# Help with subwoofer placement



## nickwin (Dec 10, 2007)

I'm looking for some advice on the placement of my subwoofer. I've had it in the back right corner for a while which gives me lots of output, but I'm getting some big nulls that my AntiMode cant fix. Attached is a quick diagram of my room. The box in the corner is my supercube 1 in its current location. The extension at the top left of the diagram (the front of the room) is actually a hallway that goes for about 8ft then opens up to another room and a staircase (the 4 ft wall in the diagram doesn't exist). I've read that subwoofers uses the opposite corner to reinforce the bass, so since I have no front left corner, is the back right a poor starting point? Also behind the couch is a sliding glass door. It's a basement so the floors are carpet over concrete. I plan on doing a sub crawl, but I'm hoping I can get some recommendations for a starting point or areas to avoid ect. Thanks!


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## Almadacr (May 5, 2011)

Here`s some tips: Subwoofer placement in the room is by far the most important factor in the performance of the sub. Wear a tight belt, buy a long sub cable, and experiment to get the best location for your subwoofer. Most people start with the corner of their room. Subwoofers tend to use the corner walls and increase their output in the room. If you are going to put it in a corner, move a foot or so away from the walls so that the subwoofer does not become too boomy. The other option is to use the Subwoofer Crawl technique. Move the subwoofer to the position you normally sit. Play test tones or music with heavy bass. Walk (crawl) around the room slowly, preferably with an SPL meter, and listen or measure the bass sound. The location with the best bass performance is the perfect location for your sub. Mark it and move your sub there. Generally you hear louder bass sound closer to the walls. The worst place is in the middle of the room.

Another thing that should help is adding a second sub , DYI sub raisers or buy the ones from Auralex . One day maybe you will be trying bass traps


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## nickwin (Dec 10, 2007)

Any general guidelines though? For instance regarding placement near sliding glass doors or room openings?


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## Almadacr (May 5, 2011)

Subwoofer`s are non directional . To have a idea what i want to say with this check out this Video from axiom 

Suwoofer crawl

Also you can get some free test tones to play your sub 

Here

and 

Here


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## eugovector (Sep 4, 2006)

It's hard to speak in generalities with sub-woofer placement, but moving the sub out of a 3 way intersection, the corner, to a 2 (front wall) or 1 (middle of the room, floor only will give you less output but a smoother response. Experimenting is the only way to know for sure.


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## Anthony (Oct 5, 2006)

If you have measurement software like REW or similar, you can put the sub at your listening position and take measurements around the room. The flattest response location is the best place to put the sub. The principal is called "superposition" and basically means that the sound wave is the same if the source and destination are swapped. In many cases it is much easier to move a microphone than the sub itself.

Aside from that, just experiment with different places. Despite what is often written, subs can be localized at certain frequencies (or harmonics thereof). For deep bass (sub 50Hz), the sub can be anywhere. If you have any appreciable content at 80 to 120Hz, you can start to hear the location. It bothers me, others don't care. Because of this, I always like the sub in the front of the room, if possible.

sometimes just a bit along the front wall, not shoved in the corner, flattens out the response a bit without losing much gain from the corner.

good luck and let us know how it turns out.


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