Do Turntables Require Subwoofers?

By: Andrew
Date: April 27, 2022

This post contains affiliate links.

Do turntables require subwoofers? Let’s find out. Turntables or record players are types of audio equipment renowned for their crisp sound, lossless audio, and most important of all, the vintage experience. However, a turntable is nothing if paired with speaker systems that have subpar capabilities and configurations.

Subwoofers are not a required purchase for vinyl record players. However, we highly recommend you buy one because you’ll enjoy the rich bass tones of your record’s audio.

If they are not required, then why exactly are subwoofers recommended? This article will answer all those questions, and to ensure peak experience, we delve into the unknown and try to answer the question, “Do turntables require subwoofers?”

Table of Contents

Do Turntables Require Subwoofers? Here Are The Answers.

There is a chance that you might have seen it on your friends’ setup, and they swear to the audio gods that a subwoofer is worth it– worth every cent. You’ve seen the articles saying the same thing as well, but still, as critical as you are, you are making sure that you will not be making hasty, impulsive purchases. So what is the deal, really, and do your turntables require subwoofers, or are they just a fad?

Subwoofers are not a fad, and they generally bring fantastic value to your whole audio setup. However, determining if that value is worth it for the price is generally more complicated. Many reasons may stop or discourage you from buying subwoofers.

You have a system tailor-made for your preferences, a perfect treble, the right amount of bass, and the crisp mids and vocals. If you find yourself ideally in line with your current setup, then, by all means, we recommend you to keep your money and spend it on something else. Subwoofers generally help your system sound better, but if your tweeters and woofers are already fulfilling that gap, to begin with, then there is no good reason for you to buy one. (1)

You might need to know that subwoofers are extensive audio equipment, more prominent than your woofers, and even more extensive than your tweeters. I am sure that you already know this for a fact, but still. If you find your listening room (if you have one) already cramped as it is, it may be better not to buy a subwoofer.

However, it is pretty unfair to only talk about the reasons why you might not consider buying a subwoofer. The reasoning behind this is because subwoofers do offer unreplaceable value to you, your ears, and your audio equipment! Your woofer may finally love you like the deep ends of audio will now be redirected to a piece of more suitable equipment.

If you like listening to bass-heavy music, especially modern pop music and jazz music, I must tell you that buying a subwoofer is especially recommended. Subwoofers help flaunt the deep bases and well-rounded lows. They can significantly help your sound system provide a more holistic sound, and generally, bases are fun to listen to.

If you find your current system lacking those deeper ends, then we suggest you buy a subwoofer for your setup. On the contrary, if you prefer classical music or more music focusing on acoustic guitars, strings, and pianos, buying subwoofers may be a waste of your most essential resources: time, space, and money.

We suggest that you think about things thoroughly before buying them. When you are ready, answering the question: “Do turntables require subwoofers?” should be more straightforward.

What Is A Subwoofer Exactly? And Is It Important?

Subwoofers are precisely like a Doberman’s “woof.” Not only are they humongous, and some even take up twice the size of a regular woofer, but they also make big, deep sounds. The sound they make is what the Beats earphones lineup would like to copy (although failing horribly at it). For short, they are all about the bass.

There are three major divisions in a speaker system: the tweeters, the woofers, and the subwoofers. You may be tempted to say that the subwoofers are redundant if you have woofers because they are practically the same. I will have to tell you that such conjecture is incorrect politely, and we will explain why that is the case later.

What Is A Tweeter? Do I Need One For My Vinyl Record Player Setup?

If you came to ask me if you need a tweeter for your setup, the answer is a quick and resounding yes. Unlike the subwoofer, getting the tweeter is a no-brainer. There isn’t much to say about this.

To explain why that is, let us first understand what a tweeter is. A tweeter is the exact opposite of the subwoofer; not only are the tweeters small, but they are also in charge of the high-frequency audio in comparison to the subwoofer’s low-frequency tones.

They are very critical as most vinyl record player owners typically prefer vintage, classical stringed music with fantastic vocals. The common denominator between most vintage music, classical music, stringed instruments, guitars, and great vocals is that they heavily rely on the tweeters.

That’s right! All of that music is handled mainly by the small, minuscule tweeters! So if you are thinking of skimping your budget on tweeters– well, just don’t!

The tweeters are mainly in charge of audio frequencies ranging from 2 kHz to 20 kHz for the technicalities. So if you are a full-on audiophile, you may want to consider buying excellent tweeters for superb audio reproduction! (3)

Subwoofers Vs. Woofers: The “Woofing” Comparison!

Now we are finally here: what’s with all this “woofing?” Is there a difference between a woofer and a subwoofer? Well, let us discuss that, shall we?

First, let us get their similarities before comparing them with each other. Both woofers and subwoofers focus on the basses, and both are relatively large (the tweeters are dwarfed next to them).

However, despite their similarities, if you ask me, “do turntables require subwoofers, or do they need woofers more?” I would likely side with the woofers on this one.

Subwoofers offer narrower ranges of sound frequencies. While woofers may produce 20 Hz to 2 kHz sound frequencies with a hitch, a subwoofer may only be comfortable with frequencies up to 200 Hz. Although the woofer may not necessarily sound better than subwoofers, woofers have more flexibility.

As you can see, their ranges are starkly different. As a recap, a woofer is a specialized speaker for lower frequencies, while a subwoofer is a specialized woofer. (4)

If Subwoofers Are So Inflexible, Why Recommend Them Then?

It seems that we have circled back to the original topic, “Do turntables require subwoofers?” Well, the thing is, since subwoofers are specialized, they are not of great value in all situations. However, they do offer great importance to those who need them.

Despite woofers also covering the ranges of the subwoofers, the subwoofers are so specialized with the lower range that they practically produce significantly better lower range outputs than woofers do. As said earlier, if you have many low-ends on your vinyl music tracks, then subwoofers become an easy recommendation!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Turntables Have Speakers?

No. Most turntables do not have speakers built-in. Because of this, we recommend hooking up high-quality audio systems to provide justice to your vinyl speakers.

If you want a very convenient experience, you can also buy Bluetooth speakers, as they are more versatile and easier to set up! However, do note that some speakers do not have built-in amplifiers, so you may also need to consider that.

Do I Need Two Subwoofers For My Record Player Setup?

No. Buying one was already a stretch for some people. Although some may benefit from it, “need” is a pretty strong word if you ask me.

Is It Better To Have A Separate Subwoofer?

Of course! If you find money not a huge issue and would like to invest in your audio equipment, buying a subwoofer should be a no-brainer.

Sources

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