Home Theater Multiple Subwoofer Set-Up & Calibration Guide

[Selb4itkicksit]

Or just buy the SVS ASEQ-1

I have two SVS subs and this was the best money I ever spent! I literally had a flat response in 25 minutes...would have been shorter but I wanted to do it again because I "THOUGHT" I had done something wrong because it was so easy. It is expensive but the end results are awesome and you don't have to do all the steps above!

So if I understand correctly its easier to get flat response from two subs instead of one?

 

[dgkirkman]

nice rite up ,, i 2 use both of my Velodynes as coffee tables sounds best 4 my room configuration

 

[vinicior]

Hi

Yes Gene, it is very nice. I had been searching for the same type of article on subwoofers, so I will say cheers to you because of your quality article. But still I have to search for more, my subwoofers are somehow complex.

 

[gene]

So if I understand correctly its easier to get flat response from two subs instead of one?

not necessarily flat, but more even response across more seats. Flat is NOT pleasing sounding in a real room. You want elevated low end response as Frequency goes down and tapered off response as frequencies go up. A flat line from 20Hz to 20kHz (which is impossible to achieve in a real room) would be dreadful sounding.

 

[cr136124]

SMS-1 but not Audyssey

Hi Gean!

Wow, what was an intense read right there........ Seriously, congrats on the article.

I'm new to the HT stuff and during the last few months I've been trying to upgrade my old setup. As of this moment, I have to stop to save some money to buy a projector and a fixed screen (2013 project).

So, meanwhile, I'm trying to the best with what I have a Yamaha RX-A1010, two subwoofers and a Velodyne SMS-1.

Of course Yamaha's receivers actually use YPAO for calibration and in my case, my receiver doesn't have a proper calibration method for the subwoofers. So, the SMS-1 is helping me to achieve that goal. However, I read in your article the SMS-1 is not accurate. Hence my question: what else is required to have a properly measure my room response?

I bet you will need further information about my room/gear, so just let me know what do you need and I will try to reply back ASAP.......;o)

 

[neverfinished94]

This forum is great with lots of helpful info. I was hoping someone can point me in the right direction and I am having a dedicated home theater built in my new house.

My plan is to eventually have 2 subs but I will only have one to begin with. My dilema is that all the wires will need to be ran prior to setup since all wires will be in wall and terminated at wall plates. So I will need to have a good idea of where both subs will be at before listening to them to figure out the best location. I hope this makes sense.

My initial plan was to have both subs at the back of the room.

This is the layout of the room (15x17) and this is where I would place the 1st sub.

Then add an additional sub here.

But after some research, I am confused as to where the subs should go.

Would option 2 be better

Or maybe option 3.

If option 2 or 3 is better where do I need to add the additional sub when I get it down the road.

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[l0gikal1]

Very useful article gene, plenty of detail stated.

 

[Pottscb]

RTA analyzers EXPENSIVE!

The only problem I see is that these analyzers run $3K, unless there are cheaper ones I don't know about. I guess the rest of us will have to trust Audyssey until something changes...

 

[jp_over]

The only problem I see is that these analyzers run $3K, unless there are cheaper ones I don't know about. I guess the rest of us will have to trust Audyssey until something changes...

That's why I started this thread: http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/subwoofers/84948-complex-dsp-room-measuring-software-music-only.html Excellent recommendations on measuring equipment.

 

[pnutbutter81]

After moving from one sub to dual in my square 12x15 x9H dorm-like room. I had awesome results doing mid room placement in front and back in the middle. I tried two up front and it seemed to have a canceling effect more than a flatter response (while using omnimic). In the design I see for you considering two subs. I would try back left, and front right. Then back right, front left. Or two mid way on left/right. It's all about not complicating it, but making it what feels good to you. As they said before, a flat response is not ideal for many of us. I have only confirmed that after seeing it through RTA analyzing and convincing myself I liked it better as I felt. Infact, there are times where I seem to feel like it always sounds better without any eq at all the freq response I see from room modes still occurring. Again, placebo effect for flat response I say.

 

[andurilnarsil1]

cool post!!

This article is great to see!!!

I gots multiple subs for home music & HT, set to 80hz crossover (although calibration changes this via receiver), no room treatments, just heavy window drapes/curtains.

My current setup is a 6.1 system, includes 4x subs

- 1x12 inch sony subwoofer
- 1x8 inch klipsch sub
- 2x6.5 inch klipsch sub (borrowed from promedia 2.1 set)
Placement:
- 1x12 inch at the back of room next to center rear tower speaker
- 1x8 inch side of couch hidden next to wall
- 2x 6.5 inch each next to front left/right towers

A couple important points IMO...
- I would say careful with 'attenuation', or LFE signal strength loss. My receiver has 2 LFE rca outs, so it helped keep signal strong.
- Use quality Y splitter and shielded thicker RCA LFE cables.
- When calibrating (mic included with pioneer vsx-53 receiver), i got better results placing mic on coffee table in front of couch rather than my seating position on couch, go figure!
- Try playing bach toccata and fugue in d minor, if your living room doesn't feel like there is a train rolling through it when the song hits those low organ bass sounds, you are missing out

 

[gene]

 

[andyblackcat]

I'm bit pressed for time now my dad is picking me up in while for dinner.

Last week I think Saturday/Sunday I placed a second sub at the back of the room right corner that has filled in the gab between roughly 40Hz to 60Hz where I was noticing playing TITANIC just before the ship goes under there is groaning low end that I recall at the cinema in SR-D and was easy to hear feel over the large wide area of the auditorium.

At home where JBL 18" is placed to seating at front I'm missing it and hearing it at very faint level even though it would be stronger elsewhere in the room I think the frequency is centered around 41/42Hz.

So I placed one of the smaller 12" sub loaded with JBL GTO1202D with amp powering the JBL 18" I wired HIGH PASS for the active sub as I couldn't be asked to cut cables and have it running separately so it works its filled in the gap or NULL part of the narrow-band for sub/LFE range.

That REW has new model added I noticed when loading the newer version it has Room Simulator for sub but not really for LCR and surround placement. I found the REW Simulator to be fairly spot on.

I tried to simulator the local cinema but the size dimensions doesn't really go above I think its 47 or 48 feet square.

Also got a lower the level down on the subs and all to even out the resonance a little bit otherwise don't want it drowning out the rest of bass mid frequencies.

It takes more than one sub to tango.

 

[andyblackcat]

This forum is great with lots of helpful info. I was hoping someone can point me in the right direction and I am having a dedicated home theater built in my new house.

My plan is to eventually have 2 subs but I will only have one to begin with. My dilema is that all the wires will need to be ran prior to setup since all wires will be in wall and terminated at wall plates. So I will need to have a good idea of where both subs will be at before listening to them to figure out the best location. I hope this makes sense.

My initial plan was to have both subs at the back of the room.

This is the layout of the room (15x17) and this is where I would place the 1st sub.

Then add an additional sub here.

But after some research, I am confused as to where the subs should go.

Would option 2 be better

Or maybe option 3.

If option 2 or 3 is better where do I need to add the additional sub when I get it down the road.

Thanks in advance for your help

You need to put a door between that opening so the room is sealed I often have my small door open and when closing it makes a few +db in level difference.

Your room is only a few feet larger than my room but has the odd walls on one side or rather chimney breast in the middle and making one side of the wall helps.

In your case which is easier than my room the right rear side wall make a false wall a bit a timber fitted for a wooden frame and few sheets of plaster screwed up with inside of the cavity filled fiber glass or rockwool slaps so the cavity doesn't resonate. I'm doing more less same for front of the left wall in my room otherwise certain lows mostly left channel, reflects into the corner of the chimney breast and cancels out or reduces small portion of frequency. So I made a bit of false wall.


The other thing I'm thinking since your in USA and most US homes are made with timber and plasterboard is KNOCK OUT the right walls and widen the room and remake the walls with timber/plasterboard plasterboard is cheap stuff. Me I don't have that option as British homes often built with brick, I'd like to knock the chimney breast as it sticks out by 18".

 

[fbczar]

I enjoyed your article, but over time I think I am becoming confused by subwoofer placement in general. Some advocate against corner placement. Some advocate for corner placement. I have two Kreisel DXD12012 subwoofers. The manufacturer says they are designed to be used in an inverted/stacked configuration and placed in a corner. In such a stacked configuration they are essentially one subwoofer for set up purposes. After reading numerous articles on the subject of multiple subwoofers I tried the placements you mentioned, but the Kreisel subwoofers always sound best stacked and placed in the corner nearest my main listening position. Obviously, they have more output in a corner and their output is also increased by their co-location. Interestingly, the corner placement seems to eliminate the ability to localize them as well. I think part of the advantage stacked subwoofers have relates to the height of the configuration which must be having a positive impact on specific room modes that they could not have if they were not stacked.

I am a bit perplexed by the concept of trying to calibrate subwoofers to sound good at several listening positions rather than one main position. Logically, there can be only one "best" listening position. This is especially true for stereo music. Why would you choose not to optimize for the best sound possible, even if it was only in one listening position?

 

[andyblackcat]

Fishing for sub bass

Microphone on boom stand and extended out and I just need only move it around while observing the RTA at same time, until I an even out frequency response for where seating or where subs should be placed its that easy.

SW pink noise generated by Dolby CP500.

Hold the mic boom and move it side to side over the back while looking at the RTA.

I know where the good spots are, but due to ill-health recently I won't be moving the seating forwards I have to take it easy, relax.

SW on the RTA has evened out.

Sub in the middle playing with another sub placed rear right corner of the room.

 

[chris_w]

Hi Gene

what about rooms that are the other way round, such as mine which has to be that way due to practical layout reasons, i.e. The TV is on the long wall (about central-ish) and the main sofa (viewing position) is opposite. So the sweet spot is in a totally different place and rather close to the wall?

 

[MR.MAGOO]

Here's my apartment, would I place a sub in the 'living room area' (thats where my A/V gear is) and the second sub in the 'bedroom area'? It's a 500 sq. ft. area which also includes the kitchen, bath, closets.

 

[TheWarrior]

View attachment 18275



Here's my apartment, would I place a sub in the 'living room area' (thats where my A/V gear is) and the second sub in the 'bedroom area'? It's a 500 sq. ft. area which also includes the kitchen, bath, closets.

Subwoofer set up involves a lot of experimenting, because inches really do make an audible difference!

I would experiment with one up front and one behind, as well as corner loading each sub in the bed room area, as those appear to be the only useable corners.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

Subwoofer set up involves a lot of experimenting, because inches really do make an audible difference!

I would experiment with one up front and one behind, as well as corner loading each sub in the bed room area, as those appear to be the only useable corners.

Thank you for the ideas!. I failed to mention in the original post in the diagram, there's a makeshift partition extending from the entrance door to approx. 1/2 into the room to separate bedroom / living areas. using a laser measuring device the whole apartment is approx 4400 cubic feet in volume. however i did not measure individually each closed in space like bathroom, closets, etc, just took rough measurements from farthest wall to wall to ceiling.