DIY Subwoofer Risers

[CanadianEH]

I'm speechless. That is rare for me. I read through a lot of this topic and gathered the information I needed and decided to build a riser. I was expecting a little improvement in sound quality and a reduction of the bass travelling upstairs. I had no idea how much the sound would improve. Unbelievable! I guess before the sub was kind of hidden behind the hearth of the fireplace, so that makes sense now that it is above it, but it just completely gives the sound a more full feeling.

To summarize how I built it, I grabbed some scrap pieces of wood from my garage ($0.00). My buddy has been storing it in there for years, so I think I'm entitled to a few pieces. Made a few quick cuts to get the outside pieces, cut a piece of MDF to put on top. And made a few braces out of 2x4 to hold it together. A few quick screws and it was assembled.

I have a buddy who is doing major renovations right now, so he had plenty of carpet he was going to take to the dump. It's wasn't the nicest looking carpet, but it was free ($0.00). Stapled that on and presto - a sub riser.

I then went to the Wal-Mart craft section and some quilting stuffing ($6.54), a piece of foam ($6.54), and some plain black fabric ($9.97). I covered the riser with the fabric. Let's just say it is a good thing that it isn't visible because when it come to fabric I'm almost useless. Then I stuffed the quilting stuffing in, cut the piece of foam to a perfect fit to hold the stuffing in and I was done.

For less than $25 I immensely increased the quality of the sound and significantly reduced the sound going upstairs. Success!

I really just wanted to take the time to say thank you to everyone here for valuable information, ideas, and suggestions. Thank you so much. Without you I would have never considered doing this and would be missing out on so much. Thank you!

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by CanadianEH

I'm speechless. That is rare for me. I read through a lot of this topic and gathered the information I needed and decided to build a riser. I was expecting a little improvement in sound quality and a reduction of the bass travelling upstairs. I had no idea how much the sound would improve. Unbelievable! I guess before the sub was kind of hidden behind the hearth of the fireplace, so that makes sense now that it is above it, but it just completely gives the sound a more full feeling.

To summarize how I built it, I grabbed some scrap pieces of wood from my garage ($0.00). My buddy has been storing it in there for years, so I think I'm entitled to a few pieces. Made a few quick cuts to get the outside pieces, cut a piece of MDF to put on top. And made a few braces out of 2x4 to hold it together. A few quick screws and it was assembled.

I have a buddy who is doing major renovations right now, so he had plenty of carpet he was going to take to the dump. It's wasn't the nicest looking carpet, but it was free ($0.00). Stapled that on and presto - a sub riser.

I then went to the Wal-Mart craft section and some quilting stuffing ($6.54), a piece of foam ($6.54), and some plain black fabric ($9.97). I covered the riser with the fabric. Let's just say it is a good thing that it isn't visible because when it come to fabric I'm almost useless. Then I stuffed the quilting stuffing in, cut the piece of foam to a perfect fit to hold the stuffing in and I was done.

For less than $25 I immensely increased the quality of the sound and significantly reduced the sound going upstairs. Success!

I really just wanted to take the time to say thank you to everyone here for valuable information, ideas, and suggestions. Thank you so much. Without you I would have never considered doing this and would be missing out on so much. Thank you!

Congratulations on your new riser. It is time for a party and some Canadian brew.

[CanadianEH]

Way ahead of you my friend.

[deltadube]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Congratulations on your new riser. It is time for a party and some Canadian brew.

Hey big Daddy.. thanks for all your work around here..

i just built a quick sub riser after reading your sticky..

wow what a difference

i just used scrape materials i had down in my shop..

2 18in 1.5in x 9in (old 2x10)

2 18in x 18 in 1/2 plywood plates

abf mineral wool 3in sheets x 3 to fit

screwed and glued bottom plate to 2x10s add 3 layers abf to size
screwed and glued top plate..

wrap some black fabric around stapled..

really made a difference in my sub out put and could add 5 db from the
avr.. didnt re do audyssy.... sound great just a little 10in sub 300 bash amp
1200 peak.. working much better know with the music.. more punch..

was wondering tho i have the front an back sides open just covered with
fabric.. would it be a good idea to put some 2x10 there too? or doulbe up the ply plates?

thanks

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by deltadube

Hey big Daddy.. thanks for all your work around here..

i just built a quick sub riser after reading your sticky..

wow what a difference

i just used scrape materials i had down in my shop..

2 18in 1.5in x 9in (old 2x10)

2 18in x 18 in 1/2 plywood plates

abf mineral wool 3in sheets x 3 to fit

screwed and glued bottom plate to 2x10s add 3 layers abf to size
screwed and glued top plate..

wrap some black fabric around stapled..

really made a difference in my sub out put and could add 5 db from the
avr.. didnt re do audyssy.... sound great just a little 10in sub 300 bash amp
1200 peak.. working much better know with the music.. more punch..

was wondering tho i have the front an back sides open just covered with
fabric.. would it be a good idea to put some 2x10 there too? or doulbe up the ply plates?

thanks

As far as having any effect on the long wavelengths of lower frequencies, the 2x10 will have no effect. However, if you stuff some foam underneath the riser and use 2x10 to cover the open sides, then your riser become more dense and solid.

[deltadube]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

As far as having any effect on the long wavelengths of lower frequencies, the 2x10 will have no effect. However, if you stuff some foam underneath the riser and use 2x10 to cover the open sides, then your riser become more dense and solid.

what kind of foam under the riser? its just a flat plywood bottom
use a few side ways 2x4 under for stability and your walmart foam?

i could only find one hockey puck to use as an isolator dang
anybody got and few extra hockey pucks!

thanks big Daddy..

cheers

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by deltadube

what kind of foam under the riser? its just a flat plywood bottom
use a few side ways 2x4 under for stability and your walmart foam?

i could only find one hockey puck to use as an isolator dang
anybody got and few extra hockey pucks!

thanks big Daddy..

cheers

Add some legs to to your riser and add the most dense foam under it.

http://www.hockeymonkey.com/oficehoc...mpaign=web_rec

http://www.thefoamfactory.com/opence...ncellfoam.html

You can also buy foam and hockey pucks from Ebay.

[deltadube]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Add some legs to to your riser and add the most dense foam under it.

http://www.hockeymonkey.com/oficehoc...mpaign=web_rec

http://www.thefoamfactory.com/opence...ncellfoam.html

You can also buy foam and hockey pucks from Ebay.

hey Big Daddy thanks for your time again

im up in Canada eh.. just waiting for snow to melt then go hockey
puck hunting.. LOL

instead of dense foam what about 3 inches more of the afb roxul safe n sound insulation.. ?

i could raise it up on 12 hockey pucks 3/corner.. glued down eh..

what does the dense foam do ?

this is great stuff.. should i build one 18 inches high with 6 layers of 3in afb
would that be even better..?

this is like the greatest discovery since like the record player eh..

cheers

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by deltadube

hey Big Daddy thanks for your time again

im up in Canada eh.. just waiting for snow to melt then go hockey
puck hunting.. LOL

instead of dense foam what about 3 inches more of the afb roxul safe n sound insulation.. ?

i could raise it up on 12 hockey pucks 3/corner.. glued down eh..

what does the dense foam do ?

this is great stuff.. should i build one 18 inches high with 6 layers of 3in afb
would that be even better..?

this is like the greatest discovery since like the record player eh..

cheers

Besides making the riser more solid, foam can absorb some of the noise coming out of the port of the subwoofer. If the riser is pretty high and you use fiber glass, the riser can actually work as a bass trap. Go to the bottom of post # 1 for some pictures of risers that act as a bass trap. There is explanation in post #3.

[deltadube]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Besides making the riser more solid, foam can absorb some of the noise coming out of the port of the subwoofer. If the riser is pretty high and you use fiber glass, the riser can actually work as a bass trap. Go to the bottom of post # 1 for some pictures of risers that act as a bass trap. There is explanation in post #3.

Hi Big Daddy.. yeah read the who thing before..

those big high cubes.. would be great to see an inside pic
there is only outside pics.. anyone got a pic to post what its guts look like

i think my 10 incher riser is catching alot of bass in the afb
will make some higher ones... 18 inches..

i had it lying around after making some diy absobers.. 2ft x 4 ft 6 in thick
afb really stops the bass.. im just building an ht room too so when i get
that done be building more absorber panels as needed eh..

im thinking of upgrading my sub to the pc 13.5 ultra from svs
im a bit handy capped in the legs knees ez to move and roll a bit vs the box.

think that sub would put out some gut punching bass..?

my 10 in is sound much better on the riser but will not be a gut puncher..

cheers eh

I know this thread is really old, hope someone is still watching, as I have a couple questions. I have a beautiful porcelain tile floor in a large vaulted room ... I know it's not great acoustics.

1. Will it help significantly help to build risers under my 2 main speakers? I have 2 large older Yamaha speakers with 12" woofers (#NS-A837), now sitting directly on the tile floor.

2. If I build a riser like Big Daddy described, is that appropriate for a down-firing subwoofer? Is is adequate to leave only the space of the sub legs between the sub and the carpet of the riser? Or, should there be MORE space under it? I'm researching sub-woofers, leaning toward a down-firing, ported Venturi or Dayton sub (unfortunately limited to a very moderate price range).

3. Or, considering that this large room is tiled (and wood in the further reaches of the open floor plan), would I do better with a front-firing subwoofer? I thought that it might be worse acoustics because front-firing would send the waves out bouncing over all this tile.

Help, please!

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by JennyM

I know this thread is really old, hope someone is still watching, as I have a couple questions. I have a beautiful porcelain tile floor in a large vaulted room ... I know it's not great acoustics.

1. Will it help significantly help to build risers under my 2 main speakers? I have 2 large older Yamaha speakers with 12" woofers (#NS-A837), now sitting directly on the tile floor.

2. If I build a riser like Big Daddy described, is that appropriate for a down-firing subwoofer? Is is adequate to leave only the space of the sub legs between the sub and the carpet of the riser? Or, should there be MORE space under it? I'm researching sub-woofers, leaning toward a down-firing, ported Venturi or Dayton sub (unfortunately limited to a very moderate price range).

3. Or, considering that this large room is tiled (and wood in the further reaches of the open floor plan), would I do better with a front-firing subwoofer? I thought that it might be worse acoustics because front-firing would send the waves out bouncing over all this tile.

Help, please!

A riser can benefit all subwoofers in most rooms. Down-firing or front-firing subwoofers do not play any role. The wavelengths of the bass frequencies are in most cases larger than the dimensions of the room. They are not affected by the location of the woofer.

If your room floor is made of tiles, it may help if you place your speakers/subwoofers on a thick area rug. Additionally a thick rug in front of the speakers can help by reducing reflections from the floor. Room treatment such as foam on the walls and ceiling can also improve the sound.

In almost all cases, two subwoofers are preferred to a single subwoofer. With one subwoofer, no matter how great, there will always be peaks and valleys of the bass frequencies. Depending on the location of your listening seat, you may hear great bass or no bass. Two or more subwoofers can smooth out the bass frequencies and there will even bass across the room for all listening seats.

[AJCxZ0]

Originally Posted by JennyM

I have a beautiful porcelain tile floor in a large vaulted room ... I know it's not great acoustics.

This will likely be more of a problem with higher frequencies than bass. The ceiling may be especially problematic due to focussing effects.

Do you have plenty of rugs or other absorbent or diffusing material between your speakers and the listening position?
Do you have other room treatments?
Do you have the speakers well positioned relative the the walls and listening position?
Do you have a receiver with a decent calibration tool?

Will it help significantly help to build risers under my 2 main speakers?

It can't hurt to try with temporary risers such as stuffed cardboard boxes, but bear in mind that you want to keep the tweeters near to ear level.

I expect that other treatments will have greater impact on sound quality from these speakers.

If I build a riser like Big Daddy described, is that appropriate for a down-firing subwoofer?

Yes, but then risers are appropriate for all subs. For anything but very near field listening, subs are omnidirectional.

Is is adequate to leave only the space of the sub legs between the sub and the carpet of the riser? Or, should there be MORE space under it?

The space between the driver and the riser should be irrelevant. What matters is moving the driver away from the floor and the acoustic effect of the material between the driver and the floor.

I'm researching sub-woofers, leaning toward a down-firing, ported Venturi or Dayton sub (unfortunately limited to a very moderate price range).

Since other threads here and on AVS Forum cover choosing subs, including budget subs, I'll say no more than that a bit more research and maybe a few more dollars will get you significantly better value.

In summary and to a first order approximation: get the best sub you can afford, put it on your D.I.Y. riser and you should enjoy the bass. For everything else you'll be treating and tuning your room.

[Big Daddy]

Check the following thread:

Subwoofer Options at Different Price Levels.

Just want to thank all of you who replied to my inquiry. I continued to research and try to absorb, still sure that there's a LOT I don't understand about subwoofers, but had to take the dive. I just ordered a BIC Venturi V1020, one step up from the Venturi I was considering (on sale). May not be right, but I opted for more watts (160 RMS), better frequency response (26-180 Hz), although a 10" rather than 12". It does have variable crossover, and is down-firing (which I decided I wanted). Hard to compromise between what I really want and my budget constraints!

I have learned a lot from this forum though, and will be building risers for this sub, and my big main speakers. Thanks again for the help. I may be back for advice in setting up, positioning and configuring.

Jenny

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by JennyM

Just want to thank all of you who replied to my inquiry. I continued to research and try to absorb, still sure that there's a LOT I don't understand about subwoofers, but had to take the dive. I just ordered a BIC Venturi V1020, one step up from the Venturi I was considering (on sale). May not be right, but I opted for more watts (160 RMS), better frequency response (26-180 Hz), although a 10" rather than 12". It does have variable crossover, and is down-firing (which I decided I wanted). Hard to compromise between what I really want and my budget constraints!

I have learned a lot from this forum though, and will be building risers for this sub, and my big main speakers. Thanks again for the help. I may be back for advice in setting up, positioning and configuring.

Jenny

Building Risers can be "fairly" simple, or complex, depending on one's expertise or familiarity with tools. Coming from someone with Very Limited "skills" in the carpentry dept., these don't have to be monstrosities that cost $75-150 in parts/labor.

I built 2 basic ones for my front speakers, & a fairly basic one (a bit more sturdy, obviously) for my Rear Subwoofer. Click THIS link for pics of my build & the tools used (July 2009).

Good luck Jenny.

[Coolmeadow Kid]

Hi all! I finally bit the bullet and ordered the PA-150 sub. Only played with it for about 2 hours so far, but really like what I hear.
I will be adding some poly-fill and building a riser for it as soon as I get the Sunfire RF unit so I can safely play with the location (5 Setters in the house that I don't need chewing on an RCA cable or tripping over it!). I'm thinking of getting some spikes but wonder if it would work to build as follows: carpeted platform for the sub to sit on, cavity underneath filled with foam and covered with carpet or other material like the Ozite carpeting that is used a lot on cheap automotive sub boxes for the base trap, then spikes integrated with the bass trap, then sitting on a carpeted floor. The sub appears to have some thin rubber feet on it for some isolation, but I might change out to a better isolating foot. Am I on the right track? Any other ideas. I'd prefer to make this as one integrated unit instead of it looking like 2 or 3 separate items stacked on top of one another. Thanks! Jim.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Coolmeadow Kid

Hi all! I finally bit the bullet and ordered the PA-150 sub. Only played with it for about 2 hours so far, but really like what I hear.
I will be adding some poly-fill and building a riser for it as soon as I get the Sunfire RF unit so I can safely play with the location (5 Setters in the house that I don't need chewing on an RCA cable or tripping over it!). I'm thinking of getting some spikes but wonder if it would work to build as follows: carpeted platform for the sub to sit on, cavity underneath filled with foam and covered with carpet or other material like the Ozite carpeting that is used a lot on cheap automotive sub boxes for the base trap, then spikes integrated with the bass trap, then sitting on a carpeted floor. The sub appears to have some thin rubber feet on it for some isolation, but I might change out to a better isolating foot. Am I on the right track? Any other ideas. I'd prefer to make this as one integrated unit instead of it looking like 2 or 3 separate items stacked on top of one another. Thanks! Jim.

Congratulations on your new subwoofer.

You are on the right track. Make sure your riser is as solid as possible. Also, remember that the location of the subwoofer in the room can make a difference. Experiment with the subwoofer's positioning.

[Coolmeadow Kid]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Congratulations on your new subwoofer.

You are on the right track. Make sure your riser is as solid as possible. Also, remember that the location of the subwoofer in the room can make a difference. Experiment with the subwoofer's positioning.

That's why I want the RF transmitter/receiver for the sub, so I can play with placement possibilities. Depending on how well this one works, when I remodel the room, I will choose whether to keep the RF, or hard-wire a coax cable, as the big screen will be shifting to a different wall. Now to start saving the funds to get started on that project! Thanks for the confirmation of my thoughts. Jim.

[Coolmeadow Kid]

Originally Posted by Coolmeadow Kid

That's why I want the RF transmitter/receiver for the sub, so I can play with placement possibilities. Depending on how well this one works, when I remodel the room, I will choose whether to keep the RF, or hard-wire a coax cable, as the big screen will be shifting to a different wall. Now to start saving the funds to get started on that project! Thanks for the confirmation of my thoughts. Jim.

OK, when I left you all before, I was working on getting the RF unit for the sub. I thought I had pretty much decided on the Sunfire unit and was trying to get a coupon code to work to get it on order. While looking, I posted a question in a thread on the AVS forum and someone mentioned the Rocketfish unit. It is available at Best Buy, and is only 69.99 for a kit. Really good reviews on the BB website, better than the Sunfire's 2 reviews on Amazon, so I bit. Got it today on the way home from work. SIMPLE to install. RCA from transmitter to sub out on receiver, RCA from receiving unit to sub LFE, wall wart plugged in to each. Pairs automatically, and works great! It does lose a little volume, but I'm sure if I rerun the YPAO on the Yamaha, it will compensate for the loss. Saved some money, and seems to be a great little unit. Just thought others interested in something like this that this one does work as advertised. Now to work on that riser/bass trap design......Jim.