Distributed Bass Array - anyone have any experience?
 

Hi,
I've been reading about multi-subwoofer systems like Audiokinesis Swarm and Debra. The concept is interesting to me, smoothing out bass response in the room without the need for significant acoustic treatments.

My listening room is also the main family room, and acoustic treatment and bass traps don't have a high WAF factor. I may however be able to place some smallish subs against the walls in various places around the room (maybe even use\disguise them as small end tables).

Does anyone have any experience with a multiple sub system like these?
http://www.audiokinesis.com/the-swar...-system-1.html
https://jamesromeyn.com/audiokinesis...-models/debra/

Thanks!

- John

John - I don’t have any experience with the specific products you’ve referenced. I did have four subs in my last theater build. It worked really well and provided uniform bass across the room.

Here is the theory behind the concept.

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/00d...e976a1a72e.pdf

Tom

Thanks Tom, I’ll look that over when I’m not on my phone!

Yep - it is definitely not phone friendly! It's a little technical but the illustrations are really good and it gives you an idea of what we are up against getting smooth bass response in smaller multi-purpose rooms.

"By carefully locating the loudspeaker and
listener within the room the frequency response can be
made relatively smooth at a single listening location, as in
the following example."

I think the key is how many people and listening locations? I listen almost exclusively by myself. I have found that a single very large very high quality sub located in the plane of the main speakers and exactly between the main speakers can work really well and this sentence seems to support my findings. Multiple subs require multiple amps, wall sockets, cables, cords, etc. The typical setup you see is stereo subs in corners well behind the main speakers. I have never understood this rationale. In practical terms stereo subs is about all you see because of the total impracticality of 4 subs. I don't think stereo subs in corners smooths out anything. As far as dynamic range 2 subs only provides an extra 3 dB, totally inconsequential.

Charles

A co-worker had a AK swarm and the bass was exceptional - he had no treatments. One of the best smooth responses I have experienced.