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subwoofer- how important for me?

post #1 of 14
1/2/12 at 1:13am
Thread Starter 
so im new to all this and tried to get as much info as i can.
i recently bought 3 zaldek pieces, Zaldes 2000 towers and center, going to set up my surround speakers aswell, i asked a friend of mine what i should do about the subwoofer and hes response was - "you dont need one, spend some time with what you have and if you feel something is missing then we will talk about it".
reason he told me that was because he said that my speakers already have woofers in them and i might not need it.
is this true? i thought that home cinema needs a subwoofer in order to sound as awesome as possible.
can i get some understand and clarification on this? thanks.
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post #2 of 14
1/2/12 at 2:23am
Do you have a link to info about your Zaldes speakers? Never heard of them and google isn't really turning anything up....

Unless your speakers have large woofers and you have a beefy amp, you aren't going to be able to produce LFE at high levels, or more likely even at all.
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post #3 of 14
1/2/12 at 2:24am
IMO a subwoofer is the single most important speaker in a HT setup. Followed closely by the center channel.
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post #4 of 14
1/2/12 at 4:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Liquid$team View Post

IMO a subwoofer is the single most important speaker in a HT setup. Followed closely by the center channel.

^^^
what he/she said. Do you have somebody that could lend you a good sub? If so, I would set it up, calibrate it and watch a few movies (Cloverfield, Masters and Commanders, Tranformers 3 all have good ULF). Then borrow the sub and watch the same movies.

It also depends on what you're after. If you are going to use it to watch DVD/BR concerts or listen to SACD, you can get away without a sub, if you are going to be watching movies for the most part, you will want a sub. "Most" tower speakers, even if they say they will go down to 45hz or 35hz, are just now design to handle the ULF in today's movies.
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post #5 of 14
1/2/12 at 4:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay1 View Post

Do you have a link to info about your Zaldes speakers? Never heard of them and google isn't really turning anything up....

Unless your speakers have large woofers and you have a beefy amp, you aren't going to be able to produce LFE at high levels, or more likely even at all.

I think he means Zaldek:

http://www.buy.com/prod/wharefedale-.../90136315.html
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post #6 of 14
1/2/12 at 7:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bladerunner6 View Post

I think he means Zaldek:

http://www.buy.com/prod/wharefedale-.../90136315.html

Those speakers sound good. My buddy has a full set and I like them. They also seem to have a surprising amount of bass without a sub - but to put it in perspective my bud bought a crappy onkyo $120 subwoofer and it helped for movie watching. I hate the onkyo sub but you do want a subwoofer with those speakers. Even if you think you are happy with them you'll be missing so much for movie playback without one!
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post #7 of 14
1/2/12 at 7:19am
A sub is very important. Sure your front towers are rated to 30Hz, and would most likely play well to that point. Using your fronts to give you both front speaker content, as well as sub frequencies, will only put a strain on your receiver. With a sub, your front speakers would play their intended content loud and clear, and the sub would handle all bass much better than the towers could.
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post #8 of 14
1/2/12 at 7:44am
Thread Starter 
alright everyone you convinced me, if everyone says that it gives so much then i will go ahead and buy one, any tips for choosing a sub? i have 20x13 room
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post #9 of 14
1/2/12 at 8:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by soler37 View Post

alright everyone you convinced me, if everyone says that it gives so much then i will go ahead and buy one, any tips for choosing a sub? i have 20x13 room

It's best to set yourself a budget first, then ask for help. Budgets are hard to keep to here though, but it's a good starting point. Also, how high is the ceiling?

I usually think of subs in a few different price ranges. Up to $200, $400, $700, $1000, and $1000 or more. It all depends on your needs, uses, and how much you're willing to spend.
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post #10 of 14
1/2/12 at 8:36am
Thread Starter 
from floor to ceiling its 8feet, btw i really need help on this its kinda urgent, im trying to set up my HT asap and so far ive got all except the sub BUT, im still not sure what to do with the rear speakers, if u can look here and tell me id really appreciate it, i need to make a decision so that i can move forward.
check this out i got pictures of the back wall.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...9#post21429079
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post #11 of 14
1/2/12 at 11:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by soler37 View Post

from floor to ceiling its 8feet, btw i really need help on this its kinda urgent, im trying to set up my HT asap and so far ive got all except the sub BUT, im still not sure what to do with the rear speakers, if u can look here and tell me id really appreciate it, i need to make a decision so that i can move forward.
check this out i got pictures of the back wall.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...9#post21429079

Ok. You should mount your rear speakers a foot or two above your ear level when sitting. Have them mounted wider than directly behind you. And angle them towards your seating position. This is the best way to set it up.

As for the sub, you can get a good sub for under $200 shipped. Of course it won't be the best thing available, but it sounds great and is more than adequate for a home theater setup. I have the Bic F12, which is usually about $185 or so on amazon. It has plenty of power, good bass response, and won't kill your wallet. I don't think you'd be dissapointed with it for the price.
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post #12 of 14
1/2/12 at 9:35pm
Thread Starter 
ok so the system sounds great, set it up yesterday night and got to test it out a bit and it has great bass, as for now i wont buy a sub for the sole reason of my parents dont wanting trouble (lol).
once i get the surround sound and another hdmi cable i will finally be able to test it out while watching movies, btw i got the yamaha rx v371 receiver and i was wondering if anyone knows how i can get OSD on my plasma screen, i dont see an OSD button on my remote.
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post #13 of 14
1/3/12 at 5:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by soler37 View Post

ok so the system sounds great, set it up yesterday night and got to test it out a bit and it has great bass, as for now i wont buy a sub for the sole reason of my parents dont wanting trouble (lol).
once i get the surround sound and another hdmi cable i will finally be able to test it out while watching movies, btw i got the yamaha rx v371 receiver and i was wondering if anyone knows how i can get OSD on my plasma screen, i dont see an OSD button on my remote.

Ha I understand. I went a good while with no sub, simply because my main speakers had enough bass to hold me over. How do you have your receiver connected to your TV? I'm not sure, but OSD for your receiver may be through HDMI only.
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post #14 of 14
1/3/12 at 7:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by soler37 View Post

........ as for now i wont buy a sub for the sole reason of my parents dont wanting trouble (lol)........

Respecting your parents wishes is one of the best reasons I can think of to not buy a subwoofer.
Good for you.
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