Bass Traps vs Multi-Subs for Optimizing Home Theater Acoustics

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www.audioholics.com - Bass Traps vs Multi-Subs for Optimizing Home Theater Acoustics: In this video Gene and Hugo discuss when it is best to use bass traps & to use multi-subs for optimizing room acoustics.
Also be sure to watch: Home Theater Bass Optimization with Multi-Sub and miniDSP EQ
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[@grantdurtschi2966]

Another great informative video. I use 4 subs in my theater. No bass traps, but plenty of treatment I think. I definitely noticed an improvement over one sub.

[@lsdave]

You guys REALLY need to step up your audio game when it comes to recording.. its hard to take you guys seriously sometimes with the quality of audio in your videos. There are teenage video bloggers that are doing a better job.

[@jd7896]

I find it highly ironic that, a channel focused on audio quality (called Audioholics, lol) does not seem to have a proper recording setup (nor any echo or noise cancellation applied post-process..)

[@Audioholics]

That's a friggin riot HAHAHA :)

[@Audioholics]

Matti Teikäläinen not the room. the external mix was accidentally disabled so the only Mic recording was the internal cam Mic 20ft away.

[@Audioholics]

Matti Teikäläinen you are very wrong. You cannot determine this from a Mic recording. a Mic sums direct and reflected energy. The room is acoustically controlled but not dead like many overtreated rooms are.

[@David-jr9xs]

The haters at work. I always enjoy the advice echo or no echo. For instance my movie theater room is located in my living room (open concept). Per your advice I’ve thrown some rugs on my tile floor with padding, closed my drapes when listening, moved some fabric chairs to the corners, adjusted my speaker placement and it is sweet! And yes as soon as possible will get me a DSP meter and play with it. I’m a subscriber for life. Thank you guys! 😊

[@sarahX..]

We have a medium / large room using 118db sensitive large open baffle active horn(coax mid/high) speakers. Not much standing waves apparently. The room is treated stud drywall over tin (double car garage) with cement floor. Bass response is a bit weak as is but sounds clean. Will 4 quality small subs (as described in video) be a good option for us? Looking at 4x Kef KC-62`s.

[@indopleaser]

first video watched after subscribing. enjoy learning about the important scientific facts that back up what sounds good to our ears. im heavily into car audio because of the fun science behind low frequency notes. keep it up. love home and pro audio too. my home set up consists of home/pro/ and car audio

[@dcplanbful]

Very good video, this video answers ALL my questions:)

[@decapitofamily3410]

Love the knowledge and education you provide! I hope you consider consulting with a video person at some point to bring your KZbin game to the next level, better video, lighting, etc.

[@chriskillingsworth6435]

How can multi subs help room modes? For example on one side of my room a 50Hz sine is 95db, and at the other side is 80db, regardless of one or two subs or their phase setting.

[@rohitvijayan6674]

@ tom. Thanks tom do let me know how two pbs goes .i was planning @ sb 1000 x2 as i have no space for bigger!Whats your room size though. When I discussed with a lot of ppl they all told me such a set you is too much for my room but i guess they don get my point i am noy looking at how loud it can go but i want the quality crisp sound with tight heart shaking base.

[@philipgustafsson3397]

Hello! I got 2x subwoofers and get vibration on the wall behind the speakers. It is a good idea to use bass traps or will a dsp help to fix my problem?

[@MRPriveteyes]

question, would a multi sub setup have to be same sub manufacture? can multi subs be different cone size like 3 12" in LCR and 2 10" subs in rear? what would be a best setup? each sub for each channel? or all subs for LFE? THANKS.

[@rennelenriquez3618]

People here are saying a lot about the audio quality of this video. It’s the content of the video that matters. I’d rather listen to this video with useful info rather than a video with clear audio quality but nonsense content.

[@rtg97229]

I tend to think a little bit of both is a good idea if you can get away with it. I don't know if you have done this already but I think a cost breakdown of multi sub vs bass trap solutions would be nice to show people.

[@rohitvijayan6674]

@audioholics if room size is 12/13 by 9 feet high bedroom large chunk is taken by the bed though. Will an wharfedale 240 towers with twin sb 1000 be too much for that room.

[@ChannelBri]

With the miniDSP and some floor space I suppose you could go with 4 no frills subs such as the HSU STF-2 or Elac S10s at $250 for a pretty compelling bass set-up for around $1,000. What kind of Bassoholic rating would that get?

[@mecheng1977]

Phenomenal video, I was about to purchase those god awful bass traps; they are ugly and take up valuable room. I have one Paradigm subwoofer and was considering adding another sub. My model is out of production, would it be okay to use another mfg and model? If so, should it match roughly in size? My current sub is 10", I was looking at a 8" due to size. Thoughts?

[@abbeyking09]

It so true what Hugo friend said,, i show my wife a bass trap that we saw on my favorite AV store in their show room and i told her I should get those for our living room, and she said who put that in their living room.lol

[@philipbtz]

I'm doing both. Building a 6000 liter bass trap(yes it is needed in my all concrete room) and will have four subwoofers in my setup. One does not exclude the other but for sure start with four subs. Two is Ok but four+ is where it's at really. And like you have said a few puny traps does nothing. Gotta step it up ;). My trap will be well hidden though since it will just looks like a normal wall. A few chunks in the corners is very overrated imo. And yes I have tried that and been in many professionally treated rooms. Imo you can't really buy bass traps you have to build them. Diffusers are nice to buy though if you really need them. I use book shelves with books and movies in them instead though. Good of you to spread the word on multiple subs since most people just don't know yet. It's always just as funny to see people with huge tower speakers and a tiny 10" sub beside them.

[@mediaremote9653]

Just implemented 4 subs + minidsp and it works. The alternative was bass trapping and divorce. So to all acoustic only preachers, thx for checking out if it works before damning the multi sub approach. Sure, there is always an optimisation, the question is how we can achieve the best result in the available space. Not the approach, not the theory only the result, delivering more fun counts imho.

[@sarahX..]

How`s this set-up with 4x subs going for you ?

[@roberthansson2172]

Love ur videos, im using dual Klipsch R-115SW, the sound is amazing, but when im standing in one corner there is alot of base in that corner xD been trying diffrent places for the woofer, if im placing the sub in that specific corner i just get boomy bass =( But hey im still happy, thos dual 15" moves alot of air, my neighbors must hate me :)

[@gaurd3]

"Conditioning" is key! Being that no one I know really "listens" to movies like I do, not much thought has gone into bass traps or optimizing bass across all seats. Most of my friends just understand loud, and don't appreciate the sound field.

[@derekriggs7659]

most recording studios use Lexicon reverb units. I saw an interview with one of the engineers at lexicon. he said that their reverb was designed to be heard in stereo. there are phase differences in the low frequencies between the left and right channels that increase the sense of depth in the space, and those are all are completely lost when the bottom end is summed to mono for use in only one bass sub woofer. the low end signal should be in STEREO just like the rest of the sound is, NOT summed to mono.

[@bujoun76]

I hear about and read about frequencies like 80 - 100 - and 300hz but I have no idea what they sound like. Are there any cd's that offer a wide range of single frequencies? I would love to make my home theater experience better but I am in the dark here.

[@Audioholics]

+FrakU2 We don't listen to test tones and unless there is an actual wideband dip in your room at those frequencies where you sit, you likely won't notice any problems. You really need to measure the in-room response to get an idea.

[@Kingofgoodtimes.]

+FrakU2 There are bass sweeps on youtube and also single tones of frequencies. Be careful and don't run them loud and for long times but it will give you an idea of what they sound like and how low 80Hz is vs 60 etc.

[@rohitvijayan6674]

If the scenario is such that its bedroom 12/13 feet with 9 feet high obviously most area us taken up by the bed. Are twin subs still better? Will a wharefadele 240 towers and twin svs sb1000 be too much for such bedrooms?

[@trog69]

+Rohit vijayan I plan to try out two PB-2000 as an experiment. I have one in this small bedroom now, but it's really hard to get good bass. In fact, the only place it sounds good is right where I'm sitting. The main problem is that the room is just too small for such long wavelengths. Seriously, I am saving for another PB-2000 for the living room, but I will try it in here just for kicks.

[@momosar3210]

Hi Gene and Hugo! Can you guys do a video talking about Subwoofer differences? Specifically, Sealed vs Ported. Small driver (8,10,12 inches) vs large driver (15 inch +). Single driver vs dual/triple opposed, vs vertically stacked. I heard rumors that for the best music reproduction and high fidelity sound (the real test since movies are easy), sealed enclosures with multiple smaller drivers do the trick because small drivers are "faster" than large drivers in the transient response. Something about small drivers react faster or something to the signal since large drivers take too long because of further excursion. Again, these are rumors, please confirm or debunk. If multiple smaller drivers are indeed better and faster, do they introduce some other problems not seen in single large drivers? A lot of these companies only talk about rooms, frequency response, and SPL output, nothing about speed or transient response. This is important because it is believed that the high fidelity characteristics make these kinds (multiple small, sealed) of subs pair best with fast transient response speakers like electrostatics, magnepans, and other high quality hi-fis. Please look into this, it would help a lot. Plus, wouldn't it be nice to know? Check out the Paradigm Sub 1, Power Sound Audio S3000i, Power Sound Audio V3600i, and Hsu ULS-15 MK2. Thanks a lot!

[@aegisofhonor]

How do you put four sub woofers in a room when most receivers only support up to two? Is there a way to add extra sub woofers to existing multi-channel set up that doesn't have the direct connections to the receiver?

[@PyroUser55]

There's two ways. Either type in "LFE splitter", and but a splitter for subs cords. Then you can just split the sub outputs into four cables. Or you can daisy chain them, which is hooking up the extra two subs to the first two with the speaker wire inputs and outputs

[@aegisofhonor]

+PyroUser55 most newer sub woofers don't even have passive speaker inputs and outputs, simply a line in that connects it from a pre-amp, receiver, or component device (such as a DVD or blu-ray player).

[@PyroUser55]

+aegisofhonor yeah. So then just go with the splitters.

[@aegisofhonor]

+PyroUser55 so if your receiver is a x.2 you can split both into 4 subs. From what I read, the pairs would be bi-mono as each sub would only be able to project the single sub channel it was sourced from. For serious surround enthusiasts who really want four sub woofers for an optimal 7.4, 9.4 or 11.4 surround setup, you're better off getting a receiver or pre-amp that actually has four sub woofer outputs (though I don't know of any that have four sub outputs that aren't ridiculously expensive).

[@PyroUser55]

+aegisofhonor yeah they're very expensive. But the splitter will work fine, but make sure that the subs match

[@MatteNoob]

You need bass traps to optimize the time domain. Uniform and as short decay as possible will sound tighter. I have 8x15" and 4x18" and even though they measure good in the frequency domain they don't sound half as good as when I use passive bass trapping (large). Hard to do anything below 50 Hz or so with passive remedies due to the wavelengths, but just getting control of the decay above 80-100 Hz will make the system sound tighter and punchier, ain't two ways about it. If you want maximum performance you probably need trapping unless you have a huge room.

[@Audioholics]

+MatteNoob That's not true. If you fix the bass response by flattening it in the frequency domain, than the time domain also improves since speakers in rooms behave as min phase devices at bass frequencies.

[@sarahX..]

@@Audioholics We have a medium / large room using 118db sensitive large open baffle active horn(coax mid/high) speakers. Not much standing waves apparently. The room is treated stud drywall over tin (double car garage) with cement floor. Bass response is a bit weak as is but sounds clean. Will 4 quality small subs (as described in video) be a good option for us? Looking at 4x Kef KC-62`s.

[@jopo6388]

My recording studio has built in custom trapping at every wall to wall and ceiling to wall joint. Triangular and covered in an acoustic fabric most dont even know they are traps and just think its aesthetics. you guys sound like you recorded this in a tiled bathroom.

[@Audioholics]

Read my comments several,times in this thread. The mic and headphones were reversed when recording this video. Thus the headphone sottong st the camera became the Mic.

[@blakewillson18]

I use multiple subs and bass traps. :)

[@Cash2112]

Gavin Harrison sighting at 11:45

[@jarekstepniak]

Yes, but the size should be Increased, much bigger, much, and interesting, the material on the trap causing only the reflection of low freq, nothing more. In summary, the cut out on 2 dB low frequency is a misunderstanding because the other panels for high and medium they remove much higher signal level.

[@TheAntser]

I have to second Isdave's comment on your audio. Consider dropping some bucks on Sanken COS-11 lavaliers. You'll be happy you did! You can use the included clips or use vclips for a lower profile. Or even use the included rubber mounts and fit them in the v's of your shirts with the mic head barely protruding. Almost invisible and no rustle!

[@Audioholics]

+TheAntser thx for the tip.

[@the_nondrive_side]

you guys are missing the obvious... a cardoid subwoofer arrangement. works great in stadium reinforcement. I have 2 center placed with my 2 stereo monitors. one is 1/4 wavelength behind and phased to throw a forward wave. my mains are Bipolar and were intended as surrounds... lmfao. you would lose your minds how well it works.

[@andrejjorg8650]

Guys you are really audio gurus... ;-)

[@bentaylor3984]

Bass traps may absorb energy, but not as much as is lost through cancellation due to low frequency sound waves bouncing around the room and back in the direction of the source, but crashing into each other out of phase. Preventing low frequency waves from bouncing back into the room allows the bass frequencies to develop naturally into the room space. What would have been canceled is now being absorbed and converted to heat, allowing the next wave to develop naturally and be heard. Now you will hear the bass that would have been canceled and the system will seem to work less hard. Using multiple sub woofers is the brute force solution and may not be a solution at all but only part of the story. I have helped people set up audio systems using furniture and other items rearranged in the room to favor good sound propagation. I'm more interested in what the main speakers are really capable of in the first place before I turn to the use of external devices, like sub woofers. So far most of those I've helped are amazed at what their speakers can really sound like after a little re-positioning of objects in the room

[@Audioholics]

+Ben Taylor Speaker and seat positioning is very important and with that I agree with you. However, bass traps overall do lower the energy in the room so you do lose efficiency. Multi-sub is a much more efficient solution especially since you get LF coupling of the subs allowing you to use 2 or 4 smaller subs than a single sub. Our view is you do multi-sub and EQ and positioning first, then add bass traps if needed. That way you don't have to use as many bass traps sacrificing aesthetics and efficiency.

[@bentaylor3984]

+Audioholics I have a mix room and a living room reference system. In the studio I use a REL sub Bass module just to fill in the low range my PMC TB2 monitors don't cover. Most think my near fields go that low and are surprised to learn that there is a sub connected. The sub is used at a very natural level, gently bringing up the bottom where it normally falls off. There are also bass traps in the corners and two real traps along the side wall. My engineer colleagues often come to mix in that room or just to check mixes done in their own rooms. The living room system has a set of Magnepan QR 1.7s and no sub, just a little bass trap treatment in the corners. Everyone is amazed at how transparent that system sounds and how solid the bass is. Also we tend to listen at moderate levels, seldom at high levels and everything is there, highs, lows, transients, detail and openness. As the Maggies are bi-polar radiators I do use a little diffusion behind them. All agree that a sub would be unnecessary overkill. I am often retained as a consultant for musicians, music lovers and other engineers.

[@bentaylor3984]

Your info is all backwards. If the room is acoustically correct you don't need EQ. EQ is a controlled distortion added electronically to fix a problem through brute force. Multi subs is the same approach only through mechanical means. Absorbing a little energy is a much better solution than allowing standing waves and nodes to exist in the space and think you will get rid of them by cranking up the volume. You guys need to stop pushing these concepts as they really don't work and I can prove it.

[@MrMilanina]

What would be recommended way to equalize the bass with miniDSP. I have two subs, but the bass response is so much different in various spots in the room. How many measurements should I take and and at which positions in the room, also, should I take more of them at my listening spot so when averaged, this spot has most weight to it? Could you make any recommendation on this, please?

[@martheunen]

i disagree... you might be too much on one side of this... I am a theatre technician and have done a lot of reading on this topic (the Harman white paper for one) and applied it to my living room... Multisubs (and EQ) done right definitely helps with room modes and FR. And who said anything about cranking up the volume? Are you referring to EQ? Who in their right mind uses EQ to boost to extreme measures??? Use it to cut... boosting should be avoided or done sparingly. Of course if the room is 'accoustically correct' it will mitigate LF problems, but who has the luxury of building the 'perfect' room. You are both correct! 'Perfect' room, trapping, but also multisubs (and EQ) are perfectly viable options to help with LF problems for HT and music listening environments. I will say that it's a pita to minimize delay and phase and such issues to keep the bass tight in combination with multisubs and EQ for smoothing out the FR. A flat FR is not the be-all and end-all for sure. So if i could pull it off with a 'perfect' room and just one sub I'd be all for it. In the end it's a compromise but I for one am happy with my multisubs and room treatment combo for movies and music in my living room. For recording and mixing etc. i would not go that route (- multisubs that is).

[@kevinswartz]

@3:26 ROFL!!!! the story of my life...

[@mpitogo]

For Audioholics your recorded audio really sucks. Please invest in an external mic it will be like night and day for us viewers. Granted we're not listening to your videos for its sonic qualities but a good audio recording will make comprehension of your videos that much better.

[@EthanWiner]

LOL, it's trivial to build a bass trap that looks like a subwoofer. Would you object less to how that looks?

[@Audioholics]

+Ethan Winer A bass trap the size of most domestic subs won't be that effective and you need a lot of them.

[@mecheng1977]

+Audioholics More Bass traps for Ethan Winer to sell. Great video, I was considering making some for the corners. I brought the Roxul home put it in the corners and my wife freaked even though it was just a test. She was so made, I pulled them down before I can see what affect they had on my Studio 60s V2, and Denon receiver

[@rtg97229]

+Ethan Winer I think both base traps and multiple subs are good ideas in small rooms. To be clear by small room I mean anything someone would have in a practical home. The argument is really over what to compromise on first because we often have both aesthetic and budget requirements and limitations.

[@bc527c]

Most bass traps don't really work so well... that said, the sound your brain processes is much much more coherent if you can do it with bass traps that work (along with other treatment) VS multi subs. I am deeply entertained, in a not good way, by people who have 2 or more 15" or bigger subs in a 12x15 room and are on forums asking which subs they should buy now because they don't have good slamming bass like they want.... and you look at the included photo of the room and everything is lined up nice and tidy in a row and there is no treatment in the room, or maybe 1 absorber near the first reflection. They have zero idea that they are spending loads of money and electricity to make giant amounts of sound and promptly cancelling it all out with the room. My 2 1/2 way mains and a single 10" sub can make enough bass pressure in my room that you will want to leave because it's just too intense/punishing, and the sound is more correct and coherent than when I used a small sub in addition to the above in order to tame the room modes. Just my $.02

[@brettus9115]

No it won't, you are full of shit! Your speakers with 10 inch sub (that makes me laugh in itself lol) are probably clipping there tits off so the noise is unbearable due to the distortion lol. Gtfo....

[@roveism]

If you guys are all about sound, please fix the sound in your recording! perhaps start with a better mic.

[@TaxCattle4CorruptDeepState]

Please explain again how a second sub woofer saves arguments with your wife. Agree a second sub is better but the cost is not similar.

[@pamelaurrutiacifuentes7369]

PLEASE,FOR THE SUDAMERICANS PEOPLE.....PLEASE,SUBTITULATED,PLEASE,CAUSE MY ENGLISH Y SO BASIC.PLEASE GUYS!!

[@parkerwalls3337]

This is ridiculous. Multiple subs do not accomplish the same thing as bass traps. Bass traps reduce modal ringing and decay times.

[@Audioholics]

That's exactly what multi subs do within the bandwidth of operation.

[@andrewsteel1487]

Flawed arguments. You don't need lots and lots of bass traps if they are made properly. Ultimately the best sound, bass included, is that which comes directly from the speaker ala why outdoor gigs can have such tight low end. The only energy reduction is energy you don't want anyway i.e. reflected energy. Multi subs can be OK but you are ALWAYS subject to path length differences and trying to manage tons of unwanted reflection. It is putting more band aids on top of band aids.

[@Audioholics]

+Andrew Steel Andrew that is your opinion and you are entitled to it but that doesn't change the scientific facts of the situation. Mult-sub + EQ below the crossover range can be as good and usually better than a single sub and lots of bass traps. It's also much more efficient. Multi-sub is NOT a band aid for sound reproduction. It's a real solution based on science.

[@andrewsteel1487]

+Audioholics of course it's my opinion. Everything on here is opinion. However, it may work but you can't deny that multiple path lengths/phase differences has to be a bad thing? It's not as good as a single source in an open or well absorbed room. eg, if each sub has a reflection off each boundary 4 subs makes for 24 unwanted reflections, 2 subs only makes 12 etc. Ultimately you just want to hear the sound directly from the speaker.

[@Audioholics]

Multi-path difference is a moot point with proper sub placement and delay control. Your confusing the term reflections and standing waves which are controlled by modal manipulation of multi-sub. I suggest reading this article written by Dr. Floyd Toole: www.audioholics.com/room-acoustics/history-of-multi-sub-sfm

[@andrewsteel1487]

+Audioholics But it can only be so for one precise point. Standing waves are caused by reflections. I have read it and the book many times.

[@Audioholics]

+Andrew Steel Then you need to read another time. Multi-sub can give you similarly good bass for ALL seats. I have proven this in my measurements in this article with no LF bass trapping needed: www.audioholics.com/home-theater-calibration/bass-optimization-for-home-theater

[@loopytheloop40]

Next time could you mike yours voices much better please?

[@Audioholics]

+loopytheloop40 Yes for the 100th time our mic had an issue on these series of videos so stay tuned for new ones with better audio.

[@Audioholics]

@RockMusicVideoReviewer you should check the date and next time you will realize the video is over 6 years old and we've covered this topic in far greater detail with subject matter experts and with better audio quality. You should research channel content before making ignorant comments.

[@Audioholics]

@RockMusicVideoReviewer you have 4 subscribers. You're killing it bruh 😆 🤣

[@ParadiseProjectsGroup]

How can I justify your advice when the audio quality of this video sounds like crap. If you can't make the effort to produce a quality sounding video, you leave little for one to desire your services. Seriously?

[@Audioholics]

A series of our videos had a mic malfunction when being shot but if you wish to discount our info because of that, there are plenty of other online resources you can reference instead of Audioholics.

[@NealeGray]

It's ALUMINIUM, not alumin, that's why it's spelled aluminium. Jeez you Americans!

[@hanknova7771]

Neale Gray - It's spelled Aluminum

[@olaborgstrom8375]

This is a very good example of people who think they know something. I soon notice that they have very limited knowledge of physics and acoustics

[@Audioholics]

Yes many companies selling acoustical treatments have very little knowledge of physics and acoustics. Glad we are in agreement.

[@TheRealHughGRexion]

Alright this is driving me nuts. First thing I notice while watching this video is how unprofessional you guys come across. Not in a fun, relaxed way, but in a "we don't know exactly what we want to get out of this video or the audience we're shooting for" way. But more importantly is your blatant misinformation. While it is just fine to dismiss bass traps as a necessity in home theaters, as they don't need to be at the same caliber of room tuning as a recording studio, your comment on sound production vs. reproduction couldn't be further off. First of all you can use common audio sense: if you need bass traps to accurately capture a sound, you need them to accurately reproduce the sound. In fact, any sound tech you asked on the subject would agree that bass traps in the control/mixing room are even more critical than in the recording room, because if there's inaccurate bass response while you are mixing, then you are not listening to a reliable reproduction of what is going on inside your DAW. On top of that, bass traps are the FIRST recommended room treatment by anybody who knows what they are talking about, because though not the most apparent, bass issues are the most common issues that present themselves in environments where the room wasn't architecturally designed with bass reproduction and control in mind. First thing you will notice when you put in bass traps is that though it may not "feel" louder, it sounds louder and more defined. Hell it sounds bigger even. You don't need to turn your subwoofer up as much to hear it. Because without treating your room for bass, the nodes can run rampant, especially against the rear wall where, in some cases, people may be sitting in their theaters at home. Without bass traps, some seats will be overloaded with bass, while others may have next to none, even with multiple subwoofers. It's just a matter of the room itself. Now that being said, in my home theater setup I have opted for multiple subwoofers instead of bass traps, because I do not like the look of bass traps, they're quite bulky and can be distracting to a seamless theater feel, and I don't have the money to custom build my room to avoid the need for bass traps. But I know I'm making a sacrifice to the quality of my sound for appearances, and I'm at least being honest about it. Second thing, going back to your video as I keep watching, is you're talking about using bass absorption as "losing energy" and losing sound, but you show again your lack of knowledge of the physics of acoustics. Without bass treatment, yes your decibel level in the room will be higher for the bass frequencies, that is true. But you are losing so much bass definition with the nodes of the room that you're not going to actually hear those frequencies, they're turning into an undefined muddy mess. Your bass will sound louder and bigger at a lower decibel level if you go the route of bass traps, and as such, comparing the perceived energy of dual subs vs. perceived energy of bass treatment and keeping them at the same perceived level, the treated room will be at a much lower decibel level and you'll risk harming your hearing a lot less. Lower decibels. But it will sound louder. Amazing right? Now, you are correct in ONE meaning of the phrase "sound absorption takes away energy" but not in the way you're using it. If you completely deaded a room, it will sound just that, dead. The art is treating a room so that you still can hear your space but it isn't a free-for-all for sound waves. "Welcome to the 21st century where science works." I love this statement because it implies that multiple subwoofers is more scientifically sound than treating a room, acoustically speaking. The idea that in a room that is too bass resonant, throwing in another bass speaker will fix that. "You now have the equivalent of having bass traps." Also not true. Though EQ'ing and "smart processing" the bass signal does help, yes, and for those who don't want to use bass traps it's the next best thing, you're still getting bass mud. Now I'm glad you guys touched on the limitations of this method, but you still come across as if you found the holy grail and the way you tucked in the limitations between other things nonchalantly, you effectively are still portraying your method in a way that is quite full of logical fallacies.The way you say things like "now it isn't but it kinda is" is a fancy way of saying "now this isn't true and this is my disclaimer so you can't say i said it, but i'm saying it's totally true. off the record." I'm not here to try to insult, I'm just here to clarify because people need to know the truth about audio on a channel called "Audioholics". The difference between what is actually acoustically superior, and your preference, needs to be clearer. Now I've gotten two thirds the way through the video and I can't go any further because it is painful at this point to keep watching, and I know I packed a lot of criticisms into one comment, but I hope you guys can read this and use this comment to better your channel. Peace.

[@NATAWS9]

Sound recording and home theater use are NOT the same requirements. Any distortion or inaccuracies in the recording will be multiplied by whatever living room it is reproduced in based on that rooms own issues. Also, some home users prefer a little coloration depending on personal tastes in their home, NO ONE wants their music altered at production because then EVERYONE has to hear it. It isn't the same.

[@jehanelindley]

You guys should consider making less sexist comments about women. Some of them might be audioholics, watching your show.

[@hanknova7771]

Jehane Lindley - it's not sexist, they are relaying their individual experiences with their women. Also WAF would have never been coined if it wasn't a widespread issue. Men generally favor function over form, and women are generally terrified by amps laying in the floor. They are not speaking in absolute terms, and you know this.

[@damaster692]

+audioholics Hugo are you ok? Everything good? your body has lost size

[@Audioholics]

+DA Master Nah he didn't lose size. I just got bigger. LMAO :)