[medium jim]

We know that the venerable Subwoofer was initially designed for Sound Effects in Movies, when did it evolve into viable sub bass for audiophile listening?

Thanks,
Jim

[BobRex]

Well, you can go all the way back into the early to mid 70's and the Fried H.  From there, you can look at the Janus.  Those were probably two of the earliest home subs.

[mark funk]

I would say years ago. I can remember hearing them back in the 1970s. Like a 36 inch Hartly. People would put ther in there floor or in the fire place!


                                                                                       

[WireNut]

For me it was in the early 80's when I bought a JBL B460 18" sub.

[rbbert]

I've had one or two subs in my stereo since 1978, long before people were using the term "home theater".

[BobRex]

I've had one or two subs in my stereo since 1978, long before people were using the term "home theater".

Keep in mind, the "original" sub-woofers were the Cerwin Vega units designed for the movie EarthQuake.  So, the OPs reference to movies was not related to home theater.

[cheap-Jack]

Hi.

We know that the venerable Subwoofer was initially designed for Sound Effects in Movies, when did it evolve into viable sub bass for audiophile listening?

I don't know when.

But I know an active sub is NEEDed to play subsonic contents on stereo music. Not until I put on my 100W 10" sub, I did not know how much bass music I missed from my LPs & CDs in the past.

Take the example of Hollywood-made famous Richard Strauss "Also Sprach Zurathustra" stereo music. Its opening bars of subsonic notes can't be realized without any active sub. Likewise for Bach's Toccata & Figue
in D minor where the subsonic pipe organ pedal notes needs an active sub to make it enjoyable.

The big question is - how to hook up an active sub to our stereo system?????????
I am still working on it to get the best sounding solution.

c-J

[*Scotty*]

When discussing these two "warhorses" we need to be very specific about which recordings of these two pieces we are talking about. It is a rare recording that has significant bass content below 50hz. Classical recordings are particularly hard hit because of the length piece and the desire to save the number record sides devoted to the recording. Columbia has been very disappointing in this regard, there is frequently no bass underpining present at all.
Scotty

[medium jim]

Hi.
I don't know when.

But I know an active sub is NEEDed to play subsonic contents on stereo music. Not until I put on my 100W 10" sub, I did not know how much bass music I missed from my LPs & CDs in the past.

Take the example of Hollywood-made famous Richard Strauss "Also Sprach Zurathustra" stereo music. Its opening bars of subsonic notes can't be realized without any active sub. Likewise for Bach's Toccata & Figue
in D minor where the subsonic pipe organ pedal notes needs an active sub to make it enjoyable.

The big question is - how to hook up an active sub to our stereo system?????????
I am still working on it to get the best sounding solution.

c-J

C-J:

Sounds like a good thread, maybe you could start one.

Jim

[cheap-Jack]

Hi.

When discussing these two "warhorses" we need to be very specific about which recordings of these two pieces we are talking about. It is a rare recording that has significant bass content below 50hz. Classical recordings are particularly hard hit because of the length piece and the desire to save the number record sides devoted to the recording. Columbia has been very disappointing in this regard, there is frequently no bass underpining present at all.
Scotty

In fact both are from my LPs with deep deep bass virtually shaking my basement audio den over - via my 100W 10" sub.

I'll tell you what label are these 2 LPs once I go home tonite.

c-J

[rockadanny]

Never had a HT, but once I read about the ACI Titan XL I figured it was time to grab that lowest octave by the balls and squeeze! After auditioning several, including REL, and installing my first Titan XL, I went and got me another. Grunt Heaven. 

[rodge827]

The first "sub" I heard in a hifi shop was a passive Cerwin Vega sometime between '79-'81. I can't remember exactly when, but it was during my high school years. The salesman said it was used to fill in the bass that the speakers couldn't produce due to room size.
 
The first powered sub I heard was at the Island Record Shop in Ship Bottom NJ. A small 8" or 10"  Infinity Sub S1 (I think) was "warming up the low end" of the Infinity monitors on the shelf, 1984-ish (?).

The first time I used a sub in my two channel rig was in 2007 with the purchase of a pair of Omega Compact Hemp monitors and paired them with two Deep Hemp subs.