Does furniture obstruct modal resonances and/or LF propagation?

[thadman]

Does furniture (ie couches, tables, etc) obstruct modal resonances (ie 20-150hz) or LF sound propagation. Suppose a subwoofer is placed beneath a couch or under a table, does the furniture attenuate its output or direct its energy to different areas of the room (ie excitement of different modes)?

[joetama]

I've got a coffee table between me and my speakers and I've tested it with and without and I really honestly can't hear a difference.

The only difference I can tell is me being able to view all my equipment screens... Which I like to do, so I tend to move the table when listening to two channel. But, I really don't think it makes that much of a difference, unless it is a major obstruction and it is very absorbent.

[bikedave]

I'm not an expert, but my experience was a fairly drastic change. I went from a large 25x25x9 living room with plaster walls and ceilings and a 3/4" thick hardwood floor to a tiny little 12x8x8 bedroom with carpeting and a bed right up next to the sub. I thought the bass was going to get better from my Exodus XJ-15 powered sonosub but the output was probably cut by half or more. I thought that I had hooked everything up wrong when I moved. I wish I could put it somewhere else but don't think I can...

It was thunderous in the huge hard living room, scary really, and it is now sorrowfully tame in bedroom. Such are the joys of moving from a house to an apartment...

[Kal Rubinson]

joetama: A horizontal surface like a coffee table will replace longer, LF only (carpet) reflections from the floor with short, HF reflection if it is between the listener and speakers. It can have an effect on overall balance and image height.

bikedave: A 24x25 room will have some generous low frequency modes that can 'enhance' bass response. With a room as small as 12x8 will not have such LF modes.

Kal

[bikedave]

Thanks Kal, and Thadman, don't mean to hijack your thread but hopefully my questions help illuminate....

I'm going to try and get my sub out from behind the giant bass trap that is the bed as well. Maybe rework it into a front firing sub... we'll see

[bikedave]

Here is my media room, as you can see, the subs is backed into a corner and and surround by a bass trap bed. Not optimum in the least, but I am a little limited for space unless I kick out the bed...

[BobEllis]

Murphy bed?

[Xander]

Here is my media room, as you can see, the subs is backed into a corner and and surround by a bass trap bed. Not optimum in the least, but I am a little limited for space unless I kick out the bed...

Sleep on the couch man. You have to sacrifice for better SQ :B

[bikedave]

Murphy bed?

Sorry bud, not catching this one....?

Sleep on the couch man. You have to sacrifice for better SQ

Yeah, its actually not used most of the time, its just a spare bed, as well as a darn comfortable way to watch movies sometimes. Time to try and convince the wife!

[---k---]

Sorry bud, not catching this one....?

It was a suggestion: http://www.murphybedcompany.com/