what's the pros and cons of down firing vs front firing

[sokrman14]

I have been sub shopping and am trying to figure out the differences between front firing and down firing subs in general. What should I expect from each and what would you guys get?

 

[JeffD2.]

Front firing- kids and cats can damage the grill/driver. You also have more options for sub postioning as to the proximity of the driver to a wall via horizontal rotation.

Floor firing- less chance of damage per above. Usually smaller footprint.

SQ has been debated ad nauseum. YMMV.

 

[Tomorrow]

Front firing- kids and cats can damage the grill/driver. You also have more options for sub postioning as to the proximity of the driver to a wall via horizontal rotation.

Floor firing- less chance of damage per above. Usually smaller footprint.

SQ has been debated ad nauseum. YMMV.

In my experience, downfiring is less directional.

 

[JeffD2.]

Personally, I agree. But OTOH, it's a preferance.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

In my experience, downfiring is less directional.

I agree, and it's easier to place depending on the port location. The cylinder could be the perfectly designed sub, as it's downfiring with ports out the top. Very little resonance by design.

 

[supervij]

But if you live in an apartment building, it's generally a bad idea, no? I'm lucky that I have neighbours who have (so far!) not complained during this past year of my owning an HT, but would I be pushing my luck if I were to use a down-firing sub?

cheers,
supervij

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

But if you live in an apartment building, it's generally a bad idea, no? I'm lucky that I have neighbours who have (so far!) not complained during this past year of my owning an HT, but would I be pushing my luck if I were to use a down-firing sub?

cheers,
supervij

The bass actually comes out of the port, not the driver (in a vented enclosure). I've got a front firing 12" sub that would p.o. every neighbor within 60' of your apartment.

It all depends on the volume you set your sub during movies. My advice? Invite your neighbors over for a cold one - especially the guy below you, and show off your system. Let them know you're an HT fanatic, and not to be shy if the bass is getting to him.

You can take a downfiring sub and stick it in the middle of the room, and lose a huge percentage of bass - why bother, right? You can also take a PC Altec Lansing 6" sub, stick it in the corner, and rattle your walls. Placement and dB/volume is everything.

 

[furrycute]

Yes, I remember I used to own an Altec Lansing computer speakers system with 2 satellites and one 6.5 inch sub. That sub was amazing. When I placed the sub under my desk really close to a wall, I literally shook the windows when I played some bass heavy music. Have not achieved the same effect with my 12inch JBL sub (though to be honest I never cranked up the JBL's volume).

 

[Sheep]

My friend has those same altec lansing computer speakers. Very bassy, but the sats are terrible.

I perfer the Creative Megaworks or Gigaworks, but I have logitechs right now. Very bassy, but they get harsh.

I have seen a port on every side of an enclosure, so they all work. I've seen a driver on every side aswell. They all work. I think the enclosure has to be designed differently inorder for different driver placements to work.

SheepStar

 

[mulester7]

.....front-firing sub VS. down-firing sub....hmmm....some have said here there's very little difference....I could say three screens, but rather than say three screens, I'll cut it short and say, it'll be a tall glass of no-bounce for me 'till the fat lady sings at this here party, thanks for askin'.....

.....on a DVD, you're looking at a picture that's two-dimensional....even if it was three-dimensional and you saw depth, you'd still be looking out a window into the scene, or out a window with the performing group just outside the window....what's wrong with the low-end sub-support being a little directional to the soundstage where the window is?.....with music....do you "not", still honor the soundstage of your main's regiment?....at live performances, does the bass guitar amp enclosure point down, or up, and bounce off something?....imo, with music not DVD, if you honor the soundstage of your audio system's main's regiment seeking realism, you'll be right up next to the group performing on the recording, not out "in" the group....but it's a gimme' on DVD, 'cause you're NOT gonna' get to be on the other side of that window.....realism is definitely a word that should be thrown in, as what we seek with our systems....the word realism goes hand-in-hand with the word presence....hey, that reminds me, what's the name of those special speakers you can add up high on the walls?....correct, Presence....I will have two bookshelf speakers, exactly like my rears, up high, right on the ceiling pointing down just a little, in the rear, sitting sideways, on top of the rears, the rears will be floorstanders just like the mains, and the two "presence" speakers up high, will be mono, wired in series, sweetly pushed by a channel of the Earthquake....the presence speakers could be one way of fixing something I don't like about the Earthquake's presence and realism, I don't know....but if I should happen to be knocked out with the presence of the Earthquake, only the better with added presence through efficiency....presence speakers....think honey....did ANY, of this, make a BIT, of sense?....huh?.....

.....amid peals of laughter as my answer, I'm happy to report, my spirits are not dashed....yes, reporting from Arkinsaw....Arkinsaw, where ears are used, bringing up one speaker at a time, and blindfolds are for pin-the-tail-on-the-mule....hey, does it tickle you when Festus rides that mule on Gunsmoke when you're watchin' the cable channel TVLand?.....Festus was huge in that series....as was Doc....as was Matt Dillion....as was Kittie....saved her for last....I think she was the strength of the team....coulda' been Matt....coulda' been equal between those two....all were exceptional....I quit....no proof.....

 

[jeffvee]

non directional firing

my sub doesn't have any firing ports.

what are the positive/negatives for this type?

 

[WmAx]

The bass actually comes out of the port, not the driver (in a vented enclosure). I've got a front firing 12" sub that would p.o. every neighbor within 60' of your apartment.

The output arrives from both the speaker and the port. The driver operates down to a specific frequency at which point(determined by the port tuning) the acoustic output is off-loaded to the port. The port acts as a narrow bandpass device, which significantly increases efficiency and maximum SPL at the lower band of frequencies as compared to an equivalent system using a sealed cabinet.

-Chris

 

[WmAx]

my sub doesn't have any firing ports.

what are the positive/negatives for this type?

Less efficiency/SPL at the lower band of frequencies. But this is assuming comparison of similar systems(same driver analysed in both conditions).

People can go off into things like 'tight', 'fast', etc.'; but these are purely subjective terms that are used to describe things not specifically understood by the descriptor. Some of those things might even be fairly applied within a certain scope of generalization. However, no such descriptive things are nesecarrily true for any given type based on type alone. Many factors(not just if the cabinet is sealed or ported) determine the net result.

-Chris

 

[chikoo]

The bass actually comes out of the port, not the driver (in a vented enclosure). I've got a front firing 12" sub that would p.o. every neighbor within 60' of your apartment.

....

??? so u would recommend that i place the sub so that the driver is facing the wall and the port facing outward?

 

[chikoo]

by the way, what would happen if I closed the vents on my velodynes?

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

??? so u would recommend that i place the sub so that the driver is facing the wall and the port facing outward?

Why not? Axiom's subs are some of the first to design their subs with front firing ports. In a recent shootout at AVS, the EP500 beat out the SVS Ultra in a blind listening test. Here's what they sell:

http://www.axiomaudio.com/subwoofers.html

Now, if the port is on the same side as your amp hookups, then forget it. Wife won't go for it.

 

[chikoo]

I am going to have to try this out with my VX10 and post my findings.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

by the way, what would happen if I closed the vents on my velodynes?

You would change the whole tuning and response of your sub. More than likely for the worse. If your are having a problem with the sound, you might try a little fiberglass or fiberfill in the ports to create a resistive port. That sometimes solves issues. But I would not seal them. Tuning a driver to a given box is a very specific process and not all drivers are well suited for a sealed box enclosure

 

[mfabien]

My down firing sub reproduces bass as coming from the front speakers for music.

See its placement:

As for LFE, it will follow sound movement. For instance, in "Flight of the Phoenix", in the opening scenes the aircraft appears at low altitude coming toward the audience then flies over our heads. The LFE follows that movement in a very dramatic way.

 

[JeffD2.]

my sub doesn't have any firing ports.

what are the positive/negatives for this type?

Pro & Con- Generally more accurate sound reproduction but at much higher amp costs to drive it. What sub do you have?

The bass actually comes out of the port, not the driver (in a vented enclosure)......

Not true. The port is there because the BACK motion of the driver produces sound as well and also for the reasons WmAx has stated.

??? so u would recommend that i place the sub so that the driver is facing the wall and the port facing outward?

Sub placement is critical to good sound. It varies with room size, floor construction, wall surfaces, furniture placement, on and on. FR and SPL testing as well as your own listening is only way to tell what placement is best.

My down firing sub reproduces bass as coming from the front speakers for music.

See its placement:....

As for LFE, it will follow sound movement. For instance, in "Flight of the Phoenix", in the opening scenes the aircraft appears at low altitude coming toward the audience then flies over our heads. The LFE follows that movement in a very dramatic way.

Awesome setup. You MUST be perfectly tuned!