How to Improve Bass in Subwoofers
Powered subwoofers add impressive low-frequency sound effects to movies and television programming for a heightened sense of realism. Because powered subs contain their own built-in amplifiers, they do not place demands on the home theater receiver, which is free to drive other speakers in a Surround Sound system. But the actual connection between sub and receiver, as well as placement of the big subwoofer box, can make a difference in sound quality and the overall impact of the bass the sub can produce.
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Things You'll Need
- Subwoofers
- Speaker stands or an improvised substitute, such as four bricks laid flat on the floor
- Dedicated subwoofer cable
- Surge protector power strips
Instructions
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Pull the subwoofers out from the wall at least six inches. Because subs deliver an omnidirectional sound that appears to come from everywhere in the room, physical placement of the enclosure is not a vital concern. However, a sub set flush to a wall can lose its effectiveness when the wall absorbs some of the bass sound and vibrations that are crucial to the subwoofer experience.
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2
Get the subs off the carpet and onto a low speaker stand. Thick carpeting and padding absorbs soundwaves and diminishes the heavy bass sound produced by subwoofers. Sub stands are available at electronics stores, or improvise with four bricks set close together and flat on the floor beneath the sub.
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3
Use a quality, dedicated subwoofer cable. Standard RCA-type audio cables are designed for components such as CD players and tapedecks. A subwoofer cable with heavier wiring and gold-plated connection plugs will transmit a cleaner signal and produce superior sound. Generally, the more powerful the sub as measured in watts, the thicker the wire gauge needed for the cable.
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Connect a powered subwoofer's electrical plug to a separate power strip and plug in to a different outlet than the recevier or other electronic components. Electricity and wiring can interfere with the sound quality and in some cases may produce audio clipping (sound cuts on and off) in a subwoofer.
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Adjust the crossover knob on the back of the sub to direct low frequency audio to the sub while passing the higher frequencies on to other speakers in the Surround Sound system. This leaves the sub free to do the heavy work of producing deep, rich bass while the other speakers shoulder the responsibility of producing the mid-range and high-end frequencies. The higher settings on the crossover control will pass more of the audio sound from the source, such as a movie on DVD, to other speakers so the sub can produce bass.
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Tips & Warnings
Turn down the subwoofer volume to zero and adjust gradually to determine the best sound range for the room. A sudden sonic-boom from a poorly adjusted sub could knock people out of their chairs -- or at least jostle their drinks.
Disconnect subwoofers from the power when attaching cables or moving them in a home theater.
References
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Comments
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guyrobinson
Jan 05, 2011
I don't think some of this makes sense. Particularly the part about: "Generally, the more powerful the sub as measured in watts, the thicker the wire gauge needed for the cable" This should not matter as you are carrying a line level signal to the sub. The load is the same from the receiver to the subwoofer no matter what wattage the subwoofer has. RG6 with RCA adapters is the cheapest and best way of making this connection. Also, you explanation doesn't makes sense regarding the statement: Adjust the crossover knob on the back of the sub to direct low frequency audio to the sub while passing the higher frequencies on to other speakers in the Surround Sound system. You can't make this assumption as you are already using a dedicated sub cable and therefore the sub is only receiving the frequencies below the crossover point on the receiver and therefore has nothing to pass on.
