Internet direct companies

[cornfedksboy]

I think the intent of my original post was to get a feeling for why everyone swears by ID sub companies and even DIY subs but nobody ever buys these same companies actual speakers. As I said in the OP I understand this being a KLipsch forum everyone will of course own Klipsch products. I wonder if the threwad would get very different responses on AVS forum or Home Theatre.

I will go back to my original reply and state that a sub has less sonic character than a loud speaker, hence it is less of a gamble to buy a sub unheard.

[dtel]

I will go back to my original reply and state that a sub has less sonic character than a loud speaker, hence it is less of a gamble to buy a sub unheard.

Good reason to go back, very true.

[Heritage_Head]

Yes it’s kind of turning into a horn sub thread lol. People like value look at emotive amps how popular they are. I’m not sure I agree about the comment made that subs should all sound the same. I have owned many subs and have heard even more and most imo sound different. Yes speakers are going to have the biggest changes in sound one from the other but amps sound different and nobody has a problem taking a chance with emo. Mark my words internet direct is here to stay and word of mouth now spreads way more than ever. How many people bought there klipsch before hearing them? Jason you bought almost all your speakers before auditioning them. Probably because enough people on hear or another forum made you confortable with buying them. If there was speakers being sold as good as klipsch for half the cost online word would get around and people would start buying them. Just like emo.

Yeah The only Klipsch I had heard 2 years ago were my promedia's.... now ive ran the gambit and am at the RF7ii's. To be fair I did hear the rf62ii's and the RF7ii's compared head to head in a local shop...... however.... I buy 99% of everything I own online. ID is great cause you can save money. The only time it's not great is when there is a probblem and you can't just bring it back to the local store. BTW this was not suppossed to be a ID vs reatiler thread either lol.

When I say retail vs internet direct I’m basically saying

klipsch vs internet direct. Because klipsch is retail.

[MikeFord]

I've been a sub shopper for a LONG time, starting with DQ10's, and later with ESL63, both of which are very difficult to find a subwoofer that matches the sound and smoothly transitions with the mains. I used to think the type of speaker needed to match between mains and sub, and spent a LOT to get a dipole panel sub for my ESL63, but since then I'm not so sure. People I trust have told me their sealed box subs mate well with their ESL's, and limited listening makes me agree so far.My assumption was that radiation pattern was a big factor along with room coupling, and again, I'm not so sure.

So whats important? I think its the shape of the in room time energy curve that needs to match up, is that Q something?

Most box speakers use some fatness, slower decay, to make the low end response look higher than it really is. A subwoofer that matches that isn't going to sound right with a speaker design that doesn't have any fattening.

The way I judge a sub is to use source material that is both above and below the crossover point, but NOT below frequency range of the mains, then flip back and forth between sub and full range on the mains. When its right the low end should not change at all, or at least nothing unpleasant, and at best the range above the crossover point should improve in quality, soundstage etc.

[MikeFord]

Shortly after hitting return I realized I failed to address the original question.

Main speakers for the most part I think you have to hear for yourself and ideally in your own room. Subwoofers are simplier, and I think in most cases its fairly safe to use good references from other users. If many owners of the same speakers have success with some sub, its a safe bet.

On the marketing side, good high end stores are mostly gone, and whats left are locked into a limited number of brands, so it becomes very unlikely that a store that sells the brand of speakers you like will carry all the subwoofers that work well with it.

Dr. Hsu is a friend of mine, and I highly regard all of his products, but have no comment on how well they work with horn woofers, no experience.

[StephenM]

Im not sure I agree about the comment made that subs should all sound the same.

I'm not saying that all subs will sound the same, but everyone pretty much agrees on what a subwoofer should accomplish. Of course due to price and aesthetics, compromises must be made, and not every manufacturer designs around the same compromises. But in the end, properly engineered and well executed designs will begin to approach the ideal and have more similarities than differences. This is in stark contrast to the rest of the loudspeaker market; clearly different philosophies of what a loudspeaker should accomplish were at work when you compare a Klipsch speaker to a Mirage, as an example.