I was wondering what the correct way to use a subwoofer in a 5.1 setup is. I was always under the impression that you put the subwoofer up where the bass comes out against a wall so it bounces against the wall up and reverbs out towards the viewer, whereas if you place the subwoofer out in one direction towards the view it will only hit towards that direction. Anyway who can educate me on this please do,thanks in advance.
just place the subwoofer where you are going to be sitting. then move around the room, always close to the wall, and look for a place that you get nice deep bass. finally, move the subwoofer there.
no dont make the subwoofer face the wall but always keep it close to walls and especially corners.
Sami couldn't have put it better; thats the best way to place a sub. now if thats not gonna work for you, usually a corner near a wall would do the trick, if you're not too anal about standing or dead waves. You'll notice these when something with a lot of bass is playing and it hits a frequency that sounds like its shaking your head and then gets a little higher and seems to cut the db in half.
Putting a subwoofer against a wall is not always the best solution. Placing a subwoofer near a wall will generally reinforce its output. Placing a subwoofer in a corner will reinforce its output even more (a corner is essentially two walls). The problem with this is a boomy and / or overpowering subwoofer placed near a wall or corner will just sound boomier and / or more overpowering. Often times placing a subwoofer in the center of the room produces a better sound than near a wall or corner.
You want to start by placing the subwoofer in the center of the room. This will reduce the effect the room has on the subwoofer. Then move around the room listening for a "sweet spot" where the subwoofer sounds best - not loudest, but best - and move the sub to that spot. If the best spot ends up near a wall or corner, you can fine-tune the placement by moving the sub closer or further away from the wall or corner.
Which way the speaker cone or port faces depends on the room and the subwoofer. No set rule exists that applies to every situation. You really just have to experiment with different positions to find the one that sounds best.
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