One subwoofer or two...? 7.1 or 7.2?

[barfle]

Thanks so much for responding...

...that's a bit beyond my understanding...?...I'm more or less a newbie when it comes to surround; I bought my surround setup in 2019 but it's been in storage until just very recently.

I don't really understand crossover and frequencies...?

...also, right now my configuration is pretty much nowhere near optimal: my room has a small-double, high-sleeper bed with my desk and PC monitors underneath it and my Tannoy Satellites are lashed to the underside of the bed by cable-ties looped around the wooden bed-slats...

...my front-left and front-right satellites both sit within about a one meter span, with the center in between them and the surround-left and right are about 26 centimeters away from each of my ears; the rears are about 40cms behind me.

...the rest of my room is piled high with boxes full of twenty years of eBay buildup that needs to be sold or donated to a thrift shop.

My plan is to get it all sold and to hopefully get myself a sofa, or maybe just a few beanbags and then properly positioning my rig.

[Edit]

@barfle ...thanks so much for the input; I know a lot of this stuff can be subjective; really just fishing for what aspects of it might be objectively important.
For me I really like the boom when I'm watching movies and there's an explosion, and the second sub really just reached me as part of a lot I bought for extra satellites for 7.1

I was thinking I might position each sub laterally to fill out the sound of all six of the left and right speakers, plus was toying with the idea of getting a centre with a built-in sub just to round things off.

I have an old Onkyo receiver, so unfortunately no atmos but I'm still enjoying it immensely. I think if I get to upgrade further on it'll just be an added treat. I can't imagine the difference is such that I could tell one from the other without having them side by side, but who knows, I've never heard atmos. I've got atmos discs but only an Onkyo TX-NR609 (although I can't say "only" having an Onkyo is much of a hardship) X0)

Looks to me like you’re just getting started, so my advice is walk before you run.

Having a listening space under a high-up bed isn’t ideal, of course, but I’m sure space is very expensive in London, so work-arounds are the order of the day. I don’t believe I’d rush into multople subs just yet, although they should be part of the plan.

With such a limited space, I’m thinking that a buttkicker fastened to your chair might satisfy your desire for a tactile experience. Of course, I’m just guessing here. Real advice would take some face-to-face and experience in the room.

 

[Rango]

Looks to me like you’re just getting started, so my advice is walk before you run.

Having a listening space under a high-up bed isn’t ideal, of course, but I’m sure space is very expensive in London, so work-arounds are the order of the day. I don’t believe I’d rush into multople subs just yet, although they should be part of the plan.

With such a limited space, I’m thinking that a buttkicker fastened to your chair might satisfy your desire for a tactile experience. Of course, I’m just guessing here. Real advice would take some face-to-face and experience in the room.

Thanks, and yeah I think you're right re. the running before walking.

I need to climb the learning curve before (or while) I climb the upgrade curve; and both are probably going to take time.
And yeah, it's not an ideal setup, but once I get my room cleared out I'll have more space to lay things out properly.

The second sub came to me as part of a lot I bought for the extra satellites, but while it's here, I figure I may as well use it.

I've sent its board off to be repaired so, hopefully should have it installed and functional before the end of this coming week.

I'll probably position it behind me, opposite to the existing one that's on the floor in front of me underneath the front speakers . I'd prefer to have them on either side, halfway between front and rear...?...but the cramped space makes that impossible.

 

[barfle]

Thanks, and yeah I think you're right re. the running before walking.

I need to climb the learning curve before (or while) I climb the upgrade curve; and both are probably going to take time.
And yeah, it's not an ideal setup, but once I get my room cleared out I'll have more space to lay things out properly.

The second sub came to me as part of a lot I bought for the extra satellites, but while it's here, I figure I may as well use it.

I've sent its board off to be repaired so, hopefully should have it installed and functional before the end of this coming week.

I'll probably position it behind me, opposite to the existing one that's on the floor in front of me underneath the front speakers . I'd prefer to have them on either side, halfway between front and rear...?...but the cramped space makes that impossible.

Don't get discouraged by the learning curve. I know there's been plenty of times I thought I knew what I was doing, but the results ended up showing that to be untrue! But having a second sub certainly opens a few doors for experimentation.

I've read a ton of stuff about how to place subs, single and multiple. And as I noted earlier, if it makes you happy, that's what matters.

 

[ghalteman]

I have gone to THREE subs now from one. I have reduced the size of my front & surround speakers greatly to fit on shelves, and also lost a lot of bass. (I'm now using Four Boston Acoustics VR-M60's and a Boston Acoustics VR-MC Center speaker. Before I was using four Theil Model 01's with 10" woofers & a Snell CC1 for the center).
I though more than one sub would be overkill, but I was VERY wrong! Two sounded great and not overpowering at all. I also used a third older Advent sub behind the tv stand which has the center under it, NO regrets, even bass everywhere, but three subs do work against each other by the laws of physics. Setting the phase switches on each optimized each woofer. Best system in the house now! I bought used Boston Acoustics Subs on Ebay.

 

[inspclouseau]

I have gone to THREE subs now from one. I have reduced the size of my front & surround speakers greatly to fit on shelves, and also lost a lot of bass. (I'm now using Four Boston Acoustics VR-M60's and a Boston Acoustics VR-MC Center speaker. Before I was using four Theil Model 01's with 10" woofers & a Snell CC1 for the center).
I though more than one sub would be overkill, but I was VERY wrong! Two sounded great and not overpowering at all. I also used a third older Advent sub behind the tv stand which has the center under it, NO regrets, even bass everywhere, but three subs do work against each other by the laws of physics. Setting the phase switches on each optimized each woofer. Best system in the house now! I bought used Boston Acoustics Subs on Ebay.

"Setting the phase switches on each optimized each woofer." That made a gigantic difference in our 3 subs too. Usable positioning was very important too. We got lucky that the two either side of the couch working out so well. The front corner one was tested moving closer and further from the corner.. until blue in the face. Just the smallest moves make such a difference in some places. Bass nulls in main seating were fixed using three in our room. Smooth, clean bass. We also love how this worked out. Listened the Pink Floyd Animals Blu-ray yesterday again...and again...lol. Powerful and clean. Just awesome! Quite a bass mix in this. One of our favorites for seriously moving the air around. When first one, then two and then finally a third sub, I thought I would need a fourth one. After all adjusted.. NOPE. Been very happy and this has been set-up like this for years now. 5.3 and sticking to it That is until we lose one from lightning strikes and have to repair it....again



Klipsch ChorusII main
Klipsch Academy center
Klipsch KG2.5 rear surrounds mounted with Omnimount brackets
Hsu VTF-3 sub (main front) Original 2003, front firing version
Klipsch sw311 sub (rear) under end table (couch)
Klipsch rsw10 sub (rear) under opposite end table (couch)
Yamaha RX-V2700 receiver
Yamaha 5cd changer
OPPO udp-203 4K Blu-ray
and....a Decware tube amp delivered hopefully this summer/fall. 2023

 

[timbre4]

I have 4 subs in my main system because it takes a lot to excite this concrete floor! These are older Cambridge Soundworks beasts in pairs (powered + slave) with one pair next to each other under the center speaker between L + R front mains. The other sub pair is split under the rear surrounds as supports for CSW mid bass + satellites. (NOTE: mid bass driver failing - already been here with the other side; so I took these out and brought my 1977 Advent walnut loudspeakers in for the rear channels now. These are a better match to the CSW Tower mains up front.)

I play bass and always know where a single sub is emanating bass from. It's non-directional but still is IMHO. So my solution provides 360 degree coverage. When I pull down the screen and fire up the 1080P projector, the loud concert presentation is reasonably convincing.

Now, allow me to contradict myself with the living room 5.1.2 system. Since I have a separate building for office/man cave, I respect the WAF (wife acceptance factor) in the house. We did a major remodel in 2018 where we bought a basic Samsung 55" 4K TV and when bringing the speakers back in, I was asked about getting rid of the Klipsch subwoofer ("that big ugly black box"). So I agreed to find something smaller.

By some miracle of timing, Crutchfield happened to have a Definitive Technology Pro Sub 1000 on sale. It had a $700 list and was being blown out for $300. This unit is about 1 foot square in a nice gloss black finish. Minimal interface options (LFE in? all I need, let's go) and a low pass frequency setting. It took no time to integrate into the Denon AVR-X2200 system and I cannot overstate the difference it made on any source material it was fed. It dramatically improved the musically of this modest system. Electric bass notes were much more articulate! It does a bang up job with the bottom end and that gets me to thinking.

I've had the same speakers setup in the main system for 20 years now; I've approved mixes with them. I've upgraded the center channel a couple times. I have liked the neutral tonality of the CSW models coupled with the slightly bright Denon AVRs. The articulate delivery of bass from the small Definitive Technology subwoofer has me thinking that TWO of these or a model above this (because I don't worry about space out here) would probably be sufficient.

We bought a vehicle last week so I'll be taking my time on resolving this question and the Atmos upgrade planned.

 

[JohnN]

I hope with all those sub-woofers that you all feel ok all of the time. Too much low bass can make you feel ill. Not good for a dog.

Cheers!

 

[inspclouseau]

Adjusted well, ours are not for boomy bass at all, but clean even and smooth. We are primarily music people. Not that much into tv or movies. We have a very open main room with vaulted ceiling, that has the dining room and kitchen on the right side of main seating living room area. It took 3 to finally get what we were looking for. I know, seems like a lot of subs would be for folks that want to bounce the room around. Not us that's for sure. We are Jethro Tull people too! A lot of 5.1 Tull in this house as well as stereo too.

 

[JohnN]

Adjusted well, ours are not for boomy bass at all, but clean even and smooth. We are primarily music people. Not that much into tv or movies. We have a very open main room with vaulted ceiling, that has the dining room and kitchen on the right side of main seating living room area. It took 3 to finally get what we were looking for. I know, seems like a lot of subs would be for folks that want to bounce the room around. Not us that's for sure Our pup passed away some time ago. Hope it wasn't our fault though! We are Jethro Tull people too! A lot of 5.1 Tull in this house as well as stereo too.

Sorry about the pup.

 

[inspclouseau]

Sorry about the pup.

My poor attempt at a joke.

 

[sperezmore]

Got two subs, they work great on my system

Regards,

 

[JohnN]

My poor attempt at a joke.

 

[Frogmort]

 

[Frogmort]