XBL^2 Poll

[jdc753 10+ year member]

but people say distortion isnt audible in subs!!! that these low distortion subs dont sound better!!!oh well at least some of us know...

Part of them not sounding better is because this site is 90% SPL oriented, and as Audiohalic put it "good sounding" is subjective.

So if your listening to some Ludacris or Techno or other bass heavy music and your listening mostly for the bass hits then I can see where people find a distaste for the XBL^2 drivers. Now throw in some live or accoustic rock or jazz type music and it feels lame becuase you don't get the detail. I personally never enjoyed acoustic or live recorded music before until this setup. The tiniest nuances come out crystal clear and in these cases its the little details that bring the music to life.

I guess the best way I could think of it is its sort of like beer, the first time lots of people don't like it at all, but then it becomes an acquired taste. It's not as if something being an acquired taste is a bad thing, but in due time to come to enjoy what before you disliked. So if you get the chance to listen to an XBL^2 sub I wouldn't expect you to love it right off the bat, but with the more listening time you put in the more I would imagine you would like it, unless of course it truely isn't your style.

 

[Cruzer 10+ year member]

But when you say "sounds better", you add in that subjective factor that Ive mentioned before. Once you start talking about what sounds 'better' (how most people define SQ, which is defining it incorrectly), it just boils down to opinions, not facts, specs, or flat BL curves.

I completely understand what your saying. But when i see a thread asking about SQ, then i like you, assume they are defining it incorrectly and just tell them the facts and point them to the more accurate driver. its not my fault they dont use SQ correctly.

and by definition, a sub that is more accurate to the music, logically should sound better. however people dont give these more accurate drivers a chance/listen so they will never know.

just in jdc's case, i guarantee like 90% of people if they had a low distortion driver and used it for a few months. then switched back to their original setup, they would be like wow ya this doesnt sound as good, it isnt as clean, and isnt as accurate.

now whether they would keep the more accurate driver, probably not because everyone is about spl.

here is the biggest question i have. how can people design these low distortion, most accurate drivers, waste their time, money, etc. if it doesnt sound better? for fun of it? to say they have the best sub on paper? no... because it truly does sound better. its just that people are so used to distortion, they have to train their ears to truly appreciate it.

in car audio, or in daily life, ur ears lie to you. its been proven.

 

[denim 5,000+ posts]

You should have just edited my post for me. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

I don't edit other peoples original posts.

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

I don't edit other peoples original posts.

I was just trying to make a joke by making it seem like the "nice" thing to do would have been to edit my post for me...I know, pretty lame. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

and by definition, a sub that is more accurate to the music, logically should sound better.

Logic tells us tube driven amplifiers add distortion to the signal, but plenty of people think they sound better. You could tell them that a solid state amplifier is more accurate, but that's irrelevant to what they think 'sounds better', isnt it?

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

I was just trying to make a joke by making it seem like the "nice" thing to do would have been to edit my post for me...I know, pretty lame. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

A for effort bro.

 

[Cruzer 10+ year member]

Logic tells us tube driven amplifiers add distortion to the signal, but plenty of people think they sound better. You could tell them that a solid state amplifier is more accurate, but that's irrelevant to what they think 'sounds better', isnt it?

like i said our ears dont always tell the truth. neither do our eyes.

and just because i think all this is true, doesnt mean it is. just because people think low distortion in subs means nothing doesnt mean their right.

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

like i said our ears dont always tell the truth. neither do our eyes.
and just because i think all this is true, doesnt mean it is. just because people think low distortion in subs means nothing doesnt mean their right.

Who said low distortion in subs means nothing?

At this point Im honestly not quite sure what you are trying to add to the conversation. By now it seems like a never ending loop that goes from me re-explaining the differences between personal preference and accuracy, to you re-explaining that lower distortion is 'better'.

 

[Haunz 10+ year member]

So... the next thread should be a poll about which sub topology sounds better...

 

[Bumpin' Goalie 10+ year member]

So... the next thread should be a poll about which sub topology sounds better...

How about benefits/disadvantages of different topologies? Allows for a broader discussion and would have more information compiled in the same place.

 

[Cruzer 10+ year member]

Who said low distortion in subs means nothing?

most people say in sub frequencies its too hard to hear and not a problem.

if it meant something, if most subs have a considerable amount of audible distortion, people would realize lower distortion is better. but apparently we cant hear it so im gonna pick up an spl sub

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

most people say in sub frequencies its too hard to hear and not a problem.
if it meant something, if most subs have a considerable amount of audible distortion, people would realize lower distortion is better. but apparently we cant hear it so im gonna pick up an spl sub

I think you're thinking of the reasoning behind using class D amps over a/b amps for subs, because the slight increase in distortion from one topology to the other isn't going to be noticeable in the

 

[audioholic 5,000+ posts]

most people say in sub frequencies its too hard to hear and not a problem.
if it meant something, if most subs have a considerable amount of audible distortion, people would realize lower distortion is better. but apparently we cant hear it so im gonna pick up an spl sub

Again Im unclear where you are going with this, and who you are pointing that sarcasm at. Nobody here, that I remember, said subs can have a 'considerable' amount of distortion and not be audible.

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

a frequency is a frequency and any sounds has a distinctive tone so to say its not important in the woofers passband range is just retarded.. the ear can hear as little as 1% THD.. most woofers add even order distortion for varies parts of the woofer the spiders cone flex etc.. but any well designed woofer will sound transparent.. the transparency is simply lower distortion output..if you rather hear a delay or a even order distortion(sound warmer fuller) you dont want a low distortion woofer..

 

[Cruzer 10+ year member]

Again Im unclear where you are going with this, and who you are pointing that sarcasm at. Nobody here, that I remember, said subs can have a 'considerable' amount of distortion and not be audible.

its not sarcasm. denim said cross a sub at 75/80hz u wont hear enough distortion to care.

someone else said blind fold test, 2 subs one low distortion, the other just ur every day sub, u wont hear a difference.