Question about subs.

[Rod]

I could use some help?
I have a Seaton Submersive sub that is dual 15 inch woofer and a 1000 watt ice amp that I use for movies most of the time. But it sits in a corner and is directional at least in this room. I also have a store credit at a retailer that I have to use there for a return. So after looking through all the stuff I dont need, I started to look at there subs that I dont need either.
Here is something that I am at a loss for answers. If I buy the Monolith by Monoprice 10" THX Select Certified 500 Watt Powered Subwoofer(https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=109&cp_id=10906&cs_id=1090602&p_id=24456&seq=1&format=2) and sit the sub in the opposite front corner to the Seaton sub, can they be used in tandem or would the difference be to much? I would just be trying to fill in the opposite corner with base freq. in a 20x20 room. Would the Seaton just overpower the other , or could the second sub just help "fill the corner" in the frequencys and loudness levels it can do and sound ok without turning the Seaton down to try to match? I dont know what the suggestions are for dissimilar subs.

 

[bravomail]

if u crossover below directional freq - it should not matter. In theory. It will be harder to match different subs for volume, I think. Have u looked at adding sound deadening panels to your room? It will reduce reflections and other issues for sub and regular speakers.

 

[Soniclife]

Do you have measurements of the room / system? And what options do you have with your kit to ingrate another sub?

 

[andreasmaaan]

@Rod at what frequency do you cross your sub to the mains? The wavelength of 80Hz is over 4 metres. If the two 15" drivers are (as I presume) about 15" apart, there should be no significant lobing until up over 200Hz or so.

Or perhaps I've misunderstood what you mean by directional?

 

[Rod]

I mean that with only one sub in a 20x20 room, I can tell it sits in the front left part of the room with my eyes closed for example. I didn't use sound panels because there is heavy velvet black curtains on the front wall behind the screen from corner to corner. The same along the back wall. I thought that adding a second one could help on the right side of the room, make the lower frequencys sound more enveloping. I dont even need to be able to "hear" the second sub, just fill in and sound more surrounding I guess. I seen pictures of people having multiple subs along the front wall to even in the back of the room I think for the same reason. Mismatching subs though I dont know. The room is an old converted 2 car garage and square with me sitting in the THX calculated "sweet spot".
When the sub was new and the first time I turned it up, I felt sound waves in the chest for the first time. My favorite thing to do back then was put in the first Iron Man movie were Tony Stark is in the Humvee and there attacked and crank that sub up with some ususpecting friend in the hot seat. I would watch people jump in there seats, and I would just set back and laugh like hell. Good times.

 

[andreasmaaan]

I see, yeh.

Adding a different sub to the mix could work, but it introduces another difficult-to-manage variable, i.e. the differing phase responses of the two different subs. At the low frequencies at which the subs operate and in a real room this can probably be worked around (Earl Geddes for example says he has no problem using multiple different kinds of subs).

My guess is that there may be better/easier ways to do this though, e.g. by changing the location of the sub or the xover frequency (if either is possible).

What's your sub-main xover frequency at the moment?

Have you also considered buying the passive version of the sub you have already (I realise it's more expensive).

 

[FrantzM]

Hi
I would advise you to learn to measure with REW. Please read these:
Room Measurement Tutorial for Dummies Part 1
Room Measurement Tutorial for Dummies Part 2
The cash outlay is minimal ( <$200.00), the learning curve not so: REW is free (download HERE) you use a laptop with a UMik USB Measurements Mike HERE )to measure and start trying to understand what is happening down low. I also suggest the good and inexpensive miniDSP 2 x 4 with the advanced plug in...
This is not plug and play by any means. It will take you some time and is also a fun learning experience if you are so inclined. The results will speak .... err... sound for themselves. Acurate bass response is the holy grail of Hi-Fi.. Once you reach it the rest usually fall into place ... almost magically ...

I noticed some suggesting some kind of acoustic treatments. For the most part these don't work in the low bass (<100 Hz0 unless they're gigantic and that means expensive ... Simple drapes won't do a iota of difference in in the low bass ... The big cylinders so prized by audiophiles won't either ... Using multiple subwoofers on the other is a true tried and measured solution ....