Subwoofer Advice...

[Carlsberg19]

Hi all,

Basically i spent 1500 euro on my speaker system (see HT Gallery) and i am not happy with the subwoofer, the speakers themselves are great, no issues here.

So to start off i put the sub on a piece of carpet, sounded a little better but not great, then i put the sub out of sight directly behind where it is located now, next to a wall and on a concrete block, i have also messed around with the balance on the sub to try and get a happy medium but i cant.

The sub sounds terribly boomy and vibrationery, it is a down firing sub, so either you guys know how to fix this vibration issue or else im seriously considering getting another sub! any recomendations? preferably a sub that doesnt sound vibrationery particulary when there is outer space scenes, i HATE that!

[Big Daddy]

What kind of subwoofer do you have?

These are my recommendations:

1. If it is too boomy, don't put it in a corner. Subwoofers stimulate all room modes in a corner and become too boomy.
2. Definitely put it on carpet or an area rug or a door mat.
3. Turn the volume on the sub to the middle (no higher than the three-quarter point).
4. Experiment with the location of the sub. Move it to the front closer to the front speakers, try the middle of the side walls, try somewhere closer to your main seats.
5. You may have to play with the crossover setting to make sure it blends better with your main speakers.
6. If it is vibrating and sounds as if there is something loose inside, open it and check. You may have to add some poly-fill to it to make it sound tighter.

Sit down and read A Guide to Subwoofers, A Guide to Subwoofers (Part II), and Repairing & Upgrading Subwoofers.

In the first link, scroll half way down. You will find guidelines on subwoofer placement and crossover setting.

The second link discusses the advantages of having two subwoofers in a small home theater room. Toward the end of it, there is an explanation for the subwoofer crawl technique. It also has a link to a video by Axiom Audio on how to perform the subwoofer crawl technique.

The third link demonstrates how easy it is to repair or build a subwoofer.

[Carlsberg19]

Its a Sony sub that came with the SA-FT7D speaker system(see HT gallery), (not HTIB) just 5 speakers and a sub. I am just going to get a new subwoofer cus im not happy with it, thinking about the A3-200? think thats what they call it, looks good, it is a down firing sub, only concern i have is i hope it aint vibrationery like my existing set up.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by Carlsberg19

Its a Sony sub that came with the SA-FT7D speaker system(see HT gallery), (not HTIB) just 5 speakers and a sub. I am just going to get a new subwoofer cus im not happy with it, thinking about the A3-200? think thats what they call it, looks good, it is a down firing sub, only concern i have is i hope it aint vibrationery like my existing set up.

I own four down-firing subwoofers: Two 12", One 15", and One 10". I don't have vibration problems with any of them. I recently upgraded them. See their picture in Upgrading & Building Subwoofers thread.

[primaz]

For the value I highly recommend the Outlaw Audio 12" 350 watt powered sub for only $699. I wish I knew about them earlier as they make great gear and since they eliminate the retailers and middle men by selling direct their prices are great!

[allargon]

Originally Posted by Carlsberg19

Hi all,

Basically i spent 1500 euro on my speaker system (see HT Gallery) and i am not happy with the subwoofer, the speakers themselves are great, no issues here.

So to start off i put the sub on a piece of carpet, sounded a little better but not great, then i put the sub out of sight directly behind where it is located now, next to a wall and on a concrete block, i have also messed around with the balance on the sub to try and get a happy medium but i cant.

The sub sounds terribly boomy and vibrationery, it is a down firing sub, so either you guys know how to fix this vibration issue or else im seriously considering getting another sub! any recomendations? preferably a sub that doesnt sound vibrationery particulary when there is outer space scenes, i HATE that!

Before buying an expensive new sub, I hope you have a sub dude pad, some bass traps as well as other room treatments.

Here's a recent subwoofer shoot-out with a bunch of popular mid-priced subs (here in the US). It doesn't include the Dayton Titanic MKIII 15", but I don't think the Dayton could compete without a better cabinet.

http://www.tweakcityaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11