I am curious to know if there are any frequency curves or other data that support the anecdotal claim often heard that using a powered subwoofer to handle bass "frees up" both the amp/receiver and the mains allowing better power, more dynamic headroom, and overall improved performance for receivers and mains.
Anyone know of such tests? Or does anyone (Alan/Ian?) know how one could suggest that the NRC undertake such tests? I'd love to know if you can see scientifically registered differences in speaker and/or amp/receiver performance when a powered subwoofer handles the low-bass load.
Maybe we could end up with some
NRC tests like these documenting the situation. It's hard to determine in any home environment, but in a test chamber, you could test the mains with the sub receiving bass (with the sub volume turned up regular or down to nothing, depending on what you want to see), then compare results with the performance of mains that are handling the bass themselves. Seems this would put some facts behind the oft-repeated claim that for music listening, we can enhance the performance of our mains with a sub. (This is strictly a speaker performance question, not a thread questioning subwoofers.)
I know I'd like especially to see how the floor-standers benefit, if at all, from this arrangement.
And while we're at it, can anyone at Axiom share with us the frequency response curves for M60Tis? We all assume they resemble the M80 curves posted at the NRC site, but that's pretty old data and regardless, I'd like to see the M60 results. Surely Axiom has something, no?
Anyone have thoughts on this or data about subwoofers "freeing" mains?
Birdman
