Is carpet still needed under the HO?

[n737nc]

Well, my new sub's will be here Monday, and I'm trying to get everything prepared for their arrival :D

With hardwood floors, is it necessary to place carpet under the HO? I've always had them under my down firing subs, but didn't know if I still needed it under the HO.

Thanks,
Nick

[z7zZz7z]

The throw rug over hardwood is advised for several reasons.

1) Stability: if part of the floor is uneven, this can prevent unwanted buzzing
2) Acoustics: Dr. Hsu says that it improves acoustics--for the same reasons you would use Sonex or sound absorbing foam.
3) Protection: the rug protects the floor, which is also very useful if you want to slide the subwoofer to another position
4) Decoration: you can match the throw rug color to nearby objects.

Will the rug muffle the sound? Well, bass acoustics are very unusual and counterintuitive. Bass is only stopped by dense things like sand, solid wood, or gas filled membranes. Throw rugs have nowhere near the depth to absorb any sound the subwoofer produces.

Basically, the bass goes through the rug, hits the floor, and spreads in every direction inside the room. It is omnidirectional--it goes in every direction even though there is a rug underneath.
.
There's your answer.... :)

[Matt_Smi]

I think that post is directed towards down firing models. I am sure a rug would not hurt under the new side firing models, but I doubt it does not have as big of an impact as it would on a down firing sub.

[n737nc]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, I figured that it wouldn't hurt. But I only have the one piece of carpet under my -3 MKII now, and with the HO and MBM coming, I'm going to need another piece of carpet(2 subs). It was hard enough trying to please the S.O. by matching the carpet to our livingroom. Now I have to try and match it with another piece. Guess I'm hitting the stores today :(

Thanks again for the comments!
Nick

[Pete_Hsu]

Hi Nick,

No, you won't need carpet underneath the VTF-3 HO. However, I would recommend using a throw rug underneath the MBM-12 so that the spikes don't rattle on your surface.

Sincerely,