What are they and why do I need one? Where does the subwoofer go?
Congratulations you have purchased your Plasma or LCD 32" flat screen and have it set up for HDTV and the picture is phenomenal, but there is something missing in your home theater experience. Whether it's when you are fighting the horrifying alien civilization "The Covenant" as "Master Chief" saving the last of human kind in Halo 3 or swinging through New York fighting infamous supervillains like Doc Oct and the Green Goblin as your favorite action hero "Spider Man;" you are just not feeling the adventure like you thought you would after shelling out all that dough. Something's missing, you say? I will tell you what's missing...it's the thundering, rolling explosions and sounds of war fare, that sound that you actually feel; the deep bass that shakes you up and gets you right in your gut. That is why you need a Subwoofer (powered sub for me, please).
So you ask, now that I know why I need one, what is a Subwoofer? A Subwoofer is a specialized speaker that is dedicated to the reproduction of bass audio frequencies also called low frequencies, typically from 150 Hz down to 20 Hz. It has become a home theater must, even if you do not game or watch movies; music is recorded and produced with multiple sub woofers, there for in order to get the rich, clean experience musically the artists and producers intended; your system should be supported by a subwoofer. I like to call it the action woofer, because it's what brings those action movies alive. After you get your subwoofer installed try watching Jurassic Park all over again. It's great, be careful if you have little one's (small children) the enhanced sound may make a movie that was once viewable for them, too scary.
There are two categories of subwoofers: Powered or Passive.
Powered subwoofers, also known as active subwoofers have internal circuitry to amplify the incoming audio signal, and therefore saves reserves power for your amp/receiver to output to the mid-range and tweeters. The powered sub is usually designed as a cube shaped boxes with one or two speakers inside, and exterior controls and switches, such as volume and range controls.
Passive subwoofers are basically just the speaker element alone and are powered by an external amplifier. These units are often designed to be installed in a wall or ceiling or similar to your other speakers in your system. The main consideration here is that since extreme bass needs more power to reproduce low frequency sounds, your amp/receiver needs t be able to output enough power to sustain bass effects in the sub woofer without draining the amp. Also, if space is limited, then this may be your best option.
Where do I put it? It's up to you! No really, it is. There are some ideas, but because we all hear and pick up sound differently and there are so many variations such as room size and shape, the viewing and listening point (couch or chairs), and your height, and the fact that low frequency or bass sounds are the most omnidirectional of all the audio frequencies, there is no absolute when selecting a location for your Subwoofer. One of the most common locations is in the corner usually behind the listener, but many individuals will say right below the screen is the best location, and certainly more convenient as far as connecting the wiring goes. I recommend that you try it out in a few locations and go with what sounds best to your ears.
By: Sasha Letourneau http://www.onlyfactorydirect.com
Source: www.amazines.com
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Subwoofers - What You Need To Know
How do subwoofers affect your Home Theater experience? What is a subwoofer, anyway?
Subwoofers are becoming more and more crucial to the home theater experience. When you go to the movie theater, you marvel not only at the images projected on the screen, but the sounds emanating around you. What really grabs you, though, is the sound you actually feel; the deep bass that shakes you up and gets you right in the gut.
A specialized speaker, known as a subwoofer, is responsible for this experience. The subwoofer is designed only to reproduce the lowest of audible frequencies.
With the popularity of home theater sound systems resulting in specialized speakers for center channel dialogue, main soundtracks, and surround effects, the need for a speaker to reproduce just the deep bass portion of a movie soundtrack is all the more important. Although these subwoofers are not quite as "thunderous" as the subwoofers employed at the local movie theater, these unique loudspeakers can still shake the house down or annoy the downstairs neighbors in your apartment or condo complex.
Subwoofers come in two basic types, Passive and Powered.
Passive Subwoofers
Passive subwoofers are powered by an external amplifier, in the same fashion as other speakers in your system. The important consideration here is that since extreme bass needs more power to reproduce low frequency sounds, your amplifier or receiver needs to be able to output enough power to sustain bass effects in the subwoofer without draining the amp. How much power depends on the requirements of the speaker and the size of the room (and how much bass you can stomach!).
Powered Subwoofers
To solve the problem of inadequate power or other characteristics that may be lacking in a receiver or amplifier, powered subwoofers are self-contained speaker/amplifier configurations in which the characteristics of the amplifier and sub woofer are optimally matched.
As a side benefit, all a powered subwoofer needs is a line output from an amplifier. This arrangement takes a lot of the power load away from the amp/receiver and allows the amp/receiver to power the mid-range and tweeters more easily.
Additional Subwoofer Characteristics
Additional subwoofer design variations include Front-firing , and Down-firing, and the use of Ports or Passive Radiators.
Front-firing subwoofers employ a speaker mounted so that it radiates the sound from the side or front of the subwoofer enclosure. Down-firing subwoofers employ a speaker that is mounted so that it radiates downward, towards the floor. In addition, some enclosures employ an additional port, which forces out more air, increasing bass response in a more efficient manner than sealed enclosures. Another type of enclosure utilizes a Passive Radiator in addition to the speaker, instead of a port, to increase efficiency and preciseness. Passive radiators can either be speakers with the voice coil removed, or a flat diaphragm.
By Robert Silva, About.com
Subwoofers are becoming more and more crucial to the home theater experience. When you go to the movie theater, you marvel not only at the images projected on the screen, but the sounds emanating around you. What really grabs you, though, is the sound you actually feel; the deep bass that shakes you up and gets you right in the gut.
A specialized speaker, known as a subwoofer, is responsible for this experience. The subwoofer is designed only to reproduce the lowest of audible frequencies.
With the popularity of home theater sound systems resulting in specialized speakers for center channel dialogue, main soundtracks, and surround effects, the need for a speaker to reproduce just the deep bass portion of a movie soundtrack is all the more important. Although these subwoofers are not quite as "thunderous" as the subwoofers employed at the local movie theater, these unique loudspeakers can still shake the house down or annoy the downstairs neighbors in your apartment or condo complex.
Subwoofers come in two basic types, Passive and Powered.
Passive Subwoofers
Passive subwoofers are powered by an external amplifier, in the same fashion as other speakers in your system. The important consideration here is that since extreme bass needs more power to reproduce low frequency sounds, your amplifier or receiver needs to be able to output enough power to sustain bass effects in the subwoofer without draining the amp. How much power depends on the requirements of the speaker and the size of the room (and how much bass you can stomach!).
Powered Subwoofers
To solve the problem of inadequate power or other characteristics that may be lacking in a receiver or amplifier, powered subwoofers are self-contained speaker/amplifier configurations in which the characteristics of the amplifier and sub woofer are optimally matched.
As a side benefit, all a powered subwoofer needs is a line output from an amplifier. This arrangement takes a lot of the power load away from the amp/receiver and allows the amp/receiver to power the mid-range and tweeters more easily.
Additional Subwoofer Characteristics
Additional subwoofer design variations include Front-firing , and Down-firing, and the use of Ports or Passive Radiators.
Front-firing subwoofers employ a speaker mounted so that it radiates the sound from the side or front of the subwoofer enclosure. Down-firing subwoofers employ a speaker that is mounted so that it radiates downward, towards the floor. In addition, some enclosures employ an additional port, which forces out more air, increasing bass response in a more efficient manner than sealed enclosures. Another type of enclosure utilizes a Passive Radiator in addition to the speaker, instead of a port, to increase efficiency and preciseness. Passive radiators can either be speakers with the voice coil removed, or a flat diaphragm.
By Robert Silva, About.com
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