Sub placement too restrictive? (1 Viewer)

[RodC]

My wife keeps having me move the furniture around, constantly creating speaker placement challenges. As of now I do not have a sub but am lobbying heavily for one. However the current furniture/equipment setup means that to place a sub (in this case perhaps an SVS )in a front corner means to place it so it is surrounded on 3 sides like so:
|-----------------------|
|O |Cab. | RPTV |Cab. | |
With the "O" being the sub (it even looks like an SVS, doesn't it? )
I'd hate to spend the bucks on a sub with such a great reputation if I can't get it to shine as it should.
Any advice would be appreciated. Just looking for a reason to buy one.
Thanks!!
Rod
[Edited last by RodC on August 06, 2001 at 07:55 PM]
[Edited last by RodC on August 06, 2001 at 08:09 PM]

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

This usually isn't a problem for subwoofers. I think the advantages of corner loading it will overwhelm the minor issues involved with have something to one side of the woof.(assuming it's already going to have the two walls on two sides of it.)
Btw, if it comes down to having a tiny sub optimally placed vs. a big sub having to be hidden in a closet or something...go for the little one I think. The HGS12 from VEL is a great size/performance compromise for instance.
TV

 

[RodC]

Is there a general rule of thumb regarding acceptable clearances? I believe that using the SVS 20-39pc diam of 16" as an example (I think this is accurate, and besides, it's the one I want ) I should have around 4-6" of clearance all around the three sides, with the front open to the room. Perhaps a little more if I shift the cabs/rptv a little off center toward the opposite side.
Thanks!!
Rod

 

[RodC]

Any thoughts on general rules of thumb for sub placement in difficult situations, if any such thing exists?
Tom V., perhaps if I could get you to elaborate on "corner loading" things will make more sense for me.
Or maybe a better way to ask the question would be, any reason not to buy a 20-39pc based on the info above?
Forgive me, I'm a newbie.

Thanks!!
Rod

 

[DaleB]

I don't have a 'tube' sub, but my experience is that eperimentation with different locations is certainly value added.
I found the worst place for my 'box' sub was anywhere near the front of my listening area.
As it turned out, it was best being corner-loaded at the rear of the room. Basically a 'foundation corner' of the room. The results have been excellent coupling to the room with minimal directivity, and minimal uneveness walking around the room.
I know where the sub is obviously, and have fun with visitors trying to guess where the bass is coming from.
Comments like, "Gee, those speakers you got are too small to give that kind of bass. How do they do that?"

 

[Bob McElfresh]

Rod: let me tell you my "model" of why corner-loading is good.
A lot of the sound from a sub is NOT direct. It comes from the reflection of the long sound-wave from a wall.
The longer the wall, the lower the frequency it will reflect.
But the length of the wall is measured from the sub to the end.
So putting the sub in the corner with the longest un-broken wall will give you a reflection of the lowest-possible frequency.
If you put the sub in the center of a long wall, it causes the wall to reflect a wave 1/2 the distance in either direction (or twice the frequency compared to putting the sub in the corner).
Does this help?

 

[RodC]

Thanks everyone for your help. It pleases me to see that there are no overwhelming reasons to not place a sub in such a situation. I'm also now curious as how it might perform in the rear of the room, as other have been met with success with this approach. That being said, with a little more leveraging with the wife, I hope to place my order within the next week. (I have also pondered just placing the order and using the 1-2 week ship time to do the leveraging in.

) I suspect that you will soon be hearing from me boasting about what great bass I have.
Regards,
Rod