What process did you use to integrate multiple subwoofers for 2 channel listening?


Today I will be trying to integrate up to three subs. Two are matching Rythmiks F12SE, and one is a REL R-328. The Rythmiks have a variety of adjustable parameters, including phase, crossover, and gain. There are other switches and passes on the sub, but I'm going to try to keep it basic to begin with. The REL has variable gain and crossover; the phase on REL is either 0 or 180.

I have REW for measurement. I will be buying a few more furniture sliders this morning, on doctors orders. ;-)

QUESTION: If you have multiple subs, by what process did you integrate your subs? One at a time? More? Which adjustments did you try first and in what kinds of increment?

I know that trial, error, measuring, and listening will all take time. Rather than look for a needle in a haystack, I'm curious what sequence or process was most effective for you.

Thank you.
128x128hilde45
I have over the past year added 3 subs to my system 1 at a time. Placement was not as much an issue as volume level and low pass set point. For me both went down quite significantly over time. You might save yourself some time and start out with a lower gain and low pass. Good luck.
It's a mistake not to use digital room correction in addition to several subs and sub placement. If you add it to your digital chain it will only improve your sound.

For me Dirac bass management plus additional (to my hearing) Roon PEQ filters works fine to give impressive lower and upper bass.

If your only concern is a +5 db hump then you're really fortunate. More normal would be +/- 20 db between 20-100 hz. With one or two nulls.
@hilde45 You don't need an EQ for your +5db hump (and that is actually a work around not the actual way to deal with it)

The hump occurs because the frequencies are being summed from your subs and your speakers (which will be different for each sub/speaker/room combo)

Your Low Pass for the sub needs to be lower as I am assuming that you are not going to rewire your crossovers in the speakers. If you have it at 80 currently (as another person suggested) I would say lower it to 55 and remeasure to see what happens. If it turns into a slight valley turn it up to 60. 
@hleeid I'm convinced I'll do a DBA, I just can't do it yet. I'm in a temporary room and will probably be able to move to another but not for 5 years. This makes a DBA impossible. I'm doing my best to optimize with 3 subs. If that is still 1 card short of a full deck (i.e., crazy) then I'll realize that and in 5 years will be able to correct the issue by selling the subs used and going for an array. Given the wide range of controls on these Rythmiks, I'm hoping I can do pretty well until I get an array.

@jmalen123 and @powemi2 Thanks for the suggestion process for the low pass.
@mapman, thanks for the Ohm stuff. I'll take a look.

FWIW, here's what I was able to accomplish after 6 hours yesterday:

5db null at 33 hz
6db peak at 77 hz
5db null at 155hz
5db null at 174hz
9db null at 208hz
10db peak at running from 379-594 hz

I put the graph on my system page: https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/9064/edit