Can You Put A Subwoofer In A Cabinet - Full Answer

If you’re new in the world of home audio systems, it won’t take long for you to realize the worth of the subwoofer in relation to the rest of the sound equipment.

The subwoofers are amazing due to their ability to manage low-frequency bass notes that the rest of the audio equipment can’t handle. Although, the subwoofer isn’t the most stylish part of the sound equipment you’ll have in your room.

A huge size can sometimes cause issues with the design aesthetics in your room. This article will discuss possible ways to conceal your subwoofer with more accent placed inside a cabinet.

Does Placing A Subwoofer In A Cabinet Work?

To put it simply, you can place a subwoofer in a cabinet. But the real challenge is how to go about it.  For optimal subwoofer performance, there are several factors to consider before going into the details of the actual placement.

Rattles, Resonances, And Cabinet Type

We don’t recommend putting your subwoofer in a cabinet where you store cutlery, jewelry, or other decoration pieces. Placing a subwoofer in such a cabinet would lead to a sound that is ruined by rattles and vibrations, defeating the purpose of purchasing such high-end sound equipment in the first place.

Custom-made cabinets are a perfect solution for such an issue, and some higher-end audio systems may come with their own cabinets.

Airflow

When it comes to subwoofers, bass noises are a big concern since they produce large bass waves that are challenging to restrict. After all, sound relies on the air molecules in their immediate proximity in order to travel.

With this in mind, the doors of your cabinet should have the proper amount of visible apertures. Additionally, these should be relative to the size of your subwoofer’s driver. The airflow issue is one reason people use padding since it gives a certain degree of separation.

Leveling And Positioning

Here comes the most important factor of subwoofer placement - finding the best possible location for the subwoofer cabinet.

This refers to the exact spot you may install your cabinet as well as its height. While this consideration might seem unnecessary, subwoofers aren’t something you can put wherever. As such, their cabinet placement needs special attention too.

Typically, people keep their woofers on the floor or along the room's front wall. This placement lets them focus on high, low, and mid-range frequencies.

And because we feel lower frequencies more than we can hear, placing the speakers on the floor enables them to propagate more quickly.

How To Install A Subwoofer In A Cabinet?

Test The Room Acoustics

While we’ve discussed certain positions and levels to place your subwoofer, you should keep in mind that each room is distinct and because of that, the acoustics of each room differs. 

When testing acoustics, you should test the subwoofer with the rest of your audio system. 

Also, don’t forget that the main purpose of a subwoofer is to make smaller speakers sound more effective than they are.

Design The Cupboard

If you opt for a custom design cabinet, you will need to get the length, height, and width.

Additionally, the perfect custom cabinet would be made of thick wood - the thickness should be about 0.75 inches.

The remaining measurements are based on your subwoofer. Also, consider the design and color to make sure you get a stylish cabinet that will go well with other furniture pieces in the room.

Furthermore, you will need to assemble the cabinet tightly because the flimsier it is, the more unwanted sounds it will produce. In order to achieve the desired effect, take extra caution when gluing together and screwing pieces into place.

Add Padding

In order to create a layer of separation, you should use a soft dampening material within the cabinet. This will minimize the rattling sounds of the subwoofer vibrating against the cabinet.

Moreover, if you have a lightweight cabinet, you can mass load for reinforcement. You can use rubber or vinyl for vibration pads. 

For a completely contact-free shelf, you can decouple the subwoofer from the floor of the cabinet by putting padding material on the subwoofer’s feet.

Check The Wires

This point refers to ensuring there’s a proper opening for wires to reach the subwoofer within the cabinet. You also need to make sure the connection wires aren’t too far away from other devices.

It’s crucial to maximize the wire’s connectivity and reduce the chance of someone tripping over them, hurting themselves, and damaging your audio system.

Conclusion

When designing your home audio system, it is crucial to consider low-frequency sounds as well as bass sounds.

Many audio experts advise that you put a subwoofer in a cabinet to get the most efficient sound. We hope that you found the tips covered in this article helpful so you can enjoy the most powerful bass.