What is the optimum speaker setup as to Sub distance from soundbar and surround speakers. Does it matter where they are placed?
Answered
Sub placement
Best answer by buzz
Ideally SUB should be in the same plane as the soundbar and close to the soundbar.
Unfortunately bass is very dependent on SUB and listener placement in the room. This is how the physics work. This ideal spot might not be the best location for your room. In any case I don’t recommend placing SUB behind your listening position. Placing under a piece of furniture is OK because the furniture is essentially transparent to the frequencies SUB deals with.
Play a very thumping bass track and walk the room very close to the walls carrying a stack of Post-Its and a magic marker. As you walk the room you’ll notice bass peaks. Mark each “peak” with a Post-It. At a few spots bass will be even stronger. Mark these spots with !!. These peaks will occur more or less regularly around the room. Placing a listener or SUB at a peak location will result in the most bass. About midway between peaks you’ll notice a “null” where bass will be minimized. After some experience with this technique you’ll be able to locate smaller peaks and nulls in three dimensions throughout the room.
In my college apartment there was a very aggressive bass peak. We had large speakers. I placed a chair on that spot. It was the favorite spot for male listeners. Bass seemed to explode from within your body. If I moved the chair a few inches the effect was gone.
You place the Sub based on two things.
1. A spot you can live with. So not in a doorway or in the middle of the room.
2. The place it sounds best to your ears, unless you have a huge room anywhere is likely good. If the room is huge I'd lean to not much further to the rear than your surrounds.
Every room is a bit different so the "put it exactly here" sites are not giving good advice. The ones that discuss placement based on listening and trying multiple spots are useful.
Ideally SUB should be in the same plane as the soundbar and close to the soundbar.
Unfortunately bass is very dependent on SUB and listener placement in the room. This is how the physics work. This ideal spot might not be the best location for your room. In any case I don’t recommend placing SUB behind your listening position. Placing under a piece of furniture is OK because the furniture is essentially transparent to the frequencies SUB deals with.
Play a very thumping bass track and walk the room very close to the walls carrying a stack of Post-Its and a magic marker. As you walk the room you’ll notice bass peaks. Mark each “peak” with a Post-It. At a few spots bass will be even stronger. Mark these spots with !!. These peaks will occur more or less regularly around the room. Placing a listener or SUB at a peak location will result in the most bass. About midway between peaks you’ll notice a “null” where bass will be minimized. After some experience with this technique you’ll be able to locate smaller peaks and nulls in three dimensions throughout the room.
In my college apartment there was a very aggressive bass peak. We had large speakers. I placed a chair on that spot. It was the favorite spot for male listeners. Bass seemed to explode from within your body. If I moved the chair a few inches the effect was gone.
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