I think I grasp the basics, but it's a little bit over my head.
Would this be more like a 2.2 system except the (sub)woofers are playing a bit further up in frequency and the mains are not going all the way down?
Would this be more like a 2.2 system except the (sub)woofers are playing a bit further up in frequency and the mains are not going all the way down?
Yes. like a 2.2.
2.3 is better. 2.4 is better still. You get the biggest benefit going from 2.1 to 2.2, a little more but not as much going to 2.3, a little less going to 2.4. Adding low frequency sources is better but at decreasing returns. You can add later if you aren't happy with fewer sources.
You won't position those low frequency sources like your two main channels. When the room is modal you aren't listening to sound that travels in a straight line. It travels between the walls from many different directions before you even understand what you've heard. The direct line between you and the low frequency speaker is totally irrelevant unlike the higher frequency spectrum where you position the speakers like normal.
2.3 is better. 2.4 is better still. You get the biggest benefit going from 2.1 to 2.2, a little more but not as much going to 2.3, a little less going to 2.4. Adding low frequency sources is better but at decreasing returns. You can add later if you aren't happy with fewer sources.
You won't position those low frequency sources like your two main channels. When the room is modal you aren't listening to sound that travels in a straight line. It travels between the walls from many different directions before you even understand what you've heard. The direct line between you and the low frequency speaker is totally irrelevant unlike the higher frequency spectrum where you position the speakers like normal.