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Subwoofer in the corner? Forget about it

Since installing new horn speakers, I have been learning a little about extracting their best performance. They require some effort and knowledge to get right - and the effort is the easy part.

Following "common wisdom", I placed the sub in the left corner, to the rear and outside of the left main speaker. The result was a disaster.

Boomy, one note bass, little tone and texture, very uneven response at different locations in the room, and no musical connection. This wasn't good enough for screening reruns of "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo" on a HT set-up.

I repositioned the sub to the midpoint of the right-side wall. Now, it is a little forward and to the side of the right main speaker. Initial results are promising: Lower bass output (expected going from 3 corner boundaries to 2 wall/floor boundaries), coupled with musical LF, toneful and engaging. The difference between just moving alot of air and making proper musical bass is huge.

Here are two articles I found interesting:

http://www.harman.com/wp/pdf/multsubs.pdf
http://www.audioholics.com/techtips/setup/loudspeakers/SubwooferplacementP1.php

both use models and measurements to confirm my listening experience - corner loading the sub is loud and rough, compared with other locations. And multiple subs are smoother than a single sub. Now, I just have to bite the bullet and make room for another refrigerator sized horn sub in my listening room.

scott

Listening room: 15' x 18', suspended wood floor
Music used to evaluate sound:
Rachmaninoff, piano concerto 2
Astor Piazolla, Adios Ninos
Saint Saens, organ symphony 3
Rodrigo, concierto de Aranjuez
Doctor John, Duke elegant
Joe Pass, Portraits of duke Elington
skushino
skushino OP
91 posts
 
Over a week since moving the sub out of the corner, I'm comfortable with the results. Sub-bass rolls forward naturally, supporting music with confidence and setting the stage for midrange and high-frequencies to sparkle. I'm not fully satisfied with the side location due to stereo effect. I will ultimately try the sub on the front wall, inbetween the mains. This should solve channel imbalances, while hopefully not losing the good qualities of the present side location. Unfortunately, this has to wait unitl after I replace the large rear projection TV (between my speakers) with a front projection system.

In conclusion, get 'yer subs out of corners for better performance!
donbellphd
205 posts
 
I use a Velodyne HGS-15 crossed over at 80 Hz with a pair of KEF 104/2s, and have found that an Auralex SubDude eliminates boom and seems to extend low frequency response. The front of the sub is about 2' from both rear and side walls and towed in a bit toward the seating position.

Experienced listeners agree with me that integration with the main speakers is seamless, and that you cannot point to the source. I use the system about equally for listening to stereo music as well as movies and HDTV. I think it works well in both applications.

db
redwoodgarden
150 posts
 
Stanhifi: Not so fast with the negative response. If you paid attention to what I was saying, you would have realized I agreed that the subwoofer was there to reproduce every low frequency note accurately. The difference with having the subs in the corner is that it improves the efficiency and speed of the low frequencies and allows them to be at the same dB level as the higher frequencies. In short...flat across the spectrum. Don't blame the corner for a one note, or boomy bass. Blame that on the resonance of your walls. If you bang on your walls with a closed hand and it sounds boomy, then you have a wall resonance problem that needs to be corrected as mentioned in my previous response. The wall should sound like your banging on a brick wall. A good sub in the corner will allow a recording of a 64 foot organ pipe bring out a sensation of an external heart massage. Nice!
warrenh's avatar
warrenh
2,299 posts
 
Stan, I don't think so...If one has a pair of speakers that are beautiful and accurate top to bottom, adding a sub can still improve the sound even though the sub is not handling any deeper Hz the main can't. A recording, say, with the lowest Hz level being at around 35Hz, can be produced beautifully and accurately by a pair of speakers: you're saying a sub is not needed then? A sub, particulary a large one, (I'm assuming a quality sub, of course)will move more air than 6 or 10 inch woofer in the main speakers. Comparable subs (same manufacturer) will produce the same effects, as well. A 15" will move more air than a 10. Two more than one. Same Hz, but different feeling. There is more to a sub than simply reproduction of frequencies that the mains cannot handle. "Nothing more or less." warren :)
stanhifi
224 posts
 
No Warrenh, I'm saying a sub IS needed and useful for any full range speaker system. Sorry I was not clear.
S
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