PLACEMENT, SET-UP, INTEGRATION, TWEAKING
The sawdust has settled, there are still a few splinters under your fingernails, and you can always put the tools away later, really. It's time to see if you can pop your trunk lid open from sheer SPL. The non-directional nature of bass has already been discussed, and you will recall that specific placement of the subwoofer is not as critical as other speakers in your system. Many vehicles will permit the bass to pass through the actual back seat and into the listening area without cutting holes. We also touched on the subject of standing waves inside the speaker enclosure; it shouldn't surprise us that we will need to address standing waves in the listening space as well. Bass energy is easily reinforced by reflection, and as those reflections recombine, the resulting buildup can cause very irregular response in the vehicle interior in the form of peaks. Similarly, phase cancellations can occur when the sound waves at a specific frequency cause destructive interference and cancel each other out, and create holes or nulls in the response. In general, we will be able to enjoy the benefits of cabin gain that have already been mentioned, but be aware that there will probably be a few dead spots as well. When properly integrated, the actual location of the subwoofer will disappear and the bass will seem to be coming from the little bitty speakers on either side or even in front. Test tones and measurement equipment can help you with your system setup, but good results can also be achieved by spending time with a couple of well recorded CDs with which you are especially familiar. After satisfying yourself that your driver's seat position is sounding good, try the passenger and back seats to get a sense of what other occupants will be experiencing. You probably won't be able to hear them yelling at you later.
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