The Path To Whole House Audio: Part 4 – Subwoofers & Halloween

A few weeks after the Behringer monitors had arrived I learned of the mating subwoofer, Behringer’s B2092A. This was also a comparable bargain, so I bought two. Yes, stereo subwoofers. Such decadence.

The B2092A is beautiful in a way that many people will not appreciate. It’s a device built to a task with little concern for superficial things like aesthetics. It’s a 4th order double-tuned bandpass enclosure housing two long throw 8” drivers, their amplifier and crossover electronics. The built-in amp provides 360 watts rms below 80Hz with a range of adjustments to compensate for level and placement in the room.

It’s not small. In fact, most people would say it’s large. Big and black and not at all attractive, it makes a near perfect stand for the mating 2031A monitors. This is why I decided to buy two.

There’s just something beautiful about a device that’s designed to do one thing without compromise and the Behringer subwoofers epitomize that to me….even if my wife won’t allow them in the house.

So often product designers are forced to constrain their designs by arbitrary criteria that impact performance. Most sub-woofers must fit into a home décor. There are therefore limits on the acceptable size of the cabinet, finish, etc. With professional gear this is less the case. Performance comes first, mating into the décor is not as great a concern. In this case, its basic black finish goes with everything.

All tolled the Behringer rig provides over 1200 watts of drive into my office, which is a 440 square foot space with a vaulted ceiling. The picture (above) would seem nonsensical as the speakers flank the couch. However, my desk is opposite the couch at the ideal listening location. I rarely have visitors to the home office so it’s arranged to satisfy my requirements, and mine alone.

There are two sets of terrace doors that open the office to our back yard and deck. Suffice it to say that the Behringer gear lets us bath the property in music without breaking a sweat. We can seriously annoy the neighbors, but we usually don’t.

FWIW, the monitors are fed by a Logitech Squeezebox via a small Soundcraft mixer. The mixer brings that –10 dbm unbalanced signal from the Squeezebox up to a +4 dbm balanced signal for the monitors.

Halloween

For the past five years Halloween has been a big event around our house. That’s a topic for another lengthy post when the event draws near. Suffice it to say that a music track with sound effects plays a significant part of the Halloween presentation.

My choice of semi-pro powered monitor speakers has definitely helped this annual project, especially the dual subwoofers. I can drag the hardware into the front yard and hide it artfully in the garden while feeding it a complex mixed music and effects track. It provides more then enough drive to spook the kids and impress the adults.

In part 5: Performance Verification By Measurement