Do we really need anything more than 8" woofer and 1" tweeter for medium size room?


With the right electronics good 8" can go down very low and relatively clean. And if that's not enough, well, two 10" subs would do it. 
Opinions?
inna
I like this comparison.   "There's no substitute for cubic inches"
in the automotive field.  So there's also no substitute for woofer size "modifying" Hoffman's Iron Law just a little
If you listen to only certain types of music and never exceed certain volume levels, then I imagine the truncated frequency response, limited dynamic range and high distortion levels of an 8" bass driver really wouldn't present a problem.  If you want to go loud, you'll need more than 8".  If you want to go low, you'll need more than 8".  If you want to go loud and low, then size really does matter.
@gvasale

In absolute terms you are right. There's no way to get high dynamic range and low distortion bass without moving a lot of air, which means driver diameter.  However....

With proper room treatment, placement and tuning a good 6" to 8" woofer has much better bass and dynamic range than most people realize. Also, the lower in response the speaker goes, the more listeners get into trouble with room modes. The quality of the bass output doesn't align with the quality of the mid and treble anymore.

In car terms, what good is power if you can't turn on a dime? :)

Of course, how much one values each of these qualities is very much subjective. If chest thumping is your nirvana, then inches are your salvation.

As always, it's your hard earned money, get what you like!

Best,

Erik
With my 89db speakers and 120 watt/ch amp almost any recording sounds intolerably loud if I dial the volume control in past 11 o'clock. Normal position is from 8 to 10. Also, most recordings have a lot of distortion. Yes, you can hear and feel more distortion at 11 than 10, but I don't have top level electronics. We are talking about audiophiles not "chest pumping" whatever you want to call them.
Size does sometimes matter but still it is quality over quantity. 8" woofer can be very capable, just give it a current.
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