Practical tips for setting up your subwoofer(s)

@davegood 

Those of us without any bass management or LFE have to take a slightly different approach.

Personally, I avoid bass management and LFE at all cost unless it's a single sub config. Music is in stereo and it's less dynamic and spacious to down-convert it to mono. I use high level or stereo RCA, measure it, use a digital EQ from a preamp and knock down any overlap. Most likely, the sub will have a crossover knob that's sufficient without needing EQ, like you having it at 45Hz. For movies, I do the same and send LFE to the mains. Bass management was a home theater compromise for consumers without full range speakers. But if you have subs connected to each speaker, you have full range and therefore don't need bass management.

I want to do a poll to see how many people who recommend the “sub crawl” method of placement have actually done it themselves.

While it sounds nice in theory…

I think the tendency with a new sub is to set it up for too much bass...and that is ok because after a while, you will just naturally dial it back.

While the sub crawl works, it is a pain.  It is definitely possible to get good sounding bass without dsp but you have to be willing work at it and you have to trust your ears...that they are happy with the sound.

I’ve had single subs...and now have dual subs.  I’ve had multiple brands and even though I have a dsp option to "optimize" the sound, I almost always end up "tuning by ear"....and not by using the sub crawl method.

It is pretty shocking how much moving a subwoofer just 6" changes the sound at the listening position.  And that is the method I’d suggest trying.  Put it in a location, mark the location with painters tape and just listen for a day or two.  Then move it a few inches...mark it....try that position and compare the sound.  Do this a half dozen times, more if you need to, and usually you will find a position that sounds pretty good.

Then, you can try tweaking phase, crossover, etc. to see how much better you can get the sound now that you have a good position.

In the end, because most rooms are so problematic, it will almost be 100% true that you can get better quality bass and get it easier with two subs...but that doesn’t mean you can’t get very satisfying bass with just one.

Finally, I would say that unless you know you have speakers that have an f3 below 60 hz and do so at a volume you like, start by crossing higher...maybe 70 or 80 hz as you can always tweak this once you find the best location.

I didn’t know micro changes in a sub’s position makes so much difference. One challenge is the different levels of bass in music. Setting levels seems like something you have to do on a per song basis. So I always end up fiddling with the dials. 

No doubt that every song seems to have a different level of bass from the prior song...so, you either find a happy medium....or find a sub with an app controlled bass level so you can make adjustments from your listening position.