British Startup Launches SubZone, an App for Optimal Subwoofer Placement

Chris Baume, Director of Sonic Baume, told SteoreoNET:

For years, the conventional wisdom has been to put your subwoofer in a corner, or to crawl around on your hands and knees to listen for the best spot. Now anybody can harness the power of advanced acoustic simulation through our easy-to-use app.

All the app requires is for users to input the dimensions of the room they intend to place the subwoofer in, where their listening position is located, as well as the materials the room is constructed from. The information is then used to estimate the low-frequency absorption characteristics of each surface, with acoustic simulation performed by the image-source method.

Then, the strength of each possible subwoofer position is calculated and scored on a scale of zero to 10. Each result will be displayed on a heatmap of the room with red indicating zero and blue indicating 10, and the best positions will be marked with a star. 

For even more detailed information, each tile can be clicked on to display information on the estimated frequency response for that zone between 20Hz and 300Hz, with an indication of which frequencies are boosted or cut and by how much.

Chris Baume added:

The idea was inspired by my own experience of struggling to position my subwoofer. After trying many different locations and following all the advice, it always sounded boomy on one side of the sofa and flat on the other. I finally discovered the best place with the help of some simulation software, but it was complicated and very expensive. SubZone gives everyone an easy, affordable, and scientific way to position their subwoofer.

SubZone is now available in 45 countries worldwide on iOS and Android for an introductory price of £0.99 / €0.99. 

Visit SubZone for more information