# second stf-2 or lfm-1 plus



## dustwvl (Aug 20, 2007)

I have a stf-2 and I am trying to decide if it would be better to add a second to smooth out bass response or replace it with a b stock lfm-1 plus or maybe svs 1000. Any opinions? The general idea I have got is that it would be a bad idea to try to add a different sub to the stf-2. I do not have a real big room. Roughly 11' x 17' x 7.5' high with two openings to other rooms.


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## BeeMan458 (Nov 25, 2012)

The answer is; it depends.

For room smoothing, a second identical sub.

For performance enhancement, enters a pair of deeper digging PB1000s that has more output.

My philosophy regarding subwoofers, there's no cheap way out, money will buy happiness and it all depends on if you're in it for a penny, or you're in for a pound.

Just saying, those who are in it for a pound, have the bigger smile.

You have to answer the question, where do you really want to go with this subwoofer thing and how much money are you ready to commit to get you where you really want to go?

An alternative, place the subwoofer you have in a nearfield position (next to or behind the main listening position), see how much that improves the listening experience and go from there.


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## Basshead81 (Apr 9, 2013)

The LFM-1 plus is similar to the VTF-2. I would probably upgrade to a more powerful pair of subs, but if your budget limited then get another STF-2.


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## dustwvl (Aug 20, 2007)

If I go with the LFM-1 Plus I would only be getting just the single sub. Cant afford two.


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## BeeMan458 (Nov 25, 2012)

dustwvl said:


> If I go with the LFM-1 Plus I would only be getting just the single sub. Cant afford two.


Buy one now, buy one later. Nothing requires buying both at the same time.

Sell the stf-2 and use the monies to but the upgraded subwoofer system. One misses out on so much if only using a single subwoofer. Despite what some say, it takes two subs to bring a room alive and the bigger the cubic footage, the more output the subs need to have to fill the room with subwoofer reproduced sound.

Just to be clear, I am not the voice of reason but I am a subwoofer enabler.


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## Bear123 (Dec 31, 2013)

Get the LFM1-Plus now for sure, thats a great deal on a $630 sub, and a very good sub at full price. Place the smaller sub nearfield when you integrate them. This will allow you to lower the gain on the smaller sub, and should make a big difference in giving you a smoother FR, along with improved tactile feel from having a sub near field. Be sure to keep your crossover at 80Hz, any higher than that and I have found it is easy to locate the sub. I currently have two subs integrated now..one is much better than the bigger sub you are getting, the other is much worse than your smaller sub, and it works surprisingly well.


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## dustwvl (Aug 20, 2007)

Thank you very much. I was just worried with all the warnings about using two different subs


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## BeeMan458 (Nov 25, 2012)

Of course, it's a mixed bag when mixing subwoofers and no, I'm not arguing with Bear123's comments.

It's not a good idea to mix ported with sealed as the port causes a phase shift and this can create a set of problems in trying to get the sound waves to arrive at the MLP at the same time.

Then there the whole problem of mixing subwoofers of two output capabilities as output from one drops off, there's a noticeable drop off in overall output because the weaker sub isn't able to dig as deep as the better subwoofer.

If playing at low output levels, not a problem but when cranking things up to home theater levels, yes, it can and will become a problem. This is why it's best to deal with two subs of equal, like, kind and quality so as to not have to deal with these many issues.


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## pddufrene (Mar 14, 2013)

It's not a good idea to mix subs as others have mentioned, but you can still get the LFM1 plus. It would definitely be a upgrade for you and would more than likely fill your room with more bass by itself. You can always sell your current one you have.


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## Bear123 (Dec 31, 2013)

dustwvl said:


> Thank you very much. I was just worried with all the warnings about using two different subs


In my opinion, the warnings are over rated. Not saying there are not some downfalls to mixing subs, but with two relatively decent subs like you will end up with , and both being ported, you will come out MUCH further ahead using both than just using one. With my incredibly horribly mismatched subs, I can still go up to around -5 on the volume before the smaller sub really starts to fall apart on me. And that is pretty loud. It fills a huge null that I would otherwise have, and serves the purpose until I upgrade it. In your case, the two subs will be matched much better than mine. And again, by placing the smaller sub closer to the MLP, you will be able to have the gain quite a bit lower than the stronger sub, which helps to level the discrepancy.

Of course, I recommend downloading REW, order a Umik-1 microphone from miniDSP for about $80 so you can measure the room, and help with placing the subs and setting phase. In my case, REW revealed a 15 dB null at 50 Hz, and the little sub was flat from 40-60 where I have it positioned. YMMV.

If you end up being thrilled with this setup, great. You always have the option to upgrade the smaller sub down the road if you feel you need to.


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