1 speaker vs multiple speakers?

[tugboat1980]

Is there a sonic difference between a single speaker and multiple (of the same) speakers or is it mostly about moving more air and matching speaker wattage to amp output? I’ve always played single speaker combos and am curious.

 

[Boreas]

Captain Obvious says yes, there is a difference.

 

[uriah1]

Yep. Play a super reverb with 4 lonely 10s.
But , ya. Single 12 combos more practical for gigging.

 

[tugboat1980]

S

Captain Obvious says yes, there is a difference.

What is that difference?

 

[Trenchant63]

From my experience (assuming matched speakers), not much except bigger sound. I don’t hear any natural chorus effect or natural reverb, etc. Others might hear it though. Maybe single speaker is more precise given it’s one cone moving vs two? Maybe a slight effect of changed impedance? (For example 8 to 4 ohms giving the attack a bit more “roundness”?). I’ve played single speaker can for a long time now. My last point about ohms is what I’ve noticed a little attaching an extension can - a smidge less punch.

 

[elihu]

What is that difference?

It sounds better…

Bigger, deeper, more 3D…

Like Uriah said, play a DR then play a Super Reverb and see for yourself.

 

[Boreas]

S


What is that difference?

It turns a small source of sound into a wall of sound. Each identical speaker added moves more air. BUT, as BOSE and others figured out years ago, the result is more than simply additive. Adding more speakers in the same plane/phase as the original creates the impression of a much larger speaker than the surface area of the two simply added together. The sound waves from two sources ideally produce "constructive interference", creating what some would call a bigger sound. In addition, more complexity in the wave field usualy creates a a more interesting or hopefully pleasing tone. Adding even more speakers and banks of speakers adds even more sonic complexity and a larger wave front.

But there is more to it than just adding speakers/stacks. The placement and spacing of those speakers sculpts the wave front. There is a reason stacks of speaker cabs are often identical and stacked closely together and not spread around the stage. Each source of sound waves needs to work and play well together to create an optimum sonic experience for listeners in different areas of a room or even a stadium.

 

[brookdalebill]

Yep. Play a super reverb with 4 lonely 10s.
But , ya. Single 12 combos more practical for gigging.

If I were king, I’d play/use a Super Reverb.
Since I ain’t, the single 12 in my Cube 80 is extremely practical for gigging.
Super Reverbs just sound BIG.
I like that.
Venue owners, bandmates, band leaders, and sound men greatly prefer the single 12 inch speaker.

 

[schmee]

Is there a sonic difference between a single speaker and multiple (of the same) speakers or is it mostly about moving more air and matching speaker wattage to amp output? I’ve always played single speaker combos and am curious.

I have A/B'd some of my amps a few times with 1 vs 2 speakers. There is a difference, it seems more lush, richer and less singular sounding. But frankly, if you dont A/B them ....meh, you'll never notice much with quality robust speakers.

However, there are also tonal effects especially when you go to 4 x 10 or 4 x 12 setups. Or when trying weak less robust speakers in pairs vs single. Then the difference really comes out.

A good example: Those wimpy 10" speakers used in say Super Reverbs sound real iffy if you try just one of them. But with 4 connected the lower mids are huge and the sound is very punchy! etc.

 

[tugboat1980]

It sounds better…

Bigger, deeper, more 3D…

Like Uriah said, play a DR then play a Super Reverb and see for yourself.

But the super reverb is a different amp. What about a super reverb through one 100w 10” speaker?

 

[elihu]

But the super reverb is a different amp. What about a super reverb through one 100w 10” speaker?

It’s my opinion that multiple speakers kick a single speaker’s butt almost every time.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

It turns a small source of sound into a wall of sound. Each identical speaker added moves more air. BUT, as BOSE and others figured out years ago, the result is more than simply additive. Adding more speakers in the same plane/phase as the original creates the impression of a much larger speaker than the surface area of the two simply added together. The sound waves from two sources ideally produce "constructive interference", creating what some would call a bigger sound. In addition, more complexity in the wave field usualy creates a a more interesting or hopefully pleasing tone. Adding even more speakers and banks of speakers adds even more sonic complexity and a larger wave front.

But there is more to it than just adding speakers/stacks. The placement and spacing of those speakers sculpts the wave front. There is a reason stacks of speaker cabs are often identical and stacked closely together and not spread around the stage. Each source of sound waves needs to work and play well together to create an optimum sonic experience for listeners in different areas of a room or even a stadium.

This pretty much explains how a 1x12 open back can sound boxy, flat, and directional, whereas an open back 2x12 can fill a room with sound.

 

[Dostradamas]

I like multiple very similar speakers
I think the slight differences add up to a fuller, richer clean tone.

Lately I have been running the combo clean with reverb at 5.
It is an open back with a G12-75H Creamback 8 ohm.

Using an AB=Y pedal I also run the JX35 head reverb at about 7 with my pedals up front (PH45, Univibe, Tremolo, Klon) into both VHT cabinets.
One is and open back with a G12-M65 Creamback 16 ohm and the other (top) is a closed back with a G12-65 Heritage 16 ohm speaker.

All three speakers at once creates a huge clean sound that I love and cannot come close to producing with one speaker.

Your question of multiples of the same vs one I am not any help on but I am sold on multiple speakers with slightly different characteristics blended for a greater sum.

 

[Boreas]

This pretty much explains how a 1x12 open back can sound boxy, flat, and directional, whereas an open back 2x12 can fill a room with sound.

Getting them off of the floor/stage or tilting them up makes a huge difference as well.

 

[Nicko_Lps]

What is that difference?

There are several videos on youtube comparing 1x12, 2x12, 4x12 cabs with different mic's and setups. Some even show the max db each cab is pulling.

Could link you one but you should check many to get an accurate opinion and obviously "YOU ARE NOT THERE". The 1x12 might sound great but its not pushing as much air as bigger cabs push and obviously wont make you love it as much

Just search "2x12 vs 4x12 guitar cab"

 

[tugboat1980]

There are several videos on youtube comparing 1x12, 2x12, 4x12 cabs with different mic's and setups. Some even show the max db each cab is pulling.

Could link you one but you should check many to get an accurate opinion and obviously "YOU ARE NOT THERE". The 1x12 might sound great but its not pushing as much air as bigger cabs push and obviously wont make you love it as much

Just search "2x12 vs 4x12 guitar cab"

I’ll check it out, thank you. Weber has a cabinet called the Maggie that’s a Deluxe sized cabinet with a 10” and an 8” speaker, and they can get it made with a tweed champ cutout. Been toying around with changing the cabinet from the current Princeton sized 1 x 10 to this Deluxe sized 10/8 thingy.

Wondering if it would sound better or not.

 

[J-bass&Tele]

As a Swede who drives a Volvo, I recommend videos by a guy with a Ph.D that works for Volvo.
Oh well, he does some good videos.
The first video is at least one of the contributing factors behind the difference between having one and two speakers.

I've been testing out a bunch of 10" speakers lately, by themselves and in pairs, and there's the slightly bigger low end with two but it also depends on which speakers you pair.
Some complement eachother well, sort of fills out eachothers gaps and some kind of clash (yes, I made sure they had the same polarity).

For example, a C10Q and a 10" Greenback had quite different "attack" and compression, depending on volume of course. The sharp attack and less compression from the C10Q made it sound quick with a lot of transients while the Greenback compressed the high end and made it sound like the sound came on slower.
It just made it sound weird, to me anyway.

Paired with other speakers without that Jensen attack, the Greenback sounded great.
So it's not just a question of one or two speakers, it's also which two speakers, which cabs, impedance effect, loudness (Fletcher-Munson) etc.
Isolating one variable (number of speakers) without controlling for confounding variables isn't good scientific practice.

 

[J-bass&Tele]

Well, when I had two of the same speakers, it still depends on which speakers. The 10" Greenback is sort of dark and with mutual coupling (more bass) it made them sound even darker. So I sold one Greenback.
The P10R sounds better in a pair as the prominent top end is better balanced when the mutual coupling added bass.

 

[PhredE]

A couple points to consider/stew on..

Yes, you definitely will move more air owing to the added sound source.

There is some evidence to suggest that adding a second driver (in addition to the same of an existing kind) will add approx 3db to the output when it is placed in close proximity to the first.

Wiring a second driver to the first will necessarily change the impedance the amp 'sees' : it's either gonna be twice (serial connection) or half (parallel). So, that will change to the load on the amp (that *might* or *might not* change what you hear...) -- which is another way of saying, since the load on the amp changes, the amount of power used to get 'your sound' is gonna change a bit too and you'll have to revisit your amp settings to compensate -- at least a little.

^ Those are just general statements based on the assumption of two identical drivers as an example, if we were to talk about 2 different drivers that changes up just about everything here.

 

[tugboat1980]

As a Swede who drives a Volvo, I recommend videos by a guy with a Ph.D that works for Volvo.
Oh well, he does some good videos.
The first video is at least one of the contributing factors behind the difference between having one and two speakers.

I've been testing out a bunch of 10" speakers lately, by themselves and in pairs, and there's the slightly bigger low end with two but it also depends on which speakers you pair.
Some complement eachother well, sort of fills out eachothers gaps and some kind of clash (yes, I made sure they had the same polarity).

For example, a C10Q and a 10" Greenback had quite different "attack" and compression, depending on volume of course. The sharp attack and less compression from the C10Q made it sound quick with a lot of transients while the Greenback compressed the high end and made it sound like the sound came on slower.
It just made it sound weird, to me anyway.

Paired with other speakers without that Jensen attack, the Greenback sounded great.
So it's not just a question of one or two speakers, it's also which two speakers, which cabs, impedance effect, loudness (Fletcher-Munson) etc.
Isolating one variable (number of speakers) without controlling for confounding variables isn't good scientific practice.

Wow, the 4x10 sounded gross in that clip all around. 2 x 10 sounded really good, but at times I actually preferred the 1 x 10. Wonder what it would sound like in the room?