Subwoofers are a necessary upgrade if you want to get more out of your in-car audio experience. Taking the time to install a subwoofer properly is well worth the effort. While the increased bass response and depth of sound will be immediately noticeable, the placement and installation will allow you to get the most out of your woofer.
The first thing to consider when placing your subwoofer in the trunk is the frequency range of the bass. The lower frequency range of bass is felt more than it is heard, so you want to place it near your feet or at least not too far away from them. This should be taken into account when deciding on which size of speaker you’d like to purchase because larger speakers will need more space and may require you to move the location of your subwoofer. You also want to make sure that you don’t cover up any other speaker in your car by placing it too close, as this will affect their sound quality and volume levels.
In order to get the best sound from a subwoofer, it needs to be placed in the ideal location. That position is somewhere near the middle of your trunk and as close as possible to your driver’s seat.
This post will provide information on the best position for a subwoofer in the trunk of a car.
Which Way to Face Subwoofer in Trunk?
Rear of the Car
This is one of the most common places for a subwoofer in trunk of the car. Placing it here is an excellent solution for both providing good bass performance and spreading sound around the car.
Placing the subwoofer in the trunk, facing away from the driver and towards the rear of the car may sound counter-intuitive, but there’s some merits to this approach. It will give you a more pronounced and even bass experience which is distributed evenly across your vehicle.
Bass waves are widest at the source, but still pretty powerful. Aiming the speakers to the back of your car will increase sound quality significantly. While this might not be ideal for some people, it could be good if you’re looking for more volume.
If you love listening to bass-heavy music or if you simply love boosting the bass frequencies with equalizers, face your subs towards the rear seats.
Towards The Trunk Hatch
For people who want to save space, this is a great option. When the subwoofers are faced upwards in the trunk, they will still produce sound while consuming less space. This installation direction will give you crisp sound with high frequencies, is smoother & quieter than most & won’t shake loose parts in your car. The bass is so smooth, even the aftermarket woofer will be hidden. Placing a subwoofer closer to the driver will give them a more intense experience, but it will also be more suited for people in the back of the car.
Towards the Front of the Car
The entire enclosure is pointed inwards towards the hood, and the subwoofers are inverted into a sealed enclosure. The woofer points downward and juts out of the enclosure. This means that the subwoofers are now facing the passenger and driver, rather than the trunk. Unlike the previous placement, which allowed bass to be felt by every component of your car, this placement allows bass to be felt by every component of your car. It will not drown out notes beyond 200hz, thus it’s an excellent choice for those who don’t need a lot of bass.
Tips for Placing the Subs in Your Car
- Try changing the location of the subwoofer box in the trunk a bit to get the sound you want. You may find it best to point the subwoofer box towards the rear or towards the inside of the car. By pointing it toward the rear, the sound wave has a longer distance to travel, giving more bass as a result. Pointing it towards the seats will add a more powerful vibration sensation towards the interior but may cause damage to the subwoofer if it is placed too close to the seat.
- To test the best crossover point for the subwoofer, set the amplifier’s low pass crossover to 100 Hz and play something in the system. Watch the movement of the subwoofers, the lower the crossover frequency, the less subwoofer movement. Look to see if the subwoofers move too much and listen to the music to determine if there is distortion. Most systems do well between 85 or 80 Hz.
- Be sure to seal the enclosure in the correct position and use screws of adequate depth.
- To deal with vibrations, you can spray the trunk with a polyurethane-based product, although this can be a bit expensive. An inexpensive alternative is spray foam insulation used around windows and cracks in a house.
- Before attaching the “L” shaped brackets, check the other side of the area you are going to screw in, you don’t want to cut a gas line or wire.
Conclusion
In a typical car, the subwoofer is usually located in the trunk. This position is best for a number of reasons. The first reason is that it will not be at risk of being damaged by passengers who are sitting in the back seat. The second reason is that it will not interfere with any other equipment or speakers in the car.
The best position for the subwoofer in the trunk is usually in the rear of the car, facing the boot. This will allow for more bass to be heard and it will also reduce the chances of sound being muffled by items in the trunk.
