The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Subwoofer
Aug 28 '01
The Bottom Line Pick from a few specifications and listen away.
The subwoofer can be the most important speaker in a home theater setup. If you are a person who watches many DVD's, you will want a sub that can accurately reproduce the LFE(Low Frequency Effects) channel of todays digitally recorded movies. If you are a music nut, you want a sub that can accurately and smoothly reproduce the bass drum of your favorite 10-piece band. Consider the following categories when choosing a subwoofer:
Frequency Response - In the end, this is the most important spec of any subwoofer--how low it can go. The human ear can hear down to 20hz, so theoretically, your subwoofer should should produce sounds that low. In practice however, it is difficult to produce such low frequencies so you will end up paying a premium. If you are willing to sacrifice a few hertz(hz), you can save many dollars. Any true subwoofer should be able to go down to 35hz though.
Driver Size - The next most important feature is the size of the actual driver. The larger the driver, the lower the bass can go. Rushing out to buy an 18"? Hold on just a second. The smaller the driver, the quicker the response time. Too big a driver, and it might now be able to keep up with rapid drumbeats; too small and you might not feel that bomb going off on your favorite DVD. Also, larger drivers a physically very large pieces of equipment and can get pricey. The key? Compromise. If you are a casual listener or even an audio enthusiast, settle on a 10" or 12" sub. They will be able to keep up with any track you push its way as well as faithfully reproducing the lowest sounds. You want to shake the plaster off your walls? Step it up to a 15". You want to bring down the house? Get yourself an 18". Or you could always be economical and try and 8". Try some out and see what you think. I am a personal fan of the 12" sub--it seems to be a great compromise between all factors.
Amplifier Rating - No matter what driver you have, it has to be driven powerfully and accurately. The bottom line here is 75 watts. I would recommend at least 150 watts though for accuracy without distortion. When looking at an amplifier, you need to be careful of two things: the way the amp is rated and the quality control. Amplifiers should be rated in RMS(average) watts and not in peak power. Cheap (especially multimedia)subs will list their peak power to make it seem better. Also, since so much power is flowing through subwoofers, cheap amps have a tendency to melt down. Look online and check with your dealer as to how many of a particular sub have been returned, or which they have had service issues with. This is important. When fuses blow on some subs, they start firing at full power until you unplug them. People think helicopters are landing on their house.
Inputs - You should not run into problems here. Make sure that at the very least your sub has a LFE input and a stereo line input so that it will mate with any receiver.
Controls - Most any subwoofer these days has an auto-sensing power switch which turns on when it receives a signal. Make sure these switches work to your satisfaction and that there is a manual on/off switch for backup.
Just as with any piece of audio equipment, it is imperative that you venture out and listen for yourself. Something that I rave about may sound terrible to you and vice versa. Pick a few from their specifications and choose from those. Good hunting!
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
ghostryder
|
|
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
I am an engineer, feel sorry for me...I do.
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.