Need advice from a sub guru...

I just bought a powered sub combo. It's a small square-ish box (about 15"x12"x8") with a 10" active sub on one side, and a passive radiator on the other, with a built-in amp. I am able to mount it either standing it up (with subs facing side-to-side) or lying down (subs facing up and down).

My question is what is the best way to install it to get the deepest bass? (not trying to have a "boomin system," just fill some low end). I have a VW 4door sedan with a trunk that is completely empty except for the sub. Therefore I can install it anywhere in the trunk, and I can install it vertically or horizontally as mentioned above. Where in the trunk should I install, and in what orientation to get the deepest bass? Further, if you believe it should be installed vertically (on it's side with subs facing sideways), which way would you face the active sub? If horizontally, is it better to face the active sub upwards or downwards?

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Nola111

...My question is what is the best way to install it to get the deepest bass?

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Unless someone has exactly the same car and woofer, the only really valid answer is to try it in different spots and listen.

The most likely solution will be to have the active sub facing a wall or corner of the trunk...much like putting a home speaker in the corner seems to make "more" bass. The next most likely solution will be to mount it directly behind the seat, active sub facing rearward.

I can't see mounting it with the passive, or active, side down unless it has "feet" to keep it up off the mounting surface.

Bottom line will still be the same - taking advantage of a loading surface, wall, floor, etc., usually produces an impression of more bass. In a car it also produces more rattles.

I believe you are referring to the Infinity Basslink. Anyway, in truth, it does not matter where or how you install it. Just as long is its installed properly you will get the same result due to the baffle on the rear. In most cases with self-powered enclosed subs, the manufactuer already did the work for you and maximized the full efficiency of the sub. If you do have the Basslink, it claims to have servos to detect and reduce distortion if any were sent by the signal source.

It has been said that the human ear doesnot have the hearing range to percieve bass frequencies, we only feel those frequencies. Also bass frequencies are non directional because of the slow speed it travels. Although, if one were to have a standard Sub and box the only way to essentially tune a sub to a particular frequency is the dementions or attributes of the box. I usually recommend with a standard box setup that the subs be facing the rear of the vehicle, not just to show off your subs when you are looking into your trunk(if you are into that sort of thing), but because of the fact that we cannot hear the bass frequencies and the fact that bass doesnt actually come from the sub but how the sub manipulates the airspace in and around the box. Even still, the type of vehicle's environment can even make a difference as well to the acoustics, but I wont even get into that.

So long/short of it... The only exception is that typically you'd want the sub facing upwards if you are mounting it on the sides, where you would have the baffle pointing toward the mounting surface. Other than that You can mount the sub you have right side up, upside down, backwards, forwards, sideways, on the floor, on the backseat, etc, etc. The possibilities for you are endless...

Bass is Omni Directional Meaning there is not a proper spot to put it.

( unless you are in a building )

When You are building you want to put a sub in a corner which you do not have in a car.

So in Theory You can put it were ever you want.

I recommend putting it on one side but you can also put it on the back towards the seat.

So Put it were ever you want!

Thanks for the responses guys, they were exactly what I was looking for.

lbridges - it actually comes with two different sets of mounting brackets so you can mount it either way. So yes, it is slightly lifted off the surface with feet.

pancit - it's actually the MTX Thunderlink, but essentially they do the same thing. The Basslink has a higher-powered amp though.

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Originally Posted by Area3

Bass is Omni Directional Meaning there is not a proper spot to put it.

( unless you are in a building )

When You are building you want to put a sub in a corner which you do not have in a car.

So in Theory You can put it were ever you want.

I recommend putting it on one side but you can also put it on the back towards the seat.

So Put it were ever you want!

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Thus far however, I can clearly tell differences in sound and depth of the bass when I move the sub to different places around the trunk. It definitely sounds so far to like pointing the active sub toward the back of the car makes it hit pretty low, but then when I lay it down and fire the active sub upwards and place it right behind the seat, it sounds really good too.

I'll keep tweaking and see what I come up with. Thanks again!

it sounds like cuz the bass is bouncing off of surfaces.

If you need anything else let me know!

Hey Nola, thats all the love that I get after my sexy post? All I got back was barely a blurb?

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Originally Posted by High Fidelity Quote

Customer: You guys are snobs.
Dick: No, we're not.
Customer: Yeah, seriously, you're totally elitist. You feel like the unappreciated scholars, so you $hit onto people who know lesser than you.
Rob, Barry, Dick: No!
Customer: Which is everybody...
Rob, Barry, Dick: Yeah...
Customer: That's a bit sad.

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No worries. :peace: I'm just wasting time at work...

Sorry! Great post and it definitely really helped!

Bass can be directional with the right set of circumstances.

(you can hear the direction of trucks etc)

Two "forces" are in operation with sub placement.

The first is "standing" waves. Any wave can do this as if it has 1/4 wave matching a multiple of the length of a closed termination. A closed termination, in this case, is tunnel with both ends blocked off. (an open would be a pipe organ) So every 3.5 feet in a car, an 80 Hz wave could sum or cancel, depending on the phase. A 60 Hz wave could do the same every 4.7 feet etc. By facing forward or backward, you change the length of the tunnel.

Second force is acoustic impedance matching.
A speaker diaphragm coupled directly to the surrounding air represents a poor impedance match. Acoustic impedance equals the sound pressure divided by the particle velocity divided by the surface area through which an acoustic wave of frequency propagates.
The ratio of pressure to particle velocity at any point (or direction)in a sound field is known as acoustic impedance. Acoustic impedance is like other forms of impedance, such as electrical or mechanical, in that, it expresses how difficult the air is to move; a low value of impedance tells us that the air moves easily in response to an applied pressure(low pressure, high velocity), and a high value, that it is hard to move (high pressure, low velocity).

The reason why you gain 12 dB (commonly known as the transfer function) is because the sub is in a tunnel (your car) and it is acting like a wave guide.

Does it make any difference which way you face it?
Standing waves and acoustic loading guarantee it does.