How important are subwoofers?

[sandiegohawk]

I have a decent size family room connected to the kitchen and have surround sound (5 speakers in the ceiling). The room is used mainly for TV which is hooked up thru the audio receiver. Wife just got new furniture and the woofer pictured below (Miraga brand) sticks out like a sore thumb. It is roughy 2' by 2' x 2' and the audio guys installed it with the system 5 or so years ago. When I turn it off/on I can not detect any difference in sound quality.

Is it a problem to just disconnect it and remove it? If it is important to have do they have much smaller ones that work just as well?????

Thanks!!

 

[PerkyForHerky]

If you can't detect it, it's either too low or off. It shouldn't be obviously noticeable but if you're trying to listen for it, you should hear it.

And if it doesn't bother you to not have it on - then it's, like, your decision I guess?

 

[sandiegohawk]

If you can't detect it, it's either too low or off. It shouldn't be obviously noticeable but if you're trying to listen for it, you should hear it.

And if it doesn't bother you to not have it on - then it's, like, your decision I guess?

It very well may be too low. Frankly I don't see a way to adjust that on the subwoofer itself.

 

[BondHawk]

It very well may be too low. Frankly I don't see a way to adjust that on the subwoofer itself.

Assuming there is a remote lying around for it someplace?

 

[theIowaHawk]

If you can't detect it, it's either too low or off. It shouldn't be obviously noticeable but if you're trying to listen for it, you should hear it.

And if it doesn't bother you to not have it on - then it's, like, your decision I guess?

This, or its in the "wrong" spot. But with everything sound, it's all personal preference.

 

[theIowaHawk]

What's the rest of your setup, if you know?

 

[Pinehawk]

It's slightly less important than the regular woofer.

 

[Run&Blade]

Back in the day when I cruised in my 5.0 my woofer was the shit.

 

[timinatoria]

OP love's him some treble.

 

[cjnoles9399]

Back in the day when I cruised in my 5.0 my woofer was the shit.

With the ragtop down so your hair could blow?

 

[ft254]

Not a critical component in my opinion. With an equalizer you can find nice, adequate ranges without. Always seemed like a waste, but I never had a studio or living quarters with acoustics I could not satisfy.

 

[The Tradition]

Put a glass on top and crank up the jams. If the glass doesn't jiggle off and fall down and break, then you have a problem.

 

[who r u]

 

[Huey Grey]

You got a 1981 Chevette? Then they are very important.

 

[bagdropper]

Assuming it has an automatic power on and you have it hooked up correct with a cable from the receiver to the sub.

If you can't detect it being on, something's wrong in either the AV receiver setup menu, or the power level/frequency range settings on the sub - and quite frankly it can be a combination where both are not set up correct.

First, turn everything on and make sure the sub is actually powered on - then crank up the power volume on the sub and see if you can force it to rumble a bit. If so...then it's checking all the menu and sub settings.

Lot of pieces to the overall puzzle, especially if you have a Dolby Digital receiver. On the receiver it can be dynamic compression, sub volume level and distance, cutoff frequency - on the sub it can be power level, cutoff frequency and even placement of the sub itself.

I tend to let the receiver control everything settings-wise. I turn off dynamic compression and level out the volume output to start. Then I turn the sub's frequency cutoff to let everything it receives in (cause the receiver is doing that cutoff for me already), then feather in the power until it blends in the way I want it.

I don't want to rattle the kitchen cupboards, I just want a full sounding lower end that doesn't overpower everything else. And I don't get that without a sub.

 

[ChrisVarick]

I love the deep rumble from a subwoofer. You need it for that movie theater feel but I understand how it would not fit the decor in a family room. That is why I demand my own home theater space in the masterbatorium.

 

[General Tso]

You need the subwoofer

 

[Skidlt]

I wasn't getting anything out of mine and realized I just didn't have it aligned with the same frequency/channel as the sound bar. Not sure if you have same setup or not.

Tested mine by picking out a movie, Tropic Thunder, that had a lot of explosions at the beginning. You should be able to tell quickly by sound and feel whether it is working or not.

Important to work out the problem if you listen to music with the system too.

 

[h-hawk]

Yeah, as others have said, you should be able to hear it when it is on, (though not where it is located) especially with movies. On the other hand, if your main speakers go deep, you may not need the sub with most material you are listening to. I have mine set up to help smooth out the bass in the room. If you wanted to try and move it and perhaps in your situation, make it less noticeable, you could play some bass heavy material with the sub sat near your listening spot. Then slowly walk or crawl around the perimeter of your room. The locations in the room where the bass is smoothest are the other places where you could set the sub and expect it to perform well. Some people have them behind a couch or chair and out of sight. .

 

[jerryusc]

I used to use one. I can't tell any difference without it. Of course, as some posters stated I may not have had it setup correctly.