DIY Subwoofer Risers

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by awongshing

I will post pics soon. I have to paint it. Right now it's just ugly

Did you put carpet on the platform of the riser ! You said you need to paint it . The carpet needs to be there !

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by awongshing

I will post pics soon. I have to paint it. Right now it's just ugly

Instead of painting it, put carpet around it. It will dampen the sound better and makes the surface of the riser less slippery. There are detailed instructions on how to build a riser in Post #1. Eventually, when you are finished with the riser, post a few pictures with descriptions for the benefit of others.

[HiDef-Crazy]

I bought a couple of risers for my subs from Wal-Mart. I does improve the sound IMO.





Thanks Big Daddy.

[lolwaut]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I forgot to answer your question. Velvet, particularly thick velvet, can work. You can put a thin layer of foam under it.

BD - will the foam from wal-mart work for this application? i would use the acoustic foam from PE but it doesnt look like it will be sturdy enough to have the sub sitting on. is the wal-mart foam sturdy (in other words, will the sub "sink" into it?). also, what section of wal-mart did you find that foam... i searched the entire store for an hour, including the fabric section, without any luck

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by lolwaut

BD - will the foam from wal-mart work for this application? i would use the acoustic foam from PE but it doesnt look like it will be sturdy enough to have the sub sitting on. is the wal-mart foam sturdy (in other words, will the sub "sink" into it?). also, what section of wal-mart did you find that foam... i searched the entire store for an hour, including the fabric section, without any luck

The loose foam from Walmart is good for filling a subwoofer. The foam for putting under the carpet should be a thin sheet layer of foam. Walmart may have that kind. Part Express sells 1/2" and 1" thick sheets of dampening foam that are very good for covering inside of a subwoofer and putting under the carpet. Check Post #2 in this thread for all the pictures and links.

[lolwaut]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

The loose foam from Walmart is good for filling a subwoofer. The foam for putting under the carpet should be a thin sheet layer of foam. Walmart may have that kind. Part Express sells 1/2" and 1" thick sheets of dampening foam that are very good for covering inside of a subwoofer and putting under the carpet. Check Post #2 in this thread for all the pictures and links.

BD - i actually have already purchased the 1" thick foam from PE, but that was intended for under the riser itself, like your pictures show in the first post. I also need something for DIRECTLY under the thin velvet-like fabric (which i am using instead of carpet). the dampening foam at PE looks like it will be too "spongy" for this application, since the sub will be sitting directly on top of it (and will "sink" into it). UNLESS, this was not what you meant by your original response to my fabric question... did you just mean that foam underneath the riser itself should be sufficient for dampening? or should there also be some type of foam directly directly on top of the riser and beneath the velvet (since the velvet i am using is very thin). thanks for all your help.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by lolwaut

BD - i actually have already purchased the 1" thick foam from PE, but that was intended for under the riser itself, like your pictures show in the first post. I also need something for DIRECTLY under the thin velvet-like fabric (which i am using instead of carpet). the dampening foam at PE looks like it will be too "spongy" for this application, since the sub will be sitting directly on top of it (and will "sink" into it). UNLESS, this was not what you meant by your original response to my fabric question... did you just mean that foam underneath the riser itself should be sufficient for dampening? or should there also be some type of foam directly directly on top of the riser and beneath the velvet (since the velvet i am using is very thin). thanks for all your help.

The 1/2" foam is less spongy. Walmart or Michaels may have sheets of foam that can be used. Walmart also sells rubber/foam kitchen mats that you may be able to use. They are thin and less than $10. Another alternative is to buy rubber door mat or carpet. The carpet that I used was from Home Depot. It costs less than $10.

Edit: You can try the foam from The Foam Factory:

http://www.closedcellfoams.com/neoprene.html

[awongshing]

Thanks for the heads up. I'll do the carpet instead of the paint. I'll post pics as soon I'm done. Thanks for all the good info

[blu_world]

or you can just chuck your Subwoofer up on a old Coffee table you dont use anymore and it'll just have the same effect.

and since its so close to my futon i pack abunch of the junk food on the other side of the table..




makes it have more impact,a little bit louder IMO.

[talstarone]

I built my own riser just last week.
It was easy and the price of the material was Very Affordable.

I just got a 2ft X 2ft X 3/4 inch thick piece of exterior grade Birch for the top platform(about $8.00)Then I had Lowes Home Improvement cut me (3) 22inch long 2in X 4in studs to use as legs(supports)for the top platform.

I used Gorilla Glue to attach the (3) 2 X 4's to the bottom of the 2 X 2 ft platform(with the 4inch side as the height and the 2 inch side as the width)Then I drove in (4) #8 (1 1/2inch) wood screws into the 2 X 4's from the top of the platform every 5 inches apart.

So inbetween the super strong Gorilla Glue I have (4) screws in each leg(support)as well.

The 2 X 4's,Gorilla Glue,and screws cost about $11.00(the Glue was most of that,but Gorilla Glue does not play)
Then I covered the top with a piece of Berber carpet I found as a left over scrap at a new home construction site(so it was FREE)

Then I bought about $2.00 worth of foam from Wal Marts Craft Dept(I needed one more bag)and attached the foam to the bottom of the platform,inbetween the legs.
This should help dampen any vibrations and tighten up the low end as much as possible.

I have about $25.00 total in all of my materials including sales tax.And pics are in my gallery under Sub Platform and Speaker Risers.

But considering the low cost and the ease of construction,it is certainly worth every bit of the effort behind it.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by talstarone

I built my own riser just last week.
It was easy and the price of the material was Very Affordable.

I just got a 2ft X 2ft X 3/4 inch thick piece of exterior grade Birch for the top platform(about $8.00)Then I had Lowes Home Improvement cut me (3) 22inch long 2in X 4in studs to use as legs(supports)for the top platform.

I used Gorilla Glue to attach the (3) 2 X 4's to the bottom of the 2 X 2 ft platform(with the 4inch side as the height and the 2 inch side as the width)Then I drove in (4) #8 (1 1/2inch) wood screws into the 2 X 4's from the top of the platform every 5 inches apart.

So inbetween the super strong Gorilla Glue I have (4) screws in each leg(support)as well.

The 2 X 4's,Gorilla Glue,and screws cost about $11.00(the Glue was most of that,but Gorilla Glue does not play)
Then I covered the top with a piece of Berber carpet I found as a left over scrap at a new home construction site(so it was FREE)

Then I bought about $2.00 worth of foam from Wal Marts Craft Dept(I needed one more bag)and attached the foam to the bottom of the platform,inbetween the legs.
This should help dampen any vibrations and tighten up the low end as much as possible.

I have about $25.00 total in all of my materials including sales tax.And pics are in my gallery under Sub Platform and Speaker Risers.

But considering the low cost and the ease of construction,it is certainly worth every bit of the effort behind it.

Nice pics talstarone. That riser came together quite nicely. I like the fact that you further dampened it with the polyfill under the platform. I meant to ask, but what type of flooring do you have in your room?

[Grevlin]

Originally Posted by HiDef-Crazy

I bought a couple of risers for my subs from Wal-Mart. I does improve the sound IMO.





Thanks Big Daddy.

Ah, I forget about those. If you were to fill the inside space with insulation and cover the whole thing with black felt- you would have a nice bass trap of sorts with a solid black cube.

You could get two excellent combo risers for like $40. Maybe a bit high for some set-ups. ($20 bucks for you HiDef since you already have the tables. )

[Twitch9]

Well i just made a riser for my sub, had never thought of this tweak before and i can definitely say it is a big improvement. Raising the sub just 12" off the floor improved clarity and overall performance, the 1 downside is i have to run my setup to re-calibrate my settings, the sub is probably 10db louder on the riser. I would recommend this to anyone reading this form.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by Twitch9

Well i just made a riser for my sub, had never thought of this tweak before and i can definitely say it is a big improvement. Raising the sub just 12" off the floor improved clarity and overall performance, the 1 downside is i have to run my setup to re-calibrate my settings, the sub is probably 10db louder on the riser. I would recommend this to anyone reading this form.

+1, I did exactly this and used my SPL meter to help dial it in even further! The difference in clarity and depth was noticeable.

[Big Daddy]

I separated Subwoofer Risers from Repairing, Upgrading & Buliding Subwoofers. It was getting a bit confusing for people who want to add polyfill, replace their drivers or amplifiers, and people who want to build risers.

[erict]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I separated Subwoofer Risers from Repairing, Upgrading & Buliding Subwoofers. It was getting a bit confusing for people who want to add polyfill, replace their drivers or amplifiers, and people who want to build risers.

Another smart move by BD

[Fors*]

I thought for a minute there I had missed this sticky and was giving out the wrong link this whole time.....great idea BD!

[bongzilla]

I think this would be a good project for me today,
I was thinking about cheap wood for the platform part, and maybe
a nicer wood, Mahogany maybe and not cover the legs.

Thanks BD

[awongshing]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

Instead of painting it, put carpet around it. It will dampen the sound better and makes the surface of the riser less slippery. There are detailed instructions on how to build a riser in Post #1. Eventually, when you are finished with the riser, post a few pictures with descriptions for the benefit of others.

I've completed the riser. I have some pics posted in my HT Gallery. (I couldn't attach the pics on this post) I have one last question. Would the sound quality be further improved by adding legs to the riser and getting it higher of the floor?
Thanks for your help.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by awongshing

I've completed the riser. I have some pics posted in my HT Gallery. (I couldn't attach the pics on this post) I have one last question. Would the sound quality be further improved by adding legs to the riser and getting it higher of the floor?
Thanks for your help.

I think mine sounds best raised up ! My center of the woofer is 23" off the floor ! Adding legs to the Riser would help & also if you can even raising the sub off the stand itself helps ! My sub is 9 inches off the Riser !