Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterMusic
Funny how people read different things from the same text. I believe my Sabrina/subwoofer experience is the same as the reviewers', and also the same as yours.
The reviewers and I all say they are magnificent speakers overall, and all 3 of us note "limitation" and "slip from grasp" on the low end. This is no big deal for Diana Krall or Yo Yo Ma in an apartment building, but very important for Talking Heads in a house (especially if one were Burning Down The House, haha). The only difference I read is that their employment depends at least a bit on them being kind; my words are more blunt.
You go on to say that almost every floor stander benefits from a sub--I agree with this too. But of course, that leaves us agreeing that the SabrinaX "needs" a sub.
I do not mean my criticism of the bass to obscure my view that the Sabrinas are awesome speakers--they are!
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First, no one is questioning your assessment of SabrinaX in your room with your gear. As the old saying goes, “you pay your money and you take your choice.”
However, RIF. You attribute things to the reviewers and to me that are at best a stretch and at worst, simply untrue. Much of your experience bears no resemblance to the reviewers’ or to mine.
First let’s look at
“limitation.” Assuming you are referring to rock, you are essentially referring to 40Hz to 80 Hz. Here's the actual "limitation" paragraph by Matt Clott,
"I want to dedicate a separate paragraph to the SabrinaX’s bass performance. Not because of what it can’t do, but because of what it can. There is nothing missing that is not a result of intentional technical and physical limitations. Low-frequency extension to 31Hz (-3dB, average room response) will give you all the music and extension you want, especially in a smallish room. Bass is deep, textured, and taut. The added bracing and X-Material implementation give great low-frequency detail, and the 8″ woofer used in the DAW provides lightning-fast low-frequency transients. Bass blooms beautifully, like a fresh orchid, but never overwhelms the room (as long as the speaker is set up properly). "
To reiterate - the review indicated that SabrinaX bass extended to 31Hz -
below the lowest frequency of a kick drum or a 4 string bass and at the bottom of a 5 or 6 string bass. Given that my son is a touring rock bassist playing 4, 5, and 6 string basses, I'm pretty sure that I am aware of what rock and roll bass sounds like. Now if we were talking about Mickey Hart's Beam, that would be another story.
Next you, not me, use the term
“slip from grasp.” Let’s look at Neil Gader’s actual quote in context.
“While full-range extension to 20Hz slips from its grasp, the Sabrina still manages a respectable and vigorous low-to-mid-30Hz range (in-room), which if you haven’t experienced it lately is more than satisfying. The Sabrina generates a great deal of low-frequency energy, even summoning the near-seismic, batten-down-the-hatches shudder in the pipe organ’s lowest octave during the tracks from the Rutter Requiem. But it does have limits; the deepest dives of an organ or the energy of an orchestral bass drum during Copland’s Fanfare are dynamically softened slightly and lose some pitch integrity.” I assume you are aware of where the orchestral bass drum called for in “Fanfare” and pipe organ’s lowest frequency lie. Here’s a hint – those frequencies are below a Hammond B3.
Moving on to subs, bass extension is but one attribute. However, it is the sub's ability to deliver an expanded sense of dimension and body throughout the entire frequency range that makes a sub worth adding to
any system. Hence any speaker
can benefit from the addition of subs. Needs? Again, that's your word/description, not mine and certainly not Neil Gader's or Matt Clott's. That said, if you want to do the Beam properly with any speaker, you will need subs.
And for the most misleading comment of all from the post on the first page, “but they will not reach much lower than stand-mounts.” I’ll wait for the list of stand mounts that are within 3dB at 31Hz. I’m sure there are must be a couple.
all2ears, I would suggest you go listen to SabrinaX at a Wilson Audio dealer. Being in Florida, you have access to four of the best. Visiting one or more of them and listening is the ideal way to get the measure of SabrinaX. It should tell you all you need to know to make the right decision for you.