Subwoofer Playing at Very Low Volume? – Do This

Subwoofers are devices specially designed to focus and enhance the low frequencies of a sound system. You can find them in conventional audio equipment, portable equipment, home theaters, and even cars.

Like any device that depends on a power supply and an external receiver responsible for sending the signal to be reproduced, it is exposed to any failure that may occur in the middle of this chain of connections.

One of the failures that can occur during its operation is that the subwoofer plays at a very low volume or sounds somewhat weak. To solve this, or any other inconvenience that occurs during its use, it is necessary to analyze each component that comes into play up to the subwoofer and thus identify the problem.

Why is The Subwoofer Playing at Very Low Volume? Solved

To find the solution to why your subwoofer is working at a low volume, you can connect it to another device to find out if the problem is in the receiver, check that the connections are not failing, or check the integrity of the speaker in case any part is missing, partially broken or loose.

• Identify The Problem
  As a first measure, you should ensure that the problem is in the subwoofer and not in other devices you are using if you have another sound source to which you can connect the subwoofer, use that as a reference to rule out that the problem is not external.
• Check The Setting
  Once you’ve confirmed that the subwoofer is responsible, make sure the volume and gain parameters are set properly. After you have checked the parameters from the sound source, make sure that the values on the back of the subwoofer (only if they are active) are also set appropriately.
• Check The Connections
  The next thing is to check the connections and cables. For this, you must ensure the cables are in perfect condition from one end to the other, without breaks or damaged parts. You should also check that they are firmly connected to each of their inputs since they usually need a slight pressure to plug in correctly.
  Sometimes cables can be damaged without signs of external breakage, so swapping cables with other equipment or new cables is a good way to ensure a real and long-lasting connection.
• Look For Loose Parts
  A subwoofer used for a long time at too high levels can overheat, causing power supply failure or even cracking some speaker parts. If your subwoofer experiences a problem in its power supply, the signal it will emit will be null.
  On the other hand, if the damage is in the speaker, you can perceive it by making contact with its parts and verifying that everything is correctly positioned and there are no visible breaks in the cone or its cabinet.
• Define Your Expectations
  If you have a new subwoofer, and all its parts are correctly set up and working, you may have to think that your expectations regarding its sound response were reasonable. It’s important to know that a subwoofer will add character and presence to your sound system, but that doesn’t mean it will make the whole house vibrate.
  Sometimes you can have the wrong concept about these types of devices, which can lead you to have a false idea of the type of response that a subwoofer will offer. Especially when you don’t have an 18”, 15”, or 12′‘ cabinet, which are the type of subwoofer that can really produce a clear depth effect in the low frequencies. Keep this in mind before considering that your device has a fault, especially if you have a small box.

How to Improve The Sound of my Subwoofer?

It is possible to significantly improve your subwoofer’s sound by positioning it where the sound can best circulate, correctly setting the amplification of your devices, or adding a second subwoofer to reinforce the one you already have working. Each element of the sound chain must be optimized.

The subwoofer’s location in a room or venue plays a key role. If possible, it should be located on the floor without being in contact with walls or other devices. Although it can be located slightly toward a corner, the more toward the middle it is, the better its omnidirectional sound will spread. Moving it away from the walls will avoid excess reflections that the low frequencies can generate when bouncing off them.

With your subwoofer well located, from the audio system menu, check that the equalization or bass section does not have values below zero. Once set to zero, you can add decibels until you notice that the sound is gaining presence. This setting is independent of the overall audio system gain since it focuses only on the low frequencies without affecting the treble and midrange.

For an active subwoofer, it is advisable to set the volume knob on the back to 70 or 80 percent, and from there, use the gain regulation from the sound system. Active subwoofers also often have crossover and phase knobs that can be very useful for optimizing bass response.

Through the crossover control, you can select which frequencies you want the subwoofer to play, causing the frequencies to be sent to the other speakers. With the phase knob, you regulate the cancellation of waves. In this case, the idea is to move the knob until you find the position that sounds best for you or in which you can perceive more low frequencies.

Another good option to improve your audio system’s quality is adding a second subwoofer unit. Although this option implies investing money, the result can be worth it. With a second subwoofer, you can greatly expand the intensity of the low-frequency range without necessarily increasing the volume.

Ideally, bring the volume of both devices to 50 percent. By placing them slightly apart, you will get the sound to spread throughout the room in equal parts, enhancing the sound more naturally. It is important that both subwoofers sound together without overwhelming the space. For this, you can move them until you find a position where both work optimally together.

At What Volume is it Recommended to Use The Subwoofer?

A subwoofer, as well as any other audio device, should not be used at levels that exceed 90 dB for extended periods of time. Values above these levels generate an annoying sensation in the environment and can even cause hearing damage if they occur very frequently.

When you use a subwoofer or any other audio device, you want to appreciate a particular sound, so the transmitted signal must have a certain volume to be appreciated. However, like the subwoofer, the human ear has certain limits that must not be exceeded to maintain good hearing health.

It is very common to exceed the recommended limits, especially when listening to music. A good way to tell when you exceed those limits is by noticing that the sound becomes annoying. In this case, it is necessary to review the gain levels to correct this surplus since getting used to those levels can be detrimental.

In the case of subwoofers, they can have a bigger impact on your ears than regular speakers. This is because low frequencies have a resonance level that the human ear perceives more aggressively if the recommended limits are exceeded. It would be best to try to adjust the subwoofer to a clearly perceived level without overloading the environment with low sounds to avoid problems of this type.

In What Situations do Subwoofers Offer Their Best Performance?

Thanks to their ability to focus low frequencies, subwoofers are remarkably effective in reproducing orchestral sounds, thunder, explosions, environmental noises and musical genres specially designed to highlight those low frequencies. Thanks to this, they can add more detail.

One of the main reasons subwoofers are used is to improve the sound. This improvement is not necessarily aimed at increasing the audio quality (which needs to be optimized before being reproduced by the speakers) but rather at adding more detail to the sound. Our brain can access more information about what we hear through more detailed sound, making the experience even more real.

In the same way, high frequencies can be panned left or right for a wider field of amplitude, and the subwoofer can emphasize low frequencies for that feeling of depth, near and far, as if you perceive the different dimensions of sound.

Thanks to that extra information that the subwoofer and high-definition sound systems give you, you can perceive the noise of an explosion as if it were happening a few meters from where you are or an orchestra with its large drums and string sections as if they were playing in front of you. This makes them a fundamental piece of any home theater.

Something similar happens with electronic music genres, such as house or techno, designed for large venues with strategically placed subwoofer boxes. Many of the songs you can listen to from these genres are premised on stimulating brain areas linked to motor skills. In fact, some studies claim that this and other types of music can help increase blood pressure and heart rate and release dopamine.

Subwoofers are a key part of electronic music since the low frequencies are the ones that set the constant rhythm, which usually has a tempo very close to the heartbeat. Thanks to this, an effect of naturalness is achieved for the body, where the low frequencies, which at times are perceived above the medium and high frequencies, produce the necessary vibration to achieve that harmony with the music.

What Cares Does a Subwoofer Need?

To preserve the integrity of the subwoofer and extend its useful life as long as possible, you must use it at a reasonable volume, keep it away from other sources of energy or heat, provide the environment appropriately, and combine it with devices that have optimal performance.

The volume level at which you use your subwoofer and the daily hours of operation will be key in determining its long-term durability. The higher the power, the higher the temperature that the subwoofer will handle, especially if we talk about active subwoofers.

A higher temperature level in the internal components can generate greater wear, causing failures in the power supplies and their circuits. Some subwoofers have a switch to change from “always on” to “stand by”, which makes it turn on only when it receives a signal. The more hours it stays on, the more likely it is to overheat.

On the other hand, using the subwoofer at high power also produces a level of vibration inside the device that can affect the speaker parts, especially if the sound is generating distortion. Due to this, the ideal is to use it at a medium gain level and completely turn off the device when we are not using it. In this way, its performance will be longer.

Keeping the subwoofer at a safe distance from other electrical devices will prevent noise and signal interference from leaking and prevent the subwoofer from absorbing more heat than necessary. In the same way, the environmental conditions are key for the subwoofer and all the devices that work in conjunction with it to perform properly.

Electrical components and humidity are not good friends. Preventing dust or dirt from accumulating, especially in the breathing slots of the devices, is also very important to avoiding failure or malfunction. The accumulated dirt can store the humidity that circulates in the environment, giving rise to electrical failures. Periodic cleaning and removal of dirt will help keep the subwoofer safe.

It is also important that the other devices associated with the subwoofer do not produce failures or voltage variations that may affect it. If your subwoofer is in perfect condition but depends on an broken external amplifier, or a faulty audio system, these can ultimately affect the subwoofer as well. So ensuring that each part is perfectly in tune and working fine is another important precaution when protecting your subwoofer.

Conclusion

A subwoofer that works at low volume is a situation that can arise more frequently. The important thing is that you are clear that most of the failures you can run into concerning your audio devices have a possible solution.

If you use your devices appropriately, you can get great performance from them. Try to follow the manufacturer’s instructions without exposing your subwoofer to situations where it can be over-demanded. Its proper functioning depends on the environment being as according as possible.

Knowing in depth the capabilities of your devices will help you solve practically any inconvenience that may arise related to them. I hope this article is very useful for everyone. Thanks for your time!