The solution to not having to fiddle that much with the subwoofer level is to get another subwoofer and set them both up in a true stereo configuration, one for the left channel and the other for the right channel. That way you will get the "right" level of sub-bass every time as long as you are fine with the bass level set at the production stage.
With two subwoofers set up in stereo:
- You will get stereo bass when the mix contains such information.
- You will avoid phase cancelations at the signal level that is meant to happen acoustically (which in turn can help create a more enveloping sound according to David Griesinger).
- And when the bass is already summed to mono at the production stage, it will be summed to mono acoustically anyway.
With just one subwoofer:
- With a signal only from either the left or the right channel, it will only be half the bass energy if the sub-bass was already summed to mono during the audio production. To adjust this, the level must therefore be increased by 3 dB, but this level adjustment will, unfortunately, give you the wrong level of bass if the audio production contains stereo bass.
- With a stereo signal to a single subwoofer, you should in most cases get the correct level no matter if the sub-bass was summed to mono during the audio production, or if it contains stereo bass. But the thing that can't be avoided with this solution is the phase cancellation that will occur at the signal level if the production contains stere bass information, and that same problem will also occur with multiple subwoofers set up in mono.
Since I started using two subwoofers set up in a stereo configuration, I have not felt any need to fiddle with the levels, it sounds correct with everything I play which is a relief.
I can agree with your (well said ) technical assessments of 'two subs in stereo', and 'just one subwoofer'.
But not with the idea of not needing to adjust levels when using subs in true stereo configuration, that all tracks will have the "right" level of bass.
(By bass, I mean less than about 100Hz.)
With the remote I showed, stereo means left and right, each side with its own sub.
(All three channels shown on the remote, LCR, are identical speakers each with their own sub.)
So the stereo preset means as you called it, left and right in 'true stereo configuration'.
Music across genres varies so much, the idea of one sub level doesn't begin to hold for me.
Heck, even on the same album sometimes, sub bass can vary too much track by track, not adjust level / EQ.
The tonal imbalances in tracks from too much / too little sub, is apparent in any speaker configuration....stereo, matrixed LCR, any single speaker in summed mono, any set of speakers running summed mono. etc
Music simply varies too much....easy to use levels/EQ's add a much to my enjoyment.
