I can't feel the bass!!! (1 Viewer)

[Ben F]

I hooked up my subwoofer ( sony sa-wm40) to my mini stereo system with speaker wires, and the effect was much better than with the rca cable. HOWever i can only hear the bass but can't feel it!!.....i have a tiled floor, is that the problem??....also with the sub, all i can hear is these deep rumbles, is that the desired effect??....because it gets annoying after a while....i was kinda expecting some tighter ( punch in the guts) feel to it.

 

[Jeffrey Forner]

Ben;

Have you tried calibrating your sound system using a DVD like Avia or Video Essentials? If not, I suggest you get one of those DVDs (I recommend Avia) and a Radio Shack SPL (Sound Pressure Level) meter. This may improve the quality of the bass somewhat.

However, I doubt you'll get the real earth-shaking experience you want out of that sub. I suspect it goes down to about 30Hz, but that's it. If you want ass shaking bass, you need something that can go below 30 Hz. Unfortunately there are not too many subs in that price range that can do that.

 

[Steve_Ma]

Ben,

Jeff gave great advice re: the SPL meter and calibration. I'm not sure if this is for music or HT or both, but here are a couple of other thoughts:

* You MUST experiement with sub placement. Sometimes, corner loading will yeild higher SPLs, but depending on your room/setup, you could lose some articulation for music. For me (and my odd-a*& room) it worked great, but that is not always the case.

* Check the setting in your system. If your connected via speaker wires, then make sure in the setup: sub=no and speakers=large. Then play with your subs filter for best results.

* Finally, If this is for mostly music...I think many people have a mis-understanding about what they should be hearing from their sub when it comes to music. Of course this is completely subjective (and I'm prepared for the flames), but....I LIKE LISTENING TO MUSIC, NOT SIMPLY BASS. If I close my eyes, I am hard pressed to pick out my sub outside of the occasional low bass note or kick drum. Where my sub really shines, is taking the bass load off of my main speakers, so they sound better throughout the midrange and upper ends. My sub is reserved for the lowest freqs that are more difficult for my speakers to handle. If you are hearing alot of rumbling and you listen to mostly music.....you might be getting all the bass you need and should experiement with placement and calibration.

* HT is different of course, but if you get it calibrated, this should not be an issue, as HT is easier to reproduce, than complicated musical bass, IMHO

Just my $.02

Good Luck,

--Steve