Best product for decoupling subwoofer from a carpeted floor?

[TwoCables]

So, I just learned that the Auralex SubDude II exists because someone asked about it on another forum that I frequent, so I decided to simulate the SubDude II by putting my subwoofer (ProMedia 2.1) on top of a neatly-folded plush bath towel, and all I can say is that I wish I had known about decoupling it from the floor YEARS ago.

 

Not only am I already hearing an improvement, but I can finally sit in a reclined position with my feet resting comfortably on the floor next to my subwoofer without being annoyed by the vibrating carpet and floor! I have high-pile carpet too, so you'd think that would have been enough - but apparently my subwoofer was totally coupled to my carpet and floor.

 

Of course, I don't want it sitting on top of a bath towel. lol So what I'm asking is, should I get the SubDude II? Or is there something that's equal or better for the same price or less that I should get? Of course, I'd like to be a better fit for the ProMedia 2.1 sub than a 15" x 15" square if possible.

[Scrappydue]

Who not wrap a board with some nice fabric and then glue a nice price of foam to the bottom. Make it the exact same size.

[jason str]

Soft rubber feet will help, not the harder plastic ones though.

 

Ace hardware had some in stock last time i needed some but any home improvement store should have them.

 

Foam blocks can be had from your local fabric store as well but may not look as nice as rubber feet.

[Paducah Home Theater]

Isolation pads for air compressors. You can find them at any major hardware store. Jeff at AccuCal recommends them. Pretty sure he likes the Wagner ones like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA14R34C1398&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-PC-_-pla-_-Thermostats-_-9SIA14R34C1398&gclid=CjwKEAjw1riwBRD61db6xtWTvTESJACoQ04QzHi3kAloTv0L54_KCczEeH61GkhHSrjIsh0TWXb-JRoCu2vw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

However, that kind of assumes we're talking about serious subs. Not sure how that is affected when we start talking about tiny little computer subs.

Edited October 2, 2015 by MetropolisLakeOutfitters

[CECAA850]

I've heard of people cutting tennis balls in half and putting those under a board also.

[derrickdj1]

Just go to Home Depot, Lowes, or a similar store and get a thinck floor mat for $5-20 .  Nothing really magical about the subdue except cost.  You money will go Poof!

[Superdave]

You money will go Poof!

Lol. 

[wvu80]

Just go to Home Depot, Lowes, or a similar store and get a thick floor mat for $5-20 .  Nothing really magical about the subdue except cost.  You money will go Poof!

I was wondering if that would work.  I already use those for speakers and subs, but it's more to protect wood floors and to protect the bottom of the enclosure from scuffing.  I didn't know anything about decoupling.

 

I am referencing that pic you listed which has those 1/2" thick jig saw puzzle edges.  I use a pair of heavy duty scissors to cut those off.  It's a more dense rubber than any kind of foam.

Edited October 2, 2015 by wvu80

[Paducah Home Theater]

I just find it amusing that people with towers purposely try to couple them to the floor with spikes, and the people with subwoofers try to uncouple them from the floor with vibration absorbing mats, even "subwoofers" that are smaller than and cannot dig as deep as many of the towers that are using spikes. Both crowds act like the results are amazing in terms of bass response.

In all reality, this sub is 11 pounds total and has a 6.5" driver and is already on carpet. Stuff like those pads I mentioned or a floor mat likely isn't going to do much of anything and may even make it worse.

Edited October 2, 2015 by MetropolisLakeOutfitters

[derrickdj1]

The term decouple of commonly misused.  It is not possible to decouple a sub.  My subs are on risers and shake the floors, walls, windows, ect.  The riser/subdue/mat can help with minimal floor vibrations.  The shaking of walls, floor, distubing neighbors is due to the long subwoofer sound waves.  Any wave longer than the room dimension will add to the pressure vessel effect.  This is why you hear the booming car a block away(long bass waves).  The box weight of the sub is to light if it is dancing on the floor.

Edited October 3, 2015 by derrickdj1

[Scrappydue]

Big fat waste of time if you ask me. And big fat placebo effect of you think your subs sounds way better with one. My opinion of course.

[oldred]

If you don't want to make your own......try one of these

 

http://www.amazon.com/Auralex-GRAMMA-Amplifier-Acoustic-Isolation/dp/B0002D0B4U#customerReviews

[Jeff Penley]

SVS Sells a set of 4 rubber isolation feet for $49.95 on SVS website.

[Paducah Home Theater]

Big fat waste of time if you ask me. And big fat placebo effect of you think your subs sounds way better with one. My opinion of course.

 

http://www.isoacoustics.com/index.php

 

Watch the video where he does a demo, huge difference that comes across even on a cheap recording.  I don't have any reason to doubt that such things could work in certain situations.  Subs may have the same effect, although down real low I doubt you could tell any difference.  I bet it could reduce vibrations though.  There's a reason why dual opposed subs work nicely and it's not because there's never any box resonances in a traditional design.  

[TwoCables]

I still haven't done anything yet; my ProMedia 2.1's subwoofer is still sitting on my neatly-folded bath towel. I do need to create a permanent solution though, one that isn't any taller than about 2" (for reasons that I can explain later). I have two reasons for a permanent solution, the first one being the most important:

 

1. ESD transfer into my computer through the subwoofer. Seriously. Somehow, this subwoofer sitting directly on my carpet seems to have been causing all sorts of electrostatic problems even though it's plugged into a properly-grounded outlet. When the air is extra dry and if I have nothing but socks on my feet and I accidentally rub them too much on my chair mat, I usually get that "Device Disconnect" sound in Windows and I've even seen my mouse turn off briefly. I'm also getting strange and unwanted behaviors in the X-Fi Console Launcher, problems that most people would attribute to a very buggy driver or system instability due to overclocking (I overclocked my i5-2500K to 4.5 GHz). However, with my subwoofer on my neatly-folded bath towel, this is no longer a problem!
2. Sound. The sound of my low-end has improved a little bit. It's not a huge or massive difference, but it's enough that I am appreciating it and noticing it. I'll even forget that it's improved and then suddenly be reminded when I hear low-end in a new way from something I know very well (like favorite music or a favorite movie). However, eliminating the ESD problem is a far more important reason to me to keep my subwoofer decoupled from my carpet. All I have to do is get my lazy butt in gear and find a permanent solution!

 

Up until I decoupled my subwoofer from my carpeted floor (using my neatly-folded bath towel), I thought the culprit of the ESD was my chair mat. After all, it's one of those nylon or acrylic chair mats. I even did a little bit of shopping around for an anti-static chair mat, but thankfully I never made any purchases. So far, I cannot create any static like I was once able to. I even have a metal floor lamp next to me that I always used for grounding myself with because of this problem, and every time I grounded myself I would get a small shock - but it never helped anyway. Thanks to decoupling my subwoofer though, I can't do that anymore, not even if I intentionally try to create static with my socks. So, somehow the ProMedia 2.1's MDF cabinet is very conductive and was creating all sorts of ESD in my carpet and in my chair mat. Who knew?!

Edited October 12, 2015 by TwoCables