{"id":2562,"date":"2017-05-03T09:34:49","date_gmt":"2017-05-03T08:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/?p=2562"},"modified":"2020-04-08T20:25:11","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T19:25:11","slug":"how-to-choose-the-best-studio-subwoofer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sonarworks.com\/blog\/learn\/how-to-choose-the-best-studio-subwoofer","title":{"rendered":"Studio Subwoofer: How To Choose The Best One"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are plenty of articles out there about the best studio subs out there, this one will be a bit different. We haven\u2019t heard or measured all studio subwoofers out there, so it\u2019s not easy to give you straight recommendations. Instead we\u2019ll teach you how to be bass-smart. This article will explain what to look for when shopping for a subwoofer to improve your low-end capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too much is enough<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first question you need to ask yourself is how much bass you require. The good news is that you can\u2019t really buy a too large or powerful subwoofer as long as you can turn it down. You won\u2019t get your money\u2019s worth out of a 3kW 18\u201d sub running at 1\/100 output, but it won\u2019t sound bad. A wimpy 8\u201d 100W sub running out of steam is a situation where you don\u2019t want to find yourself. Ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\u2019t really buy a too large or powerful subwoofer as long as you can turn it down.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Subwoofers work by pressurising your room. If regular speakers shoot music lasers at your ears (trust me on this), subs make bass by making your room smaller or larger. They shrink and expand by moving their drivers, thus the air in your studio will change pressure and you\u2019ll feel this difference. So, the general rule of thumb is that larger drivers move more air than smaller ones provided they\u2019re doing identical amounts of excursion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"subwoofer<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

So even if you can eyeball the driver size (or read the specs), making sense how much air the driver can move is a bit trickier. Usually high excursion drivers have thick rubber surrounds that look like tire tubes. It won\u2019t necessarily mean good sound, but it\u2019s a good sign that drivers go low. As for driver size \u2013 12\u201d is usually enough to hit lower twenties in a sealed box. Which leads us to the age old discussion\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sealed vs ported<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Much ink (and maybe even blood) has been spilled on the topic whether a good subwoofer should have a hole. We asked some of the major speaker manufacturers for the final answer on this topic but none budged. Instead we got some useful insights regarding the pros and cons of each design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"versus\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

90% of the time integration will impact the overall sound more than the type of subwoofer enclosure one is using.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSealed cabinets have a lower group delay and a faster transient response. However a sealed cabinet suffers from acoustical inefficiency therefore the output is lower and the distortion is higher. A larger sealed cabinet and amplifier is needed for the same audio quality as a vented cabinet. Reverse these arguments for a vented cabinet.\u201d<\/em> -Neumann-<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSealed offers better time behaviour (group delay time) for lower frequencies compared to a ported design. Unfortunately a sealed design will have a higher low cut frequency. To lower this frequency a boost can be necessary which increases also the group delay time. With a boost you also need to take care about thermal protection and power of the amp section.\u201d<\/em> -Eve Audio-<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[\u2026] there are as many opinions as there are technical data points to back them up. I personally prefer a bass-reflex system as I believe it provides a more real-world experience that will better translate.\u201d<\/em> -Adam Audio-<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs most studios are smaller spaces, the extra output and low frequency extension from a ported subwoofer isn\u2019t necessary, so I would recommend a sealed subwoofer. The added low frequency extension you get from room gain makes the additional output and depth less important. We specifically design all SVS subwoofers to make the best use of room gain. Sealed subwoofers also have an advantage over ported in terms of transient response, or the ability to start and stop on a dime, which is important when recording.\u201d<\/em> -SVS-<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth as always is somewhere in between, therefore choose a sealed sub:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n