Are downward firing subs any good?

The floor can be used as a resonating surface for a more intense bass sound. That rumble you feel in your chest when a something explodes in a thriller? A down-firing subwoofer achieves that effect very well, one reason why it is so popular for use in home cinema systems.

Do subwoofers need to be upright?

A down-firing subwoofer cannot be put on its side. Because the speaker needs to face the floor, it cannot work properly on its side. However, down-firing speakers shouldn’t need to be set up where space is an issue. They are designed to be near the listening area, not inside a console.

Which way should house subwoofers face?

For the best sound quality, the subwoofer should be placed with the speaker facing out to the room, and the port should be away from a wall. Bass waves travel in all directions, but it’s important to have the speaker facing your main listening area.

Is front-firing subwoofer better?

Forward-firing drivers produce all of the characteristics listed above far better than down firing drivers and can result in bass that sounds fast and airy while at the same time highly impactful –a characteristic that is blunted in down firing designs.

Should a downward firing subwoofer be on carpet?

Most down firing subwoofers are placed on softer surfaces such as carpet. Although carpet will absorb some of the sound, it is better to place the down fire on carpet than it is on hard, smooth surfaces, as these will reflect sound directly and cause a boomy listening experience that can be fairly unpleasant.

Is it OK to put a subwoofer on carpet?

The subwoofer can sit right on the carpet, and the sound should be propagated from the subwoofer and mixed with the rest of the soundscape just fine. And even for a down-facing subwoofer, the amount of sound being absorbed by the carpet is likely going to be negligible.

What is the hole in a subwoofer for?

A port, aka a ‘hole’, is designed to reinforce the driver’s output by combining the front wave with the rear wave coming from inside the cabinet. This is definitely more efficient especially with smaller cabinets and/or drivers.

Can you face a subwoofer down?

One hard and fast rule: never put a down-firing sub on its side and never put a front-firing subwoofer face down. That’s not what it is designed for and it will ruin the sound profile.