SVS PB12-NSD placement

[capu]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to buy an SVS PB12-NSD sub, but it's a pretty big investment and I'd like to clear a few things up before going ahead.

SVS says it's a front firing sub. Does this mean that you want it "fired" directly towards you? To clarify, I'm thinking of putting it beside the sofa I'll be sat on, firing towards the screen (away from me). Also: It'll be in a rear corner, so the back and left side of the sub will be close to a wall and the right side close to the sofa. Close is less than 5 inches. Are there clear problems I'm going to encounter?

If it's relevant: The sub will be in a 15'x12' room, carpeted and furnished. It'll be working with a Denon AVR 1507 and Q Acoustic speakers. It'll be used almost exclusively for movies (but the boast factor for sounding great with music wouldn't hurt, either )

I'm totally open to any advise/suggestions people want to share. Thanks for reading this!

[Andywilliams]

Hi
Welcome to the forums.
Ive had a svs pb-ultra2 at the back of the room at the side of the sofa and it sounded fine with music but with movies i could locate the sub which spoiled the experience, If at all possible your sub will sound best at the front.

[capu]

Hey.

Thanks! Glad to be here.

That was my exact worry =(. I'm not sure it's entirely possible to get the sub up to the front of the room, based souly on the fact that it's massive!

Out of curiosity, how easy is it to locate the sub? Do you really have to focus on the sound, or does it just stand out? Also, would an equilizer be able to compensate for said problems?

[Nimby]

A subwoofer placed anywhere on the Main (stereo) speaker wall is unlikely to be identified as a separate source of bass output if your crossover is at 80Hz or below. Anywhere else is asking for trouble. The subwoofer will react with the bass coming from the speakers if there is any distance between them and the subwoofer despite the crossover. This will cause peaks and troughs in the overall response which might be avoided with the subwoofer on the main speaker wall. So, in most cases it is strongly advisable to have the subwoofer on the Main speaker/screen wall for a number of reasons. Obviously (?) if you have no choice in the matter then you must simply try alternative situations for your proposed subwoofer purchase. Incidentally, this subwoofer did rather well in recent Finnish tests. I own an NSD cylinder and can suggest that you are very unlikely to be disappointed!

[capu]

Thanks for the info,

I think I've found a place it would fit on the front wall, which is good news. It's not the total ideal outcome (because the room wont look how initially planned), but I'm optamistic that the sound will wayyy make up for the tiny compromise.

My question has now spanned in to two:

Is it important to have the sub firing diagonally? My previous sub was nearer the centre speaker and firing directly at me, whereas this one will be in a corner firing along a wall. Are there things to take into account with that layout?

Next, out of curiosity, which subs are within the same performence range as the PB12-NSD? Just to make sure I haven't missed any real competitors.

[Nimby]

Which way the sub faces is a matter of trial and error. Given the omnidirectionality of very low frequencies I doubt it is a problem.

May I suggest my usual ploy to hide a subwoofer? Place a cloth over it and put something decorative on top. The sub disappears and becomes mere furniture.

The BK Monolith is a close competitor to the PB12-NSD but not very different in size if memory serves.

If you could live with a tall, 16" diameter, furry cylinder then SVS is hopefully re-releasing these to the European market. Architecturally striking, these cylinders do not pretend to be anything but powerful subwoofers.

[capu]

Hey again,

The monolith looks like a great option if the SVS is too big (Which may still be the case). The Monolith is only a bit smaller, but the SVS is only a bit too big, so it works out

I was looking at the cylinder subs a while ago, but I think they're just a bit more money than I was looking to spend. I started off with a £150 budget for a sub which has already gone higher than double, lol. Willpower is going to be needed here

I'm liking the idea of covering it up, too! I think it'd definitely blend in a lot better if I did, so I'll probably be sharing that ploy. (Thanks!)

[MichaelWB]

Originally Posted by capu

Thanks for the info,

I think I've found a place it would fit on the front wall, which is good news. It's not the total ideal outcome (because the room wont look how initially planned), but I'm optamistic that the sound will wayyy make up for the tiny compromise.

Don't worry, the sound will make up for the compromise

I've been the happy owner of a PB12-NSD for ½ year now and am still thrilled with the performance.

It's ability to disapear, not visually , and integrate with the main speakers is amazing. But ofcourse a big SVS really shines with blockbuster movie soundtracks, you are in for a treat

It needs a little break-in time, so don't be disappointed if the sound isn't optimal in the beggining. Give it a couple of weeks on a diet of action movies ant then sit back and enjoy.