Small room, will 2 small subs be satisfying

[jliedeka]

My living room is small, about 1500 cubic feet with no really large openings. I'm currently using a single Hsu VTF 3.3. I know it's totally overkill for my room but there's no question about feeling the low bass in movie soundtracks.

I was thinking about replacing the one big sub with two smaller ones, for example, a pair of SB-2000s from SVS. Would I be giving up room shaking bass by going with two smaller sealed subs?

Jim

 

[fmw]

Room shaking bass is a function of moving air. That can be affected by driver size, Xmax, power handling and power, room acoustics and so on. Sealed subs are less efficient and require more power to reach a given SPL. It is a rare residential room that couldn't be handled by a pair of 12" subwoofers, sealed or ported. But what is wrong with the sub you have now?

 

[shadyJ]

The enclosure and ports of the VTF3.3 are gigantic. Two medium xmax 12"s will doubtlessly have more headroom above 40 Hz, and probably below 14 Hz or so, however, I don't think they will quite equal the thunder of the VTF3.3 around its tuning points. This is born out when you look at their CEA-2010 measurements (SB2000 and VTF3.4 [which should be just like the 3.3]). If you can tolerate two medium size subs rather than two small subs, go for a ULS-15 dual drive instead. Going by available CEA measurements, it looks to have fully twice as much output as the SB2000. Two will surpass the VTF3's performance even at its tuning point and smash it above and below that frequency band. It is a shame you want to let go of the VTF3.3 though, that is a classic sub.

 

[Auditor55]

My living room is small, about 1500 cubic feet with no really large openings. I'm currently using a single Hsu VTF 3.3. I know it's totally overkill for my room but there's no question about feeling the low bass in movie soundtracks.

I was thinking about replacing the one big sub with two smaller ones, for example, a pair of SB-2000s from SVS. Would I be giving up room shaking bass by going with two smaller sealed subs?

Jim

How much output do you need? Two smaller sealed, according to the experts, will give you a smoother frequency response across the room. You will still get some room shaking bass with two smaller sealed subs, but how much shaking do you want. Sometimes we have to compromise based on room size and budget.

 

[jliedeka]

I want my explosions to be explodey.

I don't really have space for two big subs but two smaller ones would be do-able. My frustration comes from reading reviews of smaller sealed subs. The verdict is always they are great for music but lacking for movies. Without exception, the reviewers have 5000 cu ft or larger rooms so I have no idea how that would translate to my situation. I wonder if cabin gain will make up the difference for low bass.

My goal is to smooth out the bass in my room. If I do replace my sub, it will probably be after replacing my receiver which I am still hemming and hawing about. Technically I don't need anything better but some newer HDMI related features, better room EQ, and two sub outputs would be desirable. I do have some bass traps which help but the big ol' 3.3 has to live in a corner.

Jim

 

[Auditor55]

How about two PC-2000's (cylinder subs), they will cost your $200 more, SVS will give you a discount if you by two. The cyl's will give you the output (they're ported) you're looking and will save you space since the cyl's have a smaller foot print.

Also, do you have bookshelf or floor-standers as mains? What receiver do you have?

PC-2000 dimensions.
34" (H) 16.6" (W) 16.6" (D

ULS MK2
18" H x 18" W x 18" D

 

[jliedeka]

I hadn't thought about cylindrical subs. I have bookshelf type L&R speakers, Studio 20s. They can play fairly low but I prefer to just cross over at 80 Hz.

Jim

 

[ski2xblack]

I wonder if cabin gain will make up the difference for low bass.
Jim

Yes, cabin gain in the lowest frequencies is quite significant, particularly for sealed subs that roll off at 12 db/oct. Take a sealed 12" that rolls off somewhere around or just below 40hz when measured outside. That's fairly typical. Now put it into a corner in your room and voila, response extends down to the mid to low 20's. You also get less non-linear distortion, as cabin gain does not rely on increased driver excursion (although linear response is worse-corner placement excites modes-but that's what the second sub and some bass eq will ameliorate).