Got a pair of Bower 802D3 which I’m biwiring 1000 watts to each one, been through several subs, just sold my pair of JL f112, which did not give me the thunder I wanted so I’m going back to SVS , I had 2 sb2000 before, but this time I want a brand new sb 4000 and I wondering if I should have me second sub be a sb2000 or the 3000 or match what i already have which is the 4000, I want to be the one to hear and feel it in my living room, not my neighbor,
my experience with large subs is that the frequency is to low and for me to hear close up , so is it ok to get 2 different size subs to cover a wider spectrum of bass or get 2 matching subs?
I think you are flailing for a solution right now and we need to get you back to simple, and straightforward, though that may take some effort on your part.
What are your main speakers? How have you connected them? Is there a high pass filter in place? Have you measured your current state? How large is your room?
How about speaker placement? Try the AM Acoustics room mode simulator first. It will help you see where the lowest modes are. Keep all your speakers and your listening room out of them if possible.
With your large floor standers a pair of subs should be an easy set up...when I set up 2 subs with large floor standers, everyone I talked to, said to get identical subs …
I use to great satisfaction 3 different SVS subs in my main room. A SB4000, a SB3000 and a PC2000 Ultra. The 4000 crosses at 60hz, the 3000 at 80hz and the 2000 at 100hz. After playing with the gain for some time it is now dialed in seamlessly. You never hear any indication of a subwoofer and yet there is a dynamic that is hard to explain. The interplay of the subs does magic to my bottom end and the music is captivating.
The 3 different SVS subs is something I considered, now that I know it works, that’s probably what I’m gonna do, only gonna get 2 subs, which should I get ? The sb 4000 and the 3000 or the 4000 with the 2000?
In my experience, the 4000 and the 3000 seem to pair better. That may be because my PC2000 is a bottom firing sub. I have often wondered how the SB2000 and 4000 would pair up. The quickness of the 2000 and the crazy extension of the 4000 would seem to cover all the bases. Either way, have fun and play it loud.
my experience with large subs is that the frequency is to low and for me to hear close up , so is it ok to get 2 different size subs to cover a wider spectrum of bass or get 2 matching subs?
You’ve described my successful approach to increasing the low frequency SPL in a sound treated 24 x 18 x 8 ft listening area. The front wall has 2 corner placed Rythmik subs supported by a pair of smaller REL’s as one on each sub wall on each side wall. My speakers are Voxativ single drivers — fast and midrange rich, but relatively bass deficient.
As long as both subs are sealed, you shouldn’t have any issues integrating them. Don’t mix a sealed and ported sub in your configuration.
If you don’t want your neighbor to get thumped and just want overall clean immersion,
a) For starters, use the Harman room mode calc and position yourself out of big nulls.
(As a "general solution", i.e., it’s hard to say much without measurements or knowing anything about your room dimensions. Sbir is an issue with subs as well..that dudes don’t think about often enough.)
b) Try setting your subs a bit nearfield i.e. subs behind your couch up against each side wall as long as your room’s not too wide. If the subs get too close to you, it will shake your seat/couch like tactile sub bass drivers and become distracting. If the sub placement line connecting your 2 side walls is about 2 to 3 ft behind your couch, it could put you in a immersive womb of bass without thumping your neighbor’s skull.
(There are many goofy thought processes on AV forums about pressurizing entire rooms with a platoon of subs, which will only pressurize the neighbor and your wife’s innards and gizzards. Wife could run off with the neighbor and start collecting alimony payments from ya...not good)
I’d think if another SB4000 isn’t in the budget an SB3000 shouldn’t be too hard to seamlessly incorporate into the mix between placement and adjustments so I wouldn’t sweat it.
I have a pair of Matrix 802 happily assisted by a pair of SVS SB3000 with the preamp set for a 40Hz crossover. Along with an old Bryston 3B-NRB, I have had occasion to replay certain tracks to see if I’ve just been through an earthquake. The earthquake via SB3k was provided by the last 30 seconds of "Another Tune Like Not Fade Away" by Solex. The last two minutes of "Ontario Plates" by Do Make Say Think is another track that I thought was an earthquake.
I've experienced actual earthquakes, too many to remember, & the SB3k pair has fooled me a few times.
The SVS share a dedicated 20amp circuit and the Bryston has its own 20amp circuit (makes a huge difference). The SVS footies are a must unless you have a concrete floor.
I think you are going about this in a way where you still won’t be satisfied. I would suggest utilizing 6 subwoofers stacking 3 on each side. If I were you, I would either use JL Audio Fathom 110’s, 112’s or 113’s. Another option is REL’s 6 stackable subs. You are missing the frequency at certain height levels which in turn makes you feel like you are missing certain frequencies and dynamics that should pair with your speakers. You can use the room correction to eliminate the negative waves and vibrations of your room to get the exact bass frequencies you are looking for. Each subwoofer stacked will be set at a different crossover point. For me, I was glad I went this route. It made a world of a difference. Hope this helps
"I would suggest utilizing 6 subwoofers stacking 3 on each side."
I would suggest 10 subs.
Plus 1 in the bathroom
Nice sarcasm, lol! Amazing if you never tried it, how would you know and what is your base to support your argument/ opinion against it, lol. Then again people are creatures of habit and would have a negative opinion about anything they have never done or have somewhat tried with a lack of effort. My experience with what I have done especially with an agreement of everyone who has listened to my system suggests positive results and feedback. Maybe that’s not your experience and hopefully you are happy with your system in your environment. I just know for a fact that you can’t speak to my environment because you have never been there or been invited.
I have 2 REL subs, big difference with 2 vs 1. I also use their wireless connection, I love not having to run speaker cables to the far corners of the room.
The G&R Research has gotten me very interested in open baffle subs. They make single, double and triple kits with servo amplifiers for full control of each woofer. They include all the cnc cut material for diy assembly. Supposedly, with open baffle, it pressurizes the room equally, thereby giving a more even response without the “room boom”.
One more suggestion for integration, have two matched pairs of subs: Tower Kinergetics SW-800 and two SVS SB-16 Ultras and measure the room with Room EQ Wizard and plug those measurements into Multi Sub Optimizer to get my 12 biquads on each speaker for the DSP. The integration is amazing and also keeps the neighbors from complaining. They are all not set up symmetrically as others have mentioned to help with the room modes. The subs run full range and cut off based on their abilities and crossovers from MSO. It’s a dream set up, good luck and let us know what works for you!
so is it ok to get 2 different size subs to cover a wider spectrum of bass or get 2 matching subs?
To directly answer your question rather than blathering on about unrelated matters: Yes it's OK. The brand does not have to match nor the size. I have used subs as small as 6.5" with great results.
What you might consider is getting 3 or 4 subs which will go further in smoothing out the room response and when implemented well provides an astonishing result.
In a similar thread here: "Subwoofers ported or sealed" audiokinesis mentions his system and is worth looking into. Check out his SWARM.
My advice is to not be in a hurry, do your due diligence, read up on the concept of multi-subs as researched and advocated by dignitaries such as Geddes, Toole and Welti. They have all researched deep into the how, why and the spectacular results thereof. Their findings carry more weight than some posters here who do not have a clue.
There was a great thread a few years ago about matching 1 or 2 subs with large floor standers (actually B&W)...Audiokinesis talked about using 2 subs and thinking of the main speakers as subs...when I bought a second sub, Duke, of Audiokinesis, (when he was active on these threads), was incredibly gracious with sharing his expertise and advice on set up...asymmetric was the key...
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