subwoofer position

[xxamdxx]

my subwoofer is alittle big to put under my desk where i have always put my woofers, i was wondering if i put it on the side of my desk if it would change the sound of it?

 

[WeatherMan]

Shouldn't sound too much different, but then again it depends what the shape of the room and walls are around the unit, you might get a little bit more bass from it if its now near a wall, but you can just turn it down if its any different than it was before

 

[P11]

my subwoofer is alittle big to put under my desk where i have always put my woofers, i was wondering if i put it on the side of my desk if it would change the sound of it?

A Subwoofers position will not have any effect on the quality of sound...but rather the source of the *thump*

 

[The_Other_One]

I've heard subs are bidirectional(or something like that) Whatever, it really makes no difference where they're located, it all really sounds the same.

 

[Antiodontalgic]

I've heard subs are bidirectional(or something like that) Whatever, it really makes no difference where they're located, it all really sounds the same.

Hehe. Actually they do count on posistion to get the "unique" thump. If you have wooden floors put it in the corner and it will thump hard.
Also, If you have 2 woofers and you place them in separate corners you will hear an amazing diffrence.
Woofers all depend on the boxes they are in and the posistions (Look at cars for a example. You have a hatch back and face the speakers towards the back you will hear a nice little thump.

 

[Geoff]

I've heard subs are bidirectional(or something like that) Whatever, it really makes no difference where they're located, it all really sounds the same.

Some subwoofers are, and others are not. My older Altec Lansing speaker system was, and it didnt matter where I put the sub, it made the same sound wherever it happened to be. However, my z-5300's sub is not, so you have to have it positioned correctly otherwise your going to hear a distorted "thump", and it wont sound as clear and/or loud.

 

[The_Other_One]

I guess it's what tone they produce that really makes the difference. I tried this with my 10" sub and you honestly couldn't tell where it was in the room. However, if I were to move my smaller sub around, you probably could just because it plays a much wider range or sounds...

 

[holyjunk]

Some subwoofers are, and others are not. My older Altec Lansing speaker system was, and it didnt matter where I put the sub, it made the same sound wherever it happened to be. However, my z-5300's sub is not, so you have to have it positioned correctly otherwise your going to hear a distorted "thump", and it wont sound as clear and/or loud.

Yo, how to you position your sub? Pic? I just put mine under the desk. Good thump and nice footrest.

 

[TonyBAMF]

In the corner point in towards the room usually does the best.

You will notice an improvement, but it will sound good no matter where you put it.

 

[Beyond]

If you're moving your sub to the floor and not part of your desk, you WILL notice a difference.

Also, if you position the sub in different places, you WILL notice differences in sound. It all depends on the way the room the subwoofer is in is structured.

 

[Geoff]

Yo, how to you position your sub? Pic? I just put mine under the desk. Good thump and nice footrest.

In the corner point in towards the room usually does the best.

I have mine on the corner of my desk, and is located about 3 feet to my right side. No matter where you put it, it's going to sound decent, however there are certain "sweet spots" where it's the clearest and loudest.

 

[Yasu]

I put mine on the floor right between my feet. It also serves as a nice foot rest! I can't stand putting it anywhere else because then I receive the bass all in one ear.

 

[dillon157]

Most people probably wouldnt notice a differnece if their sub was in one place or another, but if you are really into sound and want the best sound possible, you want to put the sub in the center of your room. LOL, I know that's not practicle. Just make sure its on the floor so that the vibrations and base can spread out across the floor and feel up the room, and you dont want to put it in a closed space or you'll have trapped and cloudy lows. It depends on what you want really. Some people just want their car to thump so they lock their sub in their drunk. To me this sounds horrible, but I guess I'm more of a clean sound enthusiast.

Omega has a great point too... I didn't see what he had posted

 

[ChrisLaX20]

Subwoofers are non-directional. No matter where you put it the sub sounds the same. The difference you hear and feel is what is rattled by the sub. Ex. A sub in a pickup truck feels harder because it is right behind your seat, whereas the same sub in a car may sound louder because it is rattling the trunk when in reality the sub is making the same notes/waves. Ported boxes let the waves from both sides of the sub to resonate, creating more noise but less sound quality. To answer the original question, put it on the side of your desk, you wont notice a difference

 

[Starman*]

The reason there is only one subwoofer rather than 2 or more is that your ears are insensitive to direction of sound at low freqency (your neighbours however will know exactly which direction it's coming from!). As has been pointed out, putting the subwoofer near other objects can cause them to make additional/different noises, which generally needs to be avoided. That applies regardless. Even if the subwoofer is placed middle front but under a table with a flower vase, you can expect to have a really annoying tinkle.

Added later: The average pc subwoofer is more of a woofer. The size of the box and power capability make it impossible to generate adequate sound levels at subwoofer frequencies. You would have to go to a decent hi-fidelity subwoofer to get that. Low frequency requires large amounts of power from an amp supplied by a power supply that can respond quickly to abrupt power demand. A large speaker surface (or long throw) is required to shift enough air to put out the volume.

The not-so-low frequencies put out by a pc "subwoofer" will be more directional than a true subwooofer but in most cases are masked by not being in direct line to the listener eg a desk in between.

Starman*

 

[k9sabian]

My subwoofer sounds best raised from the floor on my desk in the MIDDLE of the wall. If I have it on the floor, it sounds too dampened. It sound rather like fart going through cloth. As it is on the desk, it vibrates nicely giving a sharper bass tone... It also depends on the settings as well. My personal opinion is that bass should be sharp, but not BUZZY. Buzzy bass is horrible and it means you are over-stretching the cone in your sub. If you can balance it out so it's sharp but not buzzy you're onto a winner.

 

[bflat450]

Well if you do a lot of things on your desk you might not want to put it there because the vibrations could shake your desk which could be annoying.

 

[daygowop]

personally i like my sub on the floor as well, when it is on my desk, i think the bass is too strong, or sharp as someone stated earlier. but really it is just a preference to the person as to where the best position for a sub to be. there is no right or wrong answer.

 

[weemanpow3]

if you put it in a corner of your room it will sound so load and nice

 

[Taven]

Its going to sound a little different if thats what youre asking, the sub being in an open area will sound different than it being under your desk.