Jabez Scratch Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 For appearance sake, I could place my sub in a wooden cabinet just beneath my tv -- I should explain that I have a large (floor to 9 foot ceiling) built-in wooden entertainment piece that is so large that it includes a sink and large concealed (by doors that is) bookshelves on either side of the tv -- it's quite a unit. I tried putting my sub in the enclosed space beneath the tv and even sort of wrapping the wooden interior with blankets just to deaden the chamber a bit. I closed the doors up and it sounds pretty decent. In theory, I suppose this is not ideal -- but it actually sounds not too different from when it is outside in a corner of the room. I guess my question is whether the acoustics and mechanics (i.e., pushing air at a great velocity) of a subwoofer demand that it not be enclosed to get optimal sound? I should add that the ports have ample room to "breathe" (about one foot). I'm not sure if this makes any sense, but any thoughts/experiences would be greatly appreciated -- thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danartdis Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 Jabez, I am no acoustics expert but it seems to me that at the very least you might run into unwanted vibration in the wall unit with the low frequency energy source being so close (inside) to it. My guess is that at low and medium volumes it may sound the same as a more traditional placement but at higher volumes things could get rattling. Just my 2 cents. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 To work well your sub would have to be cut very low and ample venting in the unit encasing your sub. Cut is too high and the effort is not worth a penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Enclosing a sub within another cabinet (or closet) will drastically change its in room frequency response. Remember that the closet will become part of the subwoofer enclosure if you shut the door. If you have a test CD with single frequency sine waves on it... you can easily test it for yourself. Corner placement, centre placement, and closet placement will all have very different response curves. If the door has air leaks (almost all do) the frequency response you'll hear within the room will be controlled by the leak as the subwoofer will behave somewhat like a 6th order bandpass. Opening the door during use, or including a large grill in the door will improve the situation, but.... later... Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenratboy Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 I have dreams about turning one of my closets into a subwoofer cabinet - it would be to the order of 144 cu. ft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jabez Scratch Posted January 19, 2004 Author Share Posted January 19, 2004 Thanks for the comments so far --- they pretty much confirm what I already suspected. I know it's far from ideal to enclose a sub, but it's obviously more a lifestyle choice for room appearance more than anything. Heck, if appearance meant nothing and acoustics absolutely everything, my sub would be smack dab in the middle of my room, my right front would be in front of a fireplace, and the surrounds would be hanging from the wall behind me ... but Martha Stewart wouldn't approve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnovaZero Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 What I noticed with closet placing is much like the results of car audio. What I noticed was HUGE gains in term of low frequency response (20hz-40hz). However you will lose midbass volume (60hz-100hz). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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