2nd Subwoofer. Can you really hear the magic???

[bizmord]

Hi all,

I know that when we spend money on equipment, we want to feel that difference in sound and sometimes even if there is no major improvement, we still rave about how great our latest upgrade was.

Simple question ... honestly ... adding a 2nd sub ... big improvement to overall home theater / music sound?

See my signature here ... I use a Rythmik F12 sub. My room is about 12 x 18 x 9ceiling) with a 6 feet opening into a dining room.

thanks

 

[ImcLoud]

They say by adding a second sub you only need 25% of the power to get the levels of a single sub at full power... So if you have the f12 and turn it up 50% to get enough sound to fill your room with dual you will get the same levels at 12.5%... I do like dual subs much better than single, but for music, in my theater one single vtf2 is more than enough {by far, although I would like another

 

[jcl]

Dual subs will get louder with more headroom than a single sub(how much depends on if they are co located or separate in the room.) The biggest benefit that I found is that it evens the sound quality throughout the room if the subs are placed separately. Here's an Audioholics article on the issue, as well as what SVS has to say about it -
Are Two Subwoofers Better than One? — Reviews and News from Audioholics
Why Go Dual...? - SVS

That said, if your sub sound great in the room then their probably won't be such a huge difference. I think they help more when sub placement and/or listener location is compromised by the room layout.

 

[brianedm]

In my room, it made a huge difference. I'd highly recommend anyone get 2 subs if budget and space allow for it

 

[shadyJ]

Duals will make a bigger difference for a wider seating area. If you only have one listening position, and the sub is EQ'd for that position alone, and you are satisfied with the bass, dual subs may not offer you much.

 

[pg_rider]

To be completely honest, adding a second Hsu VTF-3 to my system did not make a night-and-day difference. Now, that's largely due to the fact that just one of those subs, properly located and configured, is pretty damn good!

For me, the true benefit of adding the second one is that I NO LONGER WONDER WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE DUAL SUBS! Seriously, playing the "what-if" game in audio will turn you into a crazy person. When I just had the one sub, I obsessed over what it would be like to have duals. Now that I have them, I can rest easy...

All that said, I do believe adding the second sub helped to "balance" my bass sound. I tend to run my crossover at 120 Hz, sometimes even 150 Hz, due to my small mains. With one sub I sometimes got localization issues; one side of the room sounded "heavier" than the other. Now everything is nice and balanced.

 

[bizmord]

holly wow ... those guys are huge. Is it OK that these a 2 different subs? even though same manufacturer?

I just don't want to spend another $900 for a sub that I may not need. Adding this one was one of the biggest improvements to my overall sound. Like .... i was more happy about this sub than about my speakers ... and the speakers are great

 

[pg_rider]

holly wow ... those guys are huge. Is it OK that these a 2 different subs? even though same manufacturer?

The VTF-3 Mk III and VTF-3 Mk IV are essentially the same sub, assuming you configure the Mk IV appropriately. I would fully endorse going with identical subs, but that's just me -- again, the mental aspect of knowing they're the same goes a long way for me. Plus, you'd hate for one sub to run out of steam before the other...

 

[ParadigmDawg]

...Been down that road...

I have a huge listening room and between 2 and 4 subs was recommended by SVS. I started out with 1 Ultra and it held it's own in my room. I then added a second and although it did make it easier to blend in and gain an even response, it didn't offer the bank for the buck I was looking for. I ended up selling the 2nd one as $1500 looked better in my bank account than it did in the corner of my room.

 

[Irvrobinson]

...Been down that road...

I have a huge listening room and between 2 and 4 subs was recommended by SVS. I started out with 1 Ultra and it held it's own in my room. I then added a second and although it did make it easier to blend in and gain an even response, it didn't offer the bank for the buck I was looking for. I ended up selling the 2nd one as $1500 looked better in my bank account than it did in the corner of my room.

This parallels my experience. I budgeted for two subs, but one ended up being quite sufficient.

I think a factor in the one sub versus multiples question also depends on your main speakers and whether you run the mains full-range. If your main speakers are good to below 30Hz and you run them full-range it is like having three subs in the room, as far as most room modes go.

 

[Jeff R.]

I like having 2.....just the piece of mind that I have a lower demand on the 1 sub, plus it pretty much gives me unlimited configurations to balance my response. I do not ever see myself only having 1 sub agian.