Can A Subwoofer Be Too Big For A Room? [Effects On Output]

You are probably itching to purchase new subwoofers for your room. That’s great and I can’t be happier for you! However, you want to make sure you get the best output from your subs.

About best output, it’s often related to the area a sub is covering. Often we go overboard and choose an overkill sub or an underwhelming one for our room.

So now you might be worried and eager to know, can a subwoofer be too big for a room?

Yes, a subwoofer can be sometimes considered too big for your room. The best output of a subwoofer is often affected by the area that the sub is covering. Sometimes one subwoofer might not be enough for your entire room. However, that can be fixed by proper placement of the sub. 

As I’ve said, the perfect size of the subs differs as the size of the room changes. Why don’t you take out some of your time and explore the effects of subwoofer size?

Subwoofer for Rooms [According to Size]

Well, this one little question can split the audio lovers’ community in two. Some experts will suggest there’s a huge connection between subwoofers and room size. While others will tell you the complete opposite. So, should you go for one 15 inch sub or two 12 inch ones?

Now, you’re completely flustered because you can’t really tell which way to go. Don’t be too tensed bud! Because I’m here to address this big subwoofer small room debate once and for all.

First of all, no, size does not really matter “that much” when it comes to subwoofers. You can easily pick up a big size sub and you won’t regret it. So, “subwoofer too big for room?” Not a chance! However, certain factors do affect the sound quality of subs. For example, ported or sealed alpine type subs can make a difference.

If you’re thinking of making a small “man-cave”, you can add a sub in your “dungeon”. It’ll give you a personal mini theater experience if you attach two M-1 speakers like this fella.

But there’s a catch.

You can get any type of subwoofer and sort it out according to your room. However, cubic feet measurement gives an optimal idea about which sub will be the best. 

Cubic feet metric mainly takes your room length, width, and height into consideration. And by looking at the category your room falls in, you can pick a sub.

So, let’s look at some of the categories.

Small Rooms

For a room that’s under 2000 cubic feet, you can go with 8”/10-inch subwoofers. They won’t overwhelm your listening experience and provide a good balance. 

And it’s the perfect room for subwoofers for bose car system.

I’ve been having a discussion with some fellow melophiles. They all (almost all) suggested these three subs-

Now, look at the scenario of the large rooms.

Large Rooms

These rooms fall into more than 4000 and less than 6000 cubic feet of space. These rooms are best for a bit large-sized subs like a 12-inch subwoofer. You can use one 12-inch subwoofer if you want, and that would be enough.

On that note, from my personal experience, here are the best 12-inch subwoofers on the market.

You can go with only one of these subs in your large rooms. However, you can also use a dual setup to get the best possible output. 

Trust me, you won’t be disappointed with that. Put those two subs at the two ends of your tv and you’ll be amazed by the experience.

Now, it’s time to look at the last category and that is extra large rooms!

Extra Large Rooms

You can probably guess which rooms are considered extra-large. Indeed they are above 6000 cubic feet in size. Now, you might be thinking, “How big of a subwoofer do I need then?”

Actually, it’s better to go with more subs rather than subwoofer size. Because even the largest of the subs will fall short to fill up the whole room. Not that you won’t be able to enjoy the audio, it’s just not fulfilling.

So, if you have the budget, go for more than two subs for these rooms. 

How Many Subwoofers are Actually Enough?

I’ve already mentioned some its and bits about the subwoofers quantity in the previous segment. However, it’s of high priority that you understand everything about subwoofers.

You may think that why would I need more than one subwoofer

Well, because one sub will have too many peaks, dead spots, and so on. If you use a dual sub setup, they bring harmony to the wavelengths.

On top of that, the sound level and frequencies achieved from one sub are underwhelming. It may seem okay to you for the time being, but the difference is noticeable. You’ll get blown away when you experience a dual subwoofer system.

Source: YouTube

So, whatever your room size may be, small or large, two subs are king! You really can’t be wrong with this type of setup. You’ll know when you try it out.

The Placement for Your Subwoofers

Placing your subwoofers is actually crucial to getting the optimal audio output. You are probably wondering is it actually true? Well, there is only one way to find out!

Using a single sub is easy because you don’t need to think too much. You can just set it up in front of you to a wall midpoint and you’re done! Problems arise when you opt in to use more than subwoofers.

Two subs offer the best output when you put them in the front and rear wall-midpoint. You get better spatial audio as well as LF factor. Placing 3 subwoofers can be done in a similar fashion too.

Also, you need to think about the cords and port’s placement. Another thing you need to keep in mind is to keep your subs at the corners of your room. This has no scientific logic but there is experimental evidence, that it sounds better.

Source: klipsch.com

When you go for 4 subs, there are multiple options. You can either put them in four-wall midpoints or at the corners. If you use the corner setup, you’ll get a better low-frequency response.

However, midpoint placement is better when you consider the overall experience.

Now, let’s go to the last segment where you’ll understand more about room layout.

Differences Between Open vs. Closed Rooms 

The last thing you need to consider is the layout of your room. You might think open or closed spaces don’t really matter much but they actually do! 

Let’s have a go at it to understand it in more detail.

For a closed room, you need to consider your surroundings and furniture. Also, the gap between your sub and wall. 

Otherwise, you’ll get a hall effect as the soundwaves will bounce off the wall. This mostly happens if you have a large room and that I mean over 4000 cubic ft. Also, there’s the subwoofer room gain factor to consider.

On the other hand, open space has to be treated differently. If you don’t have a door to close the room, a ported sub might be better. It’ll produce a better and wider soundstage to fill up the room.

But if you think the subwoofer box is too big, you can go for a sealed box. Here’s a fella who did his setup with a sealed box in a close small room.

Whether you go for a sealed box or a ported one, make sure it fits your room.

Now, you are ready to pick up the best subwoofer for your room!

FAQs

What Size Subwoofer I’ll Need for My Room?

You don’t have to think too much in most cases because that’s just not efficient. You can easily make do with any type of subwoofer for average-sized rooms. However, you have to consider the room size when the room is huge. So, for average rooms, a 10-inch sub is good and 10” plus for big rooms.

Can I Use too Much Subwoofer?

You should avoid using too much subwoofer as much as possible. Because you’ll lose out on the boundary gain. It’s always better to go for more overhead unless your room is smaller than average. Also, be careful about ported subwoofers as they tend to be a bit overwhelming sometimes. 

Is a 15-inch Subwoofer too Big?

The answer actually depends on the user and the room size. Large rooms like 4000 – 6000 cubic feet may be the perfect fit for such subwoofers. Whereas, small rooms might not be the ideal choice for a 15-inch subwoofer. Also, air dispatch is more diversified and dispersed in this type of sub.

Endnote

I hope you got your concerns addressed now. You don’t need to think about “can a subwoofer be too big for a room?” Because you already know everything!

Moreover, you can enjoy the best audio experience for your room without any problem. 

So, stop worrying and have fun!

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