I don't think there's a lower limit based on room dimensions. However, smaller dimensions mean room modes at higher frequencies (and harmonics more spaced out and therefore noticeable) which make it harder to notice the deeper sfuff. Standing waves are caused by reflections: damp the bass and the reflections are tamed, reducing the standing wave effect - so yes, treatments can help.
As for the importance of a sub, I think the common sense answer is it depends on what kind of music you like. All speakers are far more effective producing deep bass in-room than free standing (which is where the specs are measured). Another common sense answer, don't choose loudspeakers by specs or at least not by specs alone. Reading my ATC brochure was an eye opener: it discusses nine distinct types of loudspeaker distortion. This is surely an incomplete list yet no current speaker has zero distortion in these nine aspects. Which trade-offs are chosen and to what degree depends on the designer. Don't chase x Hz at -6db specs! It's much much more complicated than that because psychoacoustics is still not well understood. (Line level us so much easier to measure and compare performance-wise.) -- darrenyeats http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/richpub/listmania/byauthor/A3H57URKQB8AQO/ref=cm_pdp_content_listmania/203-7606506-5721503. SB Touch ------------------------------------------------------------------------ darrenyeats's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=10799 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=93382 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
