of 3-way 120-watt rms Jamo speakers and a 200w 4-channell denon amp (incase that affects thedecision i should be making). I'm looking to buy a subwoofer to really beef up the sound and catch all the low end bass etc. The Jamo's have an 8" sub and dont seem to meet my needs. there's so many subwoofers out there im not sure what the best specifications are i should be looking for to get the sound i want??

Any help is very much appreciated!!
thanks!!
Graeme.

Answer 1

most hi-fi dealers will tell you that two 5" drivers will chuck out the same amount of bass as a single 10" but, personally, i think you can hear the difference. if you've got deep pockets or can buy second-hand then check out B&W's Matrix and Nautilus 801s!(they're 15"ers btw)

really - the only advice that's worth a straw is to get down to your local hi-fi specialist dealer and arrange to audition a few...then go elsewhere and do the same...and again!

personally, i run transmission-line speakers i built myself with TWO extra 15" subwoofers but i like bass that goes too deep to hear, runs the risk of causing serious internal injuries to myself and my friends and elicits regular letters from the local council!

i don't know which denon you have - i've heard denons in the past that have pretty reasonable bass but you're gonna get ALOT more from any sort of active...think the problem you're gonna have has more to do with integrating that into the rest of your system so it doesn't sound tooo obviously unbalanced. (my solution to that was to go for ribbon-tweeters and hyper tweeters that can handle alot of output and just play it really REALLY loud!)

=)

Answer 2

Driver size is irrelevant. There are subwoofers with 12" drivers that can only go down to 30hz and there are subwoofers with 8" drivers that can go down to 22hz.

High power helps - not necessarily because it's louder (it isn't always), but because more power means more control.

A prime example of "size ain't everything", is the Sunfire True Subwoofer. It's an 11" cube, with a pair of 8" high excursion drivers, reaching down to 22hz - and powered by a 2,700w amplifier!! That'll shake your fillings...

Personally, I also have Jamo speakers with 8" bass drivers (a pair of D-590's). On their own, they can make the solid concrete floor in my lounge vibrate - plenty enough for music. But the Jamo D6 sub that I run in home cinema mode, with its 400 watt amp, 15" driver and frequency response down to 26Hz, really helps with movies!

Answer 3

for some people mobile bass like they want never comes. i have a decent system but i hear peoples all the time like that. so i know what you're saying. the best way is if you hear someones you like ask em what stuff they got..but that still isn't a promise of bass to you though as you're cars acoustically insides are different. what sounds rad in theyre ride will most likely sound like crap in you'res. that's the irony of the car audio "tease". if you want "for sure" massive bass demo boom room bass thumping like the top of the line wow that sounds rad i can feel it when he drives by then get ready to spend atleast 2k for a well deisgned system. atleast.

Answer 4

The most important parameter is size (diameter of the cone), all things being equal. Unless you are under 15, your ears will probably not hear anything under 60hertzs, but you body will feel it. So the wattage is important - the more you have, the more your chest will resonate to the lows. But be prepared to get cracks in the walls as your whole room shakes to the sound when you turn up the wick.

Answer 5

frequency response, RMS wattage, speaker diameter and solid construction are all factors to consider. Paper cone vs. plastic cone is also important. Plastic lasts longer but paper gives better response.

Answer 6

I think creative inspire speakers very good ....try it.