Speakers are a necessary part of listening to audio, whether through a phone, computer, TV or car stereo. For audiophiles seeking high-quality sound, selecting the right equipment can be intricate, especially for novices. One of the easiest upgrades is a subwoofer. Subwoofers emphasize the lowest frequencies, enriching the bass and depth of any audio.
• How they work
• Where to place them
• Which type to choose
• Subwoofers are speakers that enhance the lowest frequencies in any audio, including:
- Bass guitar
- Pipe organ
- Deep voices
- Kick drum
- Movie sound effects
• Subwoofers emphasize bass sounds like bass guitars, deep voices, and kick drums.
• Subwoofers are a simple, effective way to boost low frequencies, making them popular for home theater and car audio systems.
All sounds have a frequency - high frequencies correspond to higher-pitched sounds and low frequencies correspond to deeper sounds.
Standard speakers and surround sound systems cannot adequately reproduce low frequency sounds, making music and movies seem dull.
A subwoofer focuses on producing the lowest frequencies in audio, known as bass and sub-bass. While regular speakers allow you to hear the bass, a subwoofer enables you to feel the sound.
Subwoofers emphasize frequencies between 20 to 200 Hertz, highlighting instruments like bass guitars, pipe organs and kick drums. They also enhance deep voices and movie sound effects like explosions.
If you've ever been in a movie theater and felt your chair shake during an intense scene, that was likely due to the subwoofers amplifying the low frequency sounds.
Subwoofers can produce powerful bass sounds and vibrations that seem hard to believe. They use large woofers - speakers designed for low frequencies - to reproduce the deepest bass frequencies in audio.
The size of a subwoofer's woofer depends on factors like the enclosure size and target frequency range. Larger woofers in larger enclosures can produce lower frequencies.
Subwoofers create their deep bass and vibrations through components that allow you to adjust the output of specific frequencies. This ensures the woofer cones in the subwoofer and your speakers move together in sync. Without this calibration, the bass from your subwoofer and speakers would not match.
The end result is that subwoofers can produce bass sounds powerful enough to make liquids ripple and vibrations you can feel. All through precise tuning and components designed for deep bass reproduction.
