The 2241 and 2242 are different drivers designs for somewhat different applications. 2241 is great when you only need to use a few drivers (or a couple of boxes) for subs and they're going to be placed in full space (on a stage or thereabouts).
The 2242 is a higher Bl (magnet/coil strength) driver, which makes it better for instances where there are many drivers covering the subwoofer range, or when the subs are going to be loaded into the corners of a room.
Let me see if I can explain why. . . When you have only a few drivers, each driver is projecting into full air space. There is only a little back pressure from the air. The 2241 was designed for this loading and does well in this situation.
When you have a lot of drivers, each driver, instead of radiating in all directions is loaded by the other drivers. It's like each is pushing its own small column of air. The back pressure from the air is higher. It's analogous to each column of air having rigid walls like a horn. It takes a driver with a stronger motor -- the 2242 -- to push this air load. Same thing with corner loading. The driver sees more back pressure. And same thing with horn loaded subs -- more back pressure, so the 2242 is a good choice.
Another consideration is that the 2242 has a response curve that falls slowly at the bottom end but starts falling at a higher frequency. This is perfect for multiple driver situations, because there is a natural frequency up-tilt at the low end when you have a lot of drivers (or corner loading). The 2241 could sound too boomy. If you're only using a few 2242's, the very low end can be boosted with EQ, but there may be headroom downsides to that.
Lastly, it depends on what kind of sound you want. In a single front-loaded box, 2242 has a strong mid-bass sound, whereas 2241 has a more extended bass.
The 2242 handles more overall power and has longer excursion.
In summary, it depends on how you're going to use them and what kind of sound you want. I hope that helps.
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Originally Posted by louped garouv
