July 2020

Six Reasons Why Subwoofers Are Important For Music
Article By Nick Brown Of SVS

  There is a lingering sentiment in the hi-fi community that subwoofers are only for home theater and the benefits to music playback are suspect or even negative. It's true that lesser subwoofers are not designed to optimally handle the speed, detail and nuance of certain music, but it's certainly not a steadfast rule.

A great subwoofer elevates the listening experience in a way no other audio component can, into the tactile realm. Below is a list of six reasons why a properly engineered and tuned subwoofer is important to music playback.

1. Reveals Sounds and Feelings Your Speakers Can't Reproduce
The majority of speakers start dropping off at about 50Hz, which deprives you of the full depth and clarity of bass tones.A great subwoofer will reach down to 20Hz or lower, right down to the limit of human hearing. This means you never miss a note and can even feel the lowest notes from something like a pipe organ, kick drum, bass guitar or the occasional cannon volley from the 1812 Overture, for a much more immersive experience.

2. Plays as Loud as You Want with No Distortion
In many systems, when you really start bumping music at high volumes, the woofers in your loudspeakers can have trouble keeping up with the mid drivers and tweeters. Top-rated subwoofers play effortlessly loud and distortion free, no matter how demanding the musical material and how loud you like to play it.

3. Accurately Reproduce Every Note in the Low Frequency Spectrum
Unlike speakers, which can have a “sonic signature”, the best home audio subwoofers is completely faithful to the musical content delivering bass notes exactly as the artist intended. This is also why a great subwoofer can be matched with any brand or model of speaker to add weight and energy to the overall listening experience.

4. Add Speed and Control in Low End Transients
Many genres of music present rapid starts and stops it the vocals and instrumentals that lesser subwoofers can struggle with, resulting in a smeared or undetailed acoustic image. A great subwoofer has the speed and transient response to present bass with phenomenal realism and impact so even the fastest bass lines are rendered with feeling and precision.

5. Blend Seamlessly with Full Range Speakers
A great subwoofer should always sound and feel like an extension of the speakers without overpowering them or drawing attention to itself. When blended perfectly, a great subwoofer allows speakers to sound their absolute best, across the frequency spectrum, so highs sparkle and mids have perfect clarity without being overpowered.

6. Unleash Sonic Potential of Smaller Speakers
A powered subwoofer brings its own low frequency amplifier and with proper bass management, a connected AV receiver or amplifier can drive smaller speakers in the mid and high frequencies above the crossover point. This allows speakers to perform to their full potential no matter what the content.

Subwoofers: A New Dimension
Looking past the technical enhancements, having a subwoofer adds a whole new dimension to music. A great subwoofer should never be overbearing or boomy, but instead, should add color, depth and impact to the final output delivery.

From infectious bass guitar riffs and hypnotic drum beats to the most complex electronic bass compositions, a great subwoofer reveals layers of sound a speaker is simply not equipped to handle. And while some subwoofers merely add a few notes of bass, the best subwoofers for music elevate the listening experience in a unique and palpable way.

If you've never experienced this level of performance with your music, SVS offers a risk free 45-day in-home trial with fast and free shipping on all SVS subwoofers, so you can judge for yourself, in your own home, how dynamic and impactful a subwoofer can be for music. You can also get demos from an SVS dealer or try our intuitive Subwoofer Matching Tool, which recommends SVS subwoofers based on your exact model of speaker.

Read Our SVS Subwoofer Reviews

SVS SB-2000 Active Subwoofer
A reasonably-priced high quality 12" powered subwoofer system.
Review By Tom Lyle
At times I must come off as some sort of audio-curmudgeon, such as when I became upset when I noted some audiophiles calling a component a preamplifier rather than a line stage. There have been other times, too, that I've gotten upset over someone using what I consider the incorrect nomenclature for an audio component or part. Thankfully, I've gotten over that preamplifier versus line stage episode.
---> Read our review of the SVS SB-2000 active subwoofer. 

SVS SB16-Ultra Subwoofer Review
Purchasing this subwoofer is money well-spent.
Review By Tom Lyle
On the SVS website there's a section titled "Why go dual subwoofers?". Their reasons are simple: Two small subwoofers can fit were one large subwoofer can't, more listening position options, greater headroom, stereo bass which will improve soundstage, plus, the bass frequencies are more difficult to localize. SVS even has a video explaining why two are better than one. For quite a while I only used one subwoofer in my system. This was mostly because I didn't have enough space for two, and please, I am not saying that two subwoofers are mandatory, as I was very happy using only one subwoofer in the corner of my listening room.
---> Read our review of the SVS SB16-Ultra subwoofer.

Manufacturer
SVSound
260 Victoria Rd.
Youngstown, OH 44515

Voice: (877) 626-5623 
Website: www.SVSound.com