When I bought my first set of bookshelf speakers, the modest Edifier R1700BTs, I specifically sought out a pair that could be easily linked with a subwoofer. The speakers have a built-in subwoofer output and a digital-signal processor that routes frequencies under 140Hz to a connected sub. I eventually added the Edifier T5 subwoofer to the R1700BTs, which significantly improved low-end performance. That sub stayed with me as I built a new Dolby Atmos home theater system — until I realized it was doing more harm than good.
Subwoofers aren’t inherently bad, even for two-channel music playback. In fact, with the right gear, proper setup, and solid room acoustics, a subwoofer can improve bass response while allowing your loudspeakers to focus on midrange and high-end frequencies. However, if you have full-range loudspeakers and an analog music source, a subwoofer adds unnecessary complexity and digital-signal processing into the equation. I shut off my subwoofer and let my AV receiver power my loudspeakers in pure analog mode while connected to my turntable, and everything sounded better.
Why your music might sound better in 2.0
The subwoofer in stereo 2.1 looks good on paper, but there’s a catch
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all recommendation for audio gear. The right products for your sound system depend on what you want to play, the space you have, your budget, and the gear you already own. While music is generally recorded in two-channel stereo, there’s a case for adding a subwoofer. This takes a 2.0 stereo recording and splits it into 2.1 stereo sound, diverting low-end frequencies to the subwoofer and sending midrange and treble sounds to the left and right channel speakers. A subwoofer particularly aids setups with bookshelf speakers, which are limited in frequency response, and rooms with acoustic problems.
That said, a 2.1 stereo system with a subwoofer can easily sound worse than a 2.0 system relying solely on a pair of loudspeakers. A slow subwoofer unable to match the quickness of a set of loudspeakers causes timing issues. Dialing in the phase settings on your subwoofer can help, but a fast and tight pair of loudspeakers will have better musicality than a set of speakers paired with a slow subwoofer. Additionally, failing to perfect the speaker crossover settings and subwoofer placement can result in a 2.1 setup sounding subpar compared to a basic 2.0 system.
A subwoofer expands the frequency range of a system powered by limited bookshelf speakers, but this isn’t as crucial for setups using full-range loudspeakers. These full-range speakers typically cover the frequency range commonly found in stereo music recordings, and cover the spectrum of human hearing. By using a set of full-range loudspeakers in a 2.0 configuration without a subwoofer, you aren’t missing out on certain frequencies.
Adding a subwoofer ruins pure analog sound
Your AV receiver has to handle the speaker crossover digitially
There are plenty of audiophiles that prefer to listen to music in stereo 2.1 configurations with a subwoofer. In my case, I opted to disable my subwoofer to enjoy the analog sound coming straight from my turntable. The stylus runs through the record grooves, creating vibrations. The cartridge turns those vibrations into low-level electrical audio signal, which is amplified by a preamplifier and AV receiver before it plays through my loudspeakers. The signal remains in analog form all the way, from the time the needle runs through a record groove to the time the speaker drivers move to create sound.
This is possible because of the pure analog mode on my receiver, sometimes called pure direct or analog direct on other integrated amplifiers. This mode bypasses all digital-signal processing and only amplifies the electrical audio signal coming from an analog input source. Without it, the analog audio from my turntable would be converted to digital, processed by my AV receiver, and converted back to analog before being sent to my loudspeakers. The unnecessary conversions and processing would degrade the sound, but pure analog avoids this.
To handle speaker crossover and low-pass filtering, an AV receiver needs to use digital-signal processing for stereo 2.1 configurations. An analog audio signal only has left and right channel information, and digital processes are required to split the signals that will be sent to a subwoofer. I used my system in pure analog stereo mode and in stereo 2.1 mode, and the former sounded better. It’s not hard to see why — pure analog mode kept the signal from my turntable analog all the way, whereas stereo 2.1 had to process the sound digitally to enable the subwoofer.
My loudspeakers play analog audio without a sub
I only use the subwoofer for surround sound and digital playback
With a purely digital sound, a stereo 2.1 setup might be preferred to a stereo 2.0 setup. However, with an analog input source and full-range loudspeakers, it’s better to run the system in pure analog mode without a subwoofer. I keep a subwoofer connected to my system for digital music playback and home theater use, but I always disable it when using an analog input source, such as a turntable. The marginal improvement in bass response, if any, isn’t worth the audio quality degradation that comes with the required digital-signal processing.
- Type
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7.2 Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
- Bluetooth
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Bluetooth 5.3, Low Energy
- Wi-Fi
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Wi-Fi 5
- Amplifier
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110W x 2ch @ 8ohms, 90W x 7ch @ 8ohms
- Connectivity
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3 x HDMI 2.1, 3 x HDMI 2.0, 1x LAN
JBL’s MA710 is an AV receiver designed for home theater use with support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and a maximum 8K video resolution. It includes six HDMI inputs and one HDMI output, plus five audio-only inputs. Whether you’re looking to build a Dolby Atmos audiophile listening station or a 7.2 surround sound home theater setup, this receiver can handle it all.