This is a very interesting discussion about subs with Omegas. I have the Super 3Rs (similar driver as the TS-3, I believe) and have tried two different subs (1 - sealed box, 2 - bass reflex, both with servo mechanisms)and found that both were too SLOW! Yes, to my ears, the Super 3R's bass so fast that subs could not keep up, resulting in sound that is not well integrated at the bottom end. Have others noticed this? If so, how have you solved this problem?
Integration of subs to mains is a very "DEEP" subject (pun intended
)
Regarding "fast" and "slow" subs: They are supposed to be slower, since they produce the lower (and slower) frequencies.
While there certainly are subs that have "hanging" and overshoot, which might even be common in low quality subs, I think the conditions that are perceived as "slow subs" are as follows:
1) Overlapping of Frequencies
2) Subs that are not "in phase" with the main speaker
3) Assorted room nodes and modes
1) Overlapping of Frequencies - If your mains play down to 38hz and you roll your sub in at 40Hz (just so you don't lose any frequencies) then you are reproducing "and overlapping", an exceptionally "large" frequency range, depending on your "roll off and on slopes".
While this may also happen in your mains (if they are multi-drivers) the speaker designer worked "dillegently" to make that "transitional frequency range" as unobtrusive as possible.
YOU!!! are responsible to do the same thing to integrate your sub.
This overlapping area if not matched and phased "precisely", will sound muddy, boomy, wooly, slow, and drone on with flannel muffled bass, as well as muddying up the upper bass and even lower mids.
Just play your "sub only" sometime to hear just what upper frequencies you are hearing. Of course the higher frequencies are not very loud, "but you CAN hear them", and this is heard as "distortion" and noise, if it is out of phase and delayed or advanced. Now of course your mains are "much" louder, but again this is sound that has to be either removed, or fixed.
So the secret is to roll your sub in "well below" your mains, and simply adjust it "upwards" until you hear the drone, or boom, or wool, then back it down, until it is clear and clean.
2) Subs that are not "in phase" with the main speaker - Now in doing the above, you may notice an improvement, but it wont be complete, until the woofers are all playing together (in phase), or maybe a better term might be in "proper phase".
The best and easiest method to acheive this is to place the subs in the exact same plane (aligning acoustic centers) as the mains. This means that the sounds arriving from your sub are not advanced or delayed, when they reach your ears. This generally means the speakers are arranged in a "semi-circle" to your listening area.
Now there are other ways to do this, through delay/advance, Speaker or room correction or phase adjustment.
3) Assorted room nodes and modes
This will sometimes make one think that the sub cannot be integrated well, but some rooms will set up bass "echo" or "flutter" where the bass energy doesn't dissipate well, and you end up in "bass soup".
So let me assure you that if you have a "good quality" sub(s) with a lot of work, and carefull tuning, you can have bass of incredible depth, dynamics, detail, and without a doubt a 3-D depth that will offer you a "spatial" feeling and perception that can be produced by nothing else.
So don't be too quick to turn that sub off or move to another, unless you have explored these concepts. You might have a great sub and not even know it
