Front Firing Or Floor Firing? That Is The Question!
Nov 25 '01
The Bottom Line Read this review to find out about the different subwoofers.
There are two main kinds of subwoofers on the market. There are side firing subwoofers, and there are floor firing subwoofers. There are also multi-direction subwoofers. However, I will be mainly be focusing on the differences between side firing and floor firing subwoofers. Here is the information:
-Side Firing Subwoofers-
-What Are Side Firing Subwoofers?-
*Side firing subwoofers are subwoofers that have either one or multiple drivers that fires to the side. This by most is considered the "normal" subwoofer. Most of these subwoofers have only one large driver in the front, and a bass port in the back. There is usually a protective covering that covers the driver. It keeps the dust out. These subwoofers work best if placed in the corner. That's because the bass reflects off the walls, so you get a more powerful and better sounding response.
-The Advantages-
*One of the greatest advantages of a side firing subwoofer is if you have a small room. If you do, tuck it in the corner, and make it face you. That way, you will have bass blasted on you during movies, and loud music, it really feels great! :) That is the main advantage point of a side firing subwoofer. Also, you don't need hardwood floors or hard surfaces to get good bass responses with it, unlike with the floor firing subwoofer.
-The Disadvantages-
*If the subwoofer is too small, and the room is too large, then you will have a very faint bass response. That is the main disadvantage point of the side firing subwoofer.
-Floor Firing Subwoofers-
-What Are Floor Firing Subwoofers?-
*Floor firing subwoofers are subwoofers that have a driver that faces the ground. So instead of firing outwards toward you, the subwoofer simply fires the bass towards the ground. This actually fills the whole room with nearly the same amount of bass. They often seem to integrate better with music, etc...
-The Advantages-
*The main advantage of the floor firing subwoofer is that it can fill up a whole room with a similar amount of bass. Another advantage point that I have seen is that some of these floor firing subwoofers seem to integrate better with the music coming out from the other speakers. These are the main advantage points of the floor firing subwoofer.
-The Disadvantages-
*One of the worst aspects of the floor firing subwoofer is that it needs either hardwood floors or hard surfaces for best performance. If you have carpets, don't worry! All you need to do is take a large piece of wood, and place it under it. What's the secret for the best possible performance? Many people that I know actually use marble under their floor firing subwoofers. They say it gives the best responses. I have heard subwoofers on marble, and boy does it sound great. However, marble can be quite expensive. So if you have carpets, just use wood. Also in small rooms, the floor firing subwoofer may not 'shove' bass at you like the side firing subwoofer may. But the bass distribution all-around is more equal and precise.
-Multi-Directional Subwoofers-
-What Is A Multi-Directional Subwoofer?-
*A multi-directional subwoofer is like a side firing and floor firing subwoofer put together. M&K has a large product line of these subwoofers. This means that there is a driver that fires to the side, and one that fires at the floor. This gives the best bass response you can possibly get.
-The Advantages-
*The main advantage of this subwoofer is usually the power that it will have. Most of these subwoofers are loaded with amazingly powerful amplifiers. These subs will totally fill your room with a lot of bass. The bass response is also very clean and quite evenly distributed. The coolest thing to do with these is to place them directly behind your viewing area. I've seen people do it, and wow! When you're watching movies like Jurassic Park or listening to music with heavy bass, you really get into it! The couch just starts shaking! The side firing driver will blast bass directly at you, while the floor firing driver will fill the room with bass. You don't need a corner to get a good bass response.
-The Disadvantages-
*Sounds perfect? Eh? Well there's only one major catch to it. Subwoofers overall are very expensive, and boy do these ones sure get expensive. You should expect to pay many hundreds of dollars for an average quality multi-directional subwoofer, or pay thousands for a really nice one, like the M&K line. However, the bass response you get from good multi-directional subs is simply incredible.
-In Conclusion-
*Which one is best for you? It's really for you to decide. You first have to make a plan. How large is your viewing area? Is there space in the corners? And most importantly, how big is your budget? Then you have to go to the stores, and try out the different subwoofers. Well, I hope this review has helped to explain the differences in subwoofers for you! Good luck!
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