Quick question regarding downward firing subs

hi folks,

This is going to make me look very stupid indeed but...

I have a KEF Sub (The one which comes with the egg MKII's) which is a sealed box downward firing one. I've always used it as a downward firing sub as I guess that's what it's intended for.

I've noticed a few pictures on various places where the sub has been placed so the sub fires outwards rather than downwards and this has left me a bit confused.

Can the sub be used like that? And will it give any benefit, or should it be used as a downward firing sub no questions?

Sorry to seem a bit thick, but I'm just curious, and thanks for the answers.

Dave

[Mr Cat]

hi, don't worry about looking stupid - but basically, you can get down firing and forward firing subs...
as my Velodyne is forwards firing, and my old eltax was down firing...

but as for all the pros and cons, I'm not really sure, but I'm sure someone can asnswer that!

[Mylo]

Simple answer. If you have a downward firing sub then that’s how you should use it. I think if you were to try it on its side you would find the bass lacking as firing against the floor reinforces the bass. The other problem is the amp panel would be on its side (harder to read the controls) and the feet would stick out and look out of place.

Cheers, Mylo

Cat,

I've just done some experimenting and was quite suprised at the results.

I turned the sub on it's side with the speaker facing out towards me and noticed a difference in the sound. The bass seemed more defined and actually a bit nicer.

Maybe it was just my ears playing tricks but I'm pretty sure it actually sounds better facing me.

I live in an upstairs flat which has wooden floors and to make the sub more neighbour friendly I've sat the sub on a concrete slab, I wonder if that has anything to do with it. I do know that the slab definetly tightened up the bass by quite a bit as I experimented with and without it and decided it was better with.

Time for more experiments me thinks.

I've also noticed that the feet on the sub simply unscrew so if it definetly sounds better on it's side I'll unscrew them, it means the controls will be on the side rather than the back but I can live with that.

Anyone else any views on this?

Dave

Mylo,

the controls being on the side don't really bother me to be honest as I never touch them. If I'm going to turn up the bass I always use the trim controls on the amp to do so as it's easier to lean over for the remote than get up and walk to the sub (yeh I know lazy git)..

The feet simply unscrew too so that's not a problem. I do though think along the line of downward design means use it downwards. But there was definetly an improvement in sound.

Weird.

Dave

[Mylo]

I see where you're coming from. Maybe you need to experiment with room placement, a thankless task but worth it in the end. My old sub was down firing on laminate flooring. I discovered when put on a slab the bass note changed but lost most of it's punch. When stood on a rug it sounded different again. The good news is I cannot see you doing any damage to the cone by using it sideways.

Mylo,

I've just finished experimenting and found that there is actually little difference in which way it's used, it was actually setting the sub distance from 3.3 to 3.2 metres away which was doing it (I changed it when turning the sub on its side as it was closer).

As for the sub position...

I've sat it in the front left corner which is about 1.8 metres left of the front left egg. It's not the place where when setting up I got most bass though. That was to the right of me at the side of the sofa in the corner. There's a bookshelf just infront of and to the right of the sofa so it makes that corner an enclosed space which I guess amplifies the bass.

The problem was though that while the bass was fantastic, I could tell that it was in that corner and it was very distracting. Sitting it where it is now gives a fairly ok bass respsonse but the main thing is I can't tell where the bass is coming from.

It was far too distrcting to the sound listening to the high end sound coming from the front but the bass coming from your right ear.

People say bass is non directional but I've actually found that's not quite the case.

Dave

[iaria]

Hi guys
just a silly thought, I have a forward firing sub, if I manage to make it downward firing will it make any difference?? more bass or less ?? I have laminate floor

[Pollywoggle]

I know some people in the States take the baseplate off their svs box subs and turn them upsidedown, on their sides etc so it can be done, whatever sounds good I guess. Alternatively, if something is designed a certain way, logic says that should be the way to use it.
Thing with subs though is that so much depends on the acoustics of the room!

[Nimby]

I would be to be careful if you have young kids. Curiosity at the new-found-cone flapping about could end in tears if they touch the cone. This is one of the advantages of downward firing subs. The cone is not only invisible but fairly secure from prying fingers.

As to the benefits of alternate orientations of the sub: Experimentation is always an excellent idea. As long as it doesn't break anything, spoil the finish or kill the cat.

I had DIY bandpass subs with only a 4" port visible on the exteriors. The drive units were on internal baffles. Turning the subs onto a new face or rotating them on the spot always produced a difference in sound quality.

Regards
Nimby