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Stereo Subs - Do they need to be identical?

I'm thinking of getting a couple of subwoofers to mate with my MBL 121 monitors. Generally, I've seen setups where people use two subs of the same brand and size. I'm wondering whether it can make sense to use two different sizes. For example - a Venoyne DD12 and a DD15. I'm likely going to go with Velodyne DD series or JL Audio.

In particular, I note that the big Velodyne 1812 uses an 18 inch and 12 inch woofer, with suppsed benefits in terms of speed (12 inch) and extension and depth (18 inch).
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outlier OP
381 posts
 
Thanks guys for all the responses - a lot to think about. I have a key, related question. My MBL monitors have a low pass filter that cuts the bass off at 49hz - that's the lower limit of the bass.

Were I to introduce two subs to the mix, where would you recommend I mark the upper crossover point for the subs? And, would it be worth introducing some external crossover to cross the MBLs even higher (not force them to go as low as 49hz). Finally, even then, would some room correction unit be a welcome addition (like the Copland DRC) - maybe I'm straying too off topic here, so would need a seperate thred, but I would like to resolve these questions together and they seem tightly related. Overall, I'm looking for absolute seamless integration for two channel music. I had thought of getting 12inch subs because I may move to an apartment in the near future and I want to make sure I don't overpower the room.

To answer one of the questions above - my MBLs are about 4 feet from the back wall and three feet from the sides - its a large open plan room. I hope to upload updated system photos later this weekend (after I tidy the room ;-) )

Thanks,
John.
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