Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater one vs. two subs

Getting ready to make my purchase and can't decide between one EP800 or two EP500's. I have a slightly above average basement without a whole lotta walls ( aprox 6500 cu. ft. ) I'm thinking the two 500's might fill in that space better?

I’ve wondered about this myself some times. It might take until morning for some of the members with multi-sub and EP800 experience to see this but I’m interested in what they have to say.

I only have one EP500 and would be inclined to say that you try out one and if it’s not enough add another or upgrade to the EP800, especially if Axioms 30 day upgrade policy still has them pay the return shipping.

Rather than get a monster subwoofer to get the very low frequencies I chose instead to get an EP500 and a Buttkicker. The EP500 does a great job of filling my 5000 cu. ft. area (HT room and attached dining room and kitchen while the Buttkicker ensures I feel the very low end w/o having to turn the sub up to loud.

I planned to get another EP500 if I need more bass or needed two subwoofers to smooth out the bass in the room but one seems to be enough and I’m quite impressed by Audyssey’s EQ in smoothing out the LFE channel.

I was in this position once apon a time. I decided to go with an EP800 instead of twin 500's. I think if I had it to do over again I would have gone with twin 500's myself. Not because the 800 didn't do a fantastic job, but because you get more options as far as killing bass 'lulls' in the room with two units. And seeing as this is in your basement I would assume you have a lot more creative control over what goes into it than you would upstairs in say the living room, eh?

I don't think you'll be disappointed either way you go, but if it were my money right now, it'd be twin EP500's on their way to my house!

Hey Micah
Are you going to get the new amp for your 800 to see if it'll fix your problems. Or are you going with something different?
Mel

I'd call Axiom.

I suspect that the EP800 will have higher overall output, but that twin EP500's will - as previously noted - allow you to provide a satisfying experience in more listening positions.

They have a new amp for the EP800?

This is the major point IMO. Bass lulls are a definate problem with one sub, I would imagine in a large room it would be even worse.

I was debating on twin 350's versus an EP500 to accompany my EP600 downstairs. I ended up with the two 350's and my 600. It is tricky to get everything calibrated correctly, but once done you can get very even bass around the room.

You beat me to it Chris, thanks

I think that ideally you would want to run two (or more) identical subs to help even out the response within the room.

However, the setup is not as easy as setting up one sub unless you are just going to co-locate the second one to get a boost in output.

The laws of physics prevent co-locating two subs in exactly the same place. Placing one on top of another can actually help smooth out bass response. There are floor to ceiling standing waves, having a sub placed higher or lower can allow it to couple with different modes even if the left to right and front to back don't change.

As a matter of fact, if trying to avoid boundary gain, I don't understand why so many subs place their cones within inches of the floor. Most of Axiom's get to cone up pretty high (although the ports may be a little low); the vertical EP600 and 800 completely avoid that problem (as long as you don't stuff them in a corner).

I'm probably going to get an ASC SubTrap, and see what it does. Although I may try a stack of 4 Auralex SubDudes, as I've read about people having good results with that for much less money (although it only eliminates boundary gain; performs no actual trapping).

7, welcome. As has been mentioned, generally two good subs(such as EP500s)would have an advantage in that they could be placed so as to help minimize fluctuations due to room modes. For example, placing them at the midpoints of the side walls, opposite each other, they'd be at a partial null for the room length mode and although they'd be at the maximum for the room width mode the phase relationships between the opposite walls would be opposite each other and would result in a partial cancellation of the width mode.

Chris I'd be interested in your experiences with the traps when you get them.

I sometimes think that the laws of physics are just 'guidelines' to keep the lesser developed species like us from causing too much damage in the universe.

The easy solution to this problem is to get two ep800's...

Great idea, bunk beds!

I get the bottom freq's!!!

Yes, and the laws of physics are policed by a pretty stringent judge. Because usually if you REALLY break the laws of physics, they put you to death immediatelly!

Sort of like in England.

I thought it was if you broke the laws of physics, they shipped you to Australia (or Georgia).

If you break it within the warranty period, you get a new one.

Oh hell no, you're way, WAY off bro. They haven't done that since... I think maybe the 90's or so.

True, but you gotta make it look like an accident!

Where's Sheldon?

I think he's somewhere over here.

Scared him off?

Or here:
http://www.sheldoncomics.com