Whether you’re happy or sad, sick or healthy, depressed or ecstatic, want to spend some time with yourself, or forced to cram your head with information, music is a constant partner.
Music is as essential to a melophile as books are to bibliophiles.
Similar to how bookworms don’t mind investing their savings in a new collection of hardcover novels, music enthusiasts don’t back down from buying new music equipment.
Speakers are a daily deal.
For anyone who enjoys watching TV, watching videos on their computers or mobile phones, or listening to music on any device, speakers are essential.
However, audiophiles give high regard to the quality of the music. The core intent when listening to music is to enjoy bass.
Do you plan on setting up a home theater system?
Or are you willing to optimize your car’s sound system?
A powered subwoofer is an essential piece of equipment for improving sound quality, but do subwoofers play music.
What Are Subwoofers?
Frequency is a fundamental property of sound. A specific frequency range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz is audible for humans.
However, sound frequencies can vary drastically.
Sounds with a high pitch have a higher frequency, while low pitch sounds have low frequencies.
While listening to music using speakers, you deprive yourself of enjoying and feeling the low-frequency bass.
To counter this problem does a subwoofer play music?, you can buy yourself a subwoofer.
You might think that you’ve never seen a subwoofer before.
There are high chances that you have. Ever felt the ground vibrating because of the loud music playing in a passing car?
Even if you’ve never seen a subwoofer, you have undeniably felt it. Does subwoofer produce sound?
A subwoofer looks similar to other speakers. However, it is a speaker specially designed to play the low frequencies.
It focuses on amplifying the bass and sub-bass in the music through low-frequency audio signal emissions.
Frequency Range
The bass that has sound signals with low frequency ranging from 60 Hz to 250 Hz, and sub-bass, i.e., frequencies preceding bass and going as low as 20 Hz, add a punch to the music.
While your regular speakers allow you to listen to the bass to an extent, subwoofers enhance the experience and enable you to feel the music.
Types
Subwoofers are available in many variants depending on their efficiency, size, price range, power, and sensitivity.
Commonly, subwoofers have a wooden or a plastic loudspeaker enclosure in which two woofers are fitted.
There are various types of subwoofers based on their configuration.
These include passive subwoofers, also known as active subwoofers, that use an external amplifier as their power source.
Meanwhile, an active subwoofer has a built-in amplifier and needs an AC power outlet.
Also Read: Woofer Vs Subwoofer & Down Firing Vs Front Firing
How Do Subwoofers Work?
Commonly, people wonder if they should buy two subwoofers. But humans cannot determine the direction of sound waves below 700 Hz in the frequency spectrum.
Subwoofers connect with a preamplifier or a receiver that sends low-frequency signals towards it through electrical signals.
Therefore, a single subwoofer should do the job.
The purpose of the subwoofer is to amplify the current that a preamplifier sends towards it and convert it to sound.
Furthermore, it uses a magnetic coil that sends vibrations through the driver’s cone.
These vibrations result in low-frequency sound waves that a subwoofer sends out using air as its medium.
Subwoofers have a specific power handling capacity.
Peak power is the maximum level of power that a subwoofer can handle in a brief burst.
Meanwhile, a subwoofer plays the best frequencies ranging from 25 Hz to 50Hz.
Placement
Apart from eliminating the need for two subwoofers, the omnidirectional property of bass frequencies gives you a lot of room for placement options.
The placement of a subwoofer has a tremendous impact on its effectiveness.
In an ideal condition, you would want to place your subwoofer in alignment with the satellite speakers after proper acoustic measurements.
Howbeit, few people have access to such technical pieces of equipment.
Larger subwoofers create a deeper sound.
Therefore, a logical approach is the best way to determine the perfect position.
Place your subwoofer in the listening direction, depending on the room’s layout.
For professional purposes, such as filming, you can place your subwoofer under the furniture on the floor to create deep bass and enhance the very low frequencies.
Otherwise, for your home theater, placing it beneath your sofa would work just as well.
In addition, placing your subwoofer next to a wall will create a better bass response as the low-frequency waves reverberate off the walls.
Also Read: How To Reduce Vibration Through Walls
How To Add Subwoofers To Your Sound System?
Does sound come out of subwoofer? When deciding the type of subwoofer you need, you must consider its purpose.
A good subwoofer can take your sound system to another level.
Usually, you can integrate a subwoofer into your home audio system or the car stereo system.
Home Theater
You need to be particular about your chosen room in a home theater.
The working of a subwoofer corresponds to its size and furniture, as these factors influence its efficacy.
In most subwoofers, the bass frequencies are sensitive to surrounding factors.
A subwoofer can add depth to the soundstage of your system.
Also, it integrates with the central sound system. But, if placed incorrectly, a subwoofer may produce sound waves that bounce off each other.
As a result, they create standing waves or bass nulls.
Even the best subwoofer needs a coherent sound system to reproduce frequencies that lie within the lower ranges.
Other than a receiver, many other components are a part of an audio system.
Connection cables, video sources, an audio system, and display devices are a few significant home theater components.
Also Read: Where To Place Subwoofer With A Soundbar
Car Audio System
If you’re willing to optimize your car audio system, you need to be very particular about a few factors.
First of all, ensure that the impedance of both your amplifier and subwoofer match one another.
Second, consider the space you have in your car and buy a subwoofer that can fit into the area.
It would be best to consider the power output and sensitivity of the subwoofer you buy.
Good quality subwoofers can enhance your listening experience through your car sound system.
They decrease the chances of sound distortion in high volumes significantly.
Also Read: Can A Subwoofer Port Be To Big
Can You Play Music On A Subwoofer?
As subwoofers are designed to produce low-frequency sounds, you cannot use them as an alternative to speakers.
Correspondingly, if you attempt to play music through a subwoofer, it can only produce minimal audio emission.
More so, the structural design of a subwoofer allows it to play the bass and target only the low-frequency waves.
Not to mention, vocals and instruments have higher frequencies. Therefore, playing music on a subwoofer won’t produce any sound.
Although a subwoofer looks like other full-range speakers and has a similar size, its functions vary drastically.
Speaker designers and audio engineers split the frequency ranges into three categories.
While designers made speakers such that they produce mid and high frequencies, the audio engineers designed subwoofers to target the lower frequencies.
Also, the frequency range has more depth and definition than a speaker system in subwoofers.
The varying designs and differences in the input and output capabilities between a subwoofer and a speaker disable both the devices to perform the other’s task.
Also Read: Can Subwoofers Damage Hearing?
FAQs:
Does sound come out of a subwoofer?
A subwoofer is a type of loudspeaker designed to reproduce low-frequency audio signals, typically from 20 Hz to 200 Hz. It is typically used to supplement the bass frequencies of a full-range speaker system, and is often used in home theater systems, car audio systems, and professional sound reinforcement systems. Subwoofers produce sound by using a cone-shaped diaphragm that is driven by an amplifier. The diaphragm vibrates in response to the audio signal, creating sound waves that are then projected into the surrounding environment.
What does a subwoofer do?
A subwoofer is a type of loudspeaker designed to reproduce low-frequency audio signals, typically from 20 Hz to 200 Hz. It is typically used in home theater systems, car audio systems, and professional audio systems to provide deep bass and low-frequency effects. Subwoofers are designed to reproduce low-frequency sound waves that are too low for most speakers to reproduce accurately. They are usually powered by an amplifier and are designed to be placed in a corner of the room or near the walls to maximize their bass output. Subwoofers are also used to enhance the sound of music and movies, providing a fuller, richer sound.
Does subwoofer produce sound?
Subwoofers are used to supplement the low-frequency range of loudspeakers covering higher frequency bands. Subwoofers produce sound by moving air, creating sound waves that are then heard by the listener. Subwoofers are typically used in home theater systems, car audio systems, and professional sound systems.
Is sound supposed to come out of a subwoofer?
Subwoofers are typically used in home theater systems, car audio systems, and professional sound systems to provide deep, powerful bass. Subwoofers are designed to produce low-frequency sound waves that are too low for most speakers to reproduce accurately. The sound waves produced by a subwoofer are usually felt more than heard, providing a powerful, immersive experience.
Does a subwoofer only play bass?
Subwoofers are typically larger than other types of speakers and are designed to produce deep, powerful bass notes that can fill a room with sound. While subwoofers are often used to enhance the overall sound of a system, they are not limited to just playing bass. Subwoofers can also be used to reproduce mid-range and high-frequency sounds, allowing them to be used in a variety of applications.
For example, a subwoofer can be used to fill out the sound of a home theater system, providing a fuller, more immersive experience. Additionally, subwoofers can be used to add depth and clarity to music recordings, allowing them to sound more natural and lifelike. Ultimately, subwoofers are a great way to add power and depth to any audio system, and can be used to enhance a variety of audio experiences.
Final Thoughts
There is a fine line between the functions of speakers and a subwoofer.
The size and construction of a subwoofer enable it only to reproduce low bass frequencies. Contrarily, speakers produce high-frequency sounds.
Other than producing particular frequencies that can enhance the output of all sound systems, most subwoofers can also bring out the true potential of smaller speakers.
If you’re up for enhancing your sound systems, add a subwoofer box to your equipment.
Then you can gear up to enjoy deeper bass, movie sound effects, and music playback that can make your world shake.