the best high level input for a sub is one that's pure, no eq. This generally means bigger front speakers with a flatter bottom end are a requirement - it's much more difficult to match a sub and satellites using a high level signal and any eq'ing for the front speakers naturally ends up being eq'd on the sub as well and it gets messy. This is where it makes little sense to me; the idea of bigger speakers being easier to match with a sub using high level inputs is directly at odds with why we would use a sub for music in the first place - to relieve the main speakers of that sub bass and infrasonic load.
Just clarify for me would you James, because there's seems to be a contradiction or two in what you're saying here. You're advocating using EQ to sort out each speaker's in room response, and yet you start by saying that the best input signal for a sub is one where speaker EQ isn't used. Which is it?
In order to get the sort of in-room benefits you're hinting at i.e. ones where the differences between EQ'ing a single sub supplementing the front stereo channels versus lets say two full range speakers + a sub for each become clearly audible, then surely you're talking about a level of sophistication in the processing software processing that goes way beyond the average AV Receiver? In fact, you're whole reference to infrasonics in music takes the discussion to a realm of gear way above the price bracket of £250 subs and mid-market AV receivers. It's an entirely different discussion.
Except you loose the ability to individually eq the front speakers properly.
Again. in the context of
@jetpaczx application then it's not even relevant.
I dont think there's a sub out there without some kind of digital alignment that has a perfectly flat phase response.
That sounds like it's an important statement but you and I both know it's a bit of smoke and mirrors to try enhance your point.
You know this - the phase knob changes the alignment of the sub, yes, but it only shifts the entire spectrum by x degrees and the problem is you might get that sub aligned at 60hz but it might still be 180 degrees out of phase at 30hz and that's a big problem if you're running full range fronts with their own phase responses.
Yes, the phase knob does change the timing of the entire audio spectrum for the sub. It's exactly the same effect as moving the sub. In fact it's exactly the same effect as moving
any speaker.
I don't know where this obsession with large front speakers has suddenly come from? What I was talking about was about running the front channels of an AVR in full range mode and using a sub to fill in the bottom end for speakers that couldn't get down there on their own.
Also, the sort of EQ that has the sophistication to change the way bass notes propagate within a room so that no bass wave trough ever arrives at the multiple seating positions for any listener, and yet doesn't impart a sonic fingerprint on the music, is at a level of sophistication that's beyond the financial reach of the average user. TACT, Lyngdorf, Trinnov perhaps, but we're talking almost £30,000 for some of those solution invested in just the pre-amp before any power amps, speakers and source gear has been purchased.
