Nothing compares to the good, old-fashioned punch of bass, an emanation of low-frequency sound with all the force of a sledgehammer, and the ethereal quality of a specter on Halloween night. Both composers and cinematographers acknowledge the vitality of bass, with modern rap and metal music both delivering heavy helpings of the low-frequency sound and cinemas practically vibrating down to their foundation when Marvel films are playing. In all walks of life, consumers have come to expect a healthy amount of bass in most of their music, movies, and the like, and if they don’t get it, it can leave whatever they’re trying to enjoy feeling just a bit more hollow.
Most of us are aware that none of our appliances are built to last forever, and that even our appliances that are meant to deliver heavy doses of bass will eventually degrade in quality. That’s IF our appliances were constructed with bass in mind. Flat-screen TV speakers aren’t usually equipped to handle much of the low-frequency sound, and the default car speakers tend to be lower quality in every aspect, not just bass. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to improve the capacity and quality of our speakers, not only delivering better bass but higher quality sounds all around: the subwoofer.
Whether you’re a rave kid looking to feel that next drop in your bones, a metalhead looking to drown in sludgy sound, a cinephile looking to experience films as the filmmaker intended, or just a casual music and movie fan looking to improve the quality of your overall experience, a quality subwoofer can help you take your existing sound systems to the next level.
Interested in hearing more? Here’s everything you need to know about subwoofers,
Layers of Sound: The Subwoofer
As mentioned above, most regular speakers aren’t equipped to project the full range of sound most artists and directors intend to infuse into their creations, leaving the overall experience of those things lacking. However, subwoofers are speaker upgrades that are low-effort to install, designed to amplify lower frequency sounds while reducing the overall strain on your speakers to produce those sounds.
By using a speaker drive known as a woofer, users are able to experience sound in such an intensity that they can feel it in their bones, hence why movie theaters feel like they’re shaking when an explosion goes off onscreen. Users can also control the woofer, highlighting, amplifying, and reducing particular frequencies to manipulate the output of the device and get a different sound.
Subwoofers were built to amplify sound, adding layers to your listening experience, amplifying quietly spoken lyrics or lines, boosting deep voices further, and allowing you to hear even the most subtle of musical details. Whether you’re purchasing a subwoofer for your car or your home theater, they are guaranteed to give you a better listening experience, and at the right frequency, they just might not knock your house down!
It’s About Drive, It’s About Power
If you’re considering purchasing a subwoofer, you might want to start small and integrate one into your car’s speakers (few of us have the funds on hand to set up our own private home theaters, though if you do, more power to you). With recent advancements in technology, however, subwoofers are now being constructed to fit most car speakers, amplifying your music as you drive and more fully immersing you into the listening experience.
If you’re considering getting a subwoofer for your car, you might want to take an inventory of your car’s current capabilities, including how much space you have and what kind of subwoofer you might need for your music.
With this type of purchase, make sure you research what kind of subwoofer is best suited to your intended use, as different subwoofers have settings that take more or less power to run, and some are intended to amplify different qualities in sound. With the right research, you’ll find that your subwoofer is one of the best quality of life investments you can make; all that for a reasonable price.