Brian -
Also do you run the HT3s full range or do you cross them over for HT.
This is my "dilemma" too. I might be placing an HT order (doubling as 2-channel) sometime in the upcoming months and wondering about the same thing. With two 10-inch woofers do you *really* need a sub...or if you go with a sub so you *really* need the HT3s...
I'll take a shot at this since it is a question I am often asked.
Other than, say, Japanese Tyko drums and perhaps a deep note on an isolated pipe organ, the HT3's play low enough to faithfully reproduce the sound of any traditional instrument. So, for music purposes, no sub is required. Note that the 10" woofers in the HT3's are actually subwoofer drivers (very similar to those used in the original Carver Sunfire subs).
For home theater, it depends on what you are looking for. Earthquakes and the like in some HT tracks do go lower than the HT3's. Do you want to faithfully reproduce these sounds? If so, a large sub or two is required (a small one simply won't add much extension without bottoming out under pressure).
Occasionally at my shop I will play deep bass tones for demonstration purposes. People are always amazed at how low a 30 - 40Hz tone is! But for some HT effects, frequencies called for can be even lower than human hearing. In these cases, physical senses take over and you "feel" the bass. This, of course, requires the movement of a great deal of air. So a large sub or two is the solution.
So the question as to whether or not you need a sub with the HT3's depends on how realistically you want to reproduce these very deep bass frequencies and how much room you have to accommodate the associated subwoofer(s).
Your second question deals with whether or not you can re-create the HT3 experience with, say, HT1's and a good, fast subwoofer.
The short answer is, yes, it is possible
for the most part.
First, you would have to have a perfect set-up. The gain would have to be spot on in the crossover area. The phase relationship between the subwoofer and the mains would also have to be accurately set. For most people, without the use of something like TacT, DEQX or the like, this is very difficult. A Radio Shack SPL meter is about the most sophisticated equipment available to most consumers. And it is highly unlikely that the average consumer will obtain proper integration with this approach.
That is the beauty of the HT3's. All this is taken care of in the crossover and the integration is perfect right out of the box.
The next consideration is in the midrange area. With the HT3's, the W18 is only used for midrange duty. In other Veracity models, the W18 is used for midrange, mid-bass and bass. While the W18 is a very low distortion driver, distortion is even lower when only called upon for midrange duties. So the HT3's will have a slight edge here as well.
That said, we have many customers who have HT1's and a subwoofer and are very happy with the results. And if you happen to have DEQX, TacT or the like, you can get very close to HT3 performance indeed. It just requires a little more work on your part. In this regard, the HT3's are "plug and play."
I hope this was helpful.
- Jim
