double or single

[thch 10+ year member]

The optimal setup will in general be the larger one. the box size advantage helps out. further, anything that keeps excursion down will result in less distortion. this makes a lot of sense if you typically listen to your system at levels below the maximum.

of course, more woofers is more money and more space.

once you throw in other constraints, like space and money limits, that the single woofer and dual woofer setups can become competitive.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Another reason that multiple subs run under RMS is a good thing is power compression is minimized. Run the one sub really hard and its motor strength decreases as it approaches its limits and the suspension gets less compliant as well. The two add up to reduce excursion and thus output compared to a pair of subs that are working in the heart of their motors' power band. Next consider the effects of the single sub trying to shed 2x the heat compared to one sub of the pair. Coil heats up, resistance and thus impedance goes up, power and output go down. Daily, multiple subs with less than rms power is the way to go IMO.