One subwoofer or two...? 7.1 or 7.2?

[Rango]

I've got two Tannoy TS2.8 subs, one working, one with a flashing red standby light.

It seems it's probably the (cheap) capacitors on the power board that have failed.

I was planning on going 7.2 with the two TS2.8 subs.

Is it worth paying for the repair (£49) to double up on subs?

I already have both subs, so is it better to stick with two, if I can get the second one repaired?

...or maybe I should pay for the repair and sell both subs to pay for a single better quality sub?

What are peoples' thoughts on this?

 

[paligap]

There are a lot of factors to consider. If you were happy with their performance as a pair before, £49 is not an unreasonable amount to get back to that. Bassheads will tell you that you need multiple massive subs, but again, if you were happy before . . .

On the other hand, if you were not happy with their performance before, or if you have doubts about their reliability, you might consider another sub or pair of subs. I prefer a pair instead of singles, but everyone has their own preference.

 

[marpow]

I went down the sub road pretty heavily. I think two is better.
There are different ways to think of subs, obviously if you like the big boom sound that only a sub can give you, there is your answer.
I personally do not like the big boom sound, but I have 3 subs, moderate size I would say.
Two are connected to my pre pro LFE out, One is at left front corner of room, this sub would be considered for the low end of front left and right speakers.
The other is diagonally across the room at rear right, this would be for the low end of the rears.
The 3rd sub, the smallest is connected to the center speaker posts at the amp end, obviously this one is for the center.
My theory based on my research is in my 12' X 14' room the nulls, the downs of the bass, can hit you right where you are sitting, by having the two front and rear and diagonally apart this removes the nulls.
The biggest improvement in my room was the front left and right corner floor to ceiling bass traps, very noticeable/immediate improvement.
I have all three tuned so that there is really no big boom, just a real nice clean low end.
Occasionally on movies I will feel the bass vibrate right thru my sitting furniture which is kind of cool.
Every once in awhile I will hear a creaking, which I don't like, could be a closet door or something and I will hunt it down and fix it.

Sorry for long winded answer But I am a fan of multiple subs.

 

[cbmmm3]

Im a two sub man. LIke Markie Marpow, I have medium sized subs. Connected in parallel on the PreAmp LFE Out with one in front right corner and the other in diagonal at the rear left corner. Not set for Boom Boom - just clean and tight. Having two helps to balance the low end out across the room.

On a side note. When Mary is upstairs, she hates subs

forgot to mention -- I'm just a 5.2 guy

 

[Rango]

There are a lot of factors to consider. If you were happy with their performance as a pair before, £49 is not an unreasonable amount to get back to that. Bassheads will tell you that you need multiple massive subs, but again, if you were happy before . . .

On the other hand, if you were not happy with their performance before, or if you have doubts about their reliability, you might consider another sub or pair of subs. I prefer a pair instead of singles, but everyone has their own preference.

To be honest I've not actually tried it yet...?...

...I bought a Tannoy HTS 101 XP 5.1 set from eBay a few years ago and, being an "eBay special" of course one of the speakers was faulty...

...the 101 XP's have five identical satellites with the intention being that any one of them can be purposed as a centre...

so...I figured it'd be okay, since I could just add a 3rd party centre further on and be good...?...

...but, it just turned out more cost-effective to buy a second 101 XP set from eBay for 7.1 and possibly 7.2, but...being an "eBay special" it arrived with a faulty sub.

I have to say I didn't pay that much for them and it was a nightmare for the guy shipping them, so all in all I'm not complaining. He was more than happy to try and make an insurance claim, since a couple of the satellites were damaged in transit (no original packaging) but they're "user repairable" (and I can get the sub fixed by a professional) so I told him it was fine and I was happy...so yeah: 7.2 looks like it's going to be happening.

I went down the sub road pretty heavily. I think two is better.
There are different ways to think of subs, obviously if you like the big boom sound that only a sub can give you, there is your answer.
I personally do not like the big boom sound, but I have 3 subs, moderate size I would say.
Two are connected to my pre pro LFE out, One is at left front corner of room, this sub would be considered for the low end of front left and right speakers.
The other is diagonally across the room at rear right, this would be for the low end of the rears.
The 3rd sub, the smallest is connected to the center speaker posts at the amp end, obviously this one is for the center.
My theory based on my research is in my 12' X 14' room the nulls, the downs of the bass, can hit you right where you are sitting, by having the two front and rear and diagonally apart this removes the nulls.
The biggest improvement in my room was the front left and right corner floor to ceiling bass traps, very noticeable/immediate improvement.
I have all three tuned so that there is really no big boom, just a real nice clean low end.
Occasionally on movies I will feel the bass vibrate right thru my sitting furniture which is kind of cool.
Every once in awhile I will hear a creaking, which I don't like, could be a closet door or something and I will hunt it down and fix it.

Sorry for long winded answer But I am a fan of multiple subs.

Please don't apologies, that's brilliant; very insightful and very helpful, thank you. Also, I'd never heard of bass traps, I'll take a look at them, but I'm on a budget so almost certainly not going to be purchasing; just letting you know to save you potentially taking the time to advise on the subject: just looking out of curiosity.

Im a two sub man. LIke Markie Marpow, I have medium sized subs. Connected in parallel on the PreAmp LFE Out with one in front right corner and the other in diagonal at the rear left corner. Not set for Boom Boom - just clean and tight. Having two helps to balance the low end out across the room.

On a side note. When Mary is upstairs, she hates subs

forgot to mention -- I'm just a 5.2 guy

I have to be honest, when watching movies, I do love the booms whenever there's an explosion? Not sure my ear's attuned enough yet to pick out "boom" when playing music...?...or maybe I've just not heard any yet...?...not sure what to look out for...?...

...I'm guessing it's just a noticeable, booming, excess of bass...?...unintended and extraneous, unless listening to something like the 1812 overture?

I've got an Onkyo TX-NR609 which is purportedly 7.2 capable; I need to look into it. it was another "eBay special" but this time in a good way:

...it reviewed as being almost unbelievable value for money but they turned out to have faulty HDMI boards, more or less certain to fail, and would need upgrading to a v.2 board and were possibly sold cheap for that reason...?...mine was a customer return that had failed and been fitted with the new board, so, yeah: for surround on a budget I'm doing okay.

 

[weekendtoy]

I'm a big believer in two subs as well, for all the reasons given above, with two caveats.

1) I wouldn't mix and match subs, such as one ported and one sealed, or two different subs with different output and sound characteristics.

2) I wouldn't sacrifice size to meet budget. For instance, if your budget is say $1,300. I would just add the one biggest sub you can get now and add the second later.

Given the Tannoy appears to be a 8" sub, I would seriously consider trying to upgrade to a single larger sub at this time and plan to add a second down the road if you can't swing both at this time.

 

[jamoke]

My 2 cents:
I have two 12 inch subs that I was constantly fiddling with on every source. What sounded great with one source was not quite right with another...
UNTIL I purchased a Marantz AVR with .2 outputs with Audyssey.
Pure bliss ever since, no more fiddling.

 

[inspclouseau]

We use three. Been told to always go in twos, but this works well in here. The last sub position (left side of couch is the one that dealt with two bass nulls at primary seat- right side of couch and towards right side mid point-rocking chair. Cannot stand boomy bass, (music) so luckily, the place we hear any boom is in the very far right corner of the room where no one sits. . We messed with settings for days and then even more days..lol.. moved the left couch one behind the left side of couch where it did sound a slight bit better, but was in the way. Where it sits and is staying under that table is pretty damn good though across listening areas. Very open room with vaulted ceilings etc... this was a pia to get bass to sound well. Nothing fancy here but all works very well. Happy with how it finally worked out. Had this same setup pretty much now for years.

 

[Rango]

Unfortunately I have pretty tight budget constraints, so purchasing even just one expensive sub is probably not on the cards for me.

What would you say is the main reason for a larger sub...?...my setup sounds pretty good as it is?

I'm guessing a more expensive system could give me more clarity but I can't help but think I must be at least 90% or more of the way there already...?...if the difference was night and day I might be compelled to try and work towards a more expensive setup but as it is I just can't afford more expensive equipment.

 

[JohnN]

I've had two subs. Found one (must be12inch) sub is fine. Having the same speakers across the front is the biggest improvement that I have noticed.

 

[citysoundman]

Stay on the lookout on the used market for a pair of nice subs. FB Marketplace is good for local sales. I recently upgraded to a pair of HSU 15’s, for the price of one new one. If your room is a decent size, 2 subs is well worth it.

 

[ar surround]

Discussions that I've had with audio dealers generally indicate that two subs are preferred, not only for reducing nulls (as noted above by others) but also because bass becomes directional as frequencies rise. It is my understanding that this point where bass becomes directional is about 80 Hz. I don't know the frequency range of your satellites, but if you are crossing over at above 80 Hz, lets say 120 Hz, that may be a consideration for sticking with two subs.

I've always found this subwoofer thing to be a combination of science and black art.

 

[barfle]

Unfortunately I have pretty tight budget constraints, so purchasing even just one expensive sub is probably not on the cards for me.

What would you say is the main reason for a larger sub...?...my setup sounds pretty good as it is?

I'm guessing a more expensive system could give me more clarity but I can't help but think I must be at least 90% or more of the way there already...?...if the difference was night and day I might be compelled to try and work towards a more expensive setup but as it is I just can't afford more expensive equipment.

The only important parameter in a listening room is whether or not it pleases you. Well, maybe it should please your significant other, too.

So if you like the sound you have, don’t spend money messinf with it. Multiple subs can smooth out the room response (different places in the room sounding different from others), but if you don’t notice that as an issue, then spend your money on music.

Just as an example, when I built my room a couple of years ago, I put in four ceiling speakers for Atmos. They’re still not connected to anything, because the budget simply isn’t there yet. And my next capital expese will be on room treatment, not a new Atmos receiver. Everyone has limitations that they need to accept and deal with. Some are common, like budget, and others are unique, like room shape and Spousal Acceptance Factor.

So, IMNSHO, if I were considering multiple subs, I’d do a sub check by playing known low tones and listening in the various seating positions in your room. If you don’t notice the difference, I have high confidence that your friends won’t either. You’re probably the most discerning person using the room, so your opinion is the one that matters.

Edit: A larger sub will generally let you play lower frequencies. Multiple subs will generally let you smooth out the room response. My single sub, placed between the front row of seats, can shake the room pretty well during the black hole entry in “Interstellar.” I’m satisfied with it.

 

[Rango]

Discussions that I've had with audio dealers generally indicate that two subs are preferred, not only for reducing nulls (as noted above by others) but also because bass becomes directional as frequencies rise. It is my understanding that this point where bass becomes directional is about 80 Hz. I don't know the frequency range of your satellites, but if you are crossing over at above 80 Hz, lets say 120 Hz, that may be a consideration for sticking with two subs.

I've always found this subwoofer thing to be a combination of science and black art.

Thanks so much for responding...

...that's a bit beyond my understanding...?...I'm more or less a newbie when it comes to surround; I bought my surround setup in 2019 but it's been in storage until just very recently.

I don't really understand crossover and frequencies...?

...also, right now my configuration is pretty much nowhere near optimal: my room has a small-double, high-sleeper bed with my desk and PC monitors underneath it and my Tannoy Satellites are lashed to the underside of the bed by cable-ties looped around the wooden bed-slats...

...my front-left and front-right satellites both sit within about a one meter span, with the center in between them and the surround-left and right are about 26 centimeters away from each of my ears; the rears are about 40cms behind me.

...the rest of my room is piled high with boxes full of twenty years of eBay buildup that needs to be sold or donated to a thrift shop.

My plan is to get it all sold and to hopefully get myself a sofa, or maybe just a few beanbags and then properly positioning my rig.

[Edit]

@barfle ...thanks so much for the input; I know a lot of this stuff can be subjective; really just fishing for what aspects of it might be objectively important.
For me I really like the boom when I'm watching movies and there's an explosion, and the second sub really just reached me as part of a lot I bought for extra satellites for 7.1

I was thinking I might position each sub laterally to fill out the sound of all six of the left and right speakers, plus was toying with the idea of getting a centre with a built-in sub just to round things off.

I have an old Onkyo receiver, so unfortunately no atmos but I'm still enjoying it immensely. I think if I get to upgrade further on it'll just be an added treat. I can't imagine the difference is such that I could tell one from the other without having them side by side, but who knows, I've never heard atmos. I've got atmos discs but only an Onkyo TX-NR609 (although I can't say "only" having an Onkyo is much of a hardship) X0)

 

[gene_stl]

There is a school of thought, that says multiple subs don't need to be identical. That makes some sense to me because non-identical subs might have different resonances and roll off characteristics. But you would want to do the measurements because if they happened to be incompatible response curve wise it could be worse rather than better.

I also prefer sealed boxes to vented if given a choice.

 

[JohnN]

One sub is enough, a sub should be at least 12 inches.

 

[bluelightning]

I would vote for two subs as well, preferably with atleast 12" drivers. I think it all depends on how much you love your bass and your room configuration. 49 pounds does

One sub is enough, a sub should be at least 12 inches.

Oh my God! Yes, Yes , Yes....

 

[weekendtoy]

Unfortunately I have pretty tight budget constraints, so purchasing even just one expensive sub is probably not on the cards for me.

What would you say is the main reason for a larger sub...?...my setup sounds pretty good as it is?

I'm guessing a more expensive system could give me more clarity but I can't help but think I must be at least 90% or more of the way there already...?...if the difference was night and day I might be compelled to try and work towards a more expensive setup but as it is I just can't afford more expensive equipment.

Are you able to measure your subs? You may want to explore downloading REW and measuring. A calibrated mic will cost you $100 but you can do it without one, the results just won't be as accurate.

Read the first few posts on Guide to Subwoofer Calibration to get started.

Once you can measure your subs, you will be able to determine if you are 90% there. For movies, with twin Tannoy 8' subs you are most likely missing out on any LFE below 20hz. For music, a good sub(s) provides a precision and accuracy and impact to the bass which you may be currently missing out on. It's hard to explain.

But we all go with we got and there is nothing wrong with that. REW can help you maximize what you have.

 

[Rango]

Are you able to measure your subs? You may want to explore downloading REW and measuring. A calibrated mic will cost you $100 but you can do it without one, the results just won't be accurate.

Read the first few posts on Guide to Subwoofer Calibration to get started.

Once you can measure your subs, you will be able to determine if you are 90% there. For movies, with twin Tannoy 8' subs you are most likely missing out on any LFE below 20hz. For music, a good sub(s) provides a precision and accuracy and impact to the bass which you may be currently missing out on. It's hard to explain.

But we all go with we got and there is nothing wrong with that. REW can help you maximize what you have.

Thanks so much for the link...I don't think I've even scratched the surface of this stuff; I'll have to make time to take a closer look at it all.

 

[Petr Kropotkin]

One sub is enough, a sub should be at least 12 inches.

Here's my sub from the 1960s, people really got lost in it for a time.