getting a subwoofer?

superdude882

ok so my dad bought our tv and a surround sound system a few years ago. anyway we only have the center, two front speakers, and two back speakers it didn't come with a subwoofer for some reason. we've been using this 5 speaker setup for awhile and it seemed okay until i realized we weren't even getting the full surround sound because i had our dvd players set on the default pcm instead raw. what i want to know is what am i missing if i don't have a subwoofer? how much would it cost? i don't want to spend more than $150. i have an onkyo receiver and my speakers are bose; the two front ones are big and the two back ones are small if that makes any difference. another question, where would i put the subwoofer? i really don't wanna put it in front of the tv, would it be bad to put it say behind the front left speaker where it's out of sight?

z28rod

Alot
check this out and you will be ammazed the sub is one of the most important parts of a surround system.
in a corner.
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Onkyo...oductDetail.do

superdude882

would it matter if the sub was behind the tv? my couch is touching the wall as it is and there isn't any space on the side so one of my few options would have to be behind the tv. would it be bad to the point where it's not worth it if i place it behind the tv?

z28rod

no dont think so.

tipstir

Look on the rear panel of the ONKYO and see if you see anything that reads pre-amp subwoofer.. Should be RCA single jack.

If you see that then you can purchased an Active Subwoofer (active means it has it own power amp rating 100w and up.. Passive Subwoofer would connect directly into the rear speakers if you amp didn't have speaker output for sub woofer. Passive Sub Woofer doesn't have its own amp an has to use the power of the receiver instead. Some receivers have dual sub woofer connections give you a full range.

Most Best Buy and Circuit City, Tweeter and those type of stores have the Sub Woofer to buy. Online stores also. It's better to but it local as the shipping weight is going to be alot unless you can get free shipping on it. I still have mine from Service Merchantdise 240Watt Active Sub Woofer is also support L-mono / R. Has variable Gain output control knobs. Auto power on or off if connected to the amp so when you turn on the amp and use the sub woofer power the sub will kick on or go into standby.

Active - as it's own power amp
Passive - doesn't have any power amp but needs the receiver

Front Ported Sub Woofer Speaker - kicks bass but not like Facedown type..
Facedown Ported Sub Woofer Speaker - this one really kicks the bass. You can even get more base if you place this speaker in the rear of the system in a corner or place clay tiles together under speakers.


Another good one is from Audiosource they been making speakers since the 70's..

BOSE has a sub woofer that works with their mini speakers systems. If you got BOSE already you might want to stick with the Sub Woofer for them. You would have to go to a BOSE store or order the sub from the online.

RedSIinPA

that's where my earthquake sub is - behind the left tower facing out towards the room. there's likely a more ideal spot but that's the best I could do considering wife-acceptance-factorof two subs in the living room.

RedSIinPA

except that he said he has big speakers in teh front so it doesn't sound like he has the bose acoustimass. With the Acoustimass cubes, he's definitely better off with a real sub.

I have bose AM's in my back room and a real sub, the only downside being I think I have a sound gap between 160 HZ and 200 HZ (not a big deal for gaming), and the wiring was a little tricker since AM's are meant to plug into the bose AM "bass module".

Mase

I thought BOSE did not make Subwoofer's? I believe even on thier website they do not classify nor call them a subwoofer..

Anyways I would not go out of my way to purchase one of their low frequency speakers. Depending on what you plan on spending you can find much better value from many other brands. I do not personally reccomend putting the sub behind the TV but I guess that would depend on where you would be seated, what kind of TV stand and also how big a sub..

I would just go to Amazon.com look up subwoofers and than read reviews from people who have purchased those subs.. They have quite a few in the $150 range ranging from Polks, Velodynes, Infinity all of which are great for budget subwoofers..

edders

the model of your Bose main speakers it is hard to say how much a sub will help. Certainly, most subs can create more bass and thump than most "main" speakers. I would ask if you are happy with the sound as it is and then decide if you want more bass or not.

As to placement, in my experience sub placement is best determined by where it sounds best in your particular setting than any specific location recommendation. If that sounds simplistic consider that a sub will create a lot of standing waves in the room. If you walk around in a room with a sub in it you will notice that there are spots where the bass is louder than in other places. Basically, just sit in your viewing location and have someone move the sub around to various locations you would consider placing it and see which location sounds the best to you. However, wherever you place it, it is likely to create more bass than you Bose mains.

If your main speakers create a fair amount of bass consider setting the bass crossover point to its minimum frequency, probably 60 hz, and then slowly increase it . You will know you have gone too far if the bass starts to sound tubby (same for level setting). For my personal preferences I usually listen to a CD that I am very familiar with and adjust the sub until the bass sounds right to my ears.

Ed

z28rod

Dayton SUB-120 12" 150 Watt Powered Subwoofer $148 includes s/h
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=300-635

superdude882

thanks for all the replies. anyway my tv is a couple years old it's a big mitsubishi rear projection tv. on my receiver there is a subwoofer preout is that the same thing as pre amp? i actually have an old subwoofer that only has the 2 wires and no rca cable, this is a passive sub right? i don't think there's any way for me to hook that up so i'd probably be better off getting an active one? also i'm kind of a newbie to surround sound and stuff, what does all the "crossover" and 60hz stuff mean?

edders

if you have an older Mitsi RPTV then it is probably uses a CRT (s). The strong magnets in a subwoofer could cause distortion on the screen and possible damage it if placed too close to the tv. Most new subs, actually all I have seen, are magnetically shielded so they could be used behind your Mitsi. Would not try the passive sub you have behind the tv as, without knowing the model, it is possibly unshielded.

Yes, you can use the sub output on your surround receiver to drive a passive sub. I am presuming the receiver lets you set the crossover point. Some subs have both line level and speaker level inputs. I use the speaker level inputs on my system but that is just how "my system" sounds best. For you I would stick to the line level for now.

Ed

Loves2Watch

The sub out RCA port is for an Amplified sub, not a passive sub.

And yes the previous poster was correct, Bose does not make a sub woofer, all they make are acoustimass modules which are a far cry from a sub woofer and are "matched" to each specific speaker system.

edders

Meant to say "powered" sub. Must have been a errant BOSE synapse in my brain Will write "powered sub" on the chalkboard 100 times But you will have to admit that I was dead on with the CRT and shielded speakers :-)

Did not comment on acoustimess, you must type slow that was a few posts up :-). Bose bass modules produce the range of frequencies normally assigned to a woofer in a full range speaker system. They are not SUBS per see.

As to the "matching" of acoustimass and sats, yes they are completely color matched to fit any decor....sound is not a consideration!!!

Ok, enough of my BOSE rant, actually their pseudo folded horn technique for getting bass out of a small driver and enclosure is pretty ingenious. It's really their 2 or was it 2 1/2 "full range" sats that drive my ears crazy.

Ed.

ps: If I sound lighthearted it is because just check and my new NIKON DSLR is on the delivery truck....whooo whooo (American slang equivalent to the Japanese Nikon enthusiasts phrase "crick, crick"

superdude882

ok so i ended up getting this one http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony-...oductDetail.do

it's cool that i can actually feel vibrations and stuff now. i just had a few more questions. what is the crossover thing? right now mine is set at 80hz, is that good or bad? all my speakers are also set at 0db, should i leave it as is or should change them?