"Just because you have a large sub doesn't mean it's going to be running flat out. They don't need to be used to their full potential to sound correct".
Fist thing off the bat is that I 100% guarantee you that abzolutely zero professional av reviewers or system designers are going to use or advocate that large servo 15 in your small space...ZERO! The reasons being what I mentioned. Your large servo 15 and small room combo will be boosting the bottom end of the 20hz extension of the servo too much, and exciting the 40hz, 47hz, and 80hz mode from the sub. Yes, you'll eq em, and also have to knock down the entire output from the sub bellow 40hz by enlarge. And you'll not be getting the benefit. Also, the large 15" driver is NOT going to integrate well with your satalites, period! A smaller woofer will do this much easier, allow for higher crossover if needed, etc.
A smaller 10" woofer system will naturally roll off at the 40hz reigion usually, which integrates into the room better to agree with the natural boundary boosts better - for smoother response, won't unecessarily exite the lowist bass mode, etc.
The large 15" woofer/box combo will barely be tapped for it's potential, wasting money and it's size. The smaller woofer will be better used to it's potential, still offer all you need in terms of dynamics, integration with satalite speakers, and blend with the room best - without having to EQ the crap out of the woofer, and for what?.
" I had two 18" Servo Drives in my smallish HT room for a month and they sound great." "Room nodes need to be addressed by means of EQ, multiple subs, and /or room damping.
If you hear this set up in a small room, the room still sounds small and overly bass heavy, sluggish and warm, with lots of bloat and overhang (reverb) in the bass. The room dimmensions are too close, and you'd have to build a massive bass trap in the next room or ceiling to absorb all this excess energy high quality bass performance. This is not practical or possible for all but a rare few instances for most. So "room dampening" can't really apply here likely, I'm certain.
These small rooms sound SMALL and boomy because they can't absorb the bass properly. So adding maximum bass volume and extension does nothing to help the acoustics here. And even the well touted Audyssey can't do anything to aborb all the excessive bass and RT curve. In short, it's low fidelity on the bottom end - not productive to hi-fidelity sound.
If you wan't to have a bass heavy boom-box sound from your room, that offers low fidelity bass, then this is the recipe. Again, balance is how you build any high performance race car, world class gormet food recipe, diet and lifestyle, and world class audio system.
If you still think you should get away with using massive woofers in small spaces, don't take my word for it, just simply email every pro AV magazine reviewer and ask em what you think about putting 2 Velodyne 18's in your 12x14 space, and see what they recommend back. Then you'll get a more concrete professional feedback.
Let us know what they say...if you really want to know, that is.
