Bass sounds better when standing

[nismo604]

For some reason bass output sounds better standing up. I only noticed this when I had a party over the holidays and had my HT playing some hip hop music. I played around with the phase but it still seems better standing rather than sitting on my couch. Any suggestions? I have run Audyssey.

[JBL4645]

This is very common issue and there are only several ways that you can deal with this issue.

Register and download the software
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/downloads-area/

Its Room Equalizer Wizard (REW) it will measure the sub or speaker’s frequency response to show you’re the results of your frequency response.

You might need a few subs to combat this issue or you can lift the sub off the floor by several feet and this may act as temporary remedy until you get a few more or the same make and model sub to give your uniform frequency response as well as maximising the SPL db

(Use stool anything that can safely support it without falling over too easily).

Say you play a 60Hz sine wave tone chances are it might only be producing less than 100% in the listening seated location.

Stand up while holding an SPL db meter and the level will rise dramatically (maybe)?


The lows shouldn’t be allowed to overwhelm the rest of the frequency spectrum or the LCRS to overwhelm with bright mid to high otherwise it’s just too unpleasant too listen to.

[progers13]

Build a sub riser. Check out Big Daddy's sticky on this subject (link below).

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=103410

[HiDefRev]

Or, you could do as my wife does - she STANDS while watching TV ( and I HATE it when she slides, inch by inch, across the floor and winds up in front of me !! ). I've seldom seen her take a seat while watching a movie or TV show, and when she does, she only stays seated for a couple of minutes, and then it's back to her feet. It's as though she was at a live performance or sporting event and stands up in order to get a better view of the action !!! It's the darndest thing I've ever seen. But, that's the way she watches, bless her heart.
And, by the way, my bass appears to be the same, standing or sitting !!

[Fors*]

This sounds like an uneven bass response....and like JBL suggested above, I would think of getting a second sub to even out the low frequency response in the room. It is common with a one sub set-up, to get these bass voids you are experiencing when you had company over....a second sub with the proper calibration (REW is a very good tool, as I have used it) can help.

But have you even played around with placement yet of the one sub? Location is the biggest factor in determining a sub's performance. The riser is a good idea, but before you get a second sub, have you moved the sub around the room to see if this helps? I would try this first, and if you don't get any improvement, it may be time to look into a second sub....good luck!

[jomari]

What are your current crossover settings on the onkyo?
Is your Klipsch sub capable of bypassing its crossver settings?
Ever thought of moving the sub in between the Right Channel, and open up the space between the Left and Right speakers?

Good:
1. placement.
Better:
2. treating the room properly with acoustic materials.
Best:
3. using a free software called truRTA to see how the room interacts with the subwoofer.
4. all of the above.

[peterng]

Originally Posted by nismo604

For some reason bass output sounds better standing up. I only noticed this when I had a party over the holidays and had my HT playing some hip hop music. I played around with the phase but it still seems better standing rather than sitting on my couch. Any suggestions? I have run Audyssey.

Kinda strange to me ... bass performance is usually affected by the position where you place the sub ... not by the litsenning position because the bass sound is un-directional ...

[JBL4645]

You can play a sine wave and shift over by a few inches and the tone may only pressurize on one side of your ear.

Turn your head slightly and the tone then because equal pressure on both sides.

I forget which tones and would need to run a few spot frequency swine wave tests.

I’ll get onto it right now.

[JBL4645]

The lower tones 20Hz to 30Hz remained fairly pressurized even right at the very back of the room.

Moving up the scale into the 40Hz region the tone started to have slight tiny db peak and dips not dramatic leaps or dips they remained +- 2db.

Going into the 50Hz region 55Hz I can sense in my room the tone buzzing like the Dolbee on my ears. If I turn my head side to side the tone kinder flutters up and down in pitch on both sides my ears.

(Now if my JBL4645 wasn’t an issue for placement I’d have the Panasonic CRT standing on top of it!

Colour is an issue as the magnetic field will start causing discolouring of the CRT and possible permanent damage.

I have one smaller CRT a Toshiba and that can stand on the sub with the sub on its side and no discolouring what so ever.

Different CRT won’t like certain subs.

Anyway the way I see it if the sub was located to the middle slightly it may improve on the 50Hz region but not at all tones in the 50Hz range some will be dipped down than others).

Move to the far right of the sofa the SPL goes up by 6db at 50Hz on the left its only 77db. Like I said its not a big deal all it needs is shifting slightly to equal the pressure within a few db. 6db is fairly noticeable.

The level db was dramatic rise and dips up and down and so that would take a few more subs to get it sorted with uniform coverage, it’s no big deal.

Now since are heads are so wide with ears on both sides place a finger over one ear!

Then shift your body side to side the tone will be louder in one spot and softer in another.

Now take the SPL db metre and move it slowly side to side the pressure is going go (up and down).

Place a few more subs in the room to tackle this. The goal is equal pressure and long hours with a not so understanding wife sharpening her axe in the shed.

So do it when she’s not around because this would drive her spare!




Moving up higher to 70Hz to 80Hz the tone remains even over the sofa seating area. There is differences in sound pressure with each passing from 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 and so on. The levels need constant up and down adjustment and there is power issues.

Some frequencies need more power than others where they have less power yet larger tone. The weaker tones will take your amp power demands up!

Less is more!

The less is better because your have the headroom for sudden slam effects without worrying or risking clipping because your sub is missing a few bands that have slam (and you wonder why you can’t hear/feel it) as much as it was in a THX cinema!

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by peterng

Kinda strange to me ... bass performance is usually affected by the position where you place the sub ... not by the litsenning position because the bass sound is un-directional ...

That is not a correct statement. The location of the subwoofer and the listening position have exactly the same effect. For example, if you put a subwoofer in a corner, it will sound louder. For the same reason, if you sit in the corner of the room or against the wall, the bass will be too loud and tiring. If you have a square room and sit exactly in the middle of the room, you will not hear any bass sound.

Undirectional means that below 100Hz, most of us cannot tell where the bass sound is coming from. It does not mean that the quality of the bass is independent of the room placement or listening position.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by nismo604

For some reason bass output sounds better standing up. I only noticed this when I had a party over the holidays and had my HT playing some hip hop music. I played around with the phase but it still seems better standing rather than sitting on my couch. Any suggestions? I have run Audyssey.

It is not surprising that the bass sounds better when you stand up. Bass waves have very long wavelengths and move in every direction and interact with the room boundaries and create standing waves. Waves do not understand the difference between walls, floor and ceiling. Normally, we move the subwoofer around the room to deal with the horizontal room modes. Unfortunately, gravity works against us and we cannot move the subwoofer vertically around the room. Your only option is to put multiple subwoofers on risers or hang them from the ceiling.

To better understand this, please read A Guide to Subwoofers (Part II): Standing Waves & Room Modes and check posts #2 and #3 of the DIY Subwoofer Risers.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

It is not surprising that the bass sounds better when you stand up. Bass waves have very long wavelengths and move in every direction and interact with the room boundaries and create standing waves. Waves do not understand the difference between walls, floor and ceiling. Normally, we move the subwoofer around the room to deal with the horizontal room modes. Unfortunately, gravity works against us and we cannot move the subwoofer vertically around the room. Your only option is to put multiple subwoofers on risers or hang them from the ceiling.

To better understand this, please read A Guide to Subwoofers (Part II): Standing Waves & Room Modes and check posts #2 and #3 of the DIY Subwoofer Risers.

I like the idea of the ceiling !

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

I like the idea of the ceiling !

That is because you do not have a WAF to hit you on the head or shoot you.

[KASR]

Bryan Pape, Lead Acoustical Designer for GIK Acoustics, enlightened me when I had the same problem (my bass was floating at about 5 feet, or sounded better when I stood up), with this statement:

"Well, if it's at 5', that's 62.5% of the room height (standard 8ft height) - basically the predicted 38/62% optimal. Panels over your head and/or getting the sub off the floor are potential solutions in addition to tweaking phase."

Read more: Bass floating about 1ft above listening/seating position...how do I bring it down? - Home Theater Systems - Electronics and Forum - HomeTheaterShack http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...#ixzz0b8UrUFAZ

[nismo604]

hmm...looks like I'll try the riser route. Thanks again guys for all the advice.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

That is because you do not have a WAF to hit you on the head or shoot you.

So True Big Daddy . I have A great sounding 10" That is 4 feet High , Probably wouldn't be there if I was married .