I have a beast of a sub on the third floor of my townhome. On the advice of some members here, I ordered an Auralex Subdude from Sweetwater.com.

I have never gotten more bang (slam) for the buck than what I got from the Subdude. Freakin' amazing improvement in sound. Areas in an upstairs loft no longer resonate. My wet bar no longer rattles. My cat stopped pissing the carpet during action movies. Music is much better too. I actually can differentiate between a kick drum and the bass line now. I can't rave enough about the improvement.

These things are an amazing improvement for ANYONE who has a sub on a plywood/carpet floor. You will not find another way to blow $50 that provides as much improvement as the Subdude.

I agree. When I added one for my SW900 there was a definite upgrade in sound. Not that it was "boomy" before, but it really helped to tighten it up. Well worth the money.
And my sub fires down onto a base plate and it still worked good.

Areas in an upstairs loft no longer resonate. My wet bar no longer rattles. My cat stopped pissing the carpet during action movies.

Well, wheres the fun in that?:D

Problem is, with all this 90 degree weather here in So Cal, the cat smell was getting overwhelming. Where are the damn air conditioning people when you need 'em, eh?

Any difference from the Auralex GRAMMA?

Any difference from the Auralex GRAMMA?

just the colors, everything else is the same

Thanks .

Any ways to custom make one that will fit exactly to my sub? It seems the length will be a little too long for me and will have some overhang. Will a custom piece of granite/marble work just as well?

Agreed, my VTF3-MKII is much tighter after adding the subdude. Having the sub in the corner with a 120 inch picture window behind, rattling was a huge issue. The subdude didn't eliminate the rattles, but greatly reduced them. Well worth the small cash output.

Have any of you tried spikes?

just the colors, everything else is the same

I always wonder why they do that? Are the dimensions exactly the same?

Jason - No need la. You can start watching your stocked up movies already =p

Oliver

Would the difference be noticeable on a hardwood/pergo floor or not as much?

Have any of you tried spikes?

Yes, but this Auralex is MUCH better. It really dampens the vibrations transferred to a weak or resonant floor.

I agree with the title, the Subdude/Gramma is a must have especially if you have wood floors.

I always wonder why they do that? Are the dimensions exactly the same?



Oliver

Exactly!

Before I purchased one I contacted Auralex to find out if they could make custom sizes, their answer.....NO!

It needs to be about 4in longer and wider to fully support my PB12-ultra/2.

I always wonder why they do that? Are the dimensions exactly the same?


It's just cosmetics. One model has garish writing and labelling, and the other is toned down for best WAF. I have the Gramma, and I sort of wished I bought the Subdude just because it does look kind of cheesy.

Exactly!

Before I purchased one I contacted Auralex to find out if they could make custom sizes, their answer.....NO!

It needs to be about 4in longer and wider to fully support my PB12-ultra/2.

I use two under my Servo-15.

Kal

....It needs to be about 4in longer and wider to fully support my PB12-ultra/2. Why, It works fine for me!

http://webpages.charter.net/tgrooms/audio/Subdude.jpg

I've put one under a PB/12 Ultra 2 in an installation with hardwood floors and it was fine. With the weight of that sub you don't need to woory about it tipping.

Bob

After I put the Subdude in, I was able to increase the sub volume, via an SMS-1, from 7 to 13 and still keep a relatively flat curve from 20hz on out. I was suprised that the Subdude was a perfect fit for my M&K MPS 5410. This is the pro version of the MX 5000, so anyone with that sub or an MX 350 (I think) will have a fit so good it looks custom built.

It is just about a perfect fit for my sub as well. And I am able to "juice" my setup a bit also. It is a keeper. And if need be, just get 2.

I had the grammer under a PB12+2 and it was about 2" shy under around all sides but held the thing perfectly and kind of looked neat as you could not see much of it. Works great. I now have it under an Ultra and it still works great.

Jake04Goat,

You asked about Pergo floors. I would think the determining factor would be what is under the Pergo. If it is a concrete sub floor, then perhaps it won't make a huge difference. If it is a wooden subfloor with standard wooden framing covered by a plywood sub floor, it should do quite a lot for you. If you experience rattles and buzzing in different parts of your room, or have loud resonance issues in adjacent rooms, the Subdude will help.

My experience here in Los Angeles was that it was impossible to find a Subdude stocked locally, but the Gamma, or Gramma's were a lot easier to find. Had I known that they were basically the same............

Capfacsurf,
Well well, it seems you took my advice from your earlier thread and got the subdude. Glad you like it, do I get that week in Nag's Head for this or do I still have to fix your shoulder?

Okay, my interest is peaked in getting a subdude now... But how does it decouple the sub from the floor? Is the subdude made out of stiff foam that prevents vibrations from reaching the floor? Or is there more too it than that?

I used to have 2 polk PSW-350 subwoofers, I stacked them on top of each other and put a slightly inflated 12" bicycle inner tube under the bottom, after reading about it on this forum. I haven't tried that with my new 20-39 PC+ SVS.

Will this have the same effect as a subdude in decoupling the sub from the floor? The one thing I am concerned about is that since the sub is downward firing, it may tend to bounce on the inner tube, and may make the sound even worse. What do you guys think?

Oh, I know some would say just spend the $50 to try it, but the dimensions of the subdude will not work for me. If it had a 16" square foot print on the floor, I'd get it, but space is a premium for me and I don't want that big of a platform. Can it be cut down, or any suggestions on how to make my own?

Mike

Ha! Yes, I took your advice. And didn't even give you a footnote....

As far as the shoulder, I am going to have BOTH done on March 8th, by Carlos Guanche. He did my son's hip, and so far, so good. I will PM you a link to the house in Nags Head.

I use two under my Servo-15.

Kal

I use only one...there's less footprint...I was surprise the Sub does not budge even though the sub "feet" don't fit entirely on the subdude.

YellowS,
First my sub fires down onto a base plate and I have had no ill affects whatsoever.
I am not sure if it is "foam" but it is certainly some sort of material other then standard carpet on wood.
http://www.auralexelite.com/sound_isolation_subdude/sound_isolation_subdude.asp
The main site for the subdue, but if you do a search on it, you can find alot of info on it

Cap,
Thanks for the PM but I didn't get the link. Good luck on the surgery, if you have any questions pre or post op drop me a PM.
Tim

Here's my take:
http://www.stereophile.com/musicintheround/1204mitr/index.html

Kal

Has anyone tried one of these on concrete?

I have never gotten more bang (slam) for the buck than what I got from the Subdude. Freakin' amazing improvement in sound.

I have a Subdude and when I added the Velodyne DD-12 to it that was a big improvement. :D

Ha Ha!

Has anyone tried one of these on concrete?

I would not think they would be as useful on concrete since their primary function is to physically isolate the sub from a live, resonant wood (or other) surface. Since concrete won't vibrate sympathetically, just a stable support (feet, spikes) should be fine.

Kal

Kal, Thanks.

Here's my take:
http://www.stereophile.com/musicintheround/1204mitr/index.html

Kal

Hey Kal, you and the author have the same name! :D Seriously, I use this product ( The Gramma) and really do enjoy the result .

I'd have to agree with everything said here. We started carrying these about 3 months ago and the feedback from our customers (using them with everything from our UFW-12's to SVS PB's to Velodyne DD's, etc...) has been nothing short of amazing...well worth the $50-60.

Even MORE amazing for $40-$50.

Or would that be LESS amazing?

I would not think they would be as useful on concrete since their primary function is to physically isolate the sub from a live, resonant wood (or other) surface. Since concrete won't vibrate sympathetically, just a stable support (feet, spikes) should be fine.

Kal

This is correct - we tried one in our basement theater, and there really is nothing to gain.

I would not think they would be as useful on concrete since their primary function is to physically isolate the sub from a live, resonant wood (or other) surface. Since concrete won't vibrate sympathetically, just a stable support (feet, spikes) should be fine.

Kal

I'm on a slab with hardwood and worked great here.

I would not think they would be as useful on concrete since their primary function is to physically isolate the sub from a live, resonant wood (or other) surface. Since concrete won't vibrate sympathetically, just a stable support (feet, spikes) should be fine.

Kal

Not true Kal =p

Over here in Singapore, almost all of us live in concrete boxes =p and almost all who tried the Gramma notice that it did seem to make the Sub less boomy. For some there was totally no difference. For me, I did seem to lose that last boomyness. Also with spikes or cones under the sub direct to the concrete floor, my floor was vibrating slightly. Very slight during intense bass movies. But with the gramma, the floor vibrations are almost gone. But then my sofa still vibrates =p

Oliver

Hooked on Subdude worked for me!

Seriously - HUGE difference in rattles and shakes in the walls and floor. (Third story loft)

I'm on a slab with hardwood and worked great here.

The hardwood is likely not bonded to the concrete, so you still get vibration in the floor, which causes vibration everywhere. I could see the benifit of using the Subdude on a hardwood floor over concrete.

The subdude is made to absorb vibrations from the sub. So that the bass you hear and feel is from the sub, not the vibrations of the floor, or the walls coupled to the floor. If you have carpet over concrete, spikes will be fine. You can't vibrate a concrete slab! If you have any kind of elevated floor, I can imagine that the Subdude could be benifical.

EDIT: When I said concrete slab, I was referring to a concrete slab-on-grade, not an elevated concrete slab. As indicated by the comment: " If you have any kind of elevated floor, I can imagine that the Subdude could be benifical."

The hardwood is likely not bonded to the concrete, so you still get vibration in the floor, which causes vibration everywhere. I could see the benifit of using the Subdude on a hardwood floor over concrete.

The subdude is made to absorb vibrations from the sub. So that the bass you hear and feel is from the sub, not the vibrations of the floor, or the walls coupled to the floor. If you have carpet over concrete, spikes will be fine. You can't vibrate a concrete slab! If you have any kind of elevated floor, I can imagine that the Subdude could be benifical.

The wood is bonded to the concrete, my issue was with the sub vibrating then
migration under extreme listening. Tried the rubber feet supplied, but it didn't help.

Not true Kal =p

Over here in Singapore, almost all of us live in concrete boxes =p and almost all who tried the Gramma notice that it did seem to make the Sub less boomy. For some there was totally no difference. For me, I did seem to lose that last boomyness. Also with spikes or cones under the sub direct to the concrete floor, my floor was vibrating slightly. Very slight during intense bass movies. But with the gramma, the floor vibrations are almost gone. But then my sofa still vibrates =p

Oliver

How can a concrete slab vibrate?

Kal

It's called Plate Tectonics

thanks guys, very informative thread. i have harwood floors bonded to a concrete slab and was wondering if it would make sense to try one of these. I guess now it seems now I won't benefit much from it. I do have some rather obnoxious rattles but I think it is caused way more by sound pressure waves than any floor vibrating issues--My house is made from stone and concrete--no wood except for huge oak beams in the ceiling, real wood walls, no drywall--fully insualted. I guess the only way to fix the rattles is to bolt them down. My biggest problems are the bathroom at the other end of the house, the shower doors sound like they are going to fall apart and the fireplace--gotta love that bass. I guess bass traps are my only real solution? Not to change the subject.

It's called Plate Tectonics

Right and it would take a hell of a subwoofer to initiate. :rolleyes:

Kal

I'm confused by people saying that thier hardwood floors are bonded to the concrete slab. I have NEVER seen this done before. Wood will expand and contract due to temperature and humidity at a much differnt rate than concrete - especially concrete on grade, because of the cold soil side. If the hardwood is bonded/glued to the concrete, it will tear itself apart. It would also be wasteful and a pain to install that way; having to glue down each peice rather than just nailing it to the previous board. In fact, most of the hardwood and laminate floors (Pergo) installed today, on concrete or elevated is being placed on a slip sheet that allows it to float above the floor. This allows it to expand and contract freely. The slip sheet also acts as a dampner.

Are you guys with hardwood on concrete sure that it is bonded to the concrete?

Anyway, it doesn't matter.

Our pergo floor sure isn't bonded. We're on the 5th floor. When my father-in-law laid it down, he put some thin padding between it and the concrete. The building's heater pipes run through the ceilings. Our floor heat is controlled by the pipes in the ceiling in the apartment below us. Plenty of expanding/contracting in different spots.

Are you guys with hardwood on concrete sure that it is bonded to the concrete?



Absolutly sure, I was here during parts of the installation. There's a 1/2" expansion gap
where ever the flooring could possibly touch anything to allow for movement. Maybe it's a
California thing to install this way, it will definitly be a pain to remove.

Bsheldon,

For $50, what do you have to lose? I had rattles all over my home. I too thought they were caused by my subs' awsome sound pressure levels. But they were not. The Subdude did it for me. For $50, what do you have to lose?

thanks guys, very informative thread. i have harwood floors bonded to a concrete slab and was wondering if it would make sense to try one of these. I guess now it seems now I won't benefit much from it. I do have some rather obnoxious rattles but I think it is caused way more by sound pressure waves than any floor vibrating issues--My house is made from stone and concrete--no wood except for huge oak beams in the ceiling, real wood walls, no drywall--fully insualted. I guess the only way to fix the rattles is to bolt them down. My biggest problems are the bathroom at the other end of the house, the shower doors sound like they are going to fall apart and the fireplace--gotta love that bass. I guess bass traps are my only real solution? Not to change the subject.
Blue Tac (spelling?) or similar product.

I recently diagnosed rattles in my room and used this removeable putty-like adhesive to secure picture frames, mirrors, even my CC was creating a buzz at high volumes, worked on that too.

I haven't spent any money on my system lately, Subdude might be next, perfect size for a PB10. Maybe wifey like that better than the patio blocks I'm using now :rolleyes: .

How can a concrete slab vibrate?

Kal


Beats me Kal. I thought it would not affect the walls as our walls, ceiling, floors are all fully concrete. But it is very obvious that the floors is vibrating very slightly when my ultra is on the floor directly instead of the gramma. Thinking about this, could it be because of the ceremic tiles? Although it is concrete, I have ceremic tiles over it.

Oliver

Beats me Kal. I thought it would not affect the walls as our walls, ceiling, floors are all fully concrete. But it is very obvious that the floors is vibrating very slightly when my ultra is on the floor directly instead of the gramma. Thinking about this, could it be because of the ceremic tiles? Although it is concrete, I have ceremic tiles over it.
Oliver
I ain't a structural engineer, so I don't know. Might be the tiles or something else.

One of my systems is in a reinforced concrete building and it's like a rock. I can rattle the paintings and cabinets and even the multilayer sound-barrier windows, if I try, but the walls, floor and ceiling are inert.

Kal

Kal,
I wonder how 3 or 4 stacked SubDudes would compare to a SubTrap?

I ain't a structural engineer,


oooh oooh ooh, I am! I am! Can I answer this question?

:)

Actually I don't know the answer. I doubt it, but it could be that you are shifting the location of the sub just enough not to excite a room mode at your seat. You always see the anti-eq crowd talk about how eq only affects one seat, and if you move your mic a few inches the response is totally differnt. Which is correct. Sub postion works the same way, move a few inches and you get a differnt response.

Or maybe it is the cable elevator theory? :)

Hah! I WISH concrete floors couldn't vibrate!

Obviously, a thick concrete slab at grade will not transmit vibration very effectively, but a concrete floor at above grade will EASILY transmit vibration. If anyone wants a thorough explanation or real world cases, I would be happy to go into more detail, but I bill out at $180/hour..:D

I have a fairly flimsy wood floor in my listening room, I think I might give the Sub Dude a try.....it's actually pretty fairly priced for what it is.

I ordered a Subdude from Sweetwater.com on Tuesday. It was at my door when I got home yesterday. Best free shipping ever!

I have a very "live" hardwood floor. I haven't spent much time with it, but it seems to work well.

I ordered a Subdude from Sweetwater.com on Tuesday. It was at my door when I got home yesterday. Best free shipping ever!


they are indeed a GREAT company to order products from, love the customer service.

I've had my Hsu VTF3 sitting on a Subdude for a couple of months now... I have medium-thickness pile carpet (with a really good pad) in the room, and always thought that the woofer on this sub was way too close to the carpet to put out as cleanly as it could.

The Subdude has helped to clean the bass up quite a bit (this is subjective), and in re-calibrating, I have had to turn it down a notch... also have way fewer rattles in frequency sweeps.

It's a pretting solid product that I can recommend, especially if you have a down-firing sub with no platform underneath it...

Kal,
I wonder how 3 or 4 stacked SubDudes would compare to a SubTrap?
If you stacked enough SubDudes to equal the height of a SubTrap, you still would not duplicate the trap component of the latter.

Kal

Hah! I WISH concrete floors couldn't vibrate!

Obviously, a thick concrete slab at grade will not transmit vibration very effectively, but a concrete floor at above grade will EASILY transmit vibration. If anyone wants a thorough explanation or real world cases, I would be happy to go into more detail, but I bill out at $180/hour..:D

I have a fairly flimsy wood floor in my listening room, I think I might give the Sub Dude a try.....it's actually pretty fairly priced for what it is.
OK. OK. Anything will vibrate given the right stimulus. However, considering the output of almost any subwoofer and a solid (even above grade) concrete floor, the amount of spurious vibration should be small.

After all, I can hear when the kids who live above me jump up and down (rare) and that is transmitted through the ceiling and other structures. But it is tight and doesn't continue to ring. The problem with the wood floors (especially if sprung) is that they continue to vibrate long after the original response and, consequently, muddy the in-room sound. I do not get such resonant behavior with my concrete floors.

Of course, I am speaking only from my observations and not from a technical background on the topic.

Kal

Anybody who's lived in a concrete highrise will be quite familiar with how bass can travel thru the floors...and it's quite frequently very difficult to pinpoint the culprit. I'm on our condo board and have had to deal with sound complaints from bassheads. Actually, it's not necessarily the bassheads, but those who crank the volume. The BASS is what travels from unit to unit to unit to unit..........

I may try a Subdude underneath my DD-12 at some point..just to be nice to my neighbors.

OK. OK. Anything will vibrate given the right stimulus. However, considering the output of almost any subwoofer and a solid (even above grade) concrete floor, the amount of spurious vibration should be small.

After all, I can hear when the kids who live above me jump up and down (rare) and that is transmitted through the ceiling and other structures. But it is tight and doesn't continue to ring. The problem with the wood floors (especially if sprung) is that they continue to vibrate long after the original response and, consequently, muddy the in-room sound. I do not get such resonant behavior with my concrete floors.

Of course, I am speaking only from my observations and not from a technical background on the topic.

Kal

You are certainly correct that a concrete floor will produce less airborne noise in the room than a wood floor would. I was just addressing the statements that a concrete floor wouldn't transmit vibration...:)

BTW, I've been reading your Music in the Round column backissues...you have some nice informative articles, especially in regards to your experiences with room acoustics and bass management.

You are certainly correct that a concrete floor will produce less airborne noise in the room than a wood floor would. I was just addressing the statements that a concrete floor wouldn't transmit vibration...:)
Yeah. Sorry for being sloppy in my terms.

BTW, I've been reading your Music in the Round column backissues...you have some nice informative articles, especially in regards to your experiences with room acoustics and bass management.
Thanks. More to come.

Kal

If you stacked enough SubDudes to equal the height of a SubTrap, you still would not duplicate the trap component of the latter.

Kal

Don't you mean that you don't think it "would not duplicate the trap component of the latter"? You wouldn't know for sure unless you tested it. The Subdude/Gramma is made of Auralex sound absorbtion products.
In any event, for a fraction of the cost of a SubTrap, it might be possible to get some of the benefits of a SubTrap by stacking several Subdudes.

I believe The GRAMMA and The SUBDUDE are the same. The GRAMMA is covered in black carpet and the SUBDUDE is grey.

Don't you mean that you don't think it "would not duplicate the trap component of the latter"? You wouldn't know for sure unless you tested it.
Of course but, since the SubDudes lack any specialised bass trapping, it seems quite probable.

The Subdude/Gramma is made of Auralex sound absorbtion products.
Yeah but not enough to absorb air-borne bass.

In any event, for a fraction of the cost of a SubTrap, it might be possible to get some of the benefits of a SubTrap by stacking several Subdudes.
You can try it. The height of the SubTrap was the big problem for me and simulating it's least attractive feature with a less specific kludge doesn't appeal to me.

Kal

Can it be cut to fit the bottom of my PC-U?

You guys are robbing Peter to pay Paul. If your sub is sending subsonic frequencies out its bottom and its rear, then Its robbing the power of the driver(s) already, ask your manufacturer for a resonance free cabinet, that way you dont need foam.

if you put the sub on foam, the foam will move ( a little) instead of the driver, further weakening the strength of your driver's frame.

So my advice is to just turn it down :)

So my advice is to just turn it down :)

Where's the fun in that? :)

oooh oooh ooh, I am! I am! Can I answer this question?

:)

Actually I don't know the answer. I doubt it, but it could be that you are shifting the location of the sub just enough not to excite a room mode at your seat. You always see the anti-eq crowd talk about how eq only affects one seat, and if you move your mic a few inches the response is totally differnt. Which is correct. Sub postion works the same way, move a few inches and you get a differnt response.

Or maybe it is the cable elevator theory? :)

Nope nothing to do with position. I have my Ultra moved many times over the pass 6 months and that vibration on the floor is always there. It went away only when I had it on the Subdude and I have also been moving it slightly but no floor vibration.....

Well.... Its a mystery then =-p My EQ MKV15 just came... so maybe my floor will start vibrating again heee....

Oliver

I spent the weekend with my new Subdude. While it doesn't completely eliminate the floor vibrations they are greatly reduced. I'm very happy with it. Thanks to everyone that recommended it.

I put something under my subwoofer to eliminate floor vibrations ......... hated it..... i actually like the feeling when the floor and couch vibrates so count me out of ever buying one of these.

Foxymulder... ever considered a Buttkicker.... I used to think it was a gimmick until I got one for our double reclining couch. Reallly is great as long as its not over used...

I ain't a structural engineer, so I don't know. Might be the tiles or something else.

One of my systems is in a reinforced concrete building and it's like a rock. I can rattle the paintings and cabinets and even the multilayer sound-barrier windows, if I try, but the walls, floor and ceiling are inert.

Kal

... but did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?

:p

All the best...

mls

Any ways to custom make one that will fit exactly to my sub? It seems the length will be a little too long for me and will have some overhang. Will a custom piece of granite/marble work just as well?


You can easily create your own by using Owens Corning 705 at about 4 " thick. You can grab one panel of this stuff from an insulation store and cut it to size. Wrap it in some fabric, and viola'! You've got something that will really help for about 15.00.

Good luck!






readyacoustics.com

Anyone know where I can buy 1 panel of OC 705 online?

... but did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?

:p

All the best...

mls

Yes, and we rattled the walls! :D

Kal

Last weekend I picked up two Auralex Gramma's since they can handle more weight. I noticed an instant difference. The DJ's voice from the radio sounded flatter, more natural, not "radio" sounding at all. Then out came the CD's, wow, I heard things in the music that I never heard before. Then some movies, didn't notice much difference in soundtracks, but the house and windows shook and rattled less. Very cool. Love these things.

I hung five acoustic panels last weekend, the first treatments for my room. There was an improvement in SQ, but still not as much as I got from the Subdude. Best fiddy I've spent since that time on Kalakawa St. in Honolulu about 20 years ago......

So, other than looks, is the Gramma functionally the same as the Subdude? I was able to purchase a Gramma yesterday locally for $40, so I went with it.

Cap, now you just can't a sentence like that. We need details :D

Redskin, yea I believe they are functionally the same.

redskin,

identical except for the graphics/labelling

Almost indentical, functionally the same but the Gramma has a weight capacity of 300 lbs. and comes in black/charcoal instead of just gray.

Redskin: $40 is a good price, I got mine at Sam Ash for $49 here in SoCal.

Foxymulder... ever considered a Buttkicker....

I'm not ready to get married just yet.

Got my Gramma today!!!! I have hardwood floors.
Noticeable sound improvement...I have to turn the gain down on the sub.....much cleaner bass output :D

Should a subdude improve the sound if the floor is concrete? My theater is in my basement.

So my advice is to just turn it down

:eek:

HERETIC!

There must be a banning!

;)

I decided to make some DIY subwoofer isolators/bass-traps. Total cost for two subwoofers was about $30 for materials, and about 2.5 hours of work. Most of that spent sewing.

Photos (http://www.wesman.net/~wesley/myphotos/?gid=10).

How can a concrete slab vibrate?

Kal

I have a porcelain tile bonded to concrete floor and my B&W ASW800 can move it.

I've been using the Auralex Gramma for over a week now. To be honest, it did not subjectively lower the vibration levels in my wood-joist floor one bit. My sub (Paradigm PW-2200) has rubber feet and my floor has thick carpet and pad.

I think the bass may be a tad tighter in the room, but that could be $50 out of my wallet talking too.

I played Kodo at high levels and did confirm with my isolators that the floor right next to the subwoofers was not vibrating as it used to. The SVS 16-46PC+ also has little rubber feet on the bottom plate. I don't really think it helps the subwoofer be more efficient, as the energy should be getting absorbed by the foam and fiberglass. Although I guess that does mean energy previously absorbed by the house and possibly coming back to affect the subwoofer is being absorbed too.

I did, however, confirm that bass is tighter. Probably due to faster absorbtion of vertical standing wave energies by the foam and fiberglass, as well as raising the subwoofer driver farther from the floor to help prevent standing waves from forming in the first place. The confirmation comes from my left ear no longer hurting due to boominess when listening to something like Massive Attack's Mezzanine at ~75dB.

My sub (an old Velodyne F1000) already has an inch-thick granite base. Is the main decoupling of the Subdude by virtue of the 'risers'? Because if it's really more the MDF base, I would guess I already have that covered.

Sorry, 'I spent $50 and things sound better immediately' doesn't work for me as evidence. Has anyone taken measurements (e.g., w/Room EQ Wizard, ETF, etc) to see if the Subdue or Gramma are really changing anything substantially at the listening position? (I would guess floor vibration could also be 'measured' by putting a glass or bowl of water on the floor and comparing visible rippling without/with the Auralex device)

There is now the Great Gramma (same as Subdude/Gramma but bigger) for those with large subs.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GreatGRAMMA/

Wow, what timing. I just bought 2 regular sub-dudes for my SVS PB12-plus/2 a couple of weeks ago. The new Great Gramma is the perfect size. Oh well.

Roadapple,

If you don't think they will work, then fuggedaboudit! I have an SMS-1 in MY system, and the Sub Dude was the best $50 I ever spent. Would you lke me to PM you some SMS-1 before and after sweep screen shots ?

fuggedaboudit! If 96 posts aren't enough to convince you. keep your $50 for your next trip to Wal Mart.

I just stumbled across this thread. I set up some mo pads, which is another auralex product under a GR Research sub I have been working on. I wondered about their ability to support the weight, and auralex support told me they are the same stuff that is used for the gramma and sub-dude, and as long as the weight is evenly distributed, everything is cool. My sub weighs 140 lbs. If you are looking to do a custom job, you could cut some MDF to the proper size and put mopads under it. Here is a picture of the sub (in progress) with mopads under it.
http://i1.tinypic.com/s4m1k3.jpg

This thread reminds me of the recommendation I remember reading back in some old Stereophile, which was to use four tennis balls under the feet of the sub to act as a decoupling device.

Has anyone tried this? If so, how does it compare to the results of the Subdude? Anyone with a Subdude want to try an A/B test?

Scott

I posted in another thread about my problem with my Outlaw LFM-1 making just muffled sounds and it turned out it had sunk almost completely into my carpet. Now that I have the the Subdude (took about a week to get from Sweetwater) it sounds like it is supposed to. I still get some rattling due to construction, but I can adjust for that. It also helps keep a little of the sub sound from going through the floor (theater is on the second floor).

Roadapple,

If you don't think they will work, then fuggedaboudit! I have an SMS-1 in MY system, and the Sub Dude was the best $50 I ever spent. Would you lke me to PM you some SMS-1 before and after sweep screen shots ?

If you mean, me, yes, that's exactly what I'd like to see. Why don't you post them here instead, so everyone else can see them too?

fuggedaboudit! If 96 posts aren't enough to convince you. keep your $50 for your next trip to Wal Mart.

96 posts of anecdotal evidence doesn't make the quality of the evidence better. Fugghedabout science, I guess. And btw, up yours. :p

Wow, what timing. I just bought 2 regular sub-dudes for my SVS PB12-plus/2 a couple of weeks ago. The new Great Gramma is the perfect size. Oh well.

you have a PM my friend :D

James

I believe the subdude will not only isolate the sub from the floor (I did stand next to the sub after installing my isolators to verify less floor vibration) but that placing "trap" material under the isolator will reduce the decay time of standing waves.

I haven't done measurements on my isolators, but Secrets did some measurements off a different subwoofer isolator product (taller and more expensive than the subdude) that didn't have much effect on the SPL but did have some effect on the decay time.

The 'trap' area under the subdude/gamma is so small I find it hard to believe it would have much effect on standing waves. But a waterfall plot would tell the story, for better or worse.
Perhaps I will suggest to Ethan Winer that he test one of these devices.

Have any of you tried spikes?Yes, but this Auralex is MUCH better.

Spikes and the Subdude are opposites.

Spikes couple the sub to the floor. The Subdude (and other things like it) decouple the sub and floor. It damps the vibrations what would excite resonances in the floor and adjoining structure.

I would not think they would be as useful on concrete since their primary function is to physically isolate the sub from a live, resonant wood (or other) surface. Since concrete won't vibrate sympathetically, just a stable support (feet, spikes) should be fine.

Kal
Not entirely true. Concrete does vibrate sympathetically, but has different resonant characteristics from e.g. floor-over-joist. It has more mass and is stiffer, and may not be free-standing, so the resonance amplitude won't be as large. But concrete transfers energy much better than wood. Using a Subdude should significantly improve sound isolation on concrete floors. Conversely, spikes will make it worse.

The 'trap' area under the subdude/gamma is so small I find it hard to believe it would have much effect on standing waves. But a waterfall plot would tell the story, for better or worse.
Perhaps I will suggest to Ethan Winer that he test one of these devices.
There's no controversy about damping sympathetic vibrations in the structure. My floor vibrated so much that after several minutes of bass-heavy scenes our feet would start to get numb. After the Subdudes, most of the vibration was gone.

One thing I did not expect, though, was the "tightening up" of the bass. I heard it and it's been widely reported, but I'd definitely like to get a handle on what's happening, if anything. This has been reported in rooms where structural resonance (supposedly) wasn't a problem. Think we could get Ethan to do it?

krabapple,

My post to you earlier was a bit mean spirited...sorry for that. Why don't you order the subdude from Sweetwater, and graph it yourself? If the numbers don't show an improvement, return the Subdude. Pretty simple.

I have my SVS 20-39 PC+ on a bottom floor, carpeted under concrete. For whatever reason, I get huge low frequency reenforcement. I've played with positioning, and some spots are better, but no spot is ideal. I can get up to +15 db boosts from 20-30 hz range. I have the SMS-1 eq and it definetl does what it needs to. I'm just wondering if in my situation this device would help my situation at all or not because it not being a hardwood floor.

While, some boost is nice, this is over the top and silly and just doesn't sound right. Again, the sms-1 definetly works, but I would like to get it naturally better first, then electronically for whatever remains.

jesyjames,

Earlier in this thread there was some discussion about the Subdude and concrete floors. If i remember correctly, a poster with much greater knowledge than myself statd that the concrete floors would pickup some "sympathetic" vibrations from the sub, and hence, the Subdude would offer benefits. Go bak to the first two or three pages on this thread and you will find the relevant posts. My advice is the same for everyone: it's only $50! Buy it, try it, and if it desn't work, Sweetwater.com gives you 30 days to return it for a full refund.

There's no controversy about damping sympathetic vibrations in the structure. My floor vibrated so much that after several minutes of bass-heavy scenes our feet would start to get numb. After the Subdudes, most of the vibration was gone.

One thing I did not expect, though, was the "tightening up" of the bass. I heard it and it's been widely reported, but I'd definitely like to get a handle on what's happening, if anything. This has been reported in rooms where structural resonance (supposedly) wasn't a problem. Think we could get Ethan to do it?


Well, I wonder if reducing vibrations in large room objects, including walls and floors, would perhaps 'tighten up' the sound significantly all by itself...requiring no 'trapping' role for the space beneath the device.

krabapple,

My post to you earlier was a bit mean spirited...sorry for that. Why don't you order the subdude from Sweetwater, and graph it yourself? If the numbers don't show an improvement, return the Subdude. Pretty simple.

I'm definitely considering it. I'm moving to NYC in a month, to an apartment, and would wait until then to order it. I'd also consider buying one and loaning it to Ethan or Terry (Montlick) for measurement, since they're much more adept at the techniques than I am.

But in the meantime, if anyone has such data to share, I'd like to see it.

This thread reminds me of the recommendation I remember reading back in some old Stereophile, which was to use four tennis balls under the feet of the sub to act as a decoupling device.

Has anyone tried this? If so, how does it compare to the results of the Subdude? Anyone with a Subdude want to try an A/B test?

Scott

I believe this will work in theory, but only if you use audiophile grade Tennis balls. :rolleyes:

Not entirely true. Concrete does vibrate sympathetically, but has different resonant characteristics from e.g. floor-over-joist. It has more mass and is stiffer, and may not be free-standing, so the resonance amplitude won't be as large. But concrete transfers energy much better than wood. Using a Subdude should significantly improve sound isolation on concrete floors. Conversely, spikes will make it worse.
Yeah. I think I already apologized for that blanket statement.

As for the Subdude on a concrete floor, I was unable to hear/feel any difference with or without it. It is possible that my neighbors would experience a difference but I don't ask.

On a wood/joist floor, however, the differences are palpable. :)

Kal

So I just ordered two used grammas off audiogon last week that should be here this week. One for my PC-Ultra and one for my Cinenova 5. Eventually I plan on using either both for a DIY i'm going to build someday:( or maybe some other way. I have a door that rattles at certain frequencies and wall mounted DVD holders that rattle at certain frequencies also. Anxious to see if this helps. Too lazy to fix it otherwise.

Well, I wonder if reducing vibrations in large room objects, including walls and floors, would perhaps 'tighten up' the sound significantly all by itself...requiring no 'trapping' role for the space beneath the device.
Oh, I find it hard to believe that the small space underneath the platform has any function as a trap. Doesn't it have to be some fraction (e.g. 1/4) of the wavelength of the influenced frequency? A 3' platform would have no effect on anything below about 115 Hz.

As I said, the 'tightening' effect has been reported in spaces where structural resonance wasn't an issue, e.g. all-concrete rooms. I rather suspect that it has something to do with the support of the subwoofer case, affecting the way the case moves in relation to the cone. There should, then, be a difference between down- and side-firing designs. But I haven't noticed any pattern in the reports. (Mine are down-firing.)

My bass tightened up quite a bit, but then, I think my situation is fairly unique. My sub is on the third floor of a four story stick framed townhome. The sub itself is a massive M&K pro model with a pair of 12" drivers. So it seemed as though my sub was mounted on a double level trampoline. I think the floor beneath the sub moved so much, that bass notes were smeared at even normal volumes. With the Sub Dude isolating it, I was able to increase the volume of the M&K, without disrupting my speaker level balances. And bass notes seem to have a sharper attack, better focus.

Well after reading all the good info about the Subdude, I went down to Guitar Center and picked up a Gramma, instead of having to order a Subdude. I first went to my Dads house to see how it would work with his B&W sub. I have always felt it was boomy. Along with my 63 year old mother, that can't stand boom, we put on U-571 and went straight for one of the depth charge scenes. First we played without the Gramma, and not only hers but my ears started to hurt. Then replayed it with the Gramma. Still loud, but both of us felt that it was much clearer and it did not hurt either one of our ears. Very subtle but noticeable. I plan on buying one for my father for his birthday. I have a SVS PB12-ISD, and just placed it under it, but have not had a chance to test it out. Kinda looks goofy though, since the sub overlaps it. I am thinking I might not notice as much difference with my sub, because I have never felt it was a boomy sub, unlike my dads.

I have thick carpet. Will the Subdude make much difference for me?

Depends on a lot of factors. Just be aware that carpet has negligible, if any, effects on low frequencies.

carpet has negligible, if any, effects on low frequencies.

Unless you have thick carpet and a downward firing sub where the carpet actually touches the driver.

I have thick carpet. Will the Subdude make much difference for me?

I 'dunno. But I would try waxing first. :D

My PB10 resonates quite a bit up the wall and rattles the drop ceiling I have in my HT room. Will the subdude make an improvement? (Cement floor covered with thin padding and burbur carpeting)

My PB10 resonates quite a bit up the wall and rattles the drop ceiling I have in my HT room. Will the subdude make an improvement? (Cement floor covered with thin padding and burbur carpeting)

Not unless you are above grade.

Help me out a little there, either I am not thinking or I haven't heard the expression "above grade" before.

Not unless you are above grade.
Not sure what the poster means but grade is ground level. Basements are usally below grade= ground. that's what I get out of it.

That is what I figured.

It is a basement HT but there is a wall behind it which is sheetrock on 2x6's, facing cinder blocks.

I don't understand why being below grade would matter if it's rattling your walls? I would think the subdude would help?? Dunno I don't have one

That's where I'm at as well.

If you are on grade (the concrete slab is on earth, such as in a basement), the slab will not transmit vibration very well. Hence, a SubDude will do next to nothing.

However, an above grade slab is not as rigid, damped, or as massive, and much more easily transmits vibration. In that case, a SubDude will be much more effective.

Thanks.

Would some sort of absorbtion material behind it (on the wall) help more? Is there a fairly inexpensive way to do this? (I see the $300 12" sheet of foam)

Quick suggestion for those looking for a cheap and easy alternative isolation for their SVS subwoofers, my SVS PB-plus/2 subwoofer came very well packaged and you can use the sturdy space shuttle foam type material that supported it from being damaged when it came as an isolation platform and it works extremely well at stopping vibrations getting to the floor it's 33 inches by 23 inches and 1 and a half inches thick and its so sturdy you can stand on this material and it doesn't bend and it was obviously designed to take the full weight of the SVS subwoofer and to protect it while being shipped, it's perfect for subwoofer isolation and i was able to use other pieces of this which came with the subwoofer to isolate other equipment.

Before i used it my floorboards shook a lot as they are wooden and now they don't shake at all.

I don't think it's really foam but i don't know what the material is called.

You don't have to cut it either so if you need to return your subwoofer you can re-use it easily enough.

If you are on grade (the concrete slab is on earth, such as in a basement), the slab will not transmit vibration very well. Hence, a SubDude will do next to nothing.

However, an above grade slab is not as rigid, damped, or as massive, and much more easily transmits vibration. In that case, a SubDude will be much more effective.
While that's true, he does have vibrations, so whatever his configuration, LF energy *is* being transferred. I'd spend the $50 on a Subdude. Cheapest risk he can take.

While that's true, he does have vibrations, so whatever his configuration, LF energy *is* being transferred. I'd spend the $50 on a Subdude. Cheapest risk he can take.

Well, it's true that at $50, it may be wortth trying. I wouldn't be surprised if his problems are due to airborne sound rather than structure-borne sound though, in which case the SubDude will do nothing.

I have Sony SAWX900 (I know Sony is not appreciarted and recognized in the audiophile community) but this sub is a different animal. 2 (12") in push pull configuration (drivers made in US) with 1000 Watt rated Amp (Ice Power). Sub used to shake the walls when played any movies with low freq contact and volme control set above 1/3 volume. I tried using the spike feet came with the sub and it helped a little not to a great extent.

I read about the Auralex and ordered one from SweetWater. Oh boy what a difference it made. Now can hear the bass rather than feel it with more authority and punch. For about 50 bucks shipped, that is a huge improvement.

My sub is 19" x 19" (Mackie), so the Great GRAMMA would be perfect for me if I could shorten the long side a bit. Esthetics aside, will I be able to use a hacksaw to trim the GRAMMA? From what I read on this thread, the GRAMMA is made of an MDF board and some foam, so it should be no problem.

Has anyone trimmed their GRAMMA or Subdude? Did you find any metal "reinforcement" parts in it?

Thanks. Ales

well, a hack saw is made for metal, so if you find any in the wood, it shouldn't be a problem going thru it as far as your saw choices go......

Good answer. I guess there is always a way to trim the pad. I am mostly concerned about the amount of work required. If it's just MDF, it will be a 1-2 minute project. If the pad contains a metal sheet, I'm looking a major sawing project.

Ales

No, (assuming the Gramma is built like the Subdude) it's just MDF, wrapped in covering. Peeling the covering back would be tough because it goes under the acoustic foam. But you should be able to cut it and then peel back, then cut the wood.

Personally, I'd try to use it without cutting.

Personally, I'd try to use it without cutting.

That's what I'll do first, but I suspect I'll be quickly told to cut off the "overhang."

My sub is 19" x 19" (Mackie), so the Great GRAMMA would be perfect for me if I could shorten the long side a bit. Esthetics aside, will I be able to use a hacksaw to trim the GRAMMA? From what I read on this thread, the GRAMMA is made of an MDF board and some foam, so it should be no problem.

Has anyone trimmed their GRAMMA or Subdude? Did you find any metal "reinforcement" parts in it?

Thanks. Ales

The subdude/gramma at 23"x15" is only 4" longer and 4" narrower than your sub. Put the overhang to the rear and it will provide cable clearance. Or split the difference at only 2" front and rear. The underhang for the width is fine. It will still support the box. And, no cutting involved.

This really won't work because the sub has a downward-firing driver. The sub's little feet/spikes are 16 inches apart, so a 15" wide pad is not wide enough.

Ales

Auralex makes a larger Gramma.

Or buy aftermarket brass isolation cones. No drilling required, and you can place them under the sub where needed to compliment the Gamma's dimensions.

I just bought this based on the recommendations here.

I live on the second floor of my condo so I thought maybe I could minimize some vibrations for my neighbors. :)

And hopefully it's an improvement in SQ for me as well.

I'll report back and tell you how it sounds.

Guaranteed to make an improvement. I am going to order another one this week for a second sub, which has been gathering dust too long for no good reason.

Well, I ordered my second Subdude. It arrived, and much to my suprise, it was about HALF the size of my first one. The new ones are 15x15, my old one is 13x23.

Repeat buyers, beware!

Sweetwater should do a better job of showing the new size. It's there, but not as clearly as this place

http://truesoundcontrol.com/products/SUBDUDE.html


Is the old one 13x23 or 15x23 like the Gramma?

I measured my old Subdude at 13x23, which fit my M&K MX-5000 perfectly. The Sweetwater rep was trying to do backflips to make me happy, but you are right. They shoulda' let a repeat customer know of the spec change. Or else I should have double checked first.

I brought my M&K VX1250 upstairs and sat it on the new mini-Subdude, and it sounded terrible. I have absolutely no other placement options, so I guess I will stick with my single sub set-up. I SMS-essed around with it for an hour, but still horrible. Even my 16yr old hip-hop loving bass addicted techno teenage son though it was bad.

That's what I get for tweaking a dialed in set up: a Minidude I can't use and a subwoofer that will never again see the light of day, banished forever by the immense capabilities of it's big brother.

Best $50.00 I ever spent!!!!!

Capfacsurf,

Any idea as to why your mini-subdude setup sounded bad??? I have a Velo DD-12 and was pondering the notion of getting one just for aesthetics since it fits perfectly under the 14x14.5 DD-12. I was originally thinking that it might prevent dents in the carpet from the Velo's rubber feet, perhaps the foam risers might make WORSE dents?
Either way, from a sonic perspective, I doubt the Subdude would make any difference at all since I live in a concrete floored condomminium (11th floor).

Interesting,my closest audio dealer happens to sell Auralex products,the whole range.

I will check these out and buy one to start.

theranman,

It wasn't the new, down-sized Subdude that sounded poorly, it was the sub itself. It had been suitting idle for a year or so, and I something went bad. I wouldn't worry about an adverse impact from the Subdude. Earlier in this thread (I think it was this thread) there was a poster who made a strong case for concrete floors vibrating sympathetically with a sub, so maybe you will get more than an aesthetic boost from the Subdude, especially if your sub is located on an upper floor.

My crappy 8" 50W sub vibrates our concrete floor (hi-rise condo).

i bought a great gramma on eBay, and it has seriously improved the bass in my living room. it's the perfect size for the hsu vtf3-mk3. i was skeptical, but count me in as a believer now...

Just received my Gramma pad, and WOW, it was easily one of the best $50 upgrades I've made (certainly spent more on cables, etc. that have had far less impact on my system than the gamma). After listening to a couple hours of music, I'm most impressed by how much more "musical" my sub sounds. I'm in an apartment and get the occasional noise complaint, so I decided to try out a Subdude (went with the Gamma for size) to try and help out. I don't know if it will end up helping out with the neighbor, but either way, the sq has improved quite a bit and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Thanks for the recommendation guys.

Question: I live on the second floor of an apartment building ans so far i've been hesitating to get a sub because i'm a friendly neighbor and didn't want to start a war with the couple living under my apartment.

Do you think it will stop most of the vibration? I'm not settle as which sub i'm gonna get, probably in the 200-300$ range. So not a big monster.

Do you think it would works good to remove the vibration?

Are there any DIY recipes for something like this?

Question: I live on the second floor of an apartment building ans so far i've been hesitating to get a sub because i'm a friendly neighbor and didn't want to start a war with the couple living under my apartment.

Do you think it will stop most of the vibration? I'm not settle as which sub i'm gonna get, probably in the 200-300$ range. So not a big monster.

Do you think it would works good to remove the vibration?It will help with the directly-coupled/transmitted sound but not with the overall air-borne energy.

Are there any DIY recipes for something like this?Figure it out for yourself. It's a carpet-covered board sitting on a pair of Auralex foam pads.

Quick suggestion for those looking for a cheap and easy alternative isolation for their SVS subwoofers, my SVS PB-plus/2 subwoofer came very well packaged and you can use the sturdy space shuttle foam type material that supported it from being damaged when it came as an isolation platform and it works extremely well at stopping vibrations getting to the floor it's 33 inches by 23 inches and 1 and a half inches thick and its so sturdy you can stand on this material and it doesn't bend and it was obviously designed to take the full weight of the SVS subwoofer and to protect it while being shipped, it's perfect for subwoofer isolation and i was able to use other pieces of this which came with the subwoofer to isolate other equipment.

Before i used it my floorboards shook a lot as they are wooden and now they don't shake at all.

I don't think it's really foam but i don't know what the material is called.

You don't have to cut it either so if you need to return your subwoofer you can re-use it easily enough. I sandwiched a 1.5' thick IKEA cutting board between the stiff foam like padding that my multi-channel amp came packaged in. They fit together like a hand in glove. And like others in this thread I noticed a significant tightening of the bass response of my sub when I sat it on my DIY Subdude. My HT room is on a wood frame floor.

Found an interesting article about commercial use of the subdude...

LINKY (http://svconline.com/avcontrol/features/avinstall_installation_spotlight_ruehl/)

Any difference from the Auralex GRAMMA?

Someone else answered the above question by saying that the only difference between the SubDue and GRAMMA was the colors. I'm not sure if Auralex has changed the specs of these two products recently, but it looks like GRAMMA (23" L x 15" W x 2.75" high) is bigger than the SubDue (15"L x 15"W x 2.75"H). Can someone confirm the size of these?

I'm trying to buy one of these for my Bic H-100 (17”H x 15”W x 18.25”D), so I just wanted to be sure that it fits. It looks like I'm going to need GRAMMA as the SubDue is smaller than my sub, if the specs are accurate. Thanks in advance.

Someone else answered the above question by saying that the only difference between the SubDue and GRAMMA was the colors. I'm not sure if Auralex has changed the specs of these two products recently, but it looks like GRAMMA (23" L x 15" W x 2.75" high) is bigger than the SubDue (15"L x 15"W x 2.75"H). Can someone confirm the size of these?

I'm trying to buy one of these for my Bic H-100 (17”H x 15”W x 18.25”D), so I just wanted to be sure that it fits. It looks like I'm going to need GRAMMA as the SubDue is smaller than my sub, if the specs are accurate. Thanks in advance.

Those specs are correct. The older SubDude used to be the size of the current GRAMMA, thus the confusion.

So currently, the Auralex products are: SubDude, GRAMMA and Great Gramma.....Small, Medium and Large.

Someone else answered the above question by saying that the only difference between the SubDue and GRAMMA was the colors. I'm not sure if Auralex has changed the specs of these two products recently, but it looks like GRAMMA (23" L x 15" W x 2.75" high) is bigger than the SubDue (15"L x 15"W x 2.75"H). Can someone confirm the size of these?

I'm trying to buy one of these for my Bic H-100 (17”H x 15”W x 18.25”D), so I just wanted to be sure that it fits. It looks like I'm going to need GRAMMA as the SubDue is smaller than my sub, if the specs are accurate. Thanks in advance.


Yes, the Subdudes are now smaller than the Grammas. Those measurements are accurate.

Can anyone confirm that the gramma is longer than the subdude? Sweetwater.com shows the subdude as being 15'' X 15" and the Gramma as being 23" X 15"? Thanks, Rob

HI All. I'm confused about when the subdude makes sense to use. In my case, I have a room that's carpeted, thick pad, but on a floor with a basement. Normal subflooring and joists. Will these make any difference in decoupling the subs further than what the carpet/pad do already?

Or are these really for situation where the subs are on a hardwood floor with no isolation?

Thanks

15x 23 fits an STF-3 perfectly. I have all hardwood floors right now and think I have to put this on my wish list.

Those specs are correct. The older SubDude used to be the size of the current GRAMMA, thus the confusion.

So currently, the Auralex products are: SubDude, GRAMMA and Great Gramma.....Small, Medium and Large.


Yes, the Subdudes are now smaller than the Grammas. Those measurements are accurate.

Thank you both for the clarification. :)

Ressurecting this thread...

I live in a duplex with hardwood floors. I don't want to be a hypocrite by complaining about my neighbors bass when I've got my own SVS PCi-20-39 to worry about. Will the Subdude help with the low frequencies?

Thanks,
Mark

Ressurecting this thread...

I live in a duplex with hardwood floors. I don't want to be a hypocrite by complaining about my neighbors bass when I've got my own SVS PCi-20-39 to worry about. Will the Subdude help with the low frequencies?

Thanks,
Mark When I ordered my 20-39 pc+ last month from SVS I purchased the subdude and it works great. My problem is it is not large enough to use with the PB12+2 that I ordered Thursday any body want a deal on mine? 40.00 shipped to your door.email me [email]zossbarham@cs.com

When I ordered my 20-39 pc+ last month from SVS I pirchased the subdude and it works great. My problem is it is not large enough to use with the PB12+2 that I ordered Thursday any body want a deal on mine? 40.00 shipped to your door. Chas email me zossbarham@cs.com

You'll sell your PB12 for $40?! What a deal :D

Just kidding. Well, this is good to know. Any suggestions for a couple of DefTech BP10B loudspeakers? I see Auralex makes a "GRAMMA" that appears to be very similar to the Subdude.


Mark

Okay... just ordered the Subdude. Hopefully my neighbors will like it :)

Mark

Does anyone have an H-100 on a Subdude and can you comment?

Okay... just ordered the Subdude. Hopefully my neighbors will like it :)

Mark

Hey Mark,

Any reports on your SubDude yet? I live in a townhouse with a neighbor who's got a subwoofer. By no means is he rattling the place down with it, but the low frequency sound that you can hear coming through the walls every once in a while is a bit distracting when trying to watch something on TV. I'm thinking of ordering a SubDude for the guy and see if will eliminate some of the bleed coming into our unit from his.

Do you think it will help at all? Any feedback from anyone would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure where in his unit his sub is or anything like that, but we can definitely hear it. I've talked to him about it a couple of times and know that he has turned it down for sure, but any further steps that can be taken to restore a bit of my sanity would be awesome...LOL.

When I ordered my 20-39 pc+ last month from SVS I purchased the subdude and it works great. My problem is it is not large enough to use with the PB12+2 that I ordered Thursday any body want a deal on mine? 40.00 shipped to your door.email me [email]zossbarham@cs.com STILL AVAILABLE!

Hey Mark,

Any reports on your SubDude yet? I live in a townhouse with a neighbor who's got a subwoofer. By no means is he rattling the place down with it, but the low frequency sound that you can hear coming through the walls every once in a while is a bit distracting when trying to watch something on TV. I'm thinking of ordering a SubDude for the guy and see if will eliminate some of the bleed coming into our unit from his.

Do you think it will help at all? Any feedback from anyone would be greatly appreciated. I'm not sure where in his unit his sub is or anything like that, but we can definitely hear it. I've talked to him about it a couple of times and know that he has turned it down for sure, but any further steps that can be taken to restore a bit of my sanity would be awesome...LOL.

I haven't had a chance to test it out. I will let you know as soon as I do. But, I have to warn you, I don't have the equipment to measure the difference with/without the Subdude so the only evidence I would have supporting its performance would be purely anecdotal.

I haven't had a chance to test it out. I will let you know as soon as I do. But, I have to warn you, I don't have the equipment to measure the difference with/without the Subdude so the only evidence I would have supporting its performance would be purely anecdotal.

Sounds good. Anything you can offer would be great.

The funniest part about the whole thing is that my neighbor's name is Zolton.

^^^
You don't live next to me, do you?

^^^
You don't live next to me, do you?

LOL. I don't know if I do or not? Where do you live?

HI All. I'm confused about when the subdude makes sense to use. In my case, I have a room that's carpeted, thick pad, but on a floor with a basement. Normal subflooring and joists. Will these make any difference in decoupling the subs further than what the carpet/pad do already?

Or are these really for situation where the subs are on a hardwood floor with no isolation?

Thanks

Not much gain in this case.

The subdude has major impact when using with subs sitting on a hardwood floor on thinner pads. And a near must for compact subs from REL,Sunfire,Carver,Definitive,SVS SB12,Velo SPL/smaller HGS/DD subs...

These when pushed hard will vibrate and you can correct the situation using thick,fat soft rubber pads to some extent. I use Auralex as well as cheapo very thick (1/2-3/4") rubber/foam pads. These almost do the job of the Auralex.

The greatest gain was with the Sunfire D8,the smallest sub.It really eliminates the most serious problem in all tiny very highe excustion subs,buzzing or squeaking on the pads when violent deep bass outbursts arrive.

This may be obvious, but here it goes anyway. The Auralex is equally effective for downward firing subs as it is for front firing, right?

I just purchased a Paradigm Seismic 12, and it will be sitting on a hardwood floor over a crawl space. I already own the Auralex, from a previous sub that was front firing, so I can try it out for myself, but was curious if anyone knew the answer.

This may be obvious, but here it goes anyway. The Auralex is equally effective for downward firing subs as it is for front firing, right?

It's probably more effective for downward firing subs. Since they tend to be quite good at vibrating the floorboards.

I've got a SVS CS-Ultra and just recently put about three inches of foam underneath it. Probably overkill, but it does sound less boomy than before.

Is there a way to tell if your room needs one of these by how much vibration you can feel in the walls/floor? Should you feel it more in the floor than you can in your chest(I can)? Or is that a sign you need one of these?

When I first got my VRP 1000, I didn't put the feet on at first(they got tossed aside in the fun of a "new toy"), and when I found them a few hours later and stuck them on, I was shocked at how much of an improvement sticking a few nickel-sized rubber pads to the sub made. I'm wondering if that might be a sign my room has severe floor vibration issues, despite the carpeting(it's not terribly thick carpet). I was planning on blowing off this purchase for another year until I'm in college and have neighbors to worry about, but this thread made me think otherwise. Any help?

Quick question.... I ordered a Great GRAMMA to put under my SVS PB12-Ultra/2 (I have very springy hardwood floors). After reading this entire thread a couple of times I have high hopes for this product and my vibration/rattle issues. The question is, does anyone have an opinion as to whether I should remove the rubber feet, which came preattached to the bottom of my SVS PB12-Ultra/2 (there were additional rubber feet included with the sub which I didn't use) before I set it atop the Great GRAMMA? What have others with the PB12-Ultra/2 done?

Quick question.... I ordered a Great GRAMMA to put under my SVS PB12-Ultra/2 (I have very springy hardwood floors). After reading this entire thread a couple of times I have high hopes for this product and my vibration/rattle issues. The question is, does anyone have an opinion as to whether I should remove the rubber feet, which came preattached to the bottom of my SVS PB12-Ultra/2 (there were additional rubber feet included with the sub which I didn't use) before I set it atop the Great GRAMMA? What have others with the PB12-Ultra/2 done?

I use the Gramma under my PB12-ISD, and I've tried it with the stock feet, as well as the little rubber feet that can be added, and didn't notice a difference either way. I believe the conventional wisdom is that it doesn't much matter what feet you use to couple the sub to the Auralex. It works great in my apartment by the way. Really contains the booms and rattles while keeping the bass nice and punchy.

Just ordered the great gramma for my SVS PB12 Plus/2. I have carpeted wood floors over a crawlspace so it sounds like this is just the thing for my livingroom. Thanks for all the info here.

Is there a way to tell if your room needs one of these by how much vibration you can feel in the walls/floor? Should you feel it more in the floor than you can in your chest(I can)? Or is that a sign you need one of these?

You shouldn't really feel the floor vibrating. If you can then the floor is acting like a big speaker, and smearing the bass sounds.

Try this. Stand in the middle of your room and bounce up and down. Don't jump off the floor and slam back down like you're auditioning for Blue Man Group, just a moderate bounce. If nothing much happens then your floor is pretty solid. If it's like my room then it shakes and rattles everything in the room. That's a pretty good sign you need a Subdude, or something like it.

This thread reminds me of the recommendation I remember reading back in some old Stereophile, which was to use four tennis balls under the feet of the sub to act as a decoupling device.

Has anyone tried this? If so, how does it compare to the results of the Subdude? Anyone with a Subdude want to try an A/B test?

ScottI asked this question just over a year ago, and I don't think anyone's ever taken me up on the challenge.

Does anyone have any interest in doing a comparison between the Subdude or Gramma and tennis balls?

Scott

jeffrey r- Thanks for the reply. I guess I'll just leave the existing feet on and try it that way. According to tracking the Great GRAMMA should be here sometime on Wednesday.

My Grand GRAMMA arrived yesterday. What a difference! Best $99 I ever spent! Prior to slipping the Grand GRAMMA under my SVS PB12-Ultra/2, the top of my right front speaker (CSW MC600HD on CSW's matching stand), the one closest to the SVS, would oscillate about 3/8" - 1/2" back and forth when I played track #2 from Bass Mekanik's "Reload" album. With the Grand GRAMMA, all oscillations, buzzes and rattles are gone! Deep bass is much tighter and cleaner sounding. I highly recommend this product!

PGIV, sounds good :) My gramma arrives tomorrow for my pb12 plus/2.

Seems like one could buy these http://www.truesoundcontrol.com/products/PLATSHEETSIN.html and make their own platform, custom sized to their sub, and provide a Platfoam thickness of 2" below the entire length of their sub. Hmmmm......I think I will try it. Shipping is free.

Seems like one could buy these http://www.truesoundcontrol.com/products/PLATSHEETSIN.html and make their own platform, custom sized to their sub, and provide a Platfoam thickness of 2" below the entire length of their sub. Hmmmm......I think I will try it. Shipping is free.


yeah i was thinking the same thing for my 25-31 pci. what would you use for the platform material?

The Subdude looks like a hunk of MDF covered in carpet. I have some Ipe planks(extremely dense wood) in my garage that I could use. Since the Platfoam is the actual "decoupler", it really shouldn't matter what the subwoofer sits on, as long as that substance doesn't create its own resonances, and as long as only Platfoam touches the floor.

i wonder if one of these would maybe correct my issue, i have a image dynamics 12" dual 2 ohm sub installed in a ported 3 way floor standing enclosure. the tweeter and mid arent hooked up, only the sub recieves power from a dayton audio 240 watt plate amp. it sounds great the only problem is the actual whole enclosure vibrates on the floor itself. its a concrete floor with linoleum layed over it. every so often after a few days i actually have to reposition the enclosure because it ends up moving from its position. it also makes a slight rattle sometimes as it vibrates against the floor. i thought of maybe putting a towel or some type of foam pad under it, but i havent actually tried it yet.

The Subdude looks like a hunk of MDF covered in carpet. I have some Ipe planks(extremely dense wood) in my garage that I could use. Since the Platfoam is the actual "decoupler", it really shouldn't matter what the subwoofer sits on, as long as that substance doesn't create its own resonances, and as long as only Platfoam touches the floor.

cool. so maybe i can grab some MDF? scrap carpet for aesthetics. so you're saying you would attach the foam to the bottom of the wood so the sub sits on the wood portion with the foam resting on the floor? the wood sandwiched between the sub and the foam?

how would you attach the foam? i was thinking something along the lines of a car headliner adhesive (spray contact cement). spray the board and the back of the foam (after cutting to size) roll the foam onto the platform and spread and firm down w/ the palms of your hands. thats how i did my bronco headliner and IMO would be the same philosophy.

this seems like a really easy project that could be built to perfectly fit any sub. how much is MDF?

this seems like a really easy project that could be built to perfectly fit any sub. how much is MDF?

You should be able to buy more MDF than you need for $10 or so. A 2X4 sheet of 3/4" is usually in the $8 range. If your platform is going to be less than 2X2 then you can buy one sheet and double up on the thickness. Probably not necessary, but it'll be nice and strong that way.

As for the feet there's nothing magical about this platfoam stuff. It's just foam blocks. Any similar material will work. You want something soft enough to act as a shock absorber, but stiff enough to withstand the sub's weight without squashing all out of shape.

screw it i'm swamped with work and no time for DIY right now. i ordered the great gramma for my 25-31 and i'm hoping it will tame some boominess on it. it's not terribly boomy but, i have very limited placement options so i'm hoping it will help out. i have berber over a plywood sub floor over a concrete foundation and i do feel vibrations through the floor at times. again not too bad but, it is there if $99 helps it it'll be a great quick investment. if it doesn't this is one purchase i will send back.

Any particular reason why you went with the great GRAMMA instead of the smaller versions? Seems like the cylinders would fit pretty nicely on the 15x15 subdude.

Any particular reason why you went with the great GRAMMA instead of the smaller versions? Seems like the cylinders would fit pretty nicely on the 15x15 subdude.

the cylinder base on the sub i think is exactly 15" in diameter. i was worried about it being too tight of a fit and the laws of gravity with a taller sub. if it was a box sub i would've just gotten a gramma or subdude. i guess i was worried about the cylinder being unstable due to it's height. so with the great gramma being 30" x 19" it may be overkill but i should have a couple inches of play as far as the diameter of the sub goes.

with the added length of the great gramma i thought maybe i would have some extra play space, so i can tuck it and the sub into the corner a little tighter and maybe eliminate some of the boom i found when i had the sub all the way into the corner. as of now due to boominess i moved the sub about a foot out of the corner and a foot to the right along the front wall. i know that may not work but, maybe it will. if i place the great gramma in the corner i have 30" of play i can move the sub around on IMO making it a bit easier to correct it's placement. rahter than a smaller pad where i would have to lift the sub off the riser move the riser etc. etc. with a larger pad it just seems more flexible in finding a better spot. also being a bit bigger maybe it would dampen things a bit better? if that makes any sense.

i know i could use treatments to help that but, right now i cant do that.

got my great gramma for my 22-31 pci yesterday from sweetwater. great company btw, quick shipping. 5 days from indiana (i believe) to socal. ordered on monday had it by friday in time to check out the pre-release dvd of apocalypto- great movie.

couple notes on the great gramma: it is long obviously. but, IMO thats a good thing as there is more absorption materials underneath. i tucked the gramma and butted it right into the corner and then put my sub almost at the end of it- further along the wall away from the corner about 2 feet. i didn't put it all the way at the end of the gramma as i was afraid it may tip it due to the length of the great gramma. i left about 4- 6" on the end.

i felt tucking the gramma into the corner would lower the resonating of the corner there. the extra length was handy for that. it also looks like a DIY like we spoke of earlier is not as simple as just the platfoam and mdf. i mean it isn't rocket science but, it does have some of that purple corner or bass trap material under it as well, so that may bump up the price of a DIY project. all in all IMO a longer gramma means more absorption which made sense to me plus a little more room to play with placement of the sub without having to lift the sub and the gramma- within reason of course.

so after getting it in place. i DID notice a definite difference immediately with a quick test of some garbage bass heavy gangsta movie on HBO HD. while watching apocalypto for my full evaluation (which has some pretty heavy bass parts), after checking the spl calibration, i noticed a BIG decrease in floor resonance and corner boom. there was some floor resonance in some REALLY deep parts of the soundtrack but, i would say they were reduced by about 80%. i would say the corner boom was reduced by the same. i still felt the bass but more in the chest kind of thing rather than through the floor. much cleaner, and even though i had the volume turned up fairly loud i didn't get the usual "GOD ISN'T IT A LITTLE LOUD" complaints that i used to get from the other 1/2on the bass heavy parts- which was nice. my floor is berber carpet over plywood over concrete. as far as WAF i didn't tell her i ordered it, and she still doesn't even know it's there. but, i do have my svs cylinder in that corner behind a chair. which sort of conceals it but, you can see one end of it.

so all in all i think it was a nice little investment. i don't think it will take the place of proper room treatments. but, we don't all have the option of doing that right now do we? i also think coupled with an EQ like the BFD for $99 as well- which i will be picking up here in the next few weeks- it can really help taming some issues and make things much better.

my 2 cents...

Ok, question. Out of all of the people who loves their Auralex (and there are obviously alot of you that do), how many of you use it on carpeted floors?

Mine are on carpeted floors over wood with a raised foundation, and what a difference!!!

Same here, carpeted floors over a crawlspace and it makes a huge difference!

I bought the Gramma Isolation Riser for my 20-39 PCi.

I have carpet over a subfloor and what I noticed was much less vibration from the floor. It's still there but not as much.
It was worth the $50.

I bought the Gramma Isolation Riser for my 20-39 PCi.

I have carpet over a subfloor and what I noticed was much less vibration from the floor. It's still there but not as much.
It was worth the $50.

Thats nice to hear. I actually just bought a Gramma the other day also for my 20-39PCi that was spose to arrive today but I was asleep when the UPS guy was here. I gotta wait till Monday now to test the SVS and Gramma :(

So I live in a pretty large loft style condo on the 3rd floor with brand new construction. I told the salespeople that I have a pretty serious home theater setup before I bought and wanted to be assured that the neighbors won't complain. He gave me a walk through showing me the construction... between each unit both on the sides, top and bottom... there is airspace between the walls so that it is like being in seperate houses. There is also a ton of airspace between our floor and our neighbors ceiling... with a floor made of wood, but weighed down with a layer of concrete. He assured me that it would be fine.

Well fast forward 8 months and we haven't really been getting direct complaints, but even though they say it is ok... it seems they have been hinting that my system composed of B&W towers, and Hsu VTF-3 has been too loud... especially the bass.

The system is in a big room with hardwood floors... and you can still feel the floor vibrate alot with people just walking on it.

So what is it the transmits the sound... is it the vibrating floor and walls acting as a giant speaker? if the Subdude isolates the vibrations from the subwoofer... then the sound transmitted via air should not get through to my neighbors as much right?

Also... I have noticed that my B&W's seem a bit colored... they sit directly on the floor as well. Will these help?

http://www.truesoundcontrol.com/products/MOPAD3.html

Thanks...

What do you guys use between your sub and gramma? Does it matta?

I think my sub has rubber feet underneath, that may be removable.

You don't need to remove the sub's feet. Just put it on there.

You don't need to remove the sub's feet. Just put it on there.

What about spikes?

What about spikes?

THis is my question too. Does coupling it to the subdude help?

Anyone ever use a subdude to raise speakers?? I have Paradigm Studio 40 on 18" stands and need to raise my speakers 3-4 inches...Two of these would be less expensive than new speaker stands...........

Thanks

One of those typical "Should I..." questions that are best answered with a "Try both and decide for yourself"...

I give it a try anyway.


Should I place the Great GRAMMA (PB13 Ultra on top) directly on my wooden floor (remove the carpet from this corner) or place it on my nice persian carpet?

Thanks!

Just made my own for around $10.00.
Small sheet of 1/2 " MDF and a carpet and foam blocks.
Works like a champ.
Much tighter bass, no BOOOOOOOM.

1

I have the velodyne DLS-4000R in a 2nd floor condo. I just hooked it up yesterday and the place SHAKES. Best bet to order one of these? what do you guys think?

I have the velodyne DLS-4000R in a 2nd floor condo. I just hooked it up yesterday and the place SHAKES. Best bet to order one of these? what do you guys think?

For the sake of your neighbors... I would.

For the sake of your neighbors... I would.

I figured. At this point I was almost considering selling the sub...it is pretty powerful, but sounds so good. I just didn't know if the gramma would help with this issue at all.

Just made my own for around $10.00.
Small sheet of 1/2 " MDF and a carpet and foam blocks.
Works like a champ.
Much tighter bass, no BOOOOOOOM.
Paisteman,

Would you care to give more details as how you built your own? Cuuld you post some pictures?
Thanks!

would be nice to know how to make it for $10 instead of spending $50

would be nice to know how to make it for $10 instead of spending $50

I did mine for $6.99. Went to Target and got a package of stacked "work pads" made of hard foam rubber that are @ 15"x15". Can't remember exactly what they're called. They came in a package of 4 and when stacked are @ 2.5-3" tall. I put my corner-loaded STF-2 right on top of them, and though they ever so slightly reduced the sub's output level, it tightened up and smoothed out the bass. Auralex can kiss my ass :cool:

I did mine for $6.99. Went to Target and got a package of stacked "work pads" made of hard foam rubber that are @ 15"x15". Can't remember exactly what they're called. They came in a package of 4 and when stacked are @ 2.5-3" tall. I put my corner-loaded STF-2 right on top of them, and though they ever so slightly reduced the sub's output level, it tightened up and smoothed out the bass. Auralex can kiss my ass :cool:

Interesting. Do you have a picture?

Interesting. Do you have a picture?

somewhere. i'll dig it up. It does the job but probably isn't as nice looking as what Paisteman put together

find the pic?

Yes, where are the pictures? How about you Paisteman???:D

For those of you who have built a similar solution. could you please post instructions describing how you did it (meterials used, where you got it, etc)? Pictures would also be great. Let's try to get this thread going again.

Thanks!

ok so I am interested in the SubDude but have a question. I have wood floors (real not pergo) but they cover a concrete slab. From what I can gather given the setup, I might not really benefit from this sort of product.

any comments

same problem here neighbors downstairs... gramma on the way.. will post results

I would think that a flat base (MDF), with some spikes on the bottom (3--to make it easier to balance) would do the same, if not better, job of de-coupling the sound source to the floor, wouldn't it? Why does the Auralex just use a foam-based base, rather than spikes?

Yes, where are the pictures? How about you Paisteman???:D

I'd guess something akin to this

http://www.globalindustrial.com/gcs/product/productsPerPicGroups.web?picGroupKey=4543&options.parentCategoryKey=145&index=25&catSearchParams.categoryKey=4426&REQ_SUB_CAT=Kneeling+Mats#gridAnchor

or like the rubber sections used for exercise room floors.

I would think that a flat base (MDF), with some spikes on the bottom (3--to make it easier to balance) would do the same, if not better, job of de-coupling the sound source to the floor, wouldn't it? Why does the Auralex just use a foam-based base, rather than spikes?Because spikes couple and transfer energy while foam tends to decouple and isolate.

Because spikes couple and transfer energy while foam tends to decouple and isolate.

Ahhhh, so THAT'S why they put spikes under speaker stands instead of foam...so that the speakers will transfer their energy thru the floor! ;)

C'mon folks, it's a simple matter of density of the conductive material X area of coverage. I suspect that spikes would indeed transfer less sound thru the floor below, but I haven't done the appropriate experiments to verify, nor does it appear that anybody else has either. Pull out those SPL meters folks!

Wait a second....those cheap SPL meters aren't very accurate for low bass measurements. Never mind.

Ahhhh, so THAT'S why they put spikes under speaker stands instead of foam...so that the speakers will transfer their energy thru the floor! ;)No. Spikes apply the energy to a very small area and, assuming the surface is hard, convert some of that energy to heat. Without a compliance, there's no way they can decouple.

No. Spikes apply the energy to a very small area and, assuming the surface is hard, convert some of that energy to heat. Without a compliance, there's no way they can decouple.

Well, ok makes sense. If we want to dissipate, then instead of using spikes, what about using sorbothane feet, or some similar material? Would that be potentially more effective than a big piece of energy absorbent foam? Would that give perhaps a more musical benefit than the form (i.e. allowing tight, refind bass, but yet decreasing unwanted energy/vibration)? I don't know, I'm just speaking hypothetically...

As theranman implied earlier, it is not the material but its physical characteristics that give the device its performance. So, sorbothane and other compliant materials are alternatives to foam but (1) they are more expensive and (2) the SubDude is an inexpensive and successful product. It works (in the right situation). Feel free to experiment with other materials but, for me, it isn't worth the bother. I have 2 SubDudes under the sub in my small system and they are very effective in isolating the sub from the sprung wood floor.

I have 2 SubDudes under the sub in my small system and they are very effective in isolating the sub from the sprung wood floor.



Two?! How big is the sub in your 'small' system? ;)

Two?! How big is the sub in your 'small' system? ;)Not big. Just a Paradigm Servo-15 but it sorta straddles one SubDude, so I used 2 for a more stable platform.

Yes, where are the pictures? How about you Paisteman???:D

I'd guess something akin to this

http://www.globalindustrial.com/gcs/product/productsPerPicGroups.web?picGroupKey=4543&options.parentCategoryKey=145&index=25&catSearchParams.categoryKey=4426&REQ_SUB_CAT=Kneeling+Mats#gridAnchor

or like the rubber sections used for exercise room floors.


Damn I totally forgot about this thread. Sorry! Anyway, yeah, they're interlocking mats, basically the same thing as what krab posted but mine look like this: Oh, and they were $8 and not $50 ;)

http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/ma/marcy-high-impact-protective-matting.jpg

Would a subdude enhance my velodyne DLS-3500R? Its in my room in an upstairs bedroom.

Yes, where are the pictures? How about you Paisteman???:D

Sorry, I never saw these replies at all.
I don't have a pic for you, but it's very easy to do.
1/2 " MDF from HD.
Small entry way carpet(had plenty here).
Foam blocks under from shipping of my sub.
Hardest part was getting the beast up and on there.
It made a big difference to my ears.
It could look better but I have mine at the end of a couch near the wall, so only a corner is showing.
My sub is so big that I would have had to buy the great gramma.
I saved a lot of cash.

Paisteman, thanks for the reply.
I am still interested in building my own, but I don't know what kind of foam to use to support it. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Paisteman, thanks for the reply.
I am still interested in building my own, but I don't know what kind of foam to use to support it. Any ideas?

Thanks!
Go to a arts and crafts store, or a HD and ask for a firm block type of foam, nothing squishy.

I had to decouple my sub from my floor, works very well.

ok so I am interested in the SubDude but have a question. I have wood floors (real not pergo) but they cover a concrete slab. From what I can gather given the setup, I might not really benefit from this sort of product.

any comments

Like Suzook, I have real wood floors and it covers a concrete slab as well. I live on the top floor in a concrete condo (with 8" thick poured concrete floors and 8" thick cinderblock walls w/drywall) comprising of artist's lofts, my neighbours; to my L&R beside me, and below me.
My "room" is 50'x18'x18', when I play my powered M&K 12"(200w) turned up full, it subtley rattles my kitchen and any hanging glasses. I will soon have my Epik Conquest :D(1000w) here, and I was also wondering from what I've read, will I benefit from some Auralex Subdudes/Grammas?

right now i am using the packing foam from my velodyne 3500r under mine. I may buy one. I am in a 2nd floor condo...and i dont' have it loud, but it rumbles and shakes the floor a bit. Rather just shake the room. My floors are berber (or however you spell it) with hardwood under.

Where is the cheapest to get one?

I had 2 other avs members over at my condo recently, I was testing my Epik Conquest, listening to music as well as movies. As I said before I live in an artist loft in an open room basically that's 50x18x18, wood floors covering a concrete slab. WOTW and Flight of the Phoenix were played and the 10 minute passage where the bass was most intense in WOTW and FOTP (my receiver LFE was calibrated at 10 out of 12) and the volume was so loud that it was hard to have a conversation, in fact we had the volume on the receiver set at 55 out of a max. of 82. The FOTP passage was alot more intense than WOTW!!! We could literally feel the floor shaking...I was wondering if my neighbours could "hear" my sub, well, a minute after I had announced that, there was a loud knock on my door. Six of my neighbours were bewildered, comments like, "our pipes on our ceiling were rattling as well as our glasses in our kitchen". :(
My floor is basically wood which covers a concrete slab, (8 inch thick poured concrete floors) but some people on here state that concrete is inert. I really think that's a fallacy because if it were true, then my neighbours wouldn't be complaining. I utilized 4-20" long/ 2" thick, foam packing strips which came w/the Conquest, placed under the sub.
So...does anyone else have a similar experience? But has Auralex Subdudes/Grammas...I know I've said it before, but would I benefit from having a couple of Subdudes/Grammas??? Any suggestions on this most welcome!!!

A gramma might be a little more effective than your packing foam but you are still going to have issues if you try to run the sub at that volume.

Why on earth did you buy an Epik Conquest if you live in a condo?

I just built a custom sized Subdude platform for my HSU VTF-1.

Even though it is made out of off the shelf material, it is effective. But I have a VTF-1 which is about half the sub of your Conquest.

I think an actual Subdude/Gramma platform would help, but it certainly won't be enough if you want to listen at those levels. I'm guessing you were just showing off a bit. :D That sure is a hell of a lot of sub for a condo.

I tested my little ghetto-dude platform with "Master and Commander" and it does isolate the sub from the floor. I simply couldn't feel the bass in my feet with the cannon fire as much as I could without it. I really don't think it would stand much of a chance with War of the Worlds though. Again, it helps, but there's more going on than just what's vibrating through the floor.


If I were you I would definitely get a couple Subdudes to put under that behemoth. Maybe even look into finding some vibration mats to put under the the subdudes. The vibration mat's I'm talking about are used under industrial machinery and may be hard to find.

How can a concrete slab vibrate?

KalYour quote from 2-15-06/08:36 am, my username is 3/PS, please check out my little story dated 3-9-08/ 11:33 am in the Epik Subwoofer Thread. With your expertise, since you write for a famous magazine, could you and/or any of your peers possibly give me any insight on the Auralex Subdudes/Grammas re:hardwood combined with poured concrete floors?

Thanks, Pat