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Physics of downward firing woofers

Ok ... this question will show my complete lack of knowledge about physics ... but here goes anyway:

Every now and then I come across a speaker with a downward firing woofer. I wonder: why don't the sound waves bounce off the floor back towards the speaker, rattling the bejeezez out of it and / or messing up the woofer itself?

~Jim
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Showing 3 responses by hifiman5

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hifiman5
1,825 posts
 
+1 @wolf_garcia  I liked the groupie vomit reference😲
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hifiman5
1,825 posts
 
@mr_m  +1
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hifiman5
1,825 posts
 
 My two Vandersteen 2wq downfiring subs. are decoupled from the listening room floor.  The subs. original spikes were replaced with brass audio points which sit in Herbie's Audio Labs Giant Cone/Spike Decoupling Gliders which are .67" high.  Raising the subwoofers up off the carpet yielded a bit tighter deep bass but reduced the perceived in-room bass volume necessitating a slight increase in sub. output level.  

The best thing about it is that the deep bass is now only in my dedicated listening room and not being transmitted throughout the house!
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