Techiques for getting the most bass out of your sub... Post your input on good SUBWOOFER placement for BEST RESULTS here

[Madcowz]

I've been doing a little testing myself, and I've come up with a few things. Firstly, I've seen big differences when you place the subwoofer in a corner rather than somewhere in the middle by your desk. For some odd reason this didn't do the job in ALL cases (different subs and different environments), although there was a substantial increase in bass levels in some cases, especially with bare wooden flooring. With rugs, I tried placing the sub under a piece of furniture and a solid item in between to make it a tight squeeze. I figured this would help transfer vibrations through the floor with the better tighter contact. However I was completely wrong and surprised with the results. Do not try this b/c it will only make it worse. Also if you happen to have a subwoofer that tends to vibrate or distort somewhat at higher levels, it helps to place the front of the sub (with the port) tightly against a pillow or something soft. This makes the bass much more pleasant at higher levels. Some say this can possibly damage the subwoofer, but I had used this technique for about a year and never had any problems with the sub. Now I want to know if putting the subwoofer against an object like the wall or perhaps a piece of furniture will help. Is it better to keep it a couple of inches to a foot away from the wall? Please share your experiences as I'm sure we would all be grateful for any helpful hints.

 

[Madcowz]

Any remember... the right placement and technique can make ALL the difference... In fact, now my tiny 20watt creative sub that came with my DTT2500 is sounding about as good and almost as boomy as my 100 watt pioneer that's 3 times bigger!

 

[xtreme2k]

physically, putting it in a courner actually 8x the sound power

(a courner can be considered is 1/8 of a sphere)

next to a wall gives 4x sound power

as comparing to putting the sub in mid air
1x the sound power

this is all theoritcal but then it does mean courner is best for sub

 

[glen]

Courner placement minimizes destructive interferance. It is unquestionably the best place for a sub. However, many many people are not aware of this. You may have noticed that your local theater probably has the sub positioned in the front middle rather than in the corner.

 

[hungrypete]

corners are great, especially under a desk to help bounce the sound around near you. My L shaped desk in a corner with the sub in the corner vibrates my nads when I crank it up (Altec Lansing cheapo 5-piece surround). The sound is close to the quality of my fathers Bose Lifestyles system ($2000 when he bought it).

 

[downhiller80]

yeah sure you get more power but you lose sound quality.

Everyone knows speakers should NOT be placed in corners.

Seb

 

[apoppin]

Corners are fine for subwoofers. The really low bass is not directional so the 'wrong corner placement for speaker' rule does not apply.

The floor is usually best (also depends on the thickness of the carpet which tends to absorb vibration). But you need to experiment by moving them around in relation to your speakers. As usual, what sounds best to you is fine.

Mine is on the floor under the desk angled slightly upward. It isn't hi-fi but it is sufficient.

 

[Paladinexe]

My systems are on a work surface (long table surface). The best system I have consists of 2 Altec-Lansing ACS 48.1 sysems. The satellites are placed to surround the user with 2 on pedestals for the rear. All are at ear level and "aimed". The subwoofers are stacked on the table and about 4 inches from the wall which is a 22 foot long uninterrupted wall. The wall reverbrates with the bass and reflects it as well as a corner. Quite thunderous and the vibrations travel directly through the table to the keyboard and mouse which help enhance gaming. The nearest corner is occupied by a door. The "corner" rule applies to standard speaker systems and not to subwoofers. That is corners provide the strongest bass and farther away from corners provides the most balanced sound.

 

[eelw]

I'm not sure why more subs are not designed like the MS DSS80 sub. The speakers in the sub are pointing down. The sound bounces off of the floor. You can feel the base alot more this way. I find my DSS80 sounds alot better than other speaker systems because of the design of the sub.

 

[xtreme2k]

glan

i think distructive interfernce is not possible since there is only a single source for bass

courners are not for speakers

but is totally acceptable for woofers

but I MUST SAY front centers are BEST for woofer
it will sound more 'centered'

 

[Gibson486]

To get the most out of a subwoofer, you have to be a good distance away from it (atleast 3 feet to actually hear it working). The floor is one of the better places to put it.

 

[Madcowz]

I have conflicting info here... One of my friends says it's better to keep it in the corner against the wall, and the other says to keep it in the corner about half a foot away from it... which technique would be better?

 

[glen]

When the sound bounces off the walls, you suddenly have multiple sources. So, front center placement is exactly like 2 sources after the first reflection. Anyway the AES says so, the theory makes sense, and it has been test by them. I have all the data.

 

[glen]

>>To get the most out of a subwoofer, you have to be a good distance away from it (atleast 3 feet to actually hear it working)<<

A common rummor, but not true. Ever used head phones?
Sound is simply changes in air pressure, and the pressure certainly changes at closer than 3 feet.

 

[MWink]

I prefer it under my desk. It makes a great foot rest.

 

[glen]

If you are really interested in the science:
The Audio Engineering Society
http://www.aes.org/
will send you re prints for $5.
A good one on Subwoofer placement was presented by Tom Nousaine at the 103rd COnvention 1997 September 26 - 29 called &quot;Multiple Subwoofers for the Home Theater&quot;

 

[Paladinexe]

Room acoustics will have considerable affect on your systems sound. The best way to find out is by comparison. Try it in different positions and listen for yourself. Have an assistant move the subwoofer as you sit in position and compare sounds. Close your eyes while the assistant moves the speaker and announces the move has been made but without you knowing into which position. Not scientific but this is what will work best for you.

 

[glen]

Good point Paladinexe!
And, if you don't have an assistant, put the sub in your listening chair, and walk around the room. Then when it sounds right, switch places..put the sub where you were, and you go sit in the chair.

 

[JackMDS]

The Audio wave hits every thing in the room; as a result every thing resonates, and creates some distortion to the music. Room with heavy concrete wall is better then thin Dry Wall, thick carpets is better then bare wooden floor, and so on. Heavy closed door is better then half open door etc. The further is the Bass Speakers from objects that can resonate the better it is (that why floor is better then Desktop). So room objects arrangement is more important then simple Speaker location

 

[Paladinexe]

BTW. What is the goal? Most accurate sound reproduction? Or most immersive noise? Do you want everything to vibrate destructively to simulate war damages? Or do you want to close your eyes and imagine Tinkerbell flittering around the room? Klipsch.

 

[Rudee]

The sub that came with my Klipsch Promedia v2-400 speaker system has severely ruined my reproductive capability. But that's what you sacrafice for having rib cracking bass.

 

[Ausm]

I like to place the subwoofer on the floor right between my legs...ok so it is a cheap thrill

Ausm

 

[Madcowz]

accurate sound reproduction? This is only a subwoofer I'm talking here, not a loudspeaker. Isn't the main purpose of the sub to weak havoc and shake your boots off? Anyways in my experience, the bass seems to be more fuller and you can really feel it better when you're not so close to it... especially if your right above it

 

[Sunner]

Interesting post, Ive had my sub placed under my desk right in front of me all the time, I think Ill move it to a corner.

Cant wait till I get my new one, a homebuilt with 4x12&quot; elements and a 2x400W amp, that'll scare the s$it out of my neighbours

 

[Toolman]

Not to mention the household pets, but then who cares if the poor little kitty gets scared, I was concerned about the dog.