Ear or someone in the know. RSW15 problem.

[dcmo]

First of all my set-up is in the basement, with the stairs for the most part coming down in the middle of the room. The stairs have had the sides (from the edge of the sides of the steps to the floor) walled with sheet rock. Due to space issues I cut an area out big enough to house the sub, placed the sub under the stairs with the front end coming back into the room, and then built a cabinet around the sub keeping 4 inches clearance all the way round the sub. With this type of set-up, what more could I further do to maximize performance. I feel as if I'm losing some of the sound back into the laundry rooom (I also wonder about the lower spl freq's), so I'm thinking some kind of sound proofing mounted around the cabinet but I'm not sure. Do I have enough clearance, what could I do to muffle the sound from escaping the main area, are there any other issues I haven't thought of. Your help is greatly appreciated, I really want what I have to be the best it can be.

[TheEAR]

The PR should always face out,the active(where the controls are) back at the wall. I would leave 5-6inches clerance...sides ,top ...back.The back wall should be very inert not to absorb too much energy. This is why you hear the sub behind the wall too much,this is lost energy...so to speak in your listening/HT room...and now heard in another room.

[Guest BobG]

I've had better results with the sub placed sideways in the recess so that output from both active and passive units has a fairly unobstructed, non-reflected path into the room.

Using acoustic material will only reduce bass by changing acoustic energy into heat.

[colterphoto1]

Good call Bob, placing sideways allows equal output from both devices into the acoustic space. Narrowing the secondary enclosure to a large cubbie with stiff non-resonant sides might help. Making those sides angled 'horns' might even further improve upon any boominess you get from that large chamber under the stair well.

In all secondary enclosure situations, pay heed to the fact that the sub generates heat, which must be dissipated. Tightly enclosing a sub is never recommended. For 'shoot through' locations in walls I usually recommend the RW-d series or the THX subs. You can use just one cabinet with the KA1000 amp.

[dcmo]

Thanks guys for your responses on this matter. I'm just going to yank it out from underneath the stairs though (and put it back up against a wall) when I get my sub built.

[Paul]

Do you save Egg cartons at all ?,they do wonders,Glue them weldbond-- to a board behind the sub and place the board about 12" away from the driver where you are placing the sub.