need some help with my sub

[Pinscher]

So my subwoofer finally came from my uncle (if you guys remember what I am talking about). Unfortunately, he didn't buy me a velodyne, or really spend a whole lot of money (comparative to how much he has lol). He got me a Boston CS Sub 10. It was still a good $250 but I expected more from him, that's pretty greedy though so I am happy with what I got... until I can afford a Velodyne that is hehe.

Anyways, my problem is that I can really only hear the full sound of the bass if I'm in the far corner of my room (about 12 ft. or so away from the sub). If I am up at my desk, with the sub off to the corner about 4 ft. away, I can barely hear the bass. This has nothing to do with the volume of my sub obviously. Does my room just have bad acoustics or is there something I can do to fix this? I do live in an apartment and I thought it might have to do with the fact that the ceilings and walls are so thin so maybe it gets lost in there. I've also heard that bass wavelengths are rather long so they are best heard at certain distances away from their source. These are just things I am throwing out there as possibilities, I'm sure Eric or Rican or Oreo can answer my question

 

[Crysalis]

lol... thanks! (eric... rican... oreo... ) HAHA!!

j/k


Anyways... describe the layout and furniture in your room. Any big cylindrical things? It also depends on what kind of "bass" you are talking about. This gets a little mathematical, but you aren't supposed to be right on top of a sub.

A 60hz wave is 18 feet long. So for it to complete a full cycle (for you to hear rather than feel) you need to stand 18 feet away. Take that into consideration. I could go more in depth, but its not really needed. How big is your room? Where are you sitting in relation to the sub?

PS. Phase might also have something to do with this. What are you using as "mains"?

 

[Pinscher]

Haha sorry I forgot to mention you Crysalis

Hmm, as far as the layout goes, I can only give you guesses on the measurements but I'll do my best...

My room is about 13ft square with 9ft? ceilings. in the back, I have my queen bed with the longest side against the back wall. On the opposite wall there is my window where my desk sits in the center (rectangular desk). Off in the left corner is my sub, about 2 feet to the side of my desk, away from the walls by about a foot, maybe a little less (I'm limited on space). Then to my right, slightly behind me is my dresser and thats it. My room is pretty basic.

My mains are the B&W CM1's.

Oh and the bass I am talking about is pretty much all of the bass that comes from the sub lol, I can feel the ground vibrating a little and I can just make out the low freqs. if I really listen for them but its nothing like it should be.

 

[Crysalis]

yea... hate to break it to you, but that room is too small for big sound.

Like i said, a 60hz tone takes 18 feet to develop. Chest thumps are <50hz and most musical tones are >60hz. You really ought to be on the opposite side of the room to make this better.

As I said about phase, make sure that your sub is set in alignment with the C1's. I had a similar problem a few weeks ago setting up a sound system. I had everything hooked up... played music and there was no low end. Went to the subs individually, and they were working perfect. Stood out in the auditorium and there was nothing. They were 180º out of phase, so the waves were canceling out each other making them equal to zero (zero is silence). Switched the polarity and everything was good.

If there is a phase switch on the sub, flip it 180º and see if that helps. If not, check and see that the connections on the C1's are correct.

 

[Pinscher]

Man this really sucks.

There is a phase switch and I have tried using it to no avail. All of the connections are correct, I have been using them for a few months now and they work, and sound, perfect.

Would getting a smaller sub help? Like if I got a sub with an 8" driver, would that maybe change anything or is it just simply the mathematics of the wavelengths won't allow for them to develop enough for me to hear them fully?

 

[ricanflow]

Kinda wished you had got monitors now didnt you??

JBL has these great monitors which adjust themselves to the acoustics of your room (not sujre how well they do this, but im guessing they would sound much better in your room).

JBL LSR4326P Pak | Sweetwater.com

Yeah not much you can do otherwise, i have a small room too and have the same issue.

 

[Pinscher]

Nah I don't regret getting these B&Ws at all. They still sound amazing, even if they are a little short on the low end.

If I could get my hands on a DD Velodyne sub, then that would probably sound good in my room They are super expensive though so that isn't gonna be happening until I get out of college and get some income...

 

[EricB]

to bad the sub didn't have a 0-180 phrase signal. just move the sub somewhere until it sound good even if it mean 18-20 feet away. look for corners first where you have 3 reinforcing boundaries

now if you don't care about your neighbors, you can put it in your closet. if it was your house, I show you how to cut a square hole in that closet leading to your room, fix it up and put 2 register vents on it (both sides) so you will get even more bass. because even though that low frequency wave lengths are long, putting them in closet or good reinforce boundaries will cause them to reinforce each other under those low frequencies. that why bass sound good in huge and small spaces but not necessary in between mid size spaces.

My trick to get great bass in my living room of my new house. can you see the sub?

It's in the chimney spot where a lot of reinforcing is going on.

My main system in now my Home Theater Room (I call it the "Boom Boom" Room) while my computer system is in the living room

 

[Pinscher]

My sub does have a 0-180 phase switch.

Hmm I like that closet idea. I can't necessarily cut a whole in my wall but I could put it in there if that would help. If I'm gonna need to do that, I need to get a nice long cable for it though and a fat extension cord because my apartment is really old and for some reason there is only 1 outlet in my room (and in most rooms). This place obviously wasn't designed with modern entertainment in mind.