# subwoofer placement in entertainment wall unit?



## alewisdvm (Jul 8, 2010)

Hello.
I am having a customized entertainment wall unit be built. I was hoping to hide a new subwoofer inside the cabinet. 

Now, a few have said it is perfectly fine to place the subwoofer inside a bottom left or right cabinet, and just put a speaker grill over the front.
Others have said do the same thing, but have the wall unit designed so that there is NO bottom on that tower. That way, the subwoofer rests on the carpet. 

Does it matter? I figured the subwoofer could shake the cabinet or cause it to resonate if it was on the actual shelf. 

Speaker in mind is likely either the Acoustech PL-200 (front-firing), or BIC Kevlar VK-12 (front-firing)
Thanks

(I don't require to have subwoofer hidden inside wall unit, but thought it would be nice.


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## goyop (May 4, 2010)

There are several things to consider so that you don't spend the time and money and end up dissatisfied. Depending upon what materials are used to construct the entertainment center and how it is put together, the sub could rattle the unit. Also, you get better bass response by having the sub closer to the floor. So if it is not a big problem for the design of the entertainment unit I would go with having the sub sit on the floor.

Another consideration is that depending upon the size of the cavity for the sub, the amount of open space in front of it (speaker cloth, etc.) if the sub generates more sound pressure than can freely flow out of the cabinet it could shake the entertainment center also. Is the sub front firing, bottom firing, does it have a passive radiator in the back? 

I am sure there are guys here who have successfully hidden subs so they may have more specific advice.

Good luck


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

If you're having this cabinet custom built...have it built to withstand the pressure & make that part of the cabinet the actual sub. It could be your DIY build project.


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

You can use extra firm latex foam to line a sub for cabinet placement, but it's not ideal.


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## alewisdvm (Jul 8, 2010)

So, if I understand correctly, if I have it at all inside the bottom of a cabinet, I would at least be better off having it on the carpeted floor and not on an actual shelf?


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## goyop (May 4, 2010)

In my opinion yes. If the sub is mechanically coupled to the cabinet you may have problems. As mentioned below a latex foam under the sub in the cabinet is not ideal. Plus you do get better bass response on the floor.

Good luck


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

goyop said:


> In my opinion yes. If the sub is mechanically coupled to the cabinet you may have problems. As mentioned below a latex foam under the sub in the cabinet is not ideal. Plus you do get better bass response on the floor.
> 
> Good luck


Let's clarify this. If you want to put the sub in your cabinet I suggest you brace and damp the cabinet otherwise you will be hearing the cabinet with every boom. I've had this experience and it's not good for sound. I'd definitely put the sub on a subdude or great gamma if you can. It makes moving the sub eaiser and decouples it from the floor or cabinet. Isolation is a good insulator So I'd line the cabinet internally with extra firm latex foam or you may try peel-n-seal since it's a rubber polymer that's easy to apply. 

Some day I'd love to build a speaker sub entertainment center for fun.


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## alewisdvm (Jul 8, 2010)

Thanks for reply.
Do to costs, design issues, I am going to do away with entertainment unit.

I am just going to have a center cabinet for audo/video equipment. Hang a 60" plasma or led off the wall.
Subwoofer on floor.
The only tricky part is deciding between wall mounted speakers or towers. The center wil be wall mounted or sit on top of cabinet.

A little concerned about the wall mounted L/R because that would mean they are sitting more "inside" the alcove (2 feet deep). Not sure impact on sound. AT least the towers can be brought forward (but then my 2 year old can knock them over.


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

alewisdvm said:


> Thanks for reply.
> Do to costs, design issues, I am going to do away with entertainment unit.
> 
> I am just going to have a center cabinet for audo/video equipment. Hang a 60" plasma or led off the wall.
> ...


You can buy stands for the speakers that look fine IMO. Sanus 24" basic foundations are what I use. They let you feed the wire through the back for wire hiding and are easy to assemble. 

The best inexpensive floorstander IMO is the Infinity Primus 362 which is an excellent speaker. Infinity is a brand you can't go wrong with. The matching center channel has a very good design.


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## alewisdvm (Jul 8, 2010)

In general, 
not comparing one brand versus another but comparing one brands quality bookshelf on a stand versus a tower, are you usually better off with a tower?

i.e. SVS SCS-02 vs. STS-02
or infinity bookshelf vs. p362


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## mdrake (Jan 31, 2008)

alewisdvm said:


> In general,
> not comparing one brand versus another but comparing one brands quality bookshelf on a stand versus a tower, are you usually better off with a tower?
> 
> i.e. SVS SCS-02 vs. STS-02
> or infinity bookshelf vs. p362


My answer would be no, not necessarily. Towers cost more in materials to make so manufactures sometimes cut comers with drivers to still make their profit margins but this is not always the case. 

Matt


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## goyop (May 4, 2010)

As probably mentioned many places on this forum, the best speakers are the ones that sound the best to you. If you are using 5.1 or greater as your system then you are only looking for low mid to upper end from the left and right speakers. In my experience floor standing speakers tend to give much more of a full range. Lots of times these are stereo speakers so they need to be more full response.

I would base the decision on your requirements - if it is low mid to high then you can use bookshelf or satellite speakers. Then you have to be sure you can kid proof them. If you can send a photo of your entertainment area I would be happy to suggest some speaker "security" solutions. It's a long story but I have been boy proofing everything for a couple decades.


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

As Matt said, not necessarily better. Where I disagree with Matt is; in general a bookshelf and a floor stander that are both from the same line and manufacturer will be of the same quality. A reputable speaker builder will not cut corners on the drivers or cabinet, they will simply charge you more for the floor stander to offset the cost of extra materials. 

That said, my preference is for floor standers. The merits of floor standers vs. bookshelf's and vice versa could be debated at great length. In the end, all that really matters is what "you" think. When speaker shopping audition the floor stander and bookshelf side by side then you can decide if it is worth the extra cash for the floor standers.


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