Subwoofers on hard wood floor, should i put them on a square peice of carpet?

[amayseng]

Hey guys I have read here some where bass is better with the sound waves coming off carpet or an area rug. I have neither, should I leave as is on wood floors or find a small square piece of carpet to put under my subs?

Thanks always for your guidance.

 

[Bucknekked]

Hey guys I have read here some where bass is better with the sound waves coming off carpet or an area rug. I have neither, should I leave as is on wood floors or find a small square piece of carpet to put under my subs?

Thanks always for your guidance.

amayseng
This post made me laugh a bit. It made me laugh a bit because if you do a Google search on it, I found the opinions to be split about 50/50. Carpet = wonderful 50% of the time and hard surface is wonderful = the other 50% of the time. Sounds like a case of "the grass is greener..........".

The impact that a room has on your sound can't be understated: its an active part of your sound system.
Its also very difficult to quantify because there are so many variables. A carpet square underneath a downfiring sub I wouldn't imagine would have much of an audible affect. If the sub is front firing, putting a carpet square underneath it would seem to have less of an affect.

I did an experiment in my room where I was trying to cut down on a bass "bump" at about 70 hz . I took rolls of carpet (extra carpet from the building of my house) and I stacked them in the corners of the room.
Lots of carpet stacked in the corners. It had precisely zero affect on the bass.

Bass waves are pretty long and they are not much affected by simple things in a room. High frequencies are pretty short and can be affected by the things you find inside a room.

If you want to experiment, go grab your bathroom rugs and stick it under your sub.

 

[amayseng]

amayseng
This post made me laugh a bit. It made me laugh a bit because if you do a Google search on it, I found the opinions to be split about 50/50. Carpet = wonderful 50% of the time and hard surface is wonderful = the other 50% of the time. Sounds like a case of "the grass is greener..........".

The impact that a room has on your sound can't be understated: its an active part of your sound system.
Its also very difficult to quantify because there are so many variables. A carpet square underneath a downfiring sub I wouldn't imagine would have much of an audible affect. If the sub is front firing, putting a carpet square underneath it would seem to have less of an affect.

I did an experiment in my room where I was trying to cut down on a bass "bump" at about 70 hz . I took rolls of carpet (extra carpet from the building of my house) and I stacked them in the corners of the room.
Lots of carpet stacked in the corners. It had precisely zero affect on the bass.

Bass waves are pretty long and they are not much affected by simple things in a room. High frequencies are pretty short and can be affected by the things you find inside a room.

If you want to experiment, go grab your bathroom rugs and stick it under your sub.

Thank you for your response I will grab a bathroom rug I did not even think of that haha. Secondly what do you think about the SVS Bass feet you can buy separately ? Snake oil or do these actually work?

I have red mini reviews where people swear by these but for $50 that seems like a lot of money for tiny feet.

 

[Montucky]

Secondly what do you think about the SVS Bass feet you can buy separately ? Snake oil or do these actually work?

The SVS feet are awesome, but I don't believe they make any difference in the sub's sound quality whatsoever. Rather, I have used them to reduce direct transmission through floors when being used on hardwood. I do believe they mitigate those sorts of vibrations, but I've never suggested them to improve sound.

Perhaps where they COULD theoretically improve sound quality may be that if your floor isn't rattling or producing unwanted vibrations, then it would make it all sound cleaner. Either way, I do like the SVS feet and will probably almost always use them, but I've never found them necessary.

 

[lovinthehd]

Thank you for your response I will grab a bathroom rug I did not even think of that haha. Secondly what do you think about the SVS Bass feet you can buy separately ? Snake oil or do these actually work?

I have red mini reviews where people swear by these but for $50 that seems like a lot of money for tiny feet.

Lots of things around the house you can experiment with to reduce resonance with the floor if that's an issue....carpet, towels, pieces of packing foam, etc. The times something underneath the sub seems to matter depends on your wood flooring's construction, too. Putting carpet on floors (not so much underneath but rather in front of) for your speakers to help with floor reflections is a good thing, tho....

 

[amayseng]

The only rattle i get is a hanging light fixture in the back of the room. No matter the subwoofers location at high volumes it will happen.

I have 2 subs and whoever told me once you have 2 you can never go back to one. True story!!!

I went with 2 polk ps505 12s and using the sunfire wireless connection which is sensational.

300w rms and down to 23hz they have fairly good quality they out perform the 2 Klipschs i had running with ease in both depth and sound quality.

I know they aren't $800 subs but they do a fair job.

 

[lovinthehd]

The only rattle i get is a hanging light fixture in the back of the room. No matter the subwoofers location at high volumes it will happen.

I have 2 subs and whoever told me pnce you have 2 you can nwver go back to one. True story!!!

I went with 2 polk ps505 12s and using the sunfire wireless connection which is sensational.

300w rms and down to 23hz they have fairly good quality they out perform the 2 Klipschs i had running with ease in both depth and sound quality.

I know they aren't $800 subs but they do a fair job.

A little museum putty/blu-tac can do wonders for rattles placed strategically....

 

[amayseng]

A little museum putty/blu-tac can do wonders for rattles placed strategically....

Thanks for the idea!

 

[mtrycrafts]

The only rattle i get is a hanging light fixture in the back of the room. No matter the subwoofers location at high volumes it will happen.

....

Do what lovinthehd said. That vibration if from the air being energized and the fixture resonates at it's own resonant frequency.
It will be there no matter what the sub sits on.

ps. if the wood floor is nicely finished, may want to put something under the sub to prevent possible scratches.

 

[sholling]

How about a Subdude?

https://www.amazon.com/Auralex-Acoustics-SubDude-II-Subwoofer-Isolation/dp/B00DI5AXNI

 

[lovinthehd]

If you want to pay someone that much for something like a subdude (big piece of shaped foam with or without a board, go right ahead. Thick piece of carpeting or packing foam pretty much does the same thing, i.e. offer a layer of insulation between floor and sub (if needed, a good pair of rubber feet can do wonders).

 

[amayseng]

If you want to pay someone that much for something like a subdude (big piece of shaped foam with or without a board, go right ahead. Thick piece of carpeting or packing foam pretty much does the same thing, i.e. offer a layer of insulation between floor and sub (if needed, a good pair of rubber feet can do wonders).

I'm getting a very low level hum since using the Sunfire wireless transmitters, I am assuming this is due to the cheapest rca's ever made on earth they sent packaged with the unit. I have quality shielded mediabridges arriving tomorrow in their place. Do you feel this is the culprit?

 

[TheWarrior]

I'm getting a very low level hum since using the Sunfire wireless transmitters, I am assuming this is due to the cheapest rca's ever made on earth they sent packaged with the unit. I have quality shielded mediabridges arriving tomorrow in their place. Do you feel this is the culprit?

You may have too many electronics sharing the same signal, on one electrical circuit.

 

[amayseng]

You may have too many electronics sharing the same signal, on one electrical circuit.

poop I only have one outlet on that wall everything goes to. Tv ps4 av xbox360 transmitter.
Any ideas?

 

[lovinthehd]

I'm getting a very low level hum since using the Sunfire wireless transmitters, I am assuming this is due to the cheapest rca's ever made on earth they sent packaged with the unit. I have quality shielded mediabridges arriving tomorrow in their place. Do you feel this is the culprit?

I'd more suspect ground loop hum but not sure where everything is plugged in.....are the subs/receivers on the same outlet as the other gear?

 

[amayseng]

I'd more suspect ground loop hum but not sure where everything is plugged in.....are the subs/receivers on the same outlet as the other gear?

I will have to check when I get home however the wireless klipschs transmitters were plugged into the same thing and never a hum or noise at all

 

[MR.MAGOO]

Hey guys I have read here some where bass is better with the sound waves coming off carpet or an area rug. I have neither, should I leave as is on wood floors or find a small square piece of carpet to put under my subs?

Thanks always for your guidance.

If the subs tend to 'bounce around' on a hard floor maybe pieces of carpet will prevent that. I've experimented with my little compact subs (Definitive Technology ProSub 800, 8" front firing) on kitchen floor, they'd 'jiggle around' a bit. In the main listening room (wall to wall carpet) no problems.

 

[amayseng]

should everything be plugged into the same surge protector? I can check and make sure they are or do you think I should just get a ground Loop isolator either way?

 

[TheWarrior]

should everything be plugged into the same surge protector? I can check and make sure they are or do you think I should just get a ground Loop isolator either way?

I think you need to stop what you're doing.

If you're going to seek Tech advice from unknown people on the internet, a clear understanding of your system layout is needed.

We seem to be in agreement that you have too many electronics on one circuit. The only solution to that, is another circuit. Until that is available, I would only use as many subwoofers as you are able to without inducing a hum.

 

[amayseng]

I think you need to stop what you're doing.

If you're going to seek Tech advice from unknown people on the internet, a clear understanding of your system layout is needed.

We seem to be in agreement that you have too many electronics on one circuit. The only solution to that, is another circuit. Until that is available, I would only use as many subwoofers as you are able to without inducing a hum.

when I get home for lunch I will disconnect one subwoofer and see if the humming diminishes