Eh hem!...Subwoofers... What do ya know?

So is it the consensus that 2 cheap Dayton or BIC subs are better than spending $500 on a SVS or Rythmik?

if I rabbit hole here I wouldn’t go more than 2 subs and my cheapy 200 watt sealed sub seems to be doing ok (can’t find a 2nd one anywhere sadly). And that a 2nd sub should NOT be placed on the other end along the same wall (front) as the other sub?

@erik_squires  placement in terms of nulls makes perfect sense.  I will read more into that

I guess I’d have to see what “placed ideally” equates to. Some light reading have the impression that one on each wall was the answer. How true that is I do not know.

if 2 $500 subs are better overall than 2 $200 subs then so be it. I’m just genuinely curious  as the “4 is better than 1” motto never mentions “good ones“ versus “ones that should work ok”.

Does the direction of either the mains’  midbass driver or the sub make any difference?
Like if I point my mains away from a bass null would that help negate it?

@davekayc what about 2 way bookshelf speakers? Same?

@davekayc  I'm fighting a bass null at the sitting position so I wondered about, having the mains spread further apart but toed in at a steeper angle to limit low frequency waves going straight at the wall and being reflected back. Basically having the very toed on speakers sending low frequency waves at the rear wall at a steep angle vs nearly head on to negate the null.

Unless I move at least 38% of the way into the room (better at 50%) I sit in a mid bass null. I always thought the speakers were bass shy but the sub I've been messing with has the same issue so its clearly the room and not speakers. If I mive 3ft to the right of the couch/sitting position which puts me in front of the hallway entrance the sub is delivering THUNDER. Move back to the sitting position and its a little warmer at best.

@millercarbon 4 subs is a no go for me. I live in an apartment after all. I did try to move the sub next to the couch and I feel like I have it so it integrates well and isn't apparent thats its next to the sitting position.

All in all it remedies most of the problem at the sitting position. I would really rather NOT have subs at all so I don't know. I haven't had time to sub crawl AND I'm also going to play with the height of the mains. These came with 24" tall stands but have a 3"+ front port that puts the tweeters way over my ears (bass is better standing also). I'm going to try putting them on 18" tall solid objects to see what happens.

So I took the mains off their stands and put them on top of some weights. They are about 1 foot off the ground now. Sound is warmer but still not getting that low bass “bump”. If I stand up and put my head right above my head sitting there it is.

what I can’t get my head around is what the couch is doing to make this happen. I pushed the couch out of the way and there it is. Seems like it should be the other way around. The couch is against a flimsy metal frame table that’s 12” deep which then is sandwiched against the rear wall. Could that cavity somehow be adding to things?

Edit; moved the now lower stand speakers back 8” or so and now im
gettijg better bass. The imaging isn’t as good so that sucks. My speakers are -6db at 50hz but are really -6 for everything below 110hz and front ported. Now I’m more curious about a 40hz rear ported speaker would do. Hmmmm.

i now better understand the subwoofer’s role in things. Being able to bring my mains out 25” from the back wall (rear of speaker) and have the sub make up the bass I lose allowing the imaging that comes with being out into the room is cool.

@davekayc most likely no New speakers for me in 2020. Probably put the sub back in and make the best of it.

its all I can do

Just wanted to add that using the downloadable calculator here I think the measurements I entered fairly well replicate what I am hearing.

For fun I put in specs for speakers I am interested in and they really do add seem to alleviate the issues.

Assuming this calculator is symbolic of my issues of course.

I didn't enter what Focal says the low frequency roll off is, but rather Stereophile's summed measurement at -3db