Hi all,

I have a fairly old HT that has been sitting in the cupboard after I moved house a few months ago. With a new house comes a new system...so I wanted to ask what I think is probably a pretty basic question.

I have a Sub that I believe is about 8-10 years old now and is a SOLID PB100. I always loved this sub but am not sure if there is any point in connecting it to my new system. My new M80's should hopefully (fingers crossed) arrive tomorrow and the freq response is listed as +/-3dB at 34Hz. The PB100 has a freq response listed as -3db at 35Hz.

I am a newbie but from what I have read the frequency response of the M80's is lower than that of this Sub. Is this correct? If so is there any point in connecting it - bearing in mind that if I don't it will just sit in a cupboard until I can get $50 for it? Obviously the plan is to get a new Sub but that might take a some time.

Not sure if it matters but am running a Denon 3808.

Thanks in advance.

Try it with and without the sub, go with what sounds best to you.

Do the tests and report back. Unless you get some boost from room extension that pushes your sub lower, it dosn't seem worth it.

Welcome!

It's possible you might get some extra extension, but the trick (like others mentioned) is to avoid over-doing it on the mid-bass by having it generated by two sources. My advice? Try it, but AFTER you have had your M80s up and operational. Then trust your ears.

Hi Gringo and welcome,

For the record, the M80s on their own have useful output down to the 25-Hz region. By "useful," I mean that it's audible, but the output won't be nearly as powerful or linear as what you'd get from an Axiom EP350 v3, EP500 or EP600.
A well-designed and linear subwoofer will always provide deeper bass extension and greater output than virtually any floorstanding speaker.

I don't know the brand of your old sub, but it may have some useful output below its -3 dB frequency of 35 Hz, so you could always try it. If nothing else, it will help in getting improved bass distribution in different listening locations. Overall, I'd suggest you get a new really hi-performance sub. Your old sub could still be employed to even out bass distribution and counteract standing waves that produce cancellations and reinforcements at different frequencies in your room.

Regards,

Alan

Originally i was thinking that i would sell my old EP350 when replacing it with an EP500 but i'm beginning to reconsider and possibly keep the EP350 for a dual sub setup.
Calibrating the two ought to be a real fun ride.

I just went through this myself (this morning actually) when trying to pair an older Earthquake subwoofer with the EP-600. It actually was quite a bit easier than I expected to produce a flat response in my listening position and to a lesser extent throughout the room. I could get the same relatively flat response in my primary listening position with just the 600, but adding the Earthquake really helped in the non-primary seating positions as well. Without the second sub, drop offs in other positions were very noticeable.

I used the Behringer Feedback Destroyer (BFD) equalizer to smooth the response once the subs were positioned... it is an awesome little tool that I just cannot say enough about (of course, I found out about it here on the Axiom forum). It has a bypass button on it that allows you to turn off the processing and compare results with and without it... it's an incredible difference. If you've got a well-treated room the BFD may be overkill for your room, but in my case, it was a great addition to the home theater.