How to block low frequencies to speakers
Subscribe to Ask Paul Ask a QuestionIf you're adding a subwoofer to the system, how do you block low frequencies coming into the main speakers? And, should you?
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What Paul here recommends echoes the design philosophy of the REL subwoofer company. Their subwoofers do not have any means of cutting off part of the signal to the main speakers. They do not interfere with the range of the main speakers at all because as their designer explains, the main speakers were expertly designed and balanced. So the REL sub (which I just bought) allows the user to choose a point at which the sub produces sound (20hz to 120 hz) and allows the volume of that sound to be controlled. But they just play along with the main speakers. As far as I’m concerned, this has worked very well with my Accoustat 2 + 2 speakers which do have excellent bass already. With the sub the bass is now “more excellent.” There is now a deeper “floor” to the bass.
I know another way to skin that sonic cat.
If his integrated amp has a pare of preamp outs, then most likely, it has a pare of mane ins.
If he wants to stop his bookshelf speakers from making bass, then a two way electronic crossover can do that job.
But here’s how you hook it all up.
Put the mane inputs of the crossover on the preamp outs.
Then put the high-pass part of the crossover on the mane ins.
Here’s where the powered subwoofer will get all the bass.
You would put that on the low-pass part of the crossover.
Set the knobs accordingly, and there you are!
All of your sounds are going exactly where you want them to go.
But isn’t the major problem with “small” loudspeakers that they often show a bass boost? Thus adding a sub would in most cases require to equalize this boost in order to get a smoother overall response. It would be most interesting to get to know from your setup-guide where to position the subs – the (dipole) subwoofer towers of the IRSVs aren’t placed near to a wall as recommended for most (home theatre) subwoofers!
Exactly, when you start rolling things off from your main speakers no matter if they are floor standing or mini monitors you create undesirable effects.
I was hoping that Paul was going to answer my question:
“Should we isolate our main speakers from floor-borne vibrations originating from our subbie?”
Peter,
That’s exactly why I use the IKEA bamboo chopping boards interleaved with 6mm thick cork sheets.
Next time I’m at IKEA I will buy another 4 of said bamboo chopping boards & put them under my subs.
Happy New Year to you & yours 🙂
Hypothesis: Subby disturbs main speakers. Simple solution postulated.
Now the only important thing about your devilish cunning CLD (Constrained Layer Damping) system is:
Does it actually work?
and if no change, maybe the hypothesised problem is actually a non-issue. I do wonder.
Who would like to see my slowly bouncing beasts, [cheeky!] on a very lightly inflated wheelbarrow inner tube.
Holding back because it’s going to be a bit of a buggar to set up. Then later to keep topping up the tyre pressure. Valve extension?
The Max Townshend demonstration of his (too expensive) springs certainly demonstrates but I have doubts whether his cure is for a non-problem. Don’t we want a stable fore-and-aft platform, lest speaker jigglings invoke doppler small signal spoiling. Townshend denies its significance.
Seismic Speaker Isolation Tap Test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOPXJDdwtk4
iPhones have a super-sensitive app, “Vibration analysis”. Get it, do a B/A test (Before / After). Then report back; science needs to know.
The exact opposite of spiking speakers. If one way is right, the other must be wrong. I’m likely wrong. Again
Peter,
The beauty of the IKEA ‘Aptitlig’ bamboo chopping boards is that you can return them for a full refund within a year of purchase, providing that they are undamaged of course & that you have retained the original receipt.
So if you find that they offer no improvement in sound quality, you can get your money back…easy! 😉
It would be nice to see a product from PS Audio similar to the old NHT X1. https://www.nhthifi.com/products/11196-x1-electronic-crossover. Sometimes it is nice to run a sub/sat configuration. Now you have to use pro audio equipment, a processor, the ludicrously expensive JL audio CR1, or the Parasound P5/P6. I dont want my KEF LS50 to self destruct from overXcursion. So, I am currently using the Parasound P5 to restrict the lowest frequencies. If PS Audio were to offer a hi fidelity electronic crossover, such as the NHT or JL, I would buy it. If the PS Audio Stellar preamp included an active subwoofer satellite crossover, I would buy one of those too!
Actually, you don’t have to go pro audio to get a good active electronic crossover.
Some of the Mcintosh vacuum tube preamps, have crossovers built in to them.
But if you do a genirol surch for active electronic crossover, you’ll see many results for it.
Intrigued by the Mcintosh. Was unaware they were using such a feature. I will be looking into it. Thank you.
On a slightly related topic, never trust Audessey in HT. I ran the set up and it consistently sets all my speakers to “small”. My main (L+R) speakers are Goldenear Triton 1s…hardly “small”. Same with my Andrew Jones Pioneers I use for sides. Also I can’t lower the output of the subs (built in to the T1s) enough to satisfy it. Essentially I just let it set distances and levels, which I usually end up tweaking as well.