Is it better to have two matched subs or one

Hello salevick! For classical music, one is fine. For more ooomph in pipe organ music, percussion, etc. two is obviously better. The big reason for one per channel is home theater use. Crashes, alien approaches, creatures in the bushes sneaking up on you are better since a creature menacing from the left side should not have heavy footsteps thudding from the center of the room. Many TV documentaries and nature programs (BBC stuff in particular, PBS series also) have marvelous multi-channel soundtracks. I have five systems in the home and I have 9 subwoofers. Keep Smiling!

Wild thought....CS2 footers are a new concept in isolation and using them allows the system to work closer to spec. At least that is what many users report. We find that there is no need for subs when using full range speakers, and many have removed them. 

Not sure how this would work in surround or video applications.  But in my 2 channel setup there is now thunderous bass in movies and gunshots are pretty dramatic.  

aubreybobb - By full range do you mean essentially flat to 20 Hz or below?

I've read that additional subs help with the bass "in the room" but don't most people sit in one spot? And if that spot has sufficient bass from one sub, what do additional subs add? 

Regarding "stereo" bass, what MC says about the signal below 80hz makes sense, but what if the recording mix has different amounts of signal in L & R? Then, having just one might not be getting what's supposed to be coming through the other, right? Or maybe that's just a red herring, and songs are never mixed so asymmetrically. 

Hello,
Imagine your house with a stereo system in the family room to play music. You have to turn it up in the family room to hear it a little in the bedroom. It’s loud in the family room and normal in the bedroom. If you had speakers in the bedroom too connected to the same music then both rooms can be at the same loudness or normal volume. Using more than one sub does the same thing. You are blending the bass in the room which is easier with two because both can be at normal volume instead of one having to be turned up louder. Plus, The room plays havoc on bass. It’s the hardest thing to control in a system. I also have a separate theater subs for surround sound and use 2 REL subs for music. If you know someone with a sub you can borrow from try it out. You will be very happy. Then you can pull the trigger and buy the second sub.