# Do you need a sub with bookshelf speakers?



## Birdman74

I need some Small subwofer recommendations, I know this forum is mainly Head Fi but I figure there might be plenty of audiophiles and sound enthusiasts who know about receivers and sound systems. 

I am getting a pair of Wharfedale Bookshelf Speakers and a Wharfedale Center speaker free with a receiver, I have never used bookshelf's before and I was wondering if I needed a sub to go along with it for bass? Most of the sub listings I came across are too huge for my little room or cost way over $100..

Anyway, do I even need sub with bookshelf's or do they have any bass? Currently I have a cambridge four point surround setup, Which has a powered sub that the speakers connect to the back of it; it overall sounds pretty decent for my small room or could I maybe wire my Cambridge PC Speakers sub to it with a 3.5mm to RCA cable?? It has 2 outputs, Front and Rear 3.5mm Jacks, I also have a cheap crappy In The Box HT System somewhere that had a Sub (but I dont like it). gimme some suggestions...


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## ToddTheMetalGod

With bookshelf speakers I would suggest a small sub, as to not overpower the rest of the sound signature and give it a little bit more kick. It's not absolutely necessary, but the bass might not extend as far as you would like. With a properly calibrated crossover you'll have a lot more detail and texture in the lower frequencies and it won't feel as anemic. Crossover also allows the speakers to produce better mid-range and highs without the bass muddying the quality.


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## Birdman74

Ya I most definitely want a small sub, just to add proper bass to the Bookshelf setup, any suggestions? I am going to be running the setup from a amp / avr that has all the speaker outputs and connectors, Not sure what you mean by Crossover but I dont think I will need anything special here since the amp has the sub out and everything?

How about something like this? http://i.oodleimg.com/item/2957766178u_3x424x360f?1340279879 

Its a powered sub, Aiwa TS-W5HR. I found a few locally, it has changable frequency from 60hz, 90hz & 120hz although I think I should be able to change that from the avr itself?


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## ToddTheMetalGod

The crossover point is the frequency at which you start passing all of the lower frequencies to the sub. For example, if the crossover point was set at 100Hz, everything below 100Hz would be sent to the sub and the speakers would receive everything above 100Hz. It just makes for a cleaner sound from both the sub woofer and the speakers. And these changable frequencies are the crossover point and you should be able to change it from the AVR as well. I would change the setting on both just to make sure the speakers aren't unnecessarily producing the low frequencies. I've never heard it so I'm not sure about the quality, but it should fit in well with the setup since it doesn't seem to take enough wattage to be overpowering. I'm afraid it might be a little underwhelming though, considering you have a center channel as well. It'll definitely be better than the speakers alone though and if you feel underwhelmed you can leave the crossover on the receiver off so both the speakers and sub are producing the low frequencies.


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## Birdman74

So Does Sony basically suck in the speaker or subwoofer department?

Because I saw a few Sony Subwoofers from their HT systems going for next to nothing, found 2 listings for _Sony-SA-WMS230_ also going for next to nothing. How bad can it be? I want good bass not house shaking but something Good to compliment my speakers. I dont know if I should go for them or save some money and go for something else like in the $100+ range?


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## smellyfungus

anything home theater is probably gonna be terrible in comparison to separate components. i would recommend perusing avsforum's for advice. will save you a headache and help you make the right decision the first time. i haven't looked at subs for a while so i don't have any recommendations for subs around $100.
  everything is gonna be based on your room size for what you may need. also crossover is typically recommended to be set at 80hz. i forgot the exact terms but if its higher you can basically position the frequencies instead of it blending with your speakers.


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## ToddTheMetalGod

Yeah I honestly don't know much about speakers, I stick to headphones since my parents don't like me blasting music (which I typically do, I like powerful speaker systems). Crossover is typically set at 80Hz. I would recommend reading the specifications for the speakers and subwoofer, and setting it accordingly since not all setups are the same. AVSForum is a great place, sort of like the equivalent of Head-Fi for speakers.


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## ScaryFatKidGT

Pioneer SW-8 or the Polk PSW10 or what ever there on is for $85 on amazon, or were you looking for something more expensive but just small?
   
  What wharfedales did you get? 10.1's? If you jump for the 10.2's you could probably live without a sub, it depends on what your looking to get out of it. For example if you take the $100 that you spend going for the 10.2's over the 10.1's on a sub you will get a lot more bass, but then you have a 3rd thing to deal with.
   
  And I would go 80hhz with book shelves.


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