subwoofer positioning

[cebbigh]

I've had a down firing 10" powered sub (HSU STF2) for over a year. Spur of the moment last night began playing around with reposistioning it. Before it was in a corner right next to the main viewing location sitting on top of well padded and fairly thick carpet. I flipped it around into a rear firing position so it goes into the wall just behind the sofa. I think I like the wasy it sounds better this way but really haven't had a lot of time to play with it. Right now it's approx 6 inches from the back wall. Would it help to move it closer or farther away from the wall?

Is there anything about a down firing sub that is different from a front/rear firing sub besides cosmetics and the location of the spikes? Is there any reason why front/rear might have an advantage over down firing subs?

I think the STF2 might be too small for the room space (approx 25X25 with cathedral ceiling). So a second set of questions might be along the lines of a good replacement for the STF2. Any good bargains out there?

 

[Digital Dude]

Down firing on a pad and carpet was obviously absorbing too much. I prefer front/rear firing in a basement but downfiring works well on a first/second floor.

Firing into a corner is a great position, I'd try it a few more inches from the wall and seeif you like it better. My room is 16X35 and I use a 15" front/rear firing sub.

In terms of bargains what is your budget?

 

[griz_fan]

From what I've read, that Hsu is a rockin' sub, one of the better values to be had. I came very close to getting one before I stumbled on a great deal for a Velodyne. Before giving up so fast on the Hsu, check out the support and forum section on their site (http://www.hsuresearch.com/). There may be some tricks to adjusting things for maximum sound quality. I've heard of people putting their sub on a small area rug so they could easily pull it about the room, looking for the ideal location ("walking the sub"). Basically, you started to do that already.

If you decide on an upgrade, a 2nd Hsu STF2 might not be a bad idea. Otherwise, a larger Hsu or for other brands, SVS and Velodyne (of course). But, I think that sub of yours just needs to be dialed into your room. Again, the forums on the Hsu website provide a lot of good info and should help you answer your questions. Good luck!

 

[cebbigh]

Purchased it so long ago I almost forgot about the forum over there. Will see what they have to say.

I was listening more last night and I do think it sounds better. Maybe the carpet was absorbing too much. I know subs performance/positioning doesn't fit what what seem to be obvious or logical placement ideas. But it just seemed to me that firing down into a thick carpet would be taking something away. Will try moving it a little and see what happens. It really is a very nice sub and I have been happy with it. I supplement it with tactile bass shakers so I don't generally need to crank it up that high. So you don't think there is a big reason, from an internal design standpoint why flipping a floor firing sub over to make it front/back firing sub would be a bad idea? It's tucked in a corner so appearance isn't a concern. It looks like a black box either way.

 

[Inno]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with firing it any which way that makes it sound good. I have mine (a homemade system) firing directly upward behing the TV because that seems to be the place of "best bass". The closer you get to the corner of a room generally the louder the bass is because you're utillising a "corner loading" effect. I'm not sure of the exact physics behind it, probably something to do with reflections off the wall etc. Also, regardless of the position of the subwoofer, if you back yourself up into a corner of the room the bass will also be louder. The only drawback to this is sometimes the bass becomes "boomy" or "muddy" or otherwise undefined. This is more of a problem with main speakers placed too close to any wall but subwoofers also suffer from it. The only reason mine resides behind my tv facing upward is simply because after trying many many combinations of different locations, different firing directions etc. that was where it sounded and performed the best. If you don't play around with the placement of literally all your speakers, you're probably not getting optimum performance. A movement of your main speakers away from the wall a foot or two will noticably tighten the bass and make voices sound much less boomy and more natural. Listening position is also crucial...........I could go on at length but I won't.
To make a long story short, play around, there's no reason not to and every reason to do it!!!

 

[cebbigh]

Received response for Hsu support over at their forum which said basically the same as what has been said here. Positioning the Sub upside down or sideways is fine...whatever sounds best. I moved the sub approx 15-29 inches away from the rear wall. It sounds great. Should have done it a long time ago.

Thanks again for all the great ideas!

 

[scottnmelissa2006]

I just bought the Velodyne DD15 you are going to end up spending about 2500 but it is a amazing sub, My room is about 30x30 and I am also running 7.1. The sub makes the system