The Latest Equipment Review

JBL LS120P Subwoofer

201008_jbl2Not all that long ago, "full-range" loudspeakers were enormous; witness classic systems such as the Klipschorn, which not only stood 51"H x 31"W x 28"D, but demanded to be placed in the corner of a room. Such systems provided wide bandwidth and wide dynamic range, but didn’t win good vibes from interior decorators, or the spouses of most audio addicts. Something needed to be done, and it was -- but it didn’t happen overnight.

It was several decades before someone invented the modern powered subwoofer, in which a small enclosure contains a relatively large low-frequency driver as well as a powerful amplifier whose response curve is the inverse of that of the woofer's low-frequency rolloff: the sub’s low-bass response is flat down to a nearly ridiculous bottom. Such bass extenders, now de rigueur in home theaters, also lend themselves to good-sounding two-channel audio systems.

Granted, some still talk of the difficulty of getting a smooth handoff between the satellite speakers and the sub, the problems of significant suckout at the crossover frequency, and other painful-sounding maladies. But many of today’s A/V receivers include room-equalization and setup programs that can solve these problems. It takes a bit more effort with most two-channel systems, but it can be done -- at least to my own satisfaction.

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GoodSound!'s History

gs_old_320wGoodSound! was founded in the late '90s by Marlon Ben Feld, a musician and audiophile who was also a student at the time. Feld recognized the importance of music for the common man. From the start, GoodSound!'s mandate has been to be a highly useful resource for audiophiles and music lovers looking to buy a great sound system for an affordable price. In 2001, GoodSound! became part of the SoundStage! Network, the world's largest group of specialty audio/video online publications and resources. The core concepts that GoodSound! started with remained the same.

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