As you slowly start building your home theater system, the first thing you probably did is decide on a pair of speakers. But that's just the beginning. Whether you want to listen to movies, music, games, or all together, a powered subwoofer is one of the most important components of a complete audio system. Here we answer some common questions about subwoofers and how they can enhance your home theater experience.

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What is a subwoofer?

To paraphrase Meghan Trainor, a subwoofer is all about the bass. It is the speaker that reproduces the lower frequencies - especially 20-200 Hz - that a traditional two-channel or surround sound system alone cannot reproduce. These low frequencies come from instruments like the kick drum, bass guitar, and pipe organ, but also from movie sound effects like explosions.

why do i need one

While you hear the bass from your bookshelf or floorstanding speakers, you can feel the sound with a subwoofer. If you're listening to bass-heavy music like hip-hop or EDM, or watching an action movie at full volume, a subwoofer is for you. Also, if you don't have a subwoofer, you won't experience the song or movie the way the artist or director intended.

You might be wondering, I don't listen to rap or watch action movies, so why do I need a subwoofer?

Sure, a subwoofer is a bass juggernaut, but that's only a small part of the surface. A good subwoofer does the hard work for the speakers and improves the entire system significantly.

The dynamics become more convincing, the soundstage wider and the stereo imaging more precise. Even if you prefer listening to folk records or watching dialog-heavy indie dramas, a subwoofer will help create a livelier, more immersive sound.

Where can I set this up?

Honestly, you can put your subwoofer anywhere. However, since all rooms are constructed differently, the results will vary. If you really want to get the best bass performance from your subwoofer, you may need to experiment a bit.

It's clear. Not everyone has their own home theater or listening room with the ability to place the subwoofer anywhere. Most likely, your system is located in your living room, which means that decoration, furniture and other things compete for space. You may have to rearrange a few things, but it's worth finding the sweet spot.

Besides placement, acoustic treatment is another factor to consider when trying to get the most out of a subwoofer. You can have the best subwoofer in the world, but if it's in an acoustically poor room, expect subpar bass performance. Acoustic panels, diffusers, and bass traps are great ways to improve room acoustics. Also, many modern A/V receivers come with room correction technologies like Audyssey and AccuEQ. It calibrates each speaker to create a more harmonious home theater experience.