In reply to:
Why would you say a sub bass would overpower/muddle the mid and highs?
I was referring to bass sounds in general, when present, can overpower some of the mids and highs making a speaker sound 'less detailed' than one that does not produce the lower end frequencies as much (such as the bookshelf vs tower).
In reply to:
On the contrary on my personal experience the sub still blended well with the mini monitor. I still heard the detail and depth clearly present in the mini-monitor and the sub covered the rest of the lower frequecy. This is based on some 8 inch and some 6.5 inch driver subwoofers. Yes they are relatively small but the bass was seemless
I never said that the subwoofers cannot be integrated into a seamless sound but that setting it up properly takes more effort and often times is never perfectly achieved. This is because the subwoofer is an individual component separate from the main speaker which has its own distinct influence on sound off of ITS specific location to walls, furniture, etc.
In reply to:
With a floorstander some of the mid frequency is shared by the woofers. By offloading the lower frequencies 80hz and lower to the sub the woofers would concentrate on a shorter range of frequencies.
Crossovers will dictate what range of sound is MOST handled by a particular driver. The M60 has two 6" woofers for bass such that the midrange is handled by its 5.25" driver (same as the M22).
Alan noted some time back the crossover points in the M60/M80 are 200Hz and 3.4Khz.
With 2-6" woofers, do you think that the 5.25" midrange driver is at all putting out sound down in the 80Hz range?
I doubt it.
I think its frequency curve has trailed off below the 200Hz crossover and is probably done making any sound by the 150Hz level. This means you have TWO 6" drivers available to make the bass sounds from 200Hz and less and even assist the midrange as they roll off above the 200Hz crossover point.
So again, offloading the 6" drivers from doing what they were designed to do will not help the 5.25" driver to help it do its job any better.
In that case, what would be the point in even including the 2-6" drivers in the M60 in the first place?
Axiom could just tell their customers to pair it with a sub instead if they want bass and possibly increase their overall sales.
Now that would be unfair eh?
If you want to do a test of the M60 vs a sub sound, you would of course first have to get the M60.
Time to 'upgrade' maybe?
Then, take a test tone cd and try out some tones in the 200Hz to 100Hz range using JUST the subwoofer and then JUST the M60 to play the note.
The 'tightness' b/w the two units is quite distinctive and i find the M60's smaller drivers (compared to my ep350) don't linger nearly as long with the sound note. This is about as fast or accurate i could ever expect low frequency sounds to get.
Now play some low notes in the 25Hz range and compare the two speakers again. I think this time you will find that the subwoofer shines at the low rumble while the 'tight and fast' smaller M60 drivers now struggle greatly.
Larger drivers = lower bass notes but slower with higher low frequency sounds.
Smaller woofers= faster, tighter bass for higher low frequency sounds but VERY decreased volume with low frequency sounds.
After all, bass is about moving air and low frequency notes is about moving ALOT of air (remember the port chuff?). The higher on the frequency scale you go, the LESS air you need to move so i believe the 6" drivers are better at reproducing more accurate musical notes in the sound range typical of music (some instruments excepted).
