is there any guide/rules as to where to place a sub for stereo listening? Does it need to be between the speakers or can it literally be placed anywhere as long as you set it up to integrate well
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When should you upgrade your hi-fi? How to control ‘upgradeitis’
Sub placement for stereo listening
- Thread starter matengawhat
- Start date
With a home cinema system you tend to be able to get away with positioning much more than for HiFi, in my opinion.
Although bass isn't as directional as higher frequencies, if your listening seat isn't too far from the speakers, then I reckon you may notice if it is positioned somewhere that isn't close to the stereo pair.
For experimentation why not try placing it between the speakers and out into the room away from boundaries to see if you can hear much benefit. From there you can re-position in order to find a sonic and domestic compromise.
Although bass isn't as directional as higher frequencies, if your listening seat isn't too far from the speakers, then I reckon you may notice if it is positioned somewhere that isn't close to the stereo pair.
For experimentation why not try placing it between the speakers and out into the room away from boundaries to see if you can hear much benefit. From there you can re-position in order to find a sonic and domestic compromise.
It's the domestic compromise that will win not told gfriend i've bought it yet and its to big to hide. Best place for it would be to put it on a side wall about 1m from both my stereo stand and left speaker but not sure how well it will integrate positioned there and whether the vibrations will upset the rack
matengawhat:not told gfriend i've bought it yet and its to big to hide.
Classic! Oh the number of times I've just "swapped" a pair of speakers for some "different" ones (not mentioning the fact they cost 3 times more). Glad its not just me!
Classic! Oh the number of times I've just "swapped" a pair of speakers for some "different" ones (not mentioning the fact they cost 3 times more). Glad its not just me!
All of this sounds familiar. A bit of classic domestic partnership social engineering is required!
I placed my sub behind the sofa on the opposite side of the room for a long time. It didn't work very well. Then I upgraded my speakers and the compromise was superb stand mounters and sub instead of floor standers. After nearly two years I sneaked the sub out next to the speakers on grounds of poor timing destroying the sound of my lovely SA1s. It worked!
My experience suggests that next-to-speaker placement is ideal. The greater the distance away the more difficult it is to integrate. REL advise that it is placed in a corner to allow the acoustics to 'energise the room' but I've found that it just creates 'movie boom'. There are no easy answers to sub placement but it helps a great deal to experiment with a friend moving the unit around.
I placed my sub behind the sofa on the opposite side of the room for a long time. It didn't work very well. Then I upgraded my speakers and the compromise was superb stand mounters and sub instead of floor standers. After nearly two years I sneaked the sub out next to the speakers on grounds of poor timing destroying the sound of my lovely SA1s. It worked!
My experience suggests that next-to-speaker placement is ideal. The greater the distance away the more difficult it is to integrate. REL advise that it is placed in a corner to allow the acoustics to 'energise the room' but I've found that it just creates 'movie boom'. There are no easy answers to sub placement but it helps a great deal to experiment with a friend moving the unit around.
mattc76:matengawhat:not told gfriend i've bought it yet and its to big to hide.
Classic! Oh the number of times I've just "swapped" a pair of speakers for some "different" ones (not mentioning the fact they cost 3 times more). Glad its not just me!
well i stopped asking because she always said no - now she moans that i never ask - you just can't win
Classic! Oh the number of times I've just "swapped" a pair of speakers for some "different" ones (not mentioning the fact they cost 3 times more). Glad its not just me!
well i stopped asking because she always said no - now she moans that i never ask - you just can't win
Good advice from all of the above! but i just want too add that boomieness(new word?) can be corrected with patience/graph paper/spl meter / a cd of test tones and on of these http://www.harmony-central.com/Events/WNAMM98/Behringer/DSP-1100.html
Of course sticking the sub in the right place is a little more straight forward....but if it's not possible
Of course sticking the sub in the right place is a little more straight forward....but if it's not possible
garethwd:Good advice from all of the above! but i just too add that boomieness(new word?) can be corrected with patience/graph paper/spl meter / a cd of test tones and on of these http://www.harmony-central.com/Events/WNAMM98/Behringer/DSP-1100.html
...all at the low, January sale price of...your sanity...
...all at the low, January sale price of...your sanity...
There is no magic solution. Trial and error because the room shape, long bass wavelengths, proximity to wall and corners, and furniture will have an effect. You may find that the bass volume varies as you move around the room, with strong and flat spots. The ideal is not to have a flat spot located where you normally sit. I have mine next to my main speakers.
I ignored all of that and placed it in the spot that was least likely to cause an arguement with wife. It was bad enough trying to pretend I didn't notice how big it was.
I ignored all of that and placed it in the spot that was least likely to cause an arguement with wife. It was bad enough trying to pretend I didn't notice how big it was.
just unpacked it but hidden out of lounge as what to set it up when shes not around so can try a few positions before she gets to involved
can prob go between left speaker and wall in a corner ,or along side wall between speaker and my rack
can prob go between left speaker and wall in a corner ,or along side wall between speaker and my rack
Poor you... My other half heartly approves of my sub, perhaps because it matches my M speakers, and women do tend to be keen on things that match (dons protective clothing before flaming from female forumites).
well these are my speakers
http://www.audiolab.com/for_sale/MoreInfo.asp?ItemID=240
so will sort of match
will prob have control panel facing me anyway as i will prob constantly mess with it because can't help but experiment
http://www.audiolab.com/for_sale/MoreInfo.asp?ItemID=240
so will sort of match
will prob have control panel facing me anyway as i will prob constantly mess with it because can't help but experiment
matengawhat:well these are my speakers
http://www.audiolab.com/for_sale/MoreInfo.asp?ItemID=240
so will sort of match
will prob have control panel facing me anyway as i will prob constantly mess with it because can't help but experiment
One last thing that may or may not be of help. Some advice that I read in an audiophile mag some time ago and have followed ever since; subs work best when you almost can't hear them. Rather, you can sense it's there and if it's obvious then it's wrong. A strange statement but I think you'll see what I mean. You can always turn it up for HT.
http://www.audiolab.com/for_sale/MoreInfo.asp?ItemID=240
so will sort of match
will prob have control panel facing me anyway as i will prob constantly mess with it because can't help but experiment
One last thing that may or may not be of help. Some advice that I read in an audiophile mag some time ago and have followed ever since; subs work best when you almost can't hear them. Rather, you can sense it's there and if it's obvious then it's wrong. A strange statement but I think you'll see what I mean. You can always turn it up for HT.
i know what you mean - subtle bass that you can't work out where its coming from - just hoping will blend well with my focals as i like the way they sound except for the lack of slam - if not will sell whole lot and start demo speakers again.
i have a seperate sub for homecinema - so now have 9 speakers in my lounge
i have a seperate sub for homecinema - so now have 9 speakers in my lounge
matengawhat:now have 9 speakers in my lounge
Right... Good luck with the wife. I think you'll need it.
Anyone out there complete this sentence?
It's not a sub, dear, it's a....
Right... Good luck with the wife. I think you'll need it.
Anyone out there complete this sentence?
It's not a sub, dear, it's a....
I can't remember where I read this; but it certainly worked for me. Place the sub at the listening position; run white noise (test signal) and walk around the room. Where the sub sounds best is where you should place it. It then sounds great at the listening position.
"White noise" being the sound that his wife will make when she clocks the sub?
As WCF and TNTTNT have both suggested, the bass will vary in volume in different points in the room. I believe these are called "nodes" (?) and an appropriate node can be located as WCF describes. I think you could do this just with a reasonably bassy track rather than a test signal. You can guarantee that this method will indicate that the appropriate node is in the room position most likely to infuriate your other half.
As WCF and TNTTNT have both suggested, the bass will vary in volume in different points in the room. I believe these are called "nodes" (?) and an appropriate node can be located as WCF describes. I think you could do this just with a reasonably bassy track rather than a test signal. You can guarantee that this method will indicate that the appropriate node is in the room position most likely to infuriate your other half.
told other half yesterday as thought she might find it as hid it in the study - setup this morning before work and played a few tracks - sounds fantastic - has really filled in the hole i perceived in my system - intergrated really easily can't tell where the bass is coming from - still needs some tuning but initial impressions are very good - seems tuneful - goes deep - well made - girlfriends gonna hate it but hey
low level - i contacted Epos to ask their advice and they said thats is by far the best connection for my setup
it was just what i was told and to also make sure i connect both a left and right channel otherwise it would not work well on one.
i think it depends on how they are made - none of the rel range as far as i know has two low level inputs for L&R just one lfe - i don't know any pure stereo amp that has an lfe out so no way to connect a stereo source except through hi level so guess that could be the reason - although i guess their argument that then is recieving an identical signal as the speakers could also be true.
i think it depends on how they are made - none of the rel range as far as i know has two low level inputs for L&R just one lfe - i don't know any pure stereo amp that has an lfe out so no way to connect a stereo source except through hi level so guess that could be the reason - although i guess their argument that then is recieving an identical signal as the speakers could also be true.
Did they mentioned about signal purity? I would have thought it would be a cleaner process going from the amp's pre-out straight into the sub, but am dying to know why REL think high level is the way to go.
I don't know how well the different types of signals travel over cable to the sub. They are both 10m leads in my case, so not sure if that is a factor as well.
The final theory is I wonder if REL's point is related to crossover point - hoping a high level signal will be more cohesive. Because mine is so low, 40hz, I am not asking the sub to do a lot, and integration may be less of a problem and this may favour low level. I' ve searched the web high and low on the subject, to no avail.
May be a REL or EPOS god will look down from the heavens and bestow wisdom on the mortals.
I don't know how well the different types of signals travel over cable to the sub. They are both 10m leads in my case, so not sure if that is a factor as well.
The final theory is I wonder if REL's point is related to crossover point - hoping a high level signal will be more cohesive. Because mine is so low, 40hz, I am not asking the sub to do a lot, and integration may be less of a problem and this may favour low level. I' ve searched the web high and low on the subject, to no avail.
May be a REL or EPOS god will look down from the heavens and bestow wisdom on the mortals.
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