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Two vs four subwoofers for music playback

Hello guys,

I currently have a pair of subwoofers for my 2 channel audio system and I enjoy them very much as they make a big difference in sound quality, mostly on body, presence/ambience and 3D image.

I'm thinking about buying an extra pair of subs to emulate a Swarm bass array and smooth out even more the room bass response and get even better dynamics, 3D and presence.

Has anyone had experienced a similar situation?

Has anyone done it?

Can you share your thoughts here? 

Is it worth the expense and the effort of voicing extra subs? 

plga
aldnorab's avatar
aldnorab
134 posts
 

When using four subs, are they used in stereo mode or mono? I've always found 2 stereo subs sound more spacious than 1. 

Thanks,

aldnorab

lak's avatar
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lak
4,529 posts
 

 

gosta's avatar
gosta
839 posts
 

At least one of your subs should be a Velodyne dd+ so you can dial in perfect bass response at your main listening position at all levels. Preferably a 15".  :-)

tpreaves's avatar
tpreaves
2,681 posts
 

If 2 is good, 4 must be better. Hell,12 should be the gateway to enlightenment!!!!

mike_in_nc
1,121 posts
 

@aldnorab - I have heard of their being used in either way (stereo or mono). In my system, I use the 3 in mono, because of equipment limitations. Also, it’s hard to run 3 of anything in stereo! I ran the 2 in stereo before that.

As to spaciousness, that’s an interesting question. I am not sure how much spaciousness in stereo subs is real (i.e., on the recording) and how much is caused by slight phase differences, which might create a sense of spaciousness. IMO, it’s one of those areas in audio where it’s difficult to know exactly what’s going on. If I had 4 identical subs, though, I think I’d try them in stereo. One reads that many modern recordings do have stereo bass, and it would be interesting to compare.

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