Practical Home Theater Guide

The Home Theater Subwoofer - Types and Features

by Milos Pesic
(home-theatre.need-to-know.net)

Home theater enthusiasts are increasingly recognizing the importance of the home theater subwoofer to the whole movie viewing experience.

What captivate the audience while watching a movie in a movie theater are not just the images on the screen but the sound that surrounds them as well, especially the deep low sounds or the bass.

The home theater subwoofer produces the bass, or the lowest frequency range, and is therefore critical in engaging the audience.

A home theater speaker system is made up of different components, each with a specific function – one for the main soundtrack, another for the sound effects and the main dialogue. The home theater subwoofer is especially responsible for creating just the bass segment of the soundtrack.

Obviously, a home theater subwoofer is not as booming or loud as those used at real movie theaters but they are capable of producing very powerful sounds, too, enough to bring your neighbors over and ask you to bring the volume down a little.

Types of Home Theater Subwoofers

There are two main types of home theater subwoofers – the passive subwoofer which uses an external receiver or amplifier to power it and the self-contained powered subwoofer; a good powered subwoofer is the Polk Audio PSW125 12-Inch Powered Home Theater Subwoofer pictured above.

The usual problem with the first type is that the amplifier does not produce enough power to handle the deepest bass of the subwoofer. A powered home theater subwoofer does not have this problem because it is already built in with a perfectly suitable amplifier.

Features to Look for in a Subwoofer

Apart from the issue of self-powered, there are other features to look for in a home theater subwoofer such as the ability to produce sound downwards or from the front and sides of a mounted subwoofer. You can also choose a home theater subwoofer with an extra port that pushes out more air than a sealed case to increase the bass response. A necessary feature of a good subwoofer is a crossover with a frequency cut-off of around 100 hertz, to channel all frequencies below the said frequency to the subwoofer.

When shopping for a home theater subwoofer, test different units using a DVD or a CD - that you are familiar with - with a lot of bass portions so you can check the quality of the speaker. In addition, make sure the dealer has a return policy acceptable to you just in case the unit does not work in your home theater environment. The user’s manual will guide where to place the subwoofer but, typically, you would need to do some experimentation with the placement yourself.

Article date: May 20, 2008

Milos Pesic owns a popular and comprehensive Home Theater web site. For more articles and resources on home theater systems, projectors, seating, home theater reviews and much more, you may visit Milos Pesic home theater site at http://home-theatre.need-to-know.net

Editor's Note: More information on Home Theater Subwoofers is also available in our article: The Complete Subwoofer Guide under the Home Theater Sound section of the site.

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The Home Theater Subwoofer - Types and Features

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Feb 11, 2009
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Comparing Subs for Home Theaters
by: www.advancedaudiovideo.com

This article is correct in that a sub is an important element in any home theater. In fact, anyone that does not consider investing into a good sub is dramatically reducing much of the audio element in any movie production.

However, saying one's sub will not be as loud or boomy as in a real theater is not entirely correct. We use the JBL Synthesis system in our home theaters. True, these are a bit pricey. However, these systems allow one to control many of the audio elements of their sound system. For instance, they can EQ the frequency response to actually produce sub sonic levels (which would be a waste). None the less, it will allow them to go as low as they dare.

Another element in producing the lows is the size of the subs cones and how many subs are used. Then, there's time alignment of all the speakers in a room which will allow individuals to increase sound pressure levels. This is when you begin to "feel" the sound without the use of those "rumble" packs that go under chairs. The sound pressures will give you the real effect of the sound and this doesn't have to be at a volume level that rivals a 757 during takeoff. Even lower decibel levels can easily give you a rumbling effect when time alignment has been properly achieved.

Truth is, there are a lot of "so called" technical stores and home theater stores that are not real "cinema" level companies. For a true home theater experience and to get the most out of any room for home theaters, one needs to visit a real home theater company. They should have a showroom with, not a wide screen TV and surround sound, but a real room that has the look, feel, and sound of a true cinema. If they can't reproduce this in their showroom, what makes one think they can do it in their home.

None the less, your article was very informative. Again, you do well in helping others to see the importance of using "subs" in their home theater.

May 21, 2008
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Worth Reading
by: Anonymous

Interesting!

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