Simply put, headroom is defined as the ratio between the maximum audio signal a system can handle compared to the standard level it was designed for before distortion happens. But what does this mean? If your system is designed for a standard output of 10 decibels, but is capable of putting out 30 decibels before distortion, then it has a headroom rating of 20 decibels.
This article explains it in much greater detail, including both analog and digital sound. What this means for subwoofers in a home theater is that, by including several, you can work the speaker drives harder with less chance of distortion, which is exactly what you want for those hard-hitting action films with plenty of explosions. Aside from the flexibility 2 subwoofers affords in terms of listening area, having several also provides greater flexibility in their physical placement.
This is particularly useful in smaller home theaters that still want impressive bass output. GIK Acoustics has written a helpful article about the options for multiple subwoofer placement. Finding the sweet spot for speakers in a room is a process of trial and error, and is something that many home theater fans loathe.
This is particularly true when you introduce multiple subwoofers, and is even harder if they happen to be different sizes. When you try to do this with multiple subwoofers then you might be in for an impossible task. Because most speaker systems are designed for one subwoofer often the one they come with , adding another one can tip it off balance, resulting in overly heavy bass. However, if you play around with your speaker settings, and have the patience to optimize your subwoofers, the results are pretty impressive.
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Authorized Dealers. International Dealers. At SVS, we're big fans of running multiple subwoofers whenever possible, and they can be a great upgrade to any home theater or music system. Below are some of the benefits of running dual subwoofers in your system. Even with careful placement, a single subwoofer will not have an optimal frequency response at all listening positions in the room. Listeners will often notice that moving even a few feet away from the 'sweet spot' will often result in notably worse bass sound quality.
This is especially concerning when you have a large seating area. With properly located dual subwoofers, the respective modal patterns will overlap, which greatly increases the sound wave density in the room. This also makes it easier for auto-set-up programs like Audyssey MultEQ to equalize the subwoofer channel.
Dual subwoofers will greatly increase the available system headroom, providing greater dynamic range, reduced output compression, lower distortion, and less potential for overdrive artifacts. In short, running duals will give you cleaner, more accurate bass at extreme drive levels.
If you like to listen at reference levels and crave a lot of slam, impact and pressure from action and sci-fi movies or bass-heavy music, then dual subwoofers are an excellent option, and will provide effortless low frequency output on demanding passages.
Increase Your Output for Maximum Headroom. Discerning audiophiles and 2-channel purists know that directional bass cues are important to imaging and preserving the solidity of the soundstage. Using dual subwoofers in a dedicated 2-channel system will preserve stereo bass cues, and prevent the soundstage from collapsing, particularly when small bookshelf monitors with limited bass extension are being used.
When I sold audio, it was incredibly common for people to shy away from high-powered subwoofers. I get e-mails and comments on other articles that show the same mindset. The thought was, high-powered subwoofers have to be louder than low-powered models.
This is really important:. The watt rating is a rough guide to how loud a subwoofer might be able to play, but it doesn't have to be louder. You always control the volume. In fact, a 1,watt sub may sound better at "regular" room volumes than a watt sub. Though quite common, watts really isn't that much when we're talking subs.
Thanks to digital amplification, , , and higher wattage subs are quite affordable. But watt ratings, in themselves, are not a complete judge of a subwoofer's performance.
They are just one easily findable spec. There are other factors that you need to consider as well. Size Generally speaking, subwoofers are boxes that can fit, just barely, under an end table. Inside is a fairly large driver the part that makes the noise and usually the amp that powers it.
In order to perform its best, a driver should have some space in the cabinet behind it. So ideally, a inch driver will have a decent size box, while an 8-inch driver could have a smaller box. The problem is, bass waves are really long, so the driver has to work hard to produce those waves in volumes you can hear. One way to do this is with a bigger driver -- 12 inches is a common size -- but you can find inch models.
Some models feature multiple drivers. No, two 6-inch drivers can't equal a single inch, but they'll almost always perform better than a single 6. The other way is with lots and lots of power. As the driver and cabinet size goes down, the power needs to go way up to compensate.
So, in theory, a 8-inch sub in a small box could sound similar to a inch sub in a big box if it had significantly more power. Location The cheat-sheet for subwoofer placement is that putting the sub against the wall will add a little bit of volume. Putting it in the corner will add a little more. Either place isn't strictly the most accurate bass response as in, certain frequencies will be accented over others , but it will get you more volume if that's what you're after.
To get the best bass in your room, sit at your main listening spot, and have someone move the sub. For car subs, dual voice coils are a good choice because the wiring is flexible. As the name suggests, there are two coils here that can each be connected to a cone and a cylinder.
Make no mistake, a large sub can improve performance to a great deal. But they sometimes take up more space than you have. That means you will have problems fitting it in a small car which might also cause ventilation problems.
Plus, they also localize bass, which destroys the listening experience, especially if you opted for a budget subwoofer. After location, you must look into frequency response. Every sub has a modal pattern that generates a corresponding frequency response.
You will either hear too much boom or none at all. Neither is preferred. With two subs, you will be able to create an overlap in the modal pattern. This will improve the density of the sound waves and generate a better frequency response.
Something that is smoother and more pleasant, which creates more sweet spots. If you are an audiophile, you know that direction is an important part of bass cues.
If you are using dual subs, you must pick a two-channel system. This will take care of the stereo bass details. Two subs always improve the headroom because they have a better range and lower distortion. They also reduce compression in the output, which improves the overall experience. So, having two subs gives you a more accurate and clean output when the levels are high.
This is an excellent choice especially for those who love music from sci-fi and action movies.
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