For your sound system, a subwoofer is a crucial component for delivering bass, and it can drastically improve your home theater or music system.
If you feel that your subwoofer is not producing enough bass, then you need to figure out why so you can implement measures to get the most out of it.
Luckily I have tips I would like to share as they’ve helped me in my own personal journey. Personally, a subwoofer’s output is heavily dependent on its location, so I’ll give you a lot of tips on optimizing that.
What Is Bass
Bass is a low frequency sound that subwoofers produce, it gives music its atmosphere, and it gives music their rhythm. The lower the subwoofer’s frequency output, the lower the bass will be.
So with this knowledge, to get more bass out of your subwoofer, you can try turning down the frequency, most subwoofers sit around 80 Hz, but lower may deliver a deeper and much more impactful bass.
This way, your subwoofer will only output deep and powerful bass tones which will sound impactful and you will be able to feel it more. Bass is felt, so the lower it is, the more you should be able to feel it.
What Is Sub Bass?
Sub bass is a deeper aspect of bass, it’s felt even more than bass, and it carries much more energy. Sub bass is around 20-60 Hz, which means the soundwaves will have even longer wavelengths compared to bass.
Bass is responsible for the intense vibrations and rumbles you feel when it kicks in. Sub bass is what makes explosions, and thunder in movie sound and feel hyper-realistic.
If you feel like your subwoofer isn’t hitting hard enough or producing enough bass, then you can increase the volume of the sub bass. This will give whatever you’re watching more depth and intensity.
Also Read: What Hz Is Best For Bass
Tips For Getting More Bass Out Of Subwoofer
Now that you understand what bass and sub bass is, now it’s time to give you the secrets to increasing bass. Utilizing these tips will ultimately help optimize your subwoofer to perform better.
Get A Better Receiver Or Amplifier
It is entirely possible that your receiver or amplifier just isn’t supplying enough power to your subwoofer. In this case, it is imperative that you get a better receiver or amplifier as underpowering your sub will not only make it sound bad, but can damage it.
A better receiver of amplifier will help get more bass out of your subwoofer because it will supply it with the much-needed power it requires. It will also provide a cleaner signal to the subwoofer so you will hear less bass distortions in the bass.
Finally, a better receiver or amplifier can drastically help when it comes to overall control over the subwoofer. You will be able to better adjust certain parameters which will allow you to get the best frequency response. This means you will be able to create a much more balanced sound without overpowering the mids and highs.
Also Read: Does A Subwoofer Need An Amp
An EQ(Equalizer)
For getting the most bass out of your subwoofer, an equalizer is a great tool to use as it can allow you to boost or decrease a certain frequency range. So this will allow you to boost bass which lies in the frequency range of around 60-200 Hz.
Secondly, an equalizer provides you with the ability to flatten out any unevenness in the frequency of the subwoofer. This is important if you are using more than one subwoofer, you will want them all to have the same frequency response.
If you have the extra money to spare, this is an amazing tool that I’ve used to correct issues with my subwoofer. You can pick a decent equalizer off amazon for around $100.
Get A Bass Booster
Using a bass booster on an amp is another fantastic way to amplify and make your subwoofer sound better. It will ultimately boost any low frequencies, and it’s simple to set up, all you have to do is plug it into your audio receiver or amplifier.
And with a good bass booster, you should have the ability to adjust the bass levels to your liking, this is important as you don’t want to overpower the viewers. So, use it in small increments, and target specifically the low end frequencies.
And an underrated but one of my favorite aspects of a bass booster is that it provides a cleaner and clearer sound at higher volumes. This means it has the potential to solve distortion issues you may face at higher volumes.
Get A Bigger Subwoofer
Bigger subwoofers are more efficient at producing bass thanks to their larger drivers. Their larger drivers are better capable at moving a lot of air and filling up larger rooms, this is why home theaters will have decently big subwoofers.
This is another reason why you will see cars using smaller subwoofers, typically around the 8 inch mark, this is because cars are small, and do not require the amount of power a 12 or 15 inch subwoofer can produce.
If you’re struggling with bass because your subwoofer simply cannot fill up your living room or home theater, then you may need to go up a size to get more output without losing audio quality.
For home theaters, the best size is typically around 12 inches, but larger home theaters may require a 15 inch subwoofer. They produce a lot of volumes making them ideal for large home theaters, and competition use.
Keep in mind, if you’re upgrading your subwoofer to a bigger size, it will take a lot of energy to move the cones, so make sure you have an amplifier that is up to the task, you do not want to underpower your expensive subwoofer and potentially damage it.
| 8 inch Subwoofer | 10 inch Subwoofer | 12 inch Subwoofer | 15 inch Subwoofer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Used For: | Compact: Best For Cars | Medium: Cars & Small Rooms | Large: Home Theaters | Largest: Large home theaters and venues |
| Output: | Moderate | High | Very High | Extremely High |
Also Read: What Is The Best Subwoofer Size
Optimize Your Subwoofer Placement
Placing your subwoofer is in my opinion the most important aspect for the subwoofer, this is because it greatly impacts its sounds, and how much output you can get out of it.
Firstly, you can utilize the subwoofer crawl method, this involves you playing any soundtrack, but it must be high in bass, and constantly move the subwoofer whilst on your knees to find the optimal location.
If you have the time and patience, it allows you to identify accurately where your subwoofer will sound the best. It also means you get the most bass out of your subwoofer, and this could solve many of the issues you’re facing with your subwoofer.
Secondly, you can place your subwoofer in a corner of your room, this is a quick and easy way to get the most out of your subwoofer. This is because the low frequency sound waves are actually amplified whilst it’s in a corner of a room.
This is due to an effect called boundary loading, and this has to do with three boundaries(walls and ceiling) interacting with the subwoofer. The low frequency waves that are reflected back at the subwoofer will fill in the frequencies that would normally be lost.
Conclusion
There are many ways you can get the most out of your subwoofer, but I’d recommend that you first optimize your subwoofers placement first before purchasing any equipment.
This is because an optimal placement of your subwoofer can drastically improve the sound quality, and the bass output. If this doesn’t work, then you can utilize the methods above: Bass booster, EQ, or a better Amp or Receiver.
