Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Subwoofer - where must it be located?

by lizamay Nov 20, 2005 11:29PM PST

What is the farthest distance from the receiver where the subwoofer can be placed? Can it be hung high on the wall eight feet away?

How close can it be? Can we place it on the floor directly underneath the TV and receiver?

Thanks you guys!

Liza

(confused owner of a new JVC C5 Home Theater system)

Discussion is locked

5 Posts
- Collapse + Expand Details
- Collapse -
Subwoofers
by grimgraphix Nov 21, 2005 12:08AM PST

you can find chapters in books devoted to sub placement. there are a few rules (subs perform best on the floor - not on a wall or shelf) but after that, anything goes really.

A really quick way to determine best sub placement is to put the sub where you sit (on the floor in front of the main seat)... Play some music... and walk around the edge of the room. If a certain location (usually in the corner) sounds particularly good, then place the sub there.

Subwoofers produce non-directional low frequency sound. They can be hidden away behind furniture. They do not need to be "line of sight" or out in the open where you can see it. Mid range and high frequency speakers can not be blocked/hidden if you want maximum performance from them however. Subwoofers need some room around them to "breath"... a violin and a standup bass look alike but that huge sounding box on the back of the standup bass helps produce the low vibrating sound we call bass. Give the sub 8 to 10 inches of clear space when placing it next to a wall or behind furniture. Nearby reflective surfaces appear to make the sub louder. Hold the sub in the air and it doesn't sound as loud as on the floor... put it near a wall and it seems louder still... put it in a corner and it seems even louder. If the bass gets too "BOOMY" then pull the sub away from the corner.

One mistake everyone makes is they turn up the bass TOO LOUD when they first place the sub. Start out with lower volumes. Your ears will be more sensitive and performance differences will be easier to hear.

good luck.

grim

- Collapse -
Subwoofer - where must it be located?
by lizamay Nov 21, 2005 12:33AM PST

Wow! What a GREAT reply!

So there are whole books on subwoofers? Figures! The whole world of extreme excellent sound from electronic devices. Sounds like you're one of those expert types.

Thanks my friend.

I may write again tonight, when we start hooking these things up.

What a zoo with speaker wires everywhere.

Liza
(a musician, but a sound-system know-nothing)

- Collapse -
Tip on wires
by grimgraphix Nov 21, 2005 1:09AM PST

take masking tape and label both ends of the wire with the names of the speakers they are going to (use the name of the connection written on the back of the amp to avoid confusion). Don't make the flags too big or they will get in your way.

If the speaker wire uses bare wire connections...
If the wire has the insulation pre-trimmed make sure you don't have too much wire hanging out. The wire should go into the clip connection far enough so that any bare wire that sticks out is not capable of touching any other bare wire... Too much wire ? Trim it off and twist it up tightly so their are no loose wire threads hanging out to cause a short. Make sure to not push the wire in too far. I've fixed (and charged for the visit) wires that had been pushed so far that the insulation was contacting the connection clip instead of the wire.
Make sure you have the positive (+) wire in the positive connection and the negative (-) in the negative connection on both ends of the wire. It won't break your stereo to cross the polarity (+ and - connections) but your sound will be muddy.

if your speakers use plug (RCA style most often) connections then just make sure you match up the colors.

Have Fun ! Happy

grim

- Collapse -
Great Info
by hockeyfan4 Nov 25, 2005 10:25AM PST

You also should NOT put the Sub close to the TV. DON'T put it within a couple of feet, it creates and effect like magnets do when near a TV. Just another point all the other information was great hope it sounds good.

- Collapse -
Good to hear. LOL
by grimgraphix Nov 26, 2005 2:54AM PST

Some subs are magnetically shielded (safe to be around CRTs) some are not. Hope your system sounds great !

One last thing... A home theater test DVD is nice to have to make sure everything is playing correctly. There are pro quality discs but you can get an inexpensive one from DiscWasher for around 10 dollars.

Crank the volume but don't bug the neighbors ! Devil

grim

Back to TVs & Home Theaters forum

CNET Forums

Operating Systems
Software
Electronics & Gadgets
Hardware
Tablets & Mobile Devices
General Help
Brand Forums
Roadshow Autos
Off Topic

Other Forums

Forum Info