If you’ve purchased a REL subwoofer, before you connect it, you have to find the best place to put it. When possible, place your REL in a corner behind your main speakers. Corner placement produces the most linear, efficient low bass below 40 Hz. The correct placement of your REL can drastically enhance its performance and transform your listening experience.
Every room is different in terms of size, material used in construction, and reflectivity; each of these factors make up the acoustics qualities of your room. As sound is being played through the REL, low-frequency waves travel throughout the room by bouncing off the materials and the walls. The distance and angle of the REL to the wall can greatly impact the way these low-frequency waves travel around the room and reach your ear. Essentially, the room is an instrument itself, and the REL (like your speakers) needs to be tuned to the room.
When possible, the REL should be placed in one of the corners behind the speakers. Remember, we are dealing with true low bass pressurization with RELs. Low bass pressurization below 40 Hz is best derived from corner placement, where the most linear and efficient low bass can be produced as the subwoofer is able to take advantage of the tangential (corner-to-corner) axis—which is typically the longest axis in a room. For more information on placement for multiple RELs or other configurations check out our REL placement tool.
Check out the next installment of the “Before Connecting a REL” series here: Determine Whether To Use High Level, Low Level, And/or .1/LFE.
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