Subwoofers and the bass they reproduce play an important role in your enjoyment of movies and music. Having a subwoofer doesn’t mean you’ll be getting the bass you desire. The way in which your room distributes bass has a lot to do with how your subwoofer will perform. If a room has even bass distribution, you’ll be able to move around the room, change seating positions and still hear and feel the same amount of bass. We’ve experienced rooms where the bass was overwhelming in one seating position and practically nonexistent in another. A room’s bass distribution is determined by the actual dimensions of the room. In most rooms, even bass distribution can be accomplished by moving the subwoofer in different positions until you find the spot where the bass seems to be consistent in all of your listening positions.

There are several methods to do this. The easiest one is to play a music CD with a consistent bass track and locate the subwoofer in different positions while you try each listening position. There are other methods you can use that involve test tones and sound level meters (or sound level meter apps for smart phones). Our owner’s manual goes into a lot more detail. Even if you don’t own our subwoofer, the manual could provide you with valuable info on setting up your subwoofer. This includes instructions on doing the well-known “subwoofer crawl.” If you’d like a copy, click here.

The amount of bass a subwoofer puts out can be increased by placing it near a wall or floor. Placing a sub on a floor rather than elevating it will increase the bass. Placing it near a wall will also increase bass output the most space can be achieved by placing a subwoofer in a corner, where it will be near to wall surfaces and the floor. Sometimes however, this can result in bass that is excessive. If you place a subwoofer near a wall remember to allow space in the back for airflow to the amplifier. The bottom line is that to get even bass distribution, a little experimentation is worth the time. Occasionally, but not too frequently, we’ll come across rooms that have such poor distribution characteristics, that having 2 subwoofers in different positions can even out the bass. Thankfully, in most situations only one subwoofer is sufficient.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.