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Rather than comparing surrounds that don't match your front speakers, the better comparison would be mixing a different left surround with a different right surround. For example, let's say you used a dipole right surround and a monopole left surround. The timbre-match, dispersion, sensitivity and bass extension of the left surround would be completely different than the right surround. This might "work" in the sense that you would have "sound" from each surround speaker, but it would hardly be considered an optimal solution. Of course, the more similar the left surround is to the right surround, the "better" it will work, but nothing will beat matching the surrounds with identical speakers. Similarly, using non-identical subwoofers can "work", but due to different LF extensions, roll-offs and outputs, it is hardly an optimal solution. The ideal solution will always be matched, identical subwoofers being sent a matched, identical signal.
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I don't see how having non matching subs is any different than having surrounds that aren't the same as the fronts or centers.
(No one ever claimed it was necessary to match the subs to your speakers, so I don't see how this comparison relates to using different subs together. The principles involved in this are completely different.)I don't see how having non matching subs is any different than having surrounds that aren't the same as the fronts or centers.
Rather than comparing surrounds that don't match your front speakers, the better comparison would be mixing a different left surround with a different right surround. For example, let's say you used a dipole right surround and a monopole left surround. The timbre-match, dispersion, sensitivity and bass extension of the left surround would be completely different than the right surround. This might "work" in the sense that you would have "sound" from each surround speaker, but it would hardly be considered an optimal solution. Of course, the more similar the left surround is to the right surround, the "better" it will work, but nothing will beat matching the surrounds with identical speakers. Similarly, using non-identical subwoofers can "work", but due to different LF extensions, roll-offs and outputs, it is hardly an optimal solution. The ideal solution will always be matched, identical subwoofers being sent a matched, identical signal.
Your comparison to having different right and left surrounds isn't accurate. Subwoofers are mono devices, while all other speakers are stereo devices. For stereo sounds, it's much more imortant to use matching speakers. Stereo speakers work together to place a single coherent sound at a specific location. Subwoofers do not. They produce a diffuse non locatable sound.
