The room in which a loudspeaker is placed can be thought of as a lter, altering the acoustic response at the listening position from that of the
loudspeaker. The position of the loudspeaker in a room will inuence how it interacts with the space and therefore is often critical to achieving the
best performance at the listening position.
Positioning is particularly relevant to subwoofers because at low frequencies the room will have a strong inuence due to room modes/resonances.
Room modes manifest themselves in an uneven distribution of acoustic energy within the room, which can lead to either too much or too little
bass at the listening position. A room with a well-controlled low frequency response (reverb time) will have a far smaller influence on the
performance of the subwoofer and will be less sensitive to subwoofer positioning. Applying acoustic treatment in a domestic setting is not always
possible or desirable but if considered it should be noted that typically, a combination of resonant membrane traps and porous absorbers are needed
to control the low frequency. The resonant membrane traps are eective at treating the low bass, typically below 80Hz and the porous absorbers
frequencies above this. Porous absorbers such as those made from foams, breglass or rockwool are not eective at absorbing low bass energy
without a very large air space between them and the wall behind. For this reason, they are a poor choice of absorber for the subwoofer bandwidth.
To minimise problems a free-standing subwoofer should be kept away from corners where possible. Avoid placing the subwoofer mid-way between
any two parallel walls.
The C4 Sub Mk2 is supplied with 4 x steel spikes which can be tted to the threaded holes in the base of the subwoofer. The spikes are optional
and can be tted to ensure the subwoofer is seated rmly when positioned on a soft carpeted oor. Without the spikes tted, the subwoofer will
sit on the 4 x xed rubber feet, which is ideal for hardwood/concrete ooring.
Start with the subwoofer positioned next to one of the stereo monitors and at the same distance from the listening position. When installing
two subwoofers, start with one by each of the stereo monitors. In most cases these guidelines will give the best results, however all rooms vary,
and it is a good idea to experiment with both listening and speaker positions until a good compromise is reached. When working on optimising the
positioning, only change one variable at a time.
Positioning the subwoofer in the centre of the room, equidistant from the two side walls and between the left and right stereo pair must be avoided.
In the majority of cases, this position will result in large irregularities in the frequency response.
Multiple subs will excite the room from multiple locations and will often give a more even in-room response. Also, a pair of subs can be placed with
the same physical relationship to the pair of main speakers and the listener.
Please see section 5 for recommendations on how to set the amplier lters and level.
SECTION THREE
Room Interaction
3.1
Subwoofer Placement
3.2
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