Woofer firing front and back

[Flm09]

Can someone here explain the benefits of having opposing woofers like say in the esl X & the other models higher up? Does having two woofers make it harder to drive so you need more power? Is it slower because there is more mass?

 

[Gordon Gray]

Hi Flm,

Having two woofers helps negates room nodes, standing waves and "smooths out" overall in room bass response. That's why folks often have two subs or more in one system.

More power? Unknown. Too many factors.

Hope that helps.

Best,

Gordon

 

[sleepysurf]

I believe the new opposing woofers in the Masterpiece Series (Renaissance, Expression, etc.) are designed to function as a cardioid sub. See my previous post and following discussion here... http://www.martinloganowners.com/fo...uot-bass-array&p=182844&viewfull=1#post182844

IMHO, the bass is much better integrated with the panel than their previous hybrid models.

 

[ElectroNoob]

I would love to see ML use an open baffle design with a servo amplifier. I think it would blend better with the electrostatic panels.

 

[JonFo]

As sleepy points out, the cardioid pattern helps blend with the panels better, they also likely tweak the crossover to adjust phase of the rear-firing woofer to help cancel the lower-end of the panels rear-wave so as to mitigate the downsides of being a dipole. Which is why the new models have much 'fuller' mid-bass.

ElectronNoob, an open baffle would just persist the downsides of dipole layouts lower in the frequency range, and would not be my choice.

 

[ElectroNoob]

For OB woofers I think the dipole would actually be a benefit because the dipole radiation would reduce room interaction. The only real downside of OB subs is that they don't play as loud as enclosed woofers.

 

[Flm09]

Will it keep bass more in your room and not to your neighbour's as I live in apartment?

 

[JonFo]

Will it keep bass more in your room and not to your neighbour's as I live in apartment?

Nope, bass is omnidirectional and at the lowest-end, a pressure wave, which will make things like walls vibrate.

In your case, what you want is a receiver/processor that features low frequency containment options, such as the LFC in the Audyssey suite. That dynamically limits the low-end such that there is less low-end output during peaks (such as an action movie), without decreasing low end on softer passages. Works well.