Enter to Win: PB10-NSD from SVS!

[Nuzy]

1) Other - Choosing an adequately sized/configured sub for the room in whicvh it will be placed (i.e. not underpowered or overkill).
2) Placing the sub in the proper location within the room.

Nuzy

 

[Flummox]

what else...

Placement (sub AND listening position) and room dimensioning/treatment. EQ can help but may not correct fundamental issues.

 

[Adam]

Smooth bass

I might have looked at this differently. I didn't interpret "best" as meaning the most effective. For me, the "best" way to get smooth bass corresponds to the easiest way. If Auto EQ could fix everything, then that would be fantastic. I could put the sub where I wanted, plug it in, run the software, and have a great sounding sub. The second best option for me was "other", and that would be to have someone else come in and set up the placement and room conditioning for me.

 

[ducker]

I'm thinking placement is key... an equalizer could possibly help in smoothing it out with the other speaker and to a lesser effect help balance things a little bit if the sub is on the small size (in frequency coverage) compaired to the other speakers in the setup.

 

[auge.dog]

Having only owned a sub for a couple months, my ability to answer this question with a reasoned and educated response is limited to say the least. However, I did find out that moving the sub made a big difference. I also liked the sound coming from behind a big chair better than when it was in a corner by itself. Thus, my answers - placement, and placing behind a couch. Again, my experience with subs is very limited, but I appreciate the oppotunity to participate in this contest.

 

[Vashti]

My understanding is that placement is probably most important and then some form of eq. I confess I don't understand when or why more than 1 sub is called for.

 

[speakerman39]

Without a doubt placement is everything. I have learned that in certain places in my own livingroom that if I put my sub too close to a wall it sounds too boomy. I prefer a much more tight controlled and punchy sound with excellent articulation and attack. Therefore, placement alone helped me achieve my goal. I have also found that an spl meter such as the one from Radioshack is essential in helping to find the right PLACEMENT as well as smooth out the over-all performance of my set-up including my
12" powered sub. Once done properly, makes a tremendous impact on obtaining that ht effect I prefer. Smoothing out the over-all frequency response serves the purpose of making music much more enjoyable to listen to as well .

 

[dloweman]

From what I understand with the proper subwoofer placement you can minimize bass traps, or nulls in the bass throughout your room. Because of this i think it is the most important factor.

 

[Puppetz]

I chose proper placement and multiple subs as the two methods of most effectively achieving smooth bass response. Placement is critical to avoid “boomyness” or muted bass, and more than one sub can help tame the sound in an acoustically difficult room.

 

[abboudc]

My two votes:
1. Placing it properly
2. Other. Setting the crossover properly is definitely in the top 2, but i didn't see it listed (the closest was the auto EQ).

 

[bersik]

1. Proper Placement. The effects of sound as it travels and bounces off of objects suchs as walls and furniture can make a large noticable difference in sound even at low frequencies. Therefore, placement of a sub is very important.

2. Auto EQ. Assuming the EQ is a good one, the aid of an electronic hardware and software mated to a quality sub can sound drastically better than a sub that is not dialed in.

 

[madadam]

sub placeemnt/dual subs answers

Experience....sub placement had a profound effect in my room, and adding a second sub allowed me to remove the nulls the one sub never seemed able to avoid, no matter where placed!
Adam

 

[Signmaster]

Room placement is primary, with many other items that can cause problems. SPL adjustment, makeup of the room, etc.

 

[Jason Coleman]

Obviously room placement is the greatest factor in subwoofer performance, but the size of the sub is also important. Too often, you see either overkill (18" 2000-watt sub in a small basement theater) or "underkill" (rinky-dink box-with-a-driver in a large demanding room). Consumers and manufacturers need to work together to determine the appropriate sub for a specific space.

J.

 

[rozumek]

Room placement, Auto EQ, Receiver and SRS Wow effect

Proper room placement and then using an auto EQ are the best two methods of achieving smooth in-room bass response. Placing sub near a corner of the room away from the windows works best for me. I don't have a big room so my options of room placement are limited by size of the room. I want to share something that makes the most difference in improving the sound of a subwoofer in my case it is SRS Wow enhancement in Microsoft's Windows Media Player. When I play any format of music in my computer I use Windows Media Player and I have SRS Wow enhancement setup as follows: (Normal Speakers, TruBass set half way, WOW Effect also set half way). SRS Wow bass enhancement technology improves the sound coming out of the subwoofer and it makes all speakers blend so well together that you become immersed by the sound that reaches your ears. I also use auto calibration found inside my Pioneer Elite receiver called MCAAC for balancing all of the speakers, especially the subwoofer; you can’t tell where the sub is located thanks to this automatic tuning done by the receiver. In the end there are so many factors outside of what Subwoofer manufacturers can do to improve the sound; it’s up to a listener to tweak his/her subwoofer, use an enhancement technology such as SRS Wow to improve the sound coming not just from the sub but from all of the speakers; it’s a wonderful way to fool our ears to believe the overall sound improved whole lot.

 

[Raphael]

Placement is definitely the most important thing. Failing to utilize your subwoofer properly can make big differences in sound and even cause slight vibrations in the wrong places. Avoiding windows is a no-brainer for subs and speakers alike. Corners work well, but the subwoofer must be given proper breathing room. Another important thing which wasn't listed on the poll is proper calibration and set-up of the subwoofer. The placement plays an important part (best achieved by the "crawl on the floor with sub in seating position" method), but so does the calibration. While auto EQs in receivers such as the Pioner VSX-1015TX will help most situations, setup begins from the listener. If the speakers and the sub don't match in voice or wood (I don't care for aesthetics, I'm talking strictly about sound), it could make or break your listening experience. Start with the hardware first, then look at the software. While some people would prefer two subwoofers, I feel one is good enough if it is tuned properly and not something extremely budget e.g. Dayton. However, in my preference, I would definitely go with two *grin*.

Cheers,

Raphael

 

[MUCHO]

Placement falls by the wayside if you have the budget for mulitple subs and auto EQ (like the SMS-1)

Plus - more is mo betta.

If you don't have the budget then placement becomes most important.

 

[millerbrad]

It's definitely the expensive Monster Cables that make the biggest difference..

Heh.. Right..

Actually, I said room placement..

 

[tomme35]

Due to its low freq range, sub placement and room EQ are most important in getting smooth bass sounding. Multiple subs (2 or 4) do help also.

 

[rumonkey2]

Placement & Traps

While proper placement is the critical key, traps often provide a simple fix - usually less expensive than eq equipment - and w/ all the choices can even "enhance" a room asthetically


Just curious - showing my reply, but not my "vote" - is my vote gonna count in the contest????
I think I may have voted before "logging in" - ooops