Originally Posted By: GaryB
In fairness, unless you've tried this with the 2 subs time aligned physically (i.e. equidistant from the listener) or electronically, I don't think you can make that statement categorically.
Ack, too late, I already did. Oh well, if Kevin's measurements make me look like a fool then so be it.

BTW, you can do some interesting things by playing with time alignment. If the subs don't have a phase knob, then you can slip the delays to each subwoofer so that their combined responses give you better results (by lining up the peaks and dips from opposing subs to cancel each other out more efficiently). Like when using a pair of subs for modal cancellation, you want one sub out of phase with the other, so time aligning them both correctly would defeat the purpose. Further, adjusting the time alignment of the global subwoofer signal can result in a smoother blend at the crossover region. For example: if you're crossing over at 80Hz, then play a 80Hz signal through the subs and speakers, adjusting the delay of the subwoofer signal till you get max level on your SPL meter (meaning they're in phase).

Finally, the whole "time domain correction" thing should be taken more as marketing than something separate from amplitude domain (frequency response) correction. When you see a peak on an amplitude response measurement, that extra energy comes from sound at that frequency hanging around in the room for a much longer time than other frequencies. If you pull that peak down, you minimize the ringing (which can be verified by checking the impulse response or waterfall graph). If you can smoothen out the response so that you hear all the frequencies at the same level, then no particular sounds will dominate nor mask other sounds, and you'll hear the kind of bass articulation from your subs that "time domain correction" promises to deliver. See page 8 of this white paper.
_________________________
Sanjay