Did you know that subwoofer placement has something in common with real estate?
That's right—location, location, location! Where you place your subwoofer has a huge impact on the sound quality - and quantity.
One of the best methods for subwoofer placement is to start by placing the subwoofer in your primary listening position (where you'll be sitting most of the time to enjoy the movie or music). Queue up a tone generator app at 40Hz (scale up or down as needed), then move around the room, paying close attention to audible problem areas around the floor-to-wall boundaries (the closer you are to where the wall meets the floor, the easier it is to identify problem areas – sometimes called the "Subwoofer Crawl").
What to listen for:
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Rattling from objects in the room (fix the issue – dampen it, move it, or nail it down) |
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Hot and null spots (where the bass is either too loud or too soft) |
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When bass response is optimal for your taste |
You're listening for the cleanest, most articulate, tightest bass response
Listen in various locations around the room and this will help to identify all of the subwoofer locations for best performance. Once you've identified the ideal locations, choose the most appropriate location based on room design and personal aesthetic preference. Then, move the sub to that location. This is known as the "law of inverses" and it has helped you identify the sweet spot for your sub. Frequency sweep tools can aide in this exercise as well, helping to pinpoint problem areas for placement.
Sunfire subwoofers have large and powerful magnets.
So remember to keep your sub at least two or three feet away from any computer, or any magnetic media. Keep in mind subwoofers can be heavy, assistance may be beneficial. Also, position the control panel so that it is not touching anything and is well ventilated. And, voila! You're ready to rock.
Q: Are two subs better than one?
A: Installing multiple subwoofers in your room will yield significantly better and smoother bass response across a wider listening area with an increase in dynamics and volume. So yes, two is always better than one.
Q: Can't get a wire to the ideal spot?
A: Pick up Sunfire's 2.4 GHz wireless kit (Transmitter and Receiver), specifically designed and tuned for Sunfire subwoofer applications. Just connect the wireless transmitter module to the A/V processor and the receiver to the subwoofer. Easy!
