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Getting subwoofers for the first time

I remember reading that Hawkwind went in pursuit of the mythical ‘Brown Note’ (Wikipedia) and would try and get their audience to crap themselves with high-volume subsonics from their VCS3. The VCS3 is more than capable of going way lower than audibility as it doesn’t really differentiate between audio oscillators and LFOs as you can patch everything pretty much anywhere, though I’d be amazed if any PA system, let alone an early ‘70s one got anywhere near low enough. I bet they blew up some speakers trying though! Just so easy to do with a modular synth like the VCS3, go low/slow enough and the signal may as well be DC as far as the driver is concerned!
 
Pink Floyd 1994. The low note at the beginning of Sorrow: my jeans were flapping vigorously, I was half way back high up in Earls Court. And I felt the beats pushing at my throat for a lot of the songs. Never experienced anything like it before or since.

Well a bit ... at Heathrow show in the 90s, they had ATC actives, 150s I think, couldn't get in at that moment because it was packed, but they were playing the same concert (Pulse) pretty loud and the bass was going through me in the corridor.
 
darrenyeats said:
Pink Floyd 1994. The low note at the beginning of Sorrow: my jeans were flapping vigorously, I was half way back high up in Earls Court. And I felt the beats pushing at my throat for a lot of the songs. Never experienced anything like it before or since.
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The most extreme visceral noise I’ve ever endured was Mogwai live in Liverpool around 20 years ago I guess. Just absurdly/irresponsibly loud even with my earplugs rammed in as hard as I could get them. So loud my eyes didn’t work properly at times and lost focus on certain notes. That is one band never to go anywhere near without good earplugs for sure. A friend who was with me didn’t have plugs and reckons he lost several db of hearing that night.
 
Frizzy said:
Opposite extreme, pooped a eardrum when Bjork hit a high note at sugar cubes gig.
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That’s horrible! Have walked out of several concerts because of ridiculous volume levels, luckily without noticeable damage. This really ought to be more strongly regulated.
 
Not bragging, honestly...

We took my speakers to a Wigwam show many years ago. At one point between tracks the flourescent strip lights started rattling to a regular rythym. Two of us were cursing "some tosser" in another room with stupid subs. We were debating whether to go ask him to turn it down, but were not sure where the LF was actually coming from.
Unbeknown to us the third member of our little group had put on DSOM (some remastered or anniversary issue) and then the music started and we realised that we were the tossers! :oops:
 
You really don't want your speakers eq'd to follow the equal loudness curve. Ref 1khz, @ 80dB 100hz is -10dB, 50 hz -20dB, 30 hz -30dB.....Theres probably fun to be had trying but it'll be unpleasant.
 
Robert said:
On Monday I will take delivery of a pair of subs, the newly revamped SVS SB1000 Pro.

https://www.svsound.com/products/sb-1000-pro-subwoofer

Apparently multi sub is the way to go if you want best performance and avoid the issue of having that small sweet spot of perfection when it comes to seating.

In all my years in this hobby I've never run subs, and I suspect like many audiophiles it feels like you've failed when you just can't get a simple system with a stereo pair of 'speakers in a typical room to give great, even bass. But I'm giving in. I've done it with panel 'speakers but never got close to nirvana with boxes.

Part of this is being driven by me being absolutely in love with Kef LS50s. These things do almost everything I want and more used in a near-field arrangement pulled well clear of boundaries, up nice and high.
They nail vocals like few 'speakers I've encountered and the ability to disappear and just leave a performance in front of me is very addictive. Of course they are a very small box and lack the heft and muscularity of something able to go low with grip. The Kefs do pretty well - very well in fact for a small ported cabinet (and what a cabinet!) but I'd like more.

Needless to say, reading and research has begun in earnest and that's the reason for my post.
How do run your subs, how do you position them for best results and have you found any good articles or videos on multi-sub setup?

Not asking you to Google for me :) - I can do that, just looking to explore the pfm collective knowledge :)
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How's the experiment with the subwoofers going? (You've probably answered somewhere and I missed it! If so, sorry. )
 
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