Some of us like to add one or more external subwoofer systems to even large, full-range speakers with 15" woofers (such as XLFs and Neoliths) for low frequency extension down to 20 Hz or below and for enhanced soundstage ambiance. Many of the subwoofers available today solve for small footprints (e.g., JL, Paradigm) with the result that the drivers in the subwoofers are smaller in diameter (10", 12", 13.5") than the woofer cones in the main speakers which are being supplemented.
Other than manufacturers' desire to solve for a small footprint to avoid a large, tall tower subwoofer system, presumably to minimize cost and to maximize "wife acceptance factor," and other than the theoretical advantage that smaller drivers have less inertia than larger drivers, does it make any sense that our subwoofer drivers should be smaller than the woofer drivers in our large, main speakers?
There just seems to be something theoretically inelegant about having 12" cones in the subwoofers supplementing 15" cones in the full-range speakers.
1) If a main speaker has a 15" woofer, wouldn't we want, ideally, the subwoofer also to utilize 15" drivers?
2) If the 15" woofer in a main speaker is in a ported enclosure as part of the main speaker cabinet, is it technically suboptimal or sonically problematic for the subwoofer to be a sealed box? (I know that Wilson and Martin-Logan use ported cabinets for their 15" cones but I have always been a bit skeptical about that, at least from a theoretical point of view.)
Other than manufacturers' desire to solve for a small footprint to avoid a large, tall tower subwoofer system, presumably to minimize cost and to maximize "wife acceptance factor," and other than the theoretical advantage that smaller drivers have less inertia than larger drivers, does it make any sense that our subwoofer drivers should be smaller than the woofer drivers in our large, main speakers?
There just seems to be something theoretically inelegant about having 12" cones in the subwoofers supplementing 15" cones in the full-range speakers.
1) If a main speaker has a 15" woofer, wouldn't we want, ideally, the subwoofer also to utilize 15" drivers?
2) If the 15" woofer in a main speaker is in a ported enclosure as part of the main speaker cabinet, is it technically suboptimal or sonically problematic for the subwoofer to be a sealed box? (I know that Wilson and Martin-Logan use ported cabinets for their 15" cones but I have always been a bit skeptical about that, at least from a theoretical point of view.)
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