• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Dumb Question - multiple pairs of speakers.

TrevorD

Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2021
Messages
25
Likes
30
My gut tells me this is the most stupid question ever asked on an audio forum but here goes......

The following is a fictional example:
Lets say I have pair of bookshelf speakers - reasonable SQ - cost around US$300 from a good brand. There is little problem though, they have a sound hole lets say at around 3khz, maybe due to crossover deficiency or driver capability.

I have another, smaller pair of speakers that could fill that gap well. I have an amplifier that I could connect all 4 speakers to and control the volume to each pair separately to try and get a more level frequency response. Not trying to do surround sound here, just 2 pairs of speakers on each side of the room in front of me.

Would it be worth while trying this to see what the outcome is or are there some very obvious reasons this will just not be worthwhile?
 
  • Like
Reactions: CMB

thewas

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
6,755
Likes
16,212
From theoretical point of view it is not worthwhile as you will create an interference mess but if you like to experiment, why not? I would recommend though rather using an EQ to partially fill that dip. Would you mind sharing which loudspeakers these are, as sometimes they have such a dip on-axis which gets less though off-axis and filling it might increase the radiated sound power in that region too much.
 
OP
TrevorD

TrevorD

Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2021
Messages
25
Likes
30
From theoretical point of view it is not worthwhile as you will create an interference mess but if you like to experiment, why not? I would recommend though rather using an EQ to partially fill that dip. Would you mind sharing which loudspeakers these are, as sometimes they have such a dip on-axis which gets less though off-axis and filling it might increase the radiated sound power in that region too much.
I was expecting that using EQ would be suggested as a better approach, and that makes sense to me with my limited knowledge of this.

When you say "create an interference mess", does that mean the drivers in different cabinets are not going to be creating soundwaves in sync with each other?

This is a fictional scenario, but the speakers I have are a pair of 20 year old bookshelf 2 way Missions. I will replaced them with either a new set or I am quite interested in building my own.
 

thewas

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
6,755
Likes
16,212
When you say "create an interference mess", does that mean the drivers in different cabinets are not going to be creating soundwaves in sync with each other?
Yes, since you cannot filter them extremely steeply the drivers will be playing both the same frequencies and there will be constructive and destructive interference causing comb filter effect outside the optimal addition axis.

 
  • Like
Reactions: CMB
OP
TrevorD

TrevorD

Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2021
Messages
25
Likes
30
OK - I get that. Thanks for the video link.

Time for me to learn about speaker/room analysis and equalisation next methinks.
 

Sancus

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 30, 2018
Messages
2,923
Likes
7,616
Location
Canada
Not trying to do surround sound here, just 2 pairs of speakers on each side of the room in front of me.
4 speakers, even in front, is actually a form of multichannel(just not a commonly used one).

I have to admit, any time someone wants to try something like this, I feel they'd just be better off with surround upmixing. That is actually a good way to hide flaws in speakers based on the research. And you don't have to worry about interference caused by feeding identical signals to so many speakers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CMB

dasdoing

Major Contributor
Joined
May 20, 2020
Messages
4,209
Likes
2,675
Location
Salvador-Bahia-Brasil
if you do something like that they should be stacked, not side by side. that way you move the cancelations to the vertical plane
 
  • Like
Reactions: CMB
Top Bottom