Advice on sub placement

[Dust]

Got my new SVS PB13-Ultra. Wife was like -->

Currently the sub is where my other sub was located (to the left of the left-main speaker). The sub is too large to stay in this location. I have one other location to place my sub. However, I could use some advice on which way to point it in relation to my sitting area and my left-surround speaker.

Below you will see a room layout with four different options. The drawings are to scale. All the speakers are in red. I've added a half-circle to the sub to indicate the front of the sub.

Any suggestions on which option would be optimal in my room will be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[HAMP]

Wow!!!!
You do have an issue with that beast and I see why you are asking for advice, it's too large to keep moving it around to find a good spot.

Sorry I didn't help with your question, but don't forget to update your gall. with the new pics.

[dubldown]

For starters, subs are "non directional" speakers. Which means they don't have to be facing your sitting position to be effective.

I've always had the best sound from my subs when it is in a corner in the front of the room. Obviously in your setting you have a fireplace in the only corner along that front wall.

Leaving it on a flat wall like in your diagrams may cost you a lot of sound from it, based on my experience.

What I always do is just move it around the room and listen for the best sound I can get. Your ears are always the best decision makers.

[Big Daddy]

You can use the subwoofer crawl technique:

• Move the subwoofer to your normal seating position.
• Play some CD, DVD or Blu-ray with a lot of bass.
• Move around very slowly to different positions in the room that you plan to put the subwoofer.
• Mark the position that you hear the loudest bass sound.
• That is your optimum position for the sub.
• Move your sub there and calibrate your sound.

A more accurate way is with an SPL meter and test tones to get the flattest frequency response. The explanation is in A Guide to Subwoofers (Part II): Standing Waves & Room Modes. Scroll down to the middle of the original post. You will see the section on Optimum Position of One Subwoofer. There is also a link to a video by Axiom Audio on the subwoofer crawl technique.

For calibrating your subwoofer, go to the end of the original post in a A Guide to Subwoofers (Part I).

[Hawk]

You should email your diagram to the SVS folks. They are very good in assisting with this exact situation and are very fast to reply.

[David Craig]

Probably any of those locations would work.

One point to consider is whether or not people will think it is a table and start to put drinks and scratchy objects on it. That annoyed me a lot with my Sub.

After a room rearrangement the Sub ended up no where near any of the chairs so that problem has gone away.

It used to really aggravate me to see people leaving purses and drinks on my sub.

[aramis109]

Sub-crawl technique with a two-person lift sub may not be feasible.

I've read that middle of the room is usually not so hot in terms of subwoofer response. However, having it that close to you AND facing you (since it's front firing) as Option #4 is showing would get my vote. If not there, maybe behind your right front speaker? It's hard to tell if that'll work or not as it may be in the hall.

[Dust]

I emailed SVS and this is their response...

Glad you’re enjoying the sub! It really shouldn't make much difference at all which way the driver faces at bass frequencies as they're omnidirectional. Worth trying a few positions if you can, but I'd lean toward the front or back facing orientation if just to save space.

[PSA1]

You only have 4 option and they are close to each other so it is not too much work to place it in each position and listen to the same track and see which position gives you the deepest and strongest bass at your favorite sitting spot, since you only have 1 subwoofer, it might be hard for all positions to have the same bass so sit where to sit most of the time and compare.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by aramis109

Sub-crawl technique with a two-person lift sub may not be feasible.

With subwoofer crawl technique, you move the subwoofer only once. You move around the room without the sub, preferrably with an SPL meter.

[Opips2]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

With subwoofer crawl technique, you move the subwoofer only once. You move around the room without the sub, preferrably with an SPL meter.

If without an SPL meter? what's doing with be careful those ear?? how?

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Opips2

If without an SPL meter? what's doing with be careful those ear?? how?

You can go by your ears, but ears can give you misleading results and our ears are not as sensitive to low frequency sound. Unfortunately, our hearing is not as good as dogs and bats.

Spending less than $50 on an SPL meter is well worth the price. Many people spend much more on cables.

[Opips2]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

You can go by your ears, but ears can give you misleading results and our ears are not as sensitive to low frequency sound. Unfortunately, our hearing is not as good as dogs and bats.

Spending less than $50 on an SPL meter is well worth the price. Many people spend much more on cables.

I have buy an SPL meter is helper for me.

seriouly?!?, people spend much on cable...why? extra sport or PPV?

[CasualKiller]

Here is an article I had bookmarked from another AV forum where a member was also having placement issues.

The advice it gives is basically keep the sub near your main speakers when possible to avoid timing issues and to maximize your sound stage.

Another factor you are experiencing is that even though very low frequencies may be radiating from your sub in more or less of an omnidirectional pattern this still does not mean your ears can't tell where the sound is coming from. This is a mistake many people who use subs make. Your ears (and brain) are very sensitive to all sorts of little cues that give away the location of sounds (most likely a key factor in man's survival back in prehistoric times). Low frequency sounds tend to be harder to locate due to those long wavelengths, but we can still do it pretty accurately most of the time, depending of course on how low a frequency we are talking about.

There are other factors such as harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, cabinet resonances, room modes and reflections that can give away the location of a sub or make it sound different depending on placement. You are already doing what must be done, which is to move it around and listen to the results. When possible, it is best to position a sub close to your main listening speakers. This minimizes time arrival delays and makes for a more coherent soundstage, but the acid test is to move it around and listen until you find the sweet spot. An individual's judgement of the sweet spot may vary depending upon your concern. Some simply want to place it where things sound the most aesthetically pleasing while others should concern themselves more with accuracy and placing where it causes them to create the best mixes.

[jakool124]

Your setup is similar ro mine as I have my PB13's on the outside of my main speakers. I'm sure you already know this but with the sub close to a corner, the corners re-inforce the bass. If you moved it away from a corner and leave the gain the same, the volume of the bass would be lower by about 6db's give or take. Because your options are limited, If I had your room, I would at least try moving the entertainment center to the right as far as you can go while keeping your tall light from protruding into the opening of the walkway on the right. Looks like you have at least 5 - 6 inches of room to scoot to the right from your pics. Maybe this would give you a little more room on the left to keep your sub from blocking your fireplace. Is that where the problem lies by blocking your fireplace? I would at least try that to see if you like it. For me, I like my subs near a corner and being that we all spend a fortune on them, I like to enjot seeing them when watching movies. I think I feel more of an impact with the sub facing me, but that's just me.

[Dust]

I ended up going with option 3. I'm unable to keep the sub in the front (WAF) since it sticks out further than the entertainment center. I moved it to option 3 and even without recalibrating it sounds great. I still haven't had a chance to re-run Audyssey and test with my SPL meter (too much homework this weekend).

Sometime this week I'll get a chance to recalibrate everything since the sub moved and the left-surround was also moved.

Overall I'm really impressed with the sub and talk about DEEP bass!

The size and deep tones of this sub have been driving my wife nuts. She likes it, but still is having trouble getting over the size and power of this sub. She told me she dreamed last night that the sub was so loud it was opening and closing our kitchen cabinets. She came home and I was in the kitchen tearing all the cabinets apart because I was replacing the facia with some sort of special latch. She said saw dust was all over the place, the cabinets were all torn apart, and I was all happy because I figured out what that clanking noise was when we watched TV.

Dang, I never realized my sub could freak her out so much she is having dreams about it tearing up the house! lol