Auralex Subdude a MUST HAVE!! - Page 2

Has anyone tried one of these on concrete?

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

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.

Hey Kal, you and the author have the same name! 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.

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

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

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)

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 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.

How can a concrete slab vibrate?

Kal

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.

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

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.

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.

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 .

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?

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..

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.

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