Subwoofers are King!

Low frequency, bass, LF, bottom end, LFE or boom.  Regardless of what you call it bass is bigger than ever.  As subwoofer technology improved through the eighties and exploded in the nineties quality low frequency speakers became more and more available to the general public.  In the years leading up to this to get adequate low frequency energy it required extremely large boxes and lots of power.  Many of today’s full range speakers boast frequency response down to 20Hz but what they don’t show you is the relative sound pressure level at 20Hz compared to say 1khz with the same amount of power applied to the speaker.  Needless to say it will be significantly lower, possibly as much as -9db to -12db lower.

As playback technology advanced through subwoofers producers and artists began looking for new ways to take advantage of this newly available extended frequency range.  Everybody from rap artist introducing the first 808 bass drops to metal artist like Tommy Lee and Lars Ulrich bringing the bass drum sound to the forefront and making it a lead instrument, a whole new arsenal of low frequency information was being unleashed in recordings.

It goes without saying that the single most influential player in subwoofers becoming common place in stead of a luxury item was the home theater industry.  All the new exciting technology flooding the market such as Dolby surround but most importantly Dolby Digital with a dedicated LFE channel, exposed the true advantage and enhanced experience subwoofers offered.  Now they are virtually everywhere.  Some TV’s offer integrated subwoofers, probably better than half the PC speakers on the market include a subwoofer, a large portion of new cars come equipped with subwoofers from the factory and of course millions of households have at least one surround system that includes a subwoofer.

So why has “bass” become such a market phenomenon?  Why have subwoofer sales skyrocketed in an otherwise flat audio market?  It’s actually very simple.  Low frequencies just like any other frequency are a result of any force acting upon a medium resulting in oscillation or vibration.  The medium can be air, water, wood, steel or any form of matter.  However low frequencies unlike their higher siblings can be felt.  That’s a significant statement because take one moment to ask yourself what sound is (or audio).  Sound by definition is the ear’s interpretation of these oscillations.  Well now we have introduced another sensory element.  Now you can feel the music or feel the action.  The bass drum now pounds in your chest and explosions in movies can be felt through your seat etc.  We have involved another one of your five senses in the experience.

This makes a lot of sense to anyone who’s familiar with Buttkicker or another brand of tactile transducers available today.  These are mechanical transducers that are designed to attach to your furniture or to a drummers throne and cause them to vibrate in sequence with the music or movie score.  It creates the illusion that the overall volume is much louder than it really is.  For drummers it means they don’t have to have such extreme monitor levels on the drum riser and for home theaters it can create the same experience you would get with dual 18” subwoofers using your moderately priced 10” sub.  

The added sense of touch (or feeling) generates a much more life like experience regardless of the medium you apply it to.  If a bomb was to go off or you were inside a car wreck you would certainly feel the concussion or the impact.  If you were at a live concert you would definitely be able to feel the bass drum and bass guitar vibrating your body.  Therefore the addition of a subwoofer adds a sense of realism to your entertainment experience.

In the next article we will discuss proper setup of a subwoofer, proper room placement and tricks on getting the most from bang for the buck with budget subs.

by Jason Levert