Are big subwoofers viable for 2 channel music?

Subwoofers have just too many advantages.
1. You can choose the size and specs to get the best speed, power character you want.
2. Can place them in the ideal position which is usually not near the main towers
3. You can cross them so you get the right FR that you want or right effect you want... play with phase as well, delay and dial them in perfectly
4. You can have multiple in an array so you get an even response in a room
5. You can do vertical array by either stacking in a tower or just have them at different heights at different positions in the room like Denis Foley recommends for a great vertical component to the bass and vertical even-ness

Great article here talking about subwoofer speed.
" Smaller woofers sound faster than larger woofers

One of the biggest myths about woofers is that smaller units like 8's and 10's sound "tighter" and "faster" than 15's or 18's. Even bigger drivers such as 21's and 24's are supposedly worse than 15's or 18's. This can be true in some specific cases, but as a blanket statement of all drivers this is factually incorrect.

This subjective impression is often caused by factors other than the simple size of the driver. What tends to happen is that the smaller drivers have a lower Qts because manufacturers tend to share one motor design across many different sizes of drivers in the series. They may have the same motor on the 10" driver that they have on the 15 or 18". Unless the motor can compensate for the extra mass it has to push, then the Qts will not be the same as the smaller drivers. Ultimately the larger driver may not be suited for the same kinds of alignments as the smaller driver and ends up requiring a much larger air volume for the same system "Q" and response shape. Typically the larger driver will end up in a higher "Q" undersized system with a less linear response shape that may cause it to sound more uneven or "one note". It may also end up being tuned much deeper in frequency and the increased low frequency output may also cause it to sound "slower" or "heavier". Smaller subs and those using smaller driver sizes are often not asked to go as low and will not have the same low frequency extension in their design. When comparing subs the one with more low frequency extension and output will sound quite different. Having said that, high Qts drivers are not inherently inferior sounding when compared to more efficient, highly damped drivers, but they require larger boxes and less internal pressure to prevent response peaking and increased group delay.

Large sub drivers can be made to have the same motor to cone ratio as smaller drivers. The larger woofers also have more room for bigger suspension components and voice coils which can allow higher power handling, more excursion capability and larger mechanical clearances that simply cannot fit on an 8 or 10" driver frame. It is more expensive to make larger driver sizes in this way, but not impossible. There are a number of good examples on the market. It's just a matter of picking the right driver for the job."


https://data-bass.com/#/articles/5cbf5e7357f7140004d6d0ec?_k=o4xuea

Indeed, great article. Josh Ricci knows of what he’s writing.

I’d go so far to say big subs aren’t only viable for 2-channel music, they’re wholly essential. The effortless quality of very large, preferably efficient subs means the cone(s) move very little, and it’s directly translatable into lower distortion and cleaner, more tuneful bass. Either you use a bunch of large diameter direct radiating drivers, or you horn-load a fewer number of them for what’s effectively a similar air radiation area, but a differently perceived bass presentation (one that I prefer, I might add, but to each their own).

I guess with regard to subs you could say: by and large, buy ’em large (and plenty of them) :)

Lol I like that phusis. I guess the only downside is if the large subwoofer doesn't have a motor powerful enough to control the driver as well as a smaller sub.

Hello phusis,

     Wow, I was a bit surprised that this thread is still continuing.
     I don't have any disagreements with anything stated in the linked article but think it may be a bit technical for some consumers to completely comprehend and apply the information usefully to their own buying and system building decisions.  I believe most consumers seeking better bass in their rooms/systems would prefer to purchase subs or bass systems that have intelligently incorporated the best and most relevant bass reproduction knowledge and technology into their products.
     My main point being that some consumers have taken the time and have the interest in knowing the details of how to attain very good bass performance in their domestic rooms and many, most?, don't and just want a simple and affordable solution.
     You, some others on this thread and I understand that getting good bass performance is more complex than just plopping down a sub in a convenient room location.  I think it's best if we keep things as simple as possible for this thread to be beneficial to the largest number of readers.
    For example, I think we agree that multiple subs will typically provide much better bass performance than a single sub in virtually any room and that 3 to 4 subs will generally provide even better bass performance.  A pair of well positioned, good quality subs is usually sufficient for achieving good bass performance at a single designated listening position and 3-4 subs are usually sufficient for achieving good bass performance throughout the entire room, which is important for HT setups with multiple listening positions.
     If consumers want very good bass performance throughout their entire room,  the Audio Kinesis Swarm or Debra 4-sub distributed bass array complete kits for about $3K are a simple, relatively affordable and very high quality solution.  Here's an Absolute Sound review of the Swarm:

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/audiokinesis-swarm-subwoofer-system/

Tim