Todd smith
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2002
- Messages
- 643
What are my options for a sub in this range that will excell at music and HT?
I will say this - HT is by far more demanding on a sub than music. If a sub does HT well, it will handle the demands of music easily.I would have to disagree on that. I admit a sub usually has more to do in HT than music, but music generally contains a lot more subtleties than films do and poorer subs can not handle this and can only give big booms. I think it is much easier to get away with a poor sub in HT as opposed to music.
I would have to disagree on that. I admit a sub usually has more to do in HT than music, but music generally contains a lot more subtleties than films do and poorer subs can not handle this and can only give big booms. I think it is much easier to get away with a poor sub in HT as opposed to music.Hi David:
I never said being able to produce big booms was my bench mark for a great HT subwoofer.
What I meant was - all other things being equal - the hottest HT DVDs will expose a subwoofer with poor dynamic range more quickly than the typical music track (except maybe for hip hop).
I will admit you don't hear much acoustic bass guitar, jazz kick drums, kettle drums, or organ pipe on HT DVDs. With that said, I have found the best and newest DVD soundtracks to contain all sorts of subtle and detailed bass notes that change in timbre and texture and which require a great sub to reproduce properly and accurately.
Dynamic range issues not withstanding, the difference between a poor sub and a great sub on HT is just as dramatic and noticeable as it is with music, IMHO.
I think it is much easier to get away with a poor sub in HT as opposed to music.Whether this is true or not is only important to a person trying to "get away" with a poor sub.
With an $850 budget and the availability of excellent subs in that price range from SVS, Hsu and Adire (not to mention DIY), "poor" subs just don't enter the picture here.
I think there may be an underlying misconception that to be "good for HT" a sub merely needs to be loud and maybe low. The reality is that soundtracks contain subtle bass, both in the sound effects and in the background music.
To me (and I think Edward also sees it this way), a sub has to get everything right to be considered "good for HT"...the loud and the deep and the subtle. And if it succeeds in doing all that, it will then be "good for music".