Subwoofer placement and alternatives to B&W PV1

[admin_exported]

Hi All
Thinking of adding a subwoofer to my set up but due to furniture placement my need to mount it on a stand or shelf. Has anyone any experience with this?

Also, I like the look of the B&W PV1. At this price level (about 1K) what alternatives should be considered?

Thanks in advance

 

[Dan Turner]

I really don't think raising it off the floor is a viable prospect both from a safety (they are pretty heavy) and sonic perspective. Subwoofers are generally designed to use 'boundary reinforcement' to generate the necessary sound pressure levels, because the power required to produce a given volume increases as the frequency goes down so the amp built in to the sub is only designed to do part of the job, hence the a sub is going to need to be on the floor and proximity to at least one wall in order to work properly. I would also have thought that on a shelf it would make it and anything nearby or on the same shelf rattle severely.