# What could a phonograph do to be worth $12000? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 20, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-a-phonograph-do-to-be-worth-12000/918617 "2020-08-20T23:19:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-a-phonograph-do-to-be-worth-12000/918617/201 "2024-01-17T17:49:03Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > As an aside that I mentioned somewhere else, I had an interesting experience with my desktop computer speakers recently that illustrates some of the mysterious weirdnesses of audio. It’s a really excellent pair of speakers plus subwoofer for which I paid a ridiculous amount of money many years ago, but it was well worth it because the quality has brought me so much pleasure for so many years. But one day all of a sudden they sounded absolutely terrible – just very tinny and completely lacking in bass response. It turned out that a cable to the subwoofer had come loose, but what was interesting is how important the subwoofer was in this particular speaker system and the wide range of frequencies that it actually covered. In my home theater/stereo system, I have no subwoofer at all, but the large three-way speakers can reproduce frequencies down to the sub-audible level. A couple of things about subwoofers: - Low frequency sounds are non-directional to humans. That’s why you can get away with putting a subwoofer under your desk and not have it wreck your stereo imaging. - Subwoofers reproduce less of thr frequency spectrum than you may be thinking. Try turning off your small speakers and listen only to the sub. You won’t hear any high frequencies. My sub has a cutoff filter that can be set from 80hz to 150hz. Maybe some cheaper subs are more like full range speakers, but most aren’t because once you get above 250hz or so you start to get directionality, and hear that the lower notes are coming from somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-a-phonograph-do-to-be-worth-12000/918617/202 "2024-01-17T19:16:49Z")
A lot of people put their sub under the couch where they watch tv to get the full vibrations. That may not really be doing anything. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-a-phonograph-do-to-be-worth-12000/918617/203 "2024-01-17T19:19:50Z")
It does stop boogeymen hiding under your couch. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-a-phonograph-do-to-be-worth-12000/918617/204 "2024-01-17T20:46:01Z")
I have an earlier model of these inside my couch: > **[Aura AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker : Amazon.com.au: Musical Instruments](https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0002ZPTBI?SubscriptionId=AKIAJO7E5OLQ67NVPFZA&ascsubtag=939263611-314-706019991.1705524015&tag=best_reviews_au_1-22)** > > Aura AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker : Amazon.com.au: Musical Instruments I drive them with an amp I bought for $50 from a pawn shop. They are driven from the subwoofer output. I won’t go without these things again. Not only do they really shake the couch, but they give an illusion of loudness. Turn off the shakers, and everything feels quieter. But the cool thing is that you obviously don’t hear them when you aren’t sitting, so it’s kind of the same as having better sound isolation in the room. In particular you don’t need as much bass, and it’s bass that typically travels and annoys people in the house. Best upgrade I bought for bang for the buck. The total was like $350, plus I had to cut open the bottom of the couch and install them and run wiring. But they are awesome. A single one under a gaming chair is also great. And action movies are awesome. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-a-phonograph-do-to-be-worth-12000/918617/205 "2024-01-18T04:56:04Z")
I wonder if this explains why some people think that Ugarte says “De Gaulle” and some think he says “Weygand.” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-a-phonograph-do-to-be-worth-12000/918617/206 "2024-01-18T14:27:16Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I wonder if this explains why some people think that Ugarte says “De Gaulle” and some think he says “Weygand.” Oh, now that’s an idea! hmmm… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-a-phonograph-do-to-be-worth-12000/918617.md?page=10)