Subwoofer Placement?

Question

Setting up a Yamaha HTiB. The subwoofer has a speaker-type grill on the front, and a small circular opening on one side. Does it make a difference if this opening is angled against a wall, or should I place the subwoofer on the other side of the room so the opening is facing the middle of the room. I assume that the sound just bounces off the wall, but am not sure....

Answer 1

Don't listen to what the other answers are.

Proper subwoofer placement is in two places: ONE: as close to the TV as possible, facing outwards towards you, or TWO, on the side of the room facing inwards.

Throwing the sub into the corner or next to your couch does not give you the right acoustics for a proper setup or experience.

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Answer 2

Proper Subwoofer Placement

Answer 3

The small circular opening is the bass port, and when placed towards the wall it turns the wall into an infinite baffle (i.e. a wall of bass as it where), so yes, this would make your sub work most efficiently.

We all have a different ear for what we like, so please feel free to experiment. You may find that you like the sound better with the port facing away from the wall better. Don't forget to experiment with the subwoofer's controls to fine tune the bass to your liking as well.

Subwoofer placement tip: start by placing the subwoofer in either the left or right corner behind the main speakers for what usually is the greatest effect.

Answer 4

A Subwoofer is the extension of the bass notes from your two front stereo speakers.If you are using one Subwoofer then it should be placed at the same end of the room as your main speakers and preferbly at a point midway between the two front speakers.Two Subwoofers are better than one and are placed next to your stereo speakers.Placing the Sub in a corner results in an incorrect balance of the sound which can become boomy and overpowering.

EDIT....I f you want the best sound from your subwoofer,buy two and attach 3 spikes to the bottom of the subs,so they are sitting on 3 sharp points on the floor. Do the same to your main stereo speakers.Sit the main speakers on top of the subs.put 3 small pieces of metal with a center indentation,under the spikes of the speaker,so the points don't damage the top of the subs.What you have now is a loudspeaker system with all drivers in line with each other (including the sub).The result is a uniform pattern of sound from the highs to the lows.It is like having a woofer that goes down to say 20 HZ.I have done this myself and the sound is spot on.To adjust the height so that the tweeter is at ear level from you seated position tilt the speakers up or down to put the tweeter at ear level. All the others think i'm crazy for suggesting this, but think about it.A subwoofer is the bass extension of your woofer in your front speaker. Now when you listen to music ,you will experience a seamless bass.Try to put your two main speakers at least 2 to 3 feet away from any wall.They will sound better Try the sub under each speaker to see how it sounds. Just remember to listen to any new position with the sub underneath until you find a clear and open sounding soundstage. The secret of this layout is the use of 2 subs.because bass is often recorded in stereo.

There is no cabinet vibration transfer to the main speaker sitting on top,because of the 3 sharp points,which dissipate structural energy.Also the subwoofer enclosure will couple to the floor better sitting on 3 points.Trust me , this is the best way to do it,but the others will not agree.I have been experimenting with loudspeakers for over 40 years,and i have often "broken the laws of acoustics" many times.

There is nothing mysterious about subwoofers,they are only loudspeakers that supplement the main speakers and only play the lowest frequencies,the lowest two octaves below 80 HZ..If the woofer in your main speaker could go down to 20 Hz,you would not need a subwoofer because you already have one.Most rooms are not large enough for subwoofers (20HZ cycle = 56 feet),to operate correctly, unless half of a full cycle note can develop you won't hear it.

Subs are really for movie sound effects, but if you set them up as i have suggested you will get the best of both worlds,and have a really good music system as well.

I wonder how many more "thumbs down" i will receive for my preposterous suggestion ? Most people in this forum are video experts,not audio.

Answer 5

The openings: The speaker type grill is the actual driver. This is where the sound comes out.The opening is a 'port' for air to get in and out of the box.

The port makes a 'whooshing' sound so you do not want the port facing the listeners.

PLACEMENT:

Sub placement in a room is actually kind of critical. The reflections in a room will create:

- Some spots of smooth & tight bass
- Some spots of loud/boomy sound
- Some spots of very quiet bass

There are come complicated things you can do to find the right spot, or some simple ones. I will tell you the simple ones and you can search for "Subwoofer Placement" to find the others.

SIMPLE A: Find the corner of the room with the 2 longest, un-broken walls. Measure in 1/3 and 2/5 in from the corner of the longer wall. Place the sub in one of these spots as furniture allows and enjoy.

SIMPLE B: Make a long RCA cable with CATV coax and "F-to-RCA-Male" adaptors from Radio Shack. Put the sub in place of your central listening position. Disconnect all the other speakers and fire up a bass-heavy scene from a movie.

Walk along the walls from the corner and listen. You will find spots of boomy sound, weak sound and smooth-tight sound. Mark the smooth spots with a bottle of beer.

Once you have a spot or two picked out, re-locate the sub to that spot, re-connect the speakers, open the beer and sit back in the primary spot and listen. Enjoy the sound.

Answer 6

Subwoofer placement is not as crucial as you think because low-frequencies travel much farther than high-frequencies. Try the subwoofer in many places within the room. And choose the placement that sounds the best and is most esthetically pleasing.

Answer 7

Subwoofers are usually place behind a couch or a place where most people sit but if its up against the wall behind something it shouldnt really matter which way you place it subwoofers are mostly for the dramatic parts of moives/shows its practily for that experence like your really there. but if your using it for music any way you place it will work just fine

Answer 8

All here really haven't a clue except for Daniel. It is critical to have the Sub in the right place. I've been very lucky recently in th placement of mine, as I've been able to have it directly under the center channel,where it can easily be controlled, without any boom or distortion. But in reality you need to move i about if it's possible to where it sounds the most even and tight. You could read all week about it so it's best to experiment.

Answer 9

corners are good, but tbh you probably want it somewhere out of the way, and thats easy to run cables too.
theres not enough in the sound difference to make huge aesthetic or practical comprimises

Answer 10

put it near a wall, its called corner loading. it will make the bass sound bigger and give it a slight delay.