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Why Reference-Level BASS Requires WAY More Subwoofer Than You Think?

Poes Acoustics

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In this video I go through an analysis I did of actual movie content on some known difficult soundtracks and converted that information into how many subwoofers you would need to achieve reference level playback of that film. The number of subwoofers you need is shockingly large, especially when you consider how big the subwoofer is I use as my standard subwoofer unit.

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20 Comments

@L3x4Pr0ne 4 days ago

HONEY, I’VE GOT BAD NEWS!!!

Mr. Poes knows best, dear. Who am I to refute?!!

@garyharper2943 4 days ago

Subwoofer manufacturers must love you! My wife doesn’t.

@gtoutdoors1197 10 minutes ago

Saw Dune 1 & 2 on 4K Blu-ray with my Starke SW15 & OSD Trevoce 12 triple woofer in a medium open room den/living room and it sounds good but have to put the Starke SW 15 at 70% volume knob & OSD Trevoce 12's around 45% it's SPL monster. When I move the system into the small bedroom with dual 15's I will get the real theater feel. AMC has the 1 screen for real good bass(Dolby screen), they are using multiple Dolby brand 18" subwoofers. It's a giant screen auditorium need to find out how many subs and if front only.

@tedmanasa907 4 days ago

Great video. I recently convinced a friend he needed way more sub output than AI was telling him. Now you’ve provided the evidence.

@andyv9365 4 days ago (edited)

The best!Great ,thanks now I have to figure out how to get there.

@flageborg 4 days ago

Nice video. Yes, more than you think is almost enough, but placement is everything. SubStacking 240cm in each front corner and CO @ 250Hz is a great start 👍

@ShortCircuitPS2 3 days ago

Fantastic video, really interesting. I've got what I imagine would be classed as a small room with dual 18 inch sealed subs plus 4 x 12 inch sealed subs. Still might not be quite enough!

@fonkenful 4 days ago

Maybe include square foot or metre numbers as well as “S M L” descriptors?

@DrHofmann909 22 hours ago

bagend subs with all the required modules...? would the possibility to pump out 8hz make the 18hz possible with less effort?

@FadriqueFM 3 days ago

Hi Matt, this is great, can you share the document? I’d like to feed this info to my LLM with the data of my own speakers and subs.

@AccelerateWealth 1 day ago

I have two Perlisten d215 one on each front corner and I have two paradigm sub2 in the back left and right corner. My room is 20 by 16 by 9. The biggest null in bass output tends to be in the 40 to 80 hz. You need a good SPL meter and the bass mekanik, correctly spelled, quad Maximus disk. It has test tones that is very helpful in dialing in your subs as using music or a movie just doesn’t work well. IMO opinion. Fun hobby.

@thecrowe357 3 days ago

Great video looks like i have enough subs for my room i have those movies i have no issues hitting 120db plus

@morozovkirill 3 days ago

@PoesAcoustics Thanks for the video, Matthew! In my room, which is 33 cubic meters / 1,150 cubic feet, I have two Perlisten D12s subwoofers. They are THX Dominus certified (when used as a pair) and are theoretically supposed to provide reference level in a room 6 times larger! Does that mean I need 6 of them too? :)

@SirJamesTND 2 days ago

So I need 3 JTR RS2’s in my 26x16x10 room ?

@samlee2562 2 days ago

How many subwoofers do you actually need..?

"YES. 👍👍"

@YellowSn0man 2 days ago

How perceptible is clipping in the infrasonic? Is a high crest factor or dynamic range even important in the infrasonic? In the end, I’m questioning the 4db of headroom below 18hz that is increasing the recommended number of subs.

I admit that I’m an idiot. But intuitively I would assume we struggle with fidelity below our threshold of hearing. I can hear down to 18hz, but even in the 20-28hz region I question how perceptive I am to distortion, let alone headroom.

Once again, I’m trying to learn, sorry if this question is off base. Haha

@Zachary_Setzer-JD-MTWM-CTFA 4 days ago

You've been talking recently about 85db as the baseline for reference likely being too high for home mixes from most studios. I know you're talking here mostly about the RP-22 standards, but it would be interesting to see the results of the analysis if you assume reference is really 82dB or less.

And in case you read this, any idea if/when the general public will get access to RP-32?

@EverythingHomeTheater 4 days ago

One of your past videos you recommended changing your crossovers up to the 100 to 125. I did my side and rear surrounds to 100 and changed my Atmos to 125. I left my front because they have dual 8-in at 80. Definitely changed how my theater sounds for the better. Love it

@angelotodaro1475 3 days ago

Approximately 2500 times the volume of air must be displaced at 20hz than at 1000hz to produce the same spl!

@playboyencarton 3 days ago

I have 4 SVS PC-2000 PRO in my small room (16 m²). I thought it was more than enough until i saw this video.
By the way, I'm not sure that one need more subs using BEQ. It may just be that without BEQ, subs are underutilized for movies for which ultra low frequencies are nerfed, as the aim of BEQ is to restore those lost ULF. Besides, subwoofers have internal high pass filter designed to to the real capacities of the subwoofer so that the lowest ULF are filtered out.