Is sound "additive"?

i'm not sure if my math is correct but i *do* know that, basically, ewe have to double your power to get an additional 3db of gain. so, perhaps, if one subwoofer is playing at 90 db, adding a second at 90db (which is another way of doubling the power), would give a total of 93db?

even if my math is off, two subs at the same level will definitely be louder than one - one of the reasons (besides imaging & soundstaging) that i recommend using a stereo pair of subs instead of yust one: at any given volume level, the distortion will be measurably - and audibly - lower.

doug s.

liguy, there is no theoretical reason why a properly set-up 2-channel subwoofer system would not be in phase - unless one subs' speaker leads were hooked up backwards from the other - just like w/a pair of regular full-range speakers, being driven by a stereo amp. of course, you could also have your subs out-of-phase from your monitors, if the subs' leads were reversed relative to the monitors', but this mix-up is also possible w/a single sub. in fact, assuming proper connections, there's actually a chance of signal-cancellation when using only *one* sub, w/the two-channel signal summed to mono. in this set-up, there's the possibility of left/right-channel signal cancellation...

regards, doug s.

btw, the proper reason to use two subs in a system instead of one, is *not* to increase the spl of the bass - this wood only make the sound too bass-heavy in relation to your monitors. as said before, a second sub allows the *same* spl's w/reduced distortion, as well as improving imaging/soundstaging.

doug s.

liguy, i have no disagreements w/yer last comment... ;~)

regards, doug s.