Subsonic?

[r.meeker 10+ year member]

hey quick question here,

What does it mean when I hear people talk about subsonic and bottoming out their subs?

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[outspoken 10+ year member]

subsonic would be the cutoff frequency that the amp will not reproduce lower than... for example, my sub amp has a fixed 25hz subsonic filter, so no frequency lower than that will be played...

 

[bonesninja 5,000+ posts]

Subsonic filter is designed to cutoff off freqs that may be too far below the tuning of your enclosure. You should generally set the filter to about 1/2 octave below your box tuning.

Bottoming out means reaching the mechanical limits of the subwoofer suspension

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

my sub amp has a fixed 25hz subsonic filter, so no frequency lower than that will be played...

Not true. A subsonic fliter is no different than a normal HP or LP filter used on your speakers or subs. It has a slope to it, such as 12/18/24db per octave, that gradually(or sharply, depending on the slope) cuts off the aplitude at which those low frequencies are played.

 

[outspoken 10+ year member]

Not true. A subsonic fliter is no different than a normal HP or LP filter used on your speakers or subs. It has a slope to it, such as 12/18/24db per octave, that gradually(or sharply, depending on the slope) cuts off the aplitude at which those low frequencies are played.

thanks man, i wasn't sure if it was fixed or had a slope... and is bonesninja right? should it be set 1/2 octave lower than the box tuning?

btw sorry to thread jack op...

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

thanks man, i wasn't sure if it was fixed or had a slope... and is bonesninja right? should it be set 1/2 octave lower than the box tuning?
btw sorry to thread jack op...

It's a good starting point. Some setups will unload easier and more quickly below tuning. Just use your common sense and ears and you should be ok.

 

[Cpyder 10+ year member]

Kind of a misnomer. Subsonic means slower than the speed of sound. Ultrasonic means frequencies that cannot be heard by the normal human ear. They can still be felt, which is really a cool effect if your subs can go lower than say around 20Hz. People intermix subsonic and infrasonic to mean the same thing.

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

Kind of a misnomer. Subsonic means slower than the speed of sound. Ultrasonic means frequencies that cannot be heard by the normal human ear. They can still be felt, which is really a cool effect if your subs can go lower than say around 20Hz. People intermix subsonic and infrasonic to mean the same thing.

It's because on amps they have is labeled as a subsonic filter. If it were called an infrasonic filter we'd be using that. And ultrasonic pertains to frequencies higher than the human ear can hear, and connot be felt.

 

[Cpyder 10+ year member]

Oops, I meant infrasonic