Question XTZ 3x12 counting as 1 or 3 subwoofers?

Rico6699

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Hi there

Following the advice given by Steve/bluewizard and gibbsy in my last post here:
Answered - Improve Sound Quality of existing Speaker System thru Upgrade/Acoustic Optimization
I`m planning to upgrade my home theater system. And by upgrading I mean doing it right this time and to avoid double changing my hardware. But lets get to the point. I`m going to sell my Teufel Theater Mk2 5.1-Sound-System and therefore I need a new subwoofer that will stay for at least the next 10 years or so (because of the huge shipping costs, selling such heavy things is limited to my local area and thats why I want to avoid that as much as I can).
I have read a lot that one subwoofer isn`t enough nowadays in order to smoothing bass response across the room but I don`t want to buy 2-4 cheap entry level subs that I`m going to sell in a few years or so. I want to buy a big subwoofer like the SVS PB16. But I also want the most "bang for my buck". I live here in Germany so prices for SVS are pretty high compared to direct to customer selling companies like XTZ.

SVS PB 16 Ultra 3500€
SVS PB 13 Ultra 2200€
XTZ 3x12 2000€
XTZ 1x12 845€
XTZ 12.17 645€

All prices are including shipping costs (thanks XTZ for free shipping YaY)

My budget is roughly 2000€. Thats why I`d love to buy the XTZ 3x12. But because of the advice that you need at least 2 subwoofers nowadays, I`m a bit confused. Is the XTZ considerd to be 1 big subwoofer (like the SVS PB16 surely is) or is it considerd to be like 3 subwoofers (because basically it is 3 subwoofers stacked on top of each other). Is this enough to smooth out bass response across the room or do I still need a second subwoofer? Because I can`t afford a second XTZ 3x12 right now I would pair it with a cheap XTZ 12.17 then (if needed). That would be above my intended budget limits but if you advice me to do so, that would be possible to do so.

Thanks for all your help and hints. I`m loving this awesome community here already ;-)

PS.: My room has 29m²
 
Even if it was three separate subs it would not work. Co locating subs either stacked or next to each other increases output. To smooth out bass response across the room the subs have to be separated.

There are many guides (and opinions) on setting up multiple subs. Here is one for starters.
Home Theater Multiple Subwoofer Set-Up & Calibration Guide
 
oh. ok. thanks ;-)
then I guess my budget is better spent on two 1x12 instead of one 3x12. thanks guys
 
If you have €2000 to spend and space for four subwoofers, you should be thinking about DIY subs... ;)
 
Has anyone else had problems with the amps in the XTZ subs?, I have read a few reported problems. I was looking at adding another XTZ 12.17 to my system but since my 18 month old ones amp died I wonder if I should look at another alternative.
 
@Marcusfrance : You know you have 5 years warranty on the chassis and 2 years warranty on the electonics. That means your device (18 month) is still in full warranty. You dont need to look for alternatives. Just contact XTZ and make use of your warranty ;-)
 
Thanks Rico. I have sent my broken amp back to XTZ, they received it last week. I am waiting for a reply to my email that I sent them on Friday to see when I am going to receive a replacement.

I have been pretty happy with the sub but have read where a few people have had issues with the amps, so just wondering if I might be better off looking at alternatives, possibly Arendal or Svs.
 
Have you considered the Arendal range of subwoofers?
 
Def go for the Arendal sub 3
 
I have heard the 3x12 :eek: at epic home cinema
If I had the money :D
 
Arendel subs use Claridy plate amps same as XTZ so I would not buy on the basis they will be more reliable, not that the XTZ have any real issues just they have been out longer than the Arendel.

Both XTZ and Arendel produce great subs for the money.
 
Interesting thread title. Ive heard the 3X12 and it offers alot of output. I wouldnt regard it as having the most finesse, but its a good cinema subwoofer option if you dont mind the height and want high output from a small footprint.

On the title, the 3x12 counts as one subwoofer. The interesting thing is that if you want a sound to be perceptually twice as loud, you need a 10db increase in output. Going from 1 driver to 3 will give you roughly this increase in output in room, while having a single driver subwoofer, and adding a second, results in about 6db in output. I would say the 3x12 looks to have been approximately designed to offer double the output of the single driver option in a small/same size footprint and with the benefits of a stacked driver alignment.
 
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Thanks @ALL for all this useful information. Awesome community here ;-)
I appreciate that very much.
 

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