The latest trend in home audio is to put a small, high-quality subwoofer in a cabinet. This gives a high-quality sound with fewer moving parts and less space than a traditional subwoofer. With this blog post, Hooke Audio will answer the question Can you put a subwoofer in a cabinet? and show you how to install a sub in the cabinet?
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Can You Put A Subwoofer In A Cabinet?
Now let me get to the main topic of the post, which is whether you can install a subwoofer inside a cabinet.
The simple answer to this question is yes.
You can place a subwoofer inside a cabinet. To ensure your subwoofer’s best performance, you need to follow certain guidelines.
First, you need to know that subwoofers that are in cabinets won’t sound as good as those that are in hearing rooms.
You should also know that the performance of a subwoofer inside a box depends on three things: rattles, resonances, and airflow.
1. Rattles, resonances, and cabinet type
We don’t recommend that you store your speakers in cabinets that contain cutlery, jewelry, or other decorative items. It would cause a sound that is damaged by vibrations and rattles. This would be contrary to the reason for purchasing high-end speakers.
For a home theater setup, custom-made cabinets are the best choice. Custom-made cabinets are able to overcome the problem of rattling sounds by having thin, fragile back panels. A higher-end system might include its own cabinets.
2. Airflow
Subwoofers can be a problem because of their tendency to make large bass waves, which are hard to limit. Sound travel depends on the air molecules around them.
Keep this in mind when designing cabinet doors. These should also be proportional to how large the driver of the subwoofer is. Padding is used to reduce airflow and provides separation.
False walls can also be built into cabinets for optimal access to subwoofers. These clever ideas can make your home theater experience much better and get the most out of your subwoofer.
3. Positioning and Leveling
This is the core of sub placement. This was the ideal location for the subwoofer cabinet. This is the location and height of the subwoofer cabinet. Although this may seem obvious, subwoofers can’t be placed anywhere. Their placement in their cabinets also requires special attention.
These speakers are usually placed on the floor or along the front wall of a room. They can focus on the low, high, and even mid-range frequencies by this positioning.
Because we feel low frequencies more than we hear them, placing the speakers on the ground allows them to spread faster. To ensure the best leveling and positioning, you need to know where your ears are.
How to Install Subwoofers in a Cabinet?
Step 1: Test the Room Acoustics
We’ve covered the best positions and levels for subwoofers. But, each room is different. Each room has its own acoustics. Make sure to test the sound in each room with the hidden subwoofer in the cabinet along with the rest.
Don’t forget about the main purpose of in cabinet subwoofer. It is to make small speakers seem larger than they actually are, and not as an independent sound source. Some people hide their subwoofer and sound system in boxes to make it look like they have big speakers. Others may place it on their side table.
Step 2: Get Your Measurements
Measure the space and not only the speaker. Some home theater systems have “entertainment cabinets” for this kind of AV equipment, but not all of them do.
Many people have their sound systems in the living room. Before you buy a sound system, you should figure out the biggest one you can afford.
If you want to make a custom design, you need to know how tall, wide, and long your subwoofers are. This is necessary to ensure a proper fit for your subwoofers.
You will also need to know how many subwoofers you have and if you plan to store them in different cabinets. You won’t necessarily need more than one subwoofer if you have a strong subwoofer.
Step 3: Design the Cupboard
In this instance, thick wood would make the perfect custom cabinet. It should be approximately 0.75 inches thick. Your subwoofer will determine the rest of your measurements. Make sure you think about the subwoofer’s color and style so that it goes well with the rest of the furniture in the room.
You must also assemble your cabinet securely. This is because the cabinet will make more noises if it’s less sturdy. To get the look you want, you should be careful when you glue and screw the pieces together. If you have the option to make your own cabinets, it is always a good idea.
Step 4: Add Padding
You should also use a soft dampening material on all cabinet parts that come in direct contact with the subwoofer. This allows for separation and prevents sub vibrations against the wood. You can also mass load reinforcement if your cupboard is lightweight. Vinyl or rubber are the most common vibration pads.
Decouple the subwoofer and cabinet floor to create a contact-free shelf. Place a cushion material on the feet of the subwoofer. It is best to use soft and flexible padding. Vibration Isolation pads from VibX are available if you’re feeling fancy. This reduces mechanical vibrations generated by the speaker.
Some companies also sell anti-shake devices with their speakers. With all the support for audio systems, there is no reason to not try to get the best subwoofer output. In this instance, it comes down to minimum sound vibrations.
Step 5: Check the Wires
This means making sure there is enough room for the lines to reach the sub-conductors in the cabinet.
To avoid interference, it’s also important to make sure the wires aren’t too close to other gadgets.
If they are, make sure they are not in the way. You need to make sure they are connected well so they don’t trip over you, hurt themselves, or ruin your sound system.
These accidents can cause serious damage to your system. If wires are running between the speakers and audio input, you can tape them or run them through a pipe.
Wireless speakers are an option if you don’t want to do all the hard work. These Bluetooth-operated speakers make it much easier to set up.
Why is the Subwoofer Placement Important?
After reviewing an IMAX movie, critics often suggest that people go to the nearest IMAX theater right away. They don’t want to wait for the film to release on smaller screens. These claims are made by the director to ensure that the audience has a cinematic IMAX experience.
The placement of a subwoofer follows essentially the same rules. Because it can take advantage of these invaluable assets in your quest for better sound. It is possible to do without it but that would mean you are missing out. This is true even if surround-sound speakers are used.
You will not experience music or films in the same way the filmmakers or sound mixers intended. This is especially true when you listen to hip-hop and electronic dance music (EDM). Do you not want to feel the bass sounds in your bones?
This is true even for action movies with a full-throttle that strives to give the best experience. You need to have the best sound quality, and a powerful subwoofer, in order to achieve this experience. You can have an artistic experience with subwoofers.
A subwoofer is also a good choice because most speakers can’t handle low-range frequencies.
These elements help reduce music distortion. This is, without doubt, the most irritating aspect of recorded sound. Subwoofers are a great way to enhance your surround speakers, as true auditory connoisseurs will tell you.
In other words, subwoofer placement is crucial if you want to enjoy the full immersive media experience.
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FAQs
How Can I Get more bass from my subwoofer?
Turn the subwoofer amp gain down, the low-pass filter up and the bass boost turned off. Turn on the head unit and change all the tone control to their middle setting. Play any music that you know, including high, middle, and low notes.
Should the subwoofer be located in front or behind?
You will typically position a subwoofer near the front wall. By sending all bass sounds to the subwoofer, your front speakers can now focus on mid- and high-range tones. All low-frequency bass sounds in a home theater can be handled by the subwoofer.
A perfect subwoofer setup will make small speakers sound bigger than they actually are. You won’t hear the sub as a separate sound source.
Can You Put A Subwoofer Behind the Sofa?
You can place the subwoofer behind your couch. The subwoofer will be close to you if you place it next to the wall. You will experience better sound quality and bass. The subwoofer position will provide you with a smooth and deep bass than other positions.
Can subwoofers be used as speakers?
Subwoofers can be used to produce bass sounds and are ideal for high frequencies. Speakers, however, are capable of delivering high frequencies like the mid and treble ranges to perfection.
Conclusion
Many audio experts say that putting a subwoofer in a box is the best way to get the best sound from it. We hope that you can find it helpful in this article and can enjoy the most powerful bass.
When designing your home theater system, it is important to take into account low-frequency sounds as well as bass sounds. These should be considered even if they are being placed in your living area.
