# Advice needed: Down or sidefire sub for odd room layout?



## toniok (Feb 2, 2008)

Hi all. I have a slightly odd room layout where my TV and electronics are mounted roughly at a 45 degree angle in the corner of the room. (see attached sketch) The nice thing about this layout is that it gives me an obvious corner location for a subwoofer as part of a 7.1 setup without upsetting the wife. However, I'm a little concerned about putting a sub behind my entertainment center, and am wondering if there's any real difference in this setup if I use a downfiring or sidefiring sub.

I'm thinking of an SVS cylinder, maybe a used PC-Ultra if I can find one, or a Hsu VTF-3, as my two probable choices. The floor is a floating laminate (pergo-style). I'm not worried about interferance, just whether I'll tend to shake my audio/video equipment too much if I go side-firing as compared to down-firing. Or will it make any difference at all? Any thoughts are appreciated!

Tony


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

A sidefiring won't shake you equipment much more, so I think it will be fine either way. I think a cylinder would be very nice, though.


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

First of all .... Welcome :wave::wave::wave:

I think you will be fine with either :yes::yes: ... if you use a down firing it will shake your floor (and probably you will feel it more at your seat, specially with a floating floor); and if you use a side firing, is most likely to shake your walls :yes::yes:

If you want an extra experience, get a pair of buttkickers (http://www.guitammer.com/home_theater/index.htm) to feel effects of crashes, explosions, thunder, etc. ... you'll be :scared::rubeyes::yay:


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

Take a look here http://www.hometheatershack.com/for...82-wow-facing-sub-floor-really-something.html


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## toniok (Feb 2, 2008)

Thanks for the welcome and responses. 

I know the lower frequencies are more or less nondirectional, but I have a hard time imagining that the orientation of the driver (at the kind of SPLs that these can put out) not having an effect on equipment located in the path. Especially my old turntable, but even with a CD/DVD or anything else mechanical.

The link I checked out said that, yes, there might well be an increase in floor vibrations with a down-firing setup, which implies to me that side-firing 'into' the AV equipment may well vibrate it more than down-firing would. I guess that's assuming that having a vibrating floor wouldn't be harder on the equipment though, which may not be true. And of course there's the potential for 'spurious excitations' from vibrating the floor itself; might be fun for the feet but less desirable for the ears.

I don't really understand sound propagation at these frequencies though. I found a used VTF-3 nearby that is reasonable in price, if I could find a nice used PC Ultra I could put them side by side and see for myself. And then I could post for a good divorce lawyer - we're still having a 'discussion' about the placement of the surrounds.. lol


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## salvasol (Oct 31, 2006)

[


> ... we're still having a 'discussion' about the placement of the surrounds.. lol


Let me guess: she wants them hidden??? ... Have you posted your room layout to get ideas???
If you list what you have will also helps ... there is a lot of people that can give you ideas or suggestions with your set up :yes::yes:


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## toniok (Feb 2, 2008)

salvasol said:


> [
> 
> Let me guess: she wants them hidden??? ... Have you posted your room layout to get ideas???
> If you list what you have will also helps ... there is a lot of people that can give you ideas or suggestions with your set up :yes::yes:


Oh, I lost the hidden/visible argument months ago! And actually I didn't fight too hard once I saw the look on her face when I brought up the possibility of having surrounds suspended from the ceiling. I already knew floor mounts were out with two little ones running around. Besides, I used this arguement to justify new speakers all around - just picked up my new NHT Classic 3 for LCR! :jiggy:

No, the issue with the surrounds is now something no one can help me with - what angle to place the entertainment center/TV at. She wants the TV at a perfect 45 degrees so it 'looks nice', while I want it at more like 35/55degrees. My placement will allow the LR surrounds to be equi-distant from the ends of the viewing positions for, of course, better sound. (There is a beam not shown on my drawing that messes up the layout.) I don't think anyone here will be able to help with that conversation! :dizzy:

I am planning an odd mod with the iC3's I'm going to put in which will mount them at a 30degree from vertical angle, rather than just have them point straight down. I can post that plan somewhere to see what people think, but I'm pretty sure it's never been done quite this way before..


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2008)

toniok said:


> The floor is a floating laminate (pergo-style). I'm not worried about interferance, just whether I'll tend to shake my audio/video equipment too much if I go side-firing as compared to down-firing. Or will it make any difference at all? Any thoughts are appreciated!


I would worried about the floor. Floating laminate tends to vibrate and absorb low frequencies (so, no boundary effect). 
I recommend to isolate the sub as much as you can from the floor. 

Of course you're best path is to try for yourself both configurations. Some people dislike boundary reinforcement because tends to make bass less controlled. 
And maybe there are some other factors also in your layout (like room nodes etc.) which are not taken into account...


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