Sub woofers - Are they bad for the car?

[devarshi84]

I have been into audio thingy for quite sometime .A two subwoofer system is ok,but one is usually better.Just see that the woofers are tightly fit and you will be fine for a long time.

Ps: play 50cents and use your system to the fullest

cheers boyracer

[navin]

Dev. Why is one better than 2? (usually). As someone who has used 2, 3 and 4 subs in a car I'd really like to know if I could have done better with one.

PS. Play Tchaikovsky's 1812 Oveture instead. :-) You'd need a system that can handle a whole dollar :-)

[iceman91]

i too prefer one sub...better than two..three or four

[navin]

2 against 1. Guess you guys are on to something.

[devarshi84]

the reason for having just one woofer is because the low frequency waves created by one woofer are clear and crisp.the same thing with two woofers may add bass but you may loose the clarity and crispness of sound.morever it is

more cost
more body cutting
more loossening of screws and joints from time to time
more power leading to loss of car battery life
more thump leading to a dhhhruuum noise which may feel good but is not loved by a music enthusiast at all.

though many people do have multiple subwoofers and they like them so its all on personal choice and preferences.

I hope that helped.

take care
boyracer

[sparco]

so dude what have you decided on... how many woofers? what setup have you decided on let us know and if possible some thx

[devarshi84]

I have written a long post on this somewhere.Try to search the posts.Ask me if that doesnt help

cheers
Boyracer

[navin]

thanks dev. however i have a few more Qs. This is MY long post. :-)

1. bass is low freq sound = long wavelengths usually the wave lengths are longer than the subs are apart. at a f=50hz the wavelength is about 340/50 = 6.8 meters at 100hz he wavelenthg is still 3.4 meters. so it should not make a difference if the bass is from 1 sub or 2. right?

2. when i talked about using multiple subs instead of one I meant was using say 2 8" subs instead of 1 12". a 8" sub has a cone area of about 220cm2 about half that of a 12" sub. yes the Xmax (linear travel of most 12" subs is more than most 8" subs) but more about that later. lets assume Xmax is equal then 2 x 8" would displace about the same ammount of air as a 12" besides the BL/Mms ratio would be better for a 8" than a 12". Hence 2 8" woofer should infact offer tighter bass than a 12". Where are my assumptions wrong?

3. My arguement was that there is no rule that says 2 subs are better than 1 or vice versa. anything taken to extremes can sould pretty awful like a 30" sub (yes they make one) or 24 3" drivers masquerading as a sub but withing reasonable limits 1-4 woofers, 8-12" (ok maybe 15") diameter there is no reason why multiple subs should outperfrom a single sub. Yes a 12" can outperform a 8" but conversely 2 good 8" may equal or better the performance of a 12". What do you think?

4. another reasons for using multiple subs is that one can "make do" with smaller drivers vs 1 larger one. Given the space constraints of today cars and the fact the many of us share our cars with out families leaves little room for say a 12" box. However 2 8" bass tubes can be tucked away more easily.

Please note that my comments primarily apply to bass reflex, sealed and Tranmission line boxes. I am not familiar with free air subs or their applications.

If you are bridging your stereo amp for use with a mono sub it might well be that the amp is able to deliver much more current (bridge in 4 ohms = stereo in 2 ohms as far as current deivlery is concerned) and this might give the impression that 1 sub is always better than 2. my comments come with the caeveat that the amps current delivery is the same for both single and multiple drivers.

Lastly I do not claim that 1 sub is inferior to 2. Just that multiple subs can / may be equal or better than 1. I do not intend to make this personal. My only reason for raising these questions in a public space is that others including myself might learn a thig or 2 from the experiences of people like you. I might not be pleased to be corrected (I am human) but I would rather be corrected than go around with the wrong knowledge. :-)

Dear Moderators, I applogise for any stong tones in this post. Just attribute it to juvenile exuberance.

When I did my last car (Octavia) I compared the performace of a Blaupunkt 12" box with 2 bass tubes. While the Blaupunkt box did provide lower bass notes than the 8" tubes the 8" tubes were better hidden and the differences so slight that (a) I could live with it and (b) had ia got nicer 8" woofers (I suspect the 8" Blau. were not in the same league as their 12") like Vifa or Focal an 8" duo might have bettered the 12".

P.S. In my single days I had built a TL sub in my car. trust me you only do that if you dont need the trunk! :-)

[karthik247]

Having all those subs is good, but i feel it kinda gets irritating at times, especially while driving in the city. How many of u drive with full volume most of the time???

[navin]

I dont. having multiple subs does not mean having muliple 12" subs. my subs are 6" (4) in my wife's car and 8" (2) in mine. if a sub is heard it is too loud. it's absense should be felt but it's presense should not be heard.

[devarshi84]

I repeat.the number of subs does not make the sound good.I had a pair of boschmann coaxials before the woofer was installed and still it sounded better than many sound systems with woofers.Y

1. better selection of products according to the preferences.
2. placement and installatio and
3 most of all care and knowledge.

The car streo can be tuned to suitpersonal preferences .

ABout the techie stuff I dont want to get into the details and make a long post.Just giving you an eg. What happens when you put a big woofer in a small box? remember the room in cars is very less compared to our homes .so Install sensibly and enjoy ur music

cheers
boyracer

[navin]

Originally Posted by devarshi84

I repeat.the number of subs does not make the sound good.........Just giving you an eg. What happens when you put a big woofer in a small box? remember the room in cars is very less compared to our homes .so Install sensibly and enjoy ur music

sorry i misunderstood. i thought you claimed that 1 sub will always be better than multiple subs.

my claim is that 2 SMALLER subs can and often will sound as good or better than one LARGE sub. ex: 2 x 8" vs 1 x 12". Am I right in assuming atleast this?

[iceman91]

sorry navin...2x8" or 1x12" cannot be compared.....nothing personal but music depends on ones personal taste there is no general formula for it.
also if i take 2 8" bostons and compare them to one 12" pioneer the boston will be better or if i take vice versa still the single 12" will be better(hypothetical examples used )
APPLICATION to the type of music and listening tastes is very important.
i personally swear by a single sub in a concealed box whic shoul give me at least 130db of SPL. but others may not be the same.....
i want my bass to be felt not heard but some want the whole street to hear it with them.

music is something navin where everyone have there own taste...very difficult to say what is "best"...like in the other thread you said i mised out vifa and blaupunkt...but according to me they are junk!!!

"ONE MAN'S MUSIC OTHER MAN'S NOISE"

[navin]

i have not used blaupunkt but used vifa (not the TC series that Corrrson sells in bangalore) and found them quite good. I got my Vifa direct from Videbaek. Surprsied you find them junk.

[iceman91]

well i am a little different when it comes to sound...
for example..i hate jbl car audio but home theatre i prefer jbl over a lot of big brands