HDTV Forum

I have a basic home theater set up with 6 speakers plus a sub. How critical is the placement of the sub-woofer? I would like to put it in the corner to the left of my tv so it's out of sight. Any help would be appreciated.

Optimum placement depends on your room acoustics. Corner placement will amplify the bass so you may have to turn down the volume to compensate. Start in the corner and adjust the volume. If that doesn't work try moving it out of the corner.

One technique I've heard but not used is to put the subwoofer in the listening position and then YOU move around the room until the bass sounds the best - and that's where you put the sub.

Right, corner placement will amplify whatever your sub is putting out but can get a bit boomy in smaller rooms or with your more powerful subs.

What I like to do is pick out some familiar LFE's from my favorite movies and move the sub around until the sound tightens up and loses the boom and rumble that is so often mistaken for good bass. Unfortunately one of the optimum positions wasn't so optimum for my wife, so back to the corner it went. I have wood floors and was getting too much rumble, so I ended up buying a Subdude online. It's nothing more then a well constructed capeted wood platform that you place the sub on. It cleaned up the sound pretty well. I can't find the site for it, but if you google subdude, I'm sure you'll find it.

Check this link...

http://www.homeacoustics.net/

Click on Ask the HAA

Click on subwoofers

At the bottom click on DIY Subwoofer Calibration (Adobe Reader)