two subwoofers better than one

[123orth]

for a room 22/12 ft and the floor is laminate would experts recommend single big subwoofer 10/12 inch
or should i look for two 8inches subwoofer like velodyne cht8
is it better to go for downfiring /forward firing
have finally sorted rest of things am running monitor audios radius with pioneer 1014 s
its not the same without the subwoofer though

[eviljohn2]

Using 2 subs has many advantages and disadvantages (do a search for my "Dual Subs" thread to get an insight). If you're competent at setting them up then I would say that a pair is more flexible and has the potential to be better if you choose them well to start with. It's certainly an excellent way to upgrade an already capable sub. I would, however, suggest that you'd be best looking at a single better unit if you're essentially starting from scratch. Perhaps if you posted a rough budget we could help out with some models to consider.

Whether you choose downward or forward firing is largely irrelevant as there's no surefire way to predict how it will integrate within your room.

[123orth]

thanks
i am hoping to spend less than 400£ and importantly will not be allowed a huge box in the lounge
as far as setting etc is concerned i am complete novice
so am open to suggestions

[eviljohn2]

£400 is a very sensible budget and would certainly be best spent on a single unit. This area of the market is opening up a lot at the moment - if you want a nice compact box that performs well above it's price do some reading on the BK XLS200 (a forum search should turn up hundreds of threads - look in particular for the "Budget Sub Test Results" and the one where it was pitted against the SVS PB10).

Reading on dual subs can be found here:
Dual Subs
although given your price constraints I think the money would be better spent elsewhere as I mentioned above.

[123orth]

thanks
i am looking at your thread now and seems very technical to me ,beyond my depth
i think i might take the single route
i asked re twin as it was suggested to me that due to length of room i would be better off having one at each end and daisy chain them

[Nic Rhodes]

Twin subs are more work but are technically MUCH better when done correctly, however this cost money, and needs a bit more knowledge. For a budget of £400 I would buy one bigger one I think, but keep an eye on a second for a later date if you can afford / accomodate it. Two subs take up allot of room.

[Nick_UK]

With the long wavelengths of sound below 150Hz, it's hard to avoid null spots in the room due to room reflections. I'm sure this would be no different with two subs, except that the null spots could be in different places.

[Nimby]

I used to swear by (and occasionally at) two subs with my 120Hz mini-monitors.

But moving the subs a couple of inches even in a very large, open-plan room (35' x 18' x 17' high) made a large difference to the sound balance.

I could achieve the best effect by having the subs immediately below or behind the monitors which stood on tall stands ten to twelve feet apart.

In smaller rooms with more normal speakers I would suggest stacking (or placing the subs close together) where they did least harm to the sound quality.

But, on the expenditure level we are talking about here I would strongly recommend having one good quality sub to two much poorer ones.

Nimby

[Jeff]

2 subs much better when done well.

[Chris Bellamy]

2 subs have the potential to give a much more even frequency response across different listening positions eg: the front row, rather than having a nicely balenced "sweet seat" but indifferent neighbouring positions for everyone else.

[Jules]

I used to have 2 KEF THX subs, but swapped them both for a single, far more capable SVS PC Ultra.

I agree whole-heartedly that unless your budget is around £1500 or more, you should stick with a single sub.

Adding a 2nd sub is actually quite strange. You can't tell there's 2 subs running until you switch one off! It just adds a little extra 'something' that balances things out a bit. It can be worth it, but it can also make things worse.

I'd only consider 2 subs again if:
- I had a budget of £2000
- space was not a problem
- both subwoofers had a pre-set 'fixed' or digitally controlled gain option to make balancing them easier
- the AV amplifier driving them provided true 'stereo' subwoofer pre outs..... a split 'mono' subwoofer pre-out is not the same.

To my knowledge, only the Yamaha Z9 provides a true 'stereo' subwoofer pre-out.

Stick with a single more capable sub.

[abspag]

I use 2 Mission 78 as active subs and I have found that it gives a much more even feel to the LFEs in movies ans allows me to turn them down integrating the sound to support the other speakers. It does take a lot of time to configure the other speakers but the end result is worth it and you can have fun tweaking. Ps these twin firing donward subs can be had at bargain prices

[Nimby]

Originally Posted by Jules

Adding a 2nd sub is actually quite strange. You can't tell there's 2 subs running until you switch one off! It just adds a little extra 'something' that balances things out a bit. It can be worth it, but it can also make things worse.

I'd only consider 2 subs again if:
- I had a budget of £2000
- space was not a problem
- both subwoofers had a pre-set 'fixed' or digitally controlled gain option to make balancing them easier
- the AV amplifier driving them provided true 'stereo' subwoofer pre outs..... a split 'mono' subwoofer pre-out is not the same.

To my knowledge, only the Yamaha Z9 provides a true 'stereo' subwoofer pre-out.
.

You are thinking in terms of low level connections.
Using high level connections allows true stereo.

Nimby

[Jules]

Yes, twin subs do have certain quality and I enjoyed mine for 3 or 4 years.
However it was only when the PC Ultra arrived that I wished I'd gone for the more capable single sub in the first place. It wouldn't have cost me anymore, so I just have to put it down to an expensive experiment.

Up to around £1000 every ounce of budget you can put towards finding a single but more capable sub is a wise move.

I used to beat the 'twin subs' drum, but I've since seen the light.
If you squeeze your budget into buying 2 inferior subs you'll only end up doing what I did.... spending your entire budget twice to correct your mistake.

I only wish someone had told me at the time.

[currentsupply]

You said you had an $7000 budget right?