4 Starke sw15 vs 2 HSU VTF TN1

[spencerah]

Good afternoon everyone. Just wanted to get some thoughts on a recent upgrade I made. I recently went from a single HSU VTF 15h mk2 to double Starke sw15s. It got me thinking, when it’s time to upgrade (we all know it will happen eventually) would it make more sense to buy two more Srarkes and stack them, or get 2 HSU TN1s? My room is open concept connected to kitchen and dining room with vaulted ceilings. Speakers: Tekton Enzo XLfront soundstage and HSU bookshelf’s for surrounds. Onkyo tx nr696 receiver. Listen to music and movies 50/50.

 

[shadyJ]

That's a whole lot of bass. My guess is that 2 Starke 15"s would be just about equal to a VTF-TN1, although the Hsu may still have an advantage around port tuning frequencies. I think it would be worth doing not for any performance improvement, but just for the sake of simplifying the system. The fewer components you have, the fewer chances there are of things failing.

 

[spencerah]

That's a whole lot of bass. My guess is that 2 Starke 15"s would be just about equal to a VTF-TN1, although the Hsu may still have an advantage around port tuning frequencies. I think it would be worth doing not for any performance improvement, but just for the sake of simplifying the system. The fewer components you have, the fewer chances there are of things failing.

Thanks for the reply shady!! So will the extra surface area of having 4 15s not give them an advantage over the two ported HSUs?

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Thanks for the reply shady!! So will the extra surface area of having 4 15s not give them an advantage over the two ported HSUs?

Short answer is no. Below 35ish hz, ported subs have a massive advantage. For example, at 20hz it could take 3-4, sw15’s to equal one sw15p. So without seeing any measurements I would say the two HSU’s would get more performance. However, 4 subs vs 2, “can” offer smoother response if you have some freedom of placement. If you’re stuck with say corner loading the front, I think the HSU’s would be a better choice, even more than stacking the sw’s.
Also. The TN-1 is a 15” sub. So my money would go there. No question.

 

[shadyJ]

Thanks for the reply shady!! So will the extra surface area of having 4 15s not give them an advantage over the two ported HSUs?

The Hsu subs are using a much more powerful driver and a more robust amplifier. Also the larger enclosure size is more efficient. If you want to know how two SW15s compare against one VTF-TN1, go to the respective reviews (here and here), and add 6dB on to the SW15's charts and measurements.