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Optimal placement of subwoofer?

#1
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9/24/07 at 11:00am
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My home is currently being built (still in the framing stage) and prewiring is set to commence shortly. The open layout of the great room (see diagram below) presents a couple of challenges for me:

i) where should I have the subwoofer placed within the room? Under consideration are three possible spots (1, 2 or 3 in the diagram), and I want to keep the subwoofer as close to the subwoofer wall plate as possible. I am open to other suggestions for placement.

ii) one possible placement of the the audio rack (AR) is near the wall connecting the fireplace. The length of the wall (excluding the fireplace) is 3'10". I have been assured by the prewiring subcontractor that its close proximity to the fireplace shouldn't affect anything electronic or electrical; my question is: should I leave the audio rack there, or would it be better to relocate the audio rack to the rear wall, near the subwoofer?


Key:
LF - left floorstanding speaker
C - centre channel
RF - right floorstanding speaker
O - in-ceiling speaker
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#2
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9/24/07 at 2:07pm
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Re: Optimal placement of subwoofer?

The answer is: It depends. You won't really know until you have the room to test it in unfortunately. I'd also wager a guess that it won't make a huge difference between spot 1, 2 or 3. My choice would actually be somewhere around where you currently have the AR shown; 2nd choice would be spot #2, but your overall sound is still going to depend on how it ends up sounding within this room.

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#3
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9/28/07 at 7:58pm
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Re: Optimal placement of subwoofer?

shoehorn it in the corner and the thing will BOOOOOOOM!
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#4
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9/29/07 at 2:09am
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Re: Optimal placement of subwoofer?

Stick the sub in your listening position and then crouch down in the places where you think it might fit and see what spot sounds best. Then swap places with the sub.
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#5
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9/29/07 at 11:26am
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Re: Optimal placement of subwoofer?

Regardless of what your subcontractor says, I would not recommend putting electronics near a fireplace simply because it's a heating source and most audio/video manuals say not to do that. However, if the subcontractor would be willing to sign off on paper since he's so confident, making him responsible if everything burns down. Good luck, since I doubt he'll do that. I still think you have the potential for a fire hazard. I would place it away from the fireplace as much as possible.

" I think it's time we go to plan B". "What's plan B?" "That's the one where we don't do something stupid".

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#6
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9/29/07 at 11:40am
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Re: Optimal placement of subwoofer?


Ken,

In that room I’d start with it in or near the corner by the front left speaker. Go to this site and you can download some software that will measure sub response. That will help you determine where to locate it.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
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#7
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9/29/07 at 8:49pm
  • Joined: May 2007
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Re: Optimal placement of subwoofer?

im first choice, near LF, makin it a great place for listening to music too, when youre kickin it in the kitchen, grubbin with friends and family
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