Amplifier and Sub Placement

[BLASTO]

thank you all for all the inputs...so here we go with the final setup...

While not the usual way, If you are indeed planning granite for the side, back and base of the sub, I think it will have better SPL along with tight bass. Others can confirm.

Be aware of the one-note sound though. Lot of subs placed in absolute corners have this tendency to boost a particular bass frequency (the one-note) and suppress others. Your setup as I think will seldom have the problem. You will lose the freedom to move about as gobble says.

 

[manoj.p]

Corner loading is done to take advantage of room gain. If you put a sub in a corner, then its near 3 wall surfaces. That will effectively add around 8~10 db gain to the output of subwoofer. It's free output. Problem is - this gain is not throughout the complete sub frequency spectrum. It's usually at certain frequencies only. Also, when a sub is kept in a corner it excites some nodes and at other nodes it causes nulls. In essence, you would get too much variations and can even cause unnecessary boominess. It can work in some rooms, and in some rooms it can make it worse.

Subwoofer placement is never place it and forget it. You need to move the sub around and try different positions. Select the one that gives best, clean output. Don't get stuck on the thought of corner loading.

 

[kurups]

Instead of corner why don't you try to move both things under the LCD, in this way you subwoofer will be in the Mid (slightly right) and the whole system will look better.

actually i have terminated few cables end(like the projector HDMI ect through the wall) very close to the right extreme of the wall. the cable length is just correct to fit to the amp from the projector. hence moving to center may not be possible.

 

[sdurani]

the AVR and Sub also needs to be placed close to each other, as there is a connecting wire given by the AVR manufacturer.

the AVR is Harman Kardon AVR3650 and Sub is Harman Kardon HK200SUB.

Looking at the back panels of that AVR and sub, you don't need to use the connecting wire given by the AVR manufacturer. You can use any cheap interconnect with RCA connectors at both ends. Check your local electronics shop, they should have those kind of cables in many different lengths. Then you'll be free to place the subwoofer wherever it sounds best in the room.

 

[GeorgeO]

Manoj has put it very well. There is a trial and error element in all of this..

 

[tanmayj]

I'm confused why you need a cabinet for the sub? From the above image, you can easily remove the partition for the sub.

I'm surprise why you need a cabinet at all!!!

Why dont you just place the receiver directly below the TV on the wooden shelf-like-thingies? And the sub by trial and error, as suggested?

I've been where you're going buddy! Amps too produce a lot of heat and enclosing anything in a cabinet is not a good idea.

I too had built a cabinet with a tiny exhaust fan to house my PC (the olden days tower CPU systems). We think we should put stuff into cabinets to protect it from dust etc. But what happened was that the suction caused by the exhaust fan pulls in more air than what would be normally circulated around the system if there werent any fan. More dust-laden air! A time came when the rear of my PC cabinet was completely dust-laden and I came to realize I should've just left it open!

Go minimalistic with the interior-design man!

 

[ansrick]

Friends a small suggestion if you don't mind - What if he moves his left and right spearkes closer to the TV; Center speaker down; Wooden Cabinate in which the amp would be placed in the center and height not more than 18 or 20' and Sub either on the extreem left or on the extreem right or can also be placed on the left as well.

As stated by others as well; sub in the cabinate would be a dad idea

Regards!!!

 

[kurups]

I'm surprise why you need a cabinet at all!!!

Why dont you just place the receiver directly below the TV on the wooden shelf-like-thingies? And the sub by trial and error, as suggested?

I've been where you're going buddy! Amps too produce a lot of heat and enclosing anything in a cabinet is not a good idea.

I too had built a cabinet with a tiny exhaust fan to house my PC (the olden days tower CPU systems). We think we should put stuff into cabinets to protect it from dust etc. But what happened was that the suction caused by the exhaust fan pulls in more air than what would be normally circulated around the system if there werent any fan. More dust-laden air! A time came when the rear of my PC cabinet was completely dust-laden and I came to realize I should've just left it open!

Go minimalistic with the interior-design man!

YES, my worry was basically dust only...the top of the avr looks something like this.... if u look from top, you can see all the electronics inside....it seems like even a drop of water can do wonders inside....and hence i decided on the cabinet...... looking at this visible electronics, do u still suggest to go open....?

 

[kurups]

hi all,

there were few constraints bcos of which the avr needs to be placed towards the right extreme and the sub also towards the right.... i hope the below pic gives u an exact picture.....just completed the work on 3d studio max....

the blue star (added in MS-Paint) is where the cables terminate from inside the walls (Speakers from main rooms and other rooms, .HDMI cables from projector, TV Cables from all rooms, LAN Cables etc)....so i dont have an option to move the AVR away from that place. Else i will have to use some cable extenders etc, which i do not want to use. Since the sub cannot be placed near the french windows, i have again kept it to the right only, but it will be completely de-coupled from the cabinet where other equipments are placed.

FUTURE PLANS:- A projector to be placed at the RED STAR (To project at a screen near the french windows....18ft Throw Distance) and add two speakers to the left and right of the projector. The present center speaker will have flexibility to move to a portion below the projector screen....thereby making a 7.1 system (from the preset 5.1 systems).....to get this done, i have to remove and re-arrange the speaker connections at the back of the avr when i use the projector.....so thats the plan...

such modifications are planned as this is not a dedicated HT room...i am just trying to use the main living room as an HT room too

another reason (apart from dust) of why a cabinet...is bcos ...w/o that all these cables will look messy....

Rgds
Sreejith

 

[tanmayj]

YES, my worry was basically dust only...the top of the avr looks something like this.... if u look from top, you can see all the electronics inside....it seems like even a drop of water can do wonders inside....and hence i decided on the cabinet...... looking at this visible electronics, do u still suggest to go open....?

I have a H/K AVR 132 Amp which is being used without a cabinet since 2007. Regarding liquids, you need to be careful. In my case, yes there have been some dust-related issues like some switches not working on the Amp etc, but I get that functionality through the remote. Otherwise I had a cat who used to sleep on top of the amp without any issues to it!

The way I see it, you just gotta live with the dust - no way out in Mumbai.

I wouldnt consider a cabinet with a fan as an option, since I've seen that boomerang on me. I wish I had photos of it, but it used to be terribly dust covered.

Yes, I'd leave it open. Even the new Onkyo 616 that I'm getting will be left open. This is just me though, but I'm big on openness and breathability for electronics.

While not in use, you can protect from dust by something as simple as a cloth placed on the top.

 

[GeorgeO]

Agree with Tanmayi-in fact I plan to use a cloth cover on my gear which is going tobe on an open rack. Basically to avoid dust getting in-cheap and effective solution.

 

[Thtpro]

Couple of suggestions- Remove the white partition
1) between the sub and the cabinet
2) between the sub and the back wall
Make sure that the base of the sub is resting on a solid surface-- otherwise it will rattle

 

[ravikoth]

Sub in corner, but in a breathing position always works