Subwoofer Placement (2 Channel)

R

ryder133

New Member
I have a 2 channel setup. I'am not very interested in home theater stuff, Just music listening. I have some Monitor Audio BX2's and they sound great! Just not enough bass in bookshelf speakers for me so I went out and bought a Wharfedale Diamond 10 MX-SUB and hooked it up to the pre-outs on my Amplifier (Cambridge Audio azur 840A)

It adds the extra bass I was missing but of course it takes away from the left and right channels. I put it on the left side of my left speaker. I don't know if there's a better way to place the subwoofer to make it be more of a 2 channel sounding system again got any ideas? I want it to softly blend in with the system and not be to boomy.
 
ryder133 said:
I have a 2 channel setup. I'am not very interested in home theater stuff, Just music listening. I have some Monitor Audio BX2's and they sound great! Just not enough bass in bookshelf speakers for me so I went out and bought a Wharfedale Diamond 10 MX-SUB and hooked it up to the pre-outs on my Amplifier (Cambridge Audio azur 840A)

It adds the extra bass I was missing but of course it takes away from the left and right channels. I put it on the left side of my left speaker. I don't know if there's a better way to place the subwoofer to make it be more of a 2 channel sounding system again got any ideas? I want it to softly blend in with the system and not be to boomy.
Click to expand...

As one turns down the crossover setting on the sub, one loses the ability to localize the sub. It's possible that you have the crossover point too high (over ~80 Hz, the ability to localize the sub increases).
 
Good advice. If that doesn't do the trick, download a test tone cd, get some long cables and try it all over the place. Go from 20Hz to cutoff and you will probably hear some boomy peaks at certain frequencies. Find the best compromise.

All of the subs I tried sound the most natural right in the middle of my room. This is where everyone will tell you not to put it. Let your ears decide where it belongs. It sounds like you are not doing this, but another common mistake with a new sub is to overdrive it.
 
I just added a sub to a set of floor standers that do -3db to 40hz and will extend down to 33hz. It took me almost all day yesterday running test tones and listening to different music to get the cross over and volume set right to integrate well with speakers.

Of course I'm lucky with the cross over at less than 50hz I can't localize at all on the sub, placement doesn't matter all.
 
i think its easiest to start a zero volume and go up from there. Im in a unique postion of having 3 subs right behind me, stacked. I had them setup where i could hear them but now with the volume on them lower it compliments the mains....Quite a difference in the sound stage...and bass sounds to have more of a three dimension as well.
 
I tried turning down the crossover it helped quite a bit and I think I'am going to try to find a spot it the middle of my speakers under my gear somehow. Hopefully it doesn't vibrate my turntable to much.
 
budgetaudio6 said:
Im in a unique postion of having 3 subs right behind me, stacked.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I believe it was Drew Daniels that wrote about this very thing.
He mentioned that it will work just fine and you can use less sub/less power. My current layout will not comfortably allow for this.
 
Theoretically, bass is non-directional, and in a perfect world you could put the sub most anywhere.

Looks like your sub fires straight down, so a lot depends on your floor and what sort of coupling issues you might have. You may be able to improve things by putting an acoustic mat under the sub. You can also temporarily put blocks under the feet, and then make any change permanent if that helps. I had a similar one way back in the day that actually worked better with the woofer firing straight back and the port facing down.

Yours also has a rear port - those can be fun. Push the volume and they can whistle and boom and have all kinds of fun with the back wall. There you can try playing with the angles and see what happens.

And ya ... don't get carried away. Subs work best when you can't hear them. More of a having to turn it off to make sure it's working kind of thing when you're listening.

It adds the extra bass I was missing but of course it takes away from the left and right channels.
Click to expand...

You might want to try driving your sub with a tape loop if you're not already doing so. It's got line level inputs, so you should be able to use the loop and still get full range response from your main boxes. That should also allow you to adjust the volume on the sub itself without having feedback issues with the main amp.
 
grey, where can i read his writings?

My mains are MX 400s and dont really need a sub(s) but for low volumes it fills in the lower bass nicely.
All my subs are powered. a 15 inch velodyne and 2 12 inch M&K volkswoofers both low powered where as the velodyne is 600 wpc RMS.

Keep us posted of your results ryder133.
 
budgetaudio6 said:
another thing you may want to do is to put a pillow in the corner
Click to expand...

Some fancy foam that I can pick up from work would also work right? Or maybe some egg cartons :thmbsp:

I'am thinking about buying another subwoofer of the same model and running the left to the left and right to the right, And put the subs under my speakers.
 
ryder133 said:
Some fancy foam that I can pick up from work would also work right? Or maybe some egg cartons :thmbsp:

I'am thinking about buying another subwoofer of the same model and running the left to the left and right to the right, And put the subs under my speakers.
Click to expand...

Now yer barkin' up the right tree. :yes:
 
ryder133 said:
Some fancy foam that I can pick up from work would also work right? Or maybe some egg cartons :thmbsp:

I'am thinking about buying another subwoofer of the same model and running the left to the left and right to the right, And put the subs under my speakers.
Click to expand...

im sure any thing will work. as long you dont use paper or its by products...:D KIDDING.

But the density of a pillow should work better to slow down the air behind your sub. More thickness.

BTW---after you buy another sub, the same model you mentioned, Get a bigger higher powered sub and put it in a different location. if you have to gut your couch gut it and put it underneath...plywood should make a stable platform for your cushions.:D
 
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tomlinmgt said:
ryder133 said:
I'am thinking about buying another subwoofer of the same model and running the left to the left and right to the right, And put the subs under my speakers.
Click to expand...

Now yer barkin' up the right tree. :yes:
Click to expand...

Yup, adding a second sub solved that problem for me ! Moreover, that'll allow each sub to play lower, making them even harder to locate !
 
I use three subs, all in different locations, with crossovers between 100-150hz, and the mains running wide open (well from 40hz on up) and I cannot locate them at all. It is much harder to integrate one sub than three, at least in my experience.
 
Wow, usually when I look for a thread it is 4 years old or more it seems, such is life on a forum, but.... I am trying to integrate a sealed 8" subwoofer (DIY or DIM whichever) I built it with an old JBL 80 watt plate amp and I have it hooked to the line level inputs from the B channels of my SX-750. I am also running (vintage to me) Polk RTi 35 bookshelf speakers. This is my computer system mainly though I do have an old JVC turn table and a cheap DAC.

The sub sounds great (to me) at low to mid volumes (even as a second add on to my large GASP! home theater sub, it sounds pretty damn good), but I can still locate it no matter where I place it. My options are limited my office doubles as a spare bedroom, I listen at lower volumes because my office is close to the kids room. I have it set at 80hz. My room options are limited, I just picked up the SX-750 because my 1050 was total overkill and I will save that beast for another day.

I do not want to Hi-Jack I just want to keep this thread alive so I can get more ideas, like I said my space is limited, it sits dead center now, L or R placement made it worse, volume is at @ 1/8th of the way up.

Sorry OP, but thanks for asking and I hope you get it worked out!
 
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