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Author Topic: Determining Proper Subwoofer for Home Theater Room Andy Bajew Expert Film Handler Posts: 136 From: Bellaire, Texas Registered: Jun 2009 posted 01-20-2010 10:46 PM                     Simply put, is there an easy calculator or way to figure out the type of subwoofer that should be used for a home theater room? The room is 17 feet by 14 feet and 12 feet tall. Also, this is for my roommates dad, he was given a 5000 dollar 'estimate' for a full set of Bowers and Wilkins speakers for the previously mentioned theater room and asked if I could find the best speakers for that price.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-20-2010 11:13 PM                        Velodyne has never done me any wrong. Don't go cheap! A 12-inch should do it, make sure it has at least 350 watts, preferably more. Hook it up via RCA, not speaker-level inputs. Keep it powered 24/7. Don't let it "sleep" when not in use (I'm not even sure that Velodynes have this option). Saving power is for hippies and I HATE HIPPIES!  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-20-2010 11:16 PM                     Ah, just do like Brad: stack about a dozen or so subwoofers under the screen (or TV set). If you don't have wind occurring in the room add more subs. If the sub bass in the room is done right it should be able to launch dishes off the kitchen table next door.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-20-2010 11:19 PM                        Agreed. If the neighbors aren't affected, you're doing it wrong. That is unless you insulate your walls with some of that sound blocking shit.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-20-2010 11:22 PM                     Comment overheard by panicked neighbor in Rockwall, TX: "holy shit! It's an earthquake! It's late at night and I've woke up in Haiti!"  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-20-2010 11:40 PM                     Actually no it was never a problem in Rockwall due to the distance. Older setups have supposedly knocked dishes off of the counter in the house next door, although I never saw any broken dish evidence. Andy, you need one of these sexy beasts!!! All other subwoofers are absolute crap compared to this monster. This can easily induce an instantaneous migraine if you like.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-21-2010 12:52 AM                        Ha! No, that wouldn't be very good in such a small room, such a beast needs more air to move. You'd get a migraine alright, but not very good LFE. Well, maybe if you went into another room while the movie was playing you'd hear some great bass but not in the room where the speaker is. You'll probably need a down-firing subwoofer.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-21-2010 12:53 AM                     Nah, not at all.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-21-2010 01:00 AM                        OK I just checked my Velodyne sub and it is forward firing, but it also has some weird-ass thing on the bottom that when I push it, the forward-firing speaker moves outward. It feels kind of like a driver, but not really. The actual driver can't be more than 8 inches. It is really small, but you can feel the bass on your skin which is pretty rare at actual cinemas. Damn, I should have gone for the 10 or 12 inch.  |  IP: Logged Ian Parfrey Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1049 From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E Registered: Feb 2009 posted 01-21-2010 02:18 AM                     These are subwoofers for girls. Etone Australia made a 24" driver that makes these things look like toys and could blow out candles... ....2 kilometers away.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 01-21-2010 02:46 AM                        I thought Australia censored subwoofers along with everything else.  |  IP: Logged Ian Parfrey Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1049 From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E Registered: Feb 2009 posted 01-21-2010 02:50 AM                     We do. Thats why they don't make them anymore.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-21-2010 09:19 AM                     EV had the 30" subwoofer (30W). Big monstrosity. Didn't make it sound any better. But it could play deep with relatively little cone movement. One issue with larger cones though is sag. I've seen cones go off-center...it takes a bit of time (years) and it affects larger cones with weaker compliances (surround/spider) more. Remember, the air gap in a typical driver does not allow for much of any sag. I would suggest a regular schedule of rotating the driver to keep it centered. Steve  |  IP: Logged Sean Weitzel Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 619 From: Vacaville, CA (1790 miles west of Rockwall) Registered: Dec 1999 posted 01-21-2010 10:56 AM                     Truth be told, watching a movie in Brad's Rockwall screening room was the first time I've ever experienced a movie explosion blow my hair around.  |  IP: Logged Ian Parfrey Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1049 From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E Registered: Feb 2009 posted 01-21-2010 11:18 AM                     Steve. That may well be the reason Etone discontinued the 24" beast some years ago, but I'm unsure of the actual reason for doing so. But if cone sag is the reason, couldn't the manufacturer beef up the spider assembly to cater for the increase in cone mass or would that make the whole thing less responsive and unworkable?  |  IP: Logged

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