Sofa with built in subwoofer - does it make sense?

[Edgar]

Sometime soon I will buy a sofa. And possibly I want one or two subwoofers.
Now I think about if it makes sense to get a custom-made sofa with subwoofers integrated.
I live in Thailand and locally made this is probably not too expensive.
The question for me is: Does it make sense?
I guess separate subwoofers are the best choice, because I can place them wherever I want. But maybe a sofa with integrated subwoofers is also not so bad.
I could make sure that the volume is sealed and correct for the driver(s). I would also make sure this is built sturdy.
So, if this is all built correctly, does it make sense?

I have JBL 708P speakers, which are pretty good. From the manual: "FREQUENCY RESPONSE +/-3 dB: 41Hz-25kHz"
I would need the subwoofers only for the frequencies maybe < 60Hz.

What do you think? Good idea?

 

[JSmith]

What do you think? Good idea?

It's been done before... (search for subwoofer sofa) ... but I don't think it's the best idea for many reasons;

Limited space, muffled bass, resonance and vibrations, sound diffusion issues, heat dissipation, bass response in general, access and maintenance issues etc.


JSmith

 

[ppataki]

I have done a similar project, see here:

Thread 'Murphy Corner Line Array re-purposing as a sub' https://audiosciencereview.com/foru...orner-line-array-re-purposing-as-a-sub.50406/

The major drawback of putting a subwoofer in or under your seat (sofa, armchair, couch, etc.) is that you will interpret the vibrations as distortion.
I would not recommend it either

 

[kemmler3D]

I have heard worse ideas, (and better ones) but putting the sub close to / at the listening position seems to work well when people try it.

 

[LTig]

I once played an E-drum after a pro demo using headphones. It sounded fantastic and I felt the drum kicks like a real physical drum. Turned out that the drum seat contained a transducer which created the low bass which reaches the ear through bone conduction. Since I hadn't noticed this I can say that if done correctly it works great. Don't know if one can do this similarly well with rather soft sofa seats.

Edit: the seat was by Porter & Davies.

 

[Keith_W]

I will roll out my favourite answer: try REW's room simulator In MY room at least, putting the sub at the listening position evens out the bass a little.

Here is one sub positioned between the speakers.

And here is one sub placed under the listener.

You will find that using more subs will give you a better bass response. The problem is - where are you going to put all those subs? Most of us are limited in where we can place them, so in that situation, building a sub into the sofa is a viable solution.

As the others have mentioned, vibration and maintenance issues are a concern. I would suggest that you do not build the subwoofer into the sofa. It would be better to build the sofa with a subwoofer sized cavity and put a subwoofer in there, making sure that the subwoofer does not touch the frame of the sofa. That way, you can easily remove the sub and place it elsewhere in the room if you want to experiment.

 

[kemmler3D]

I will roll out my favourite answer: try REW's room simulator In MY room at least, putting the sub at the listening position evens out the bass a little.

View attachment 389357

Here is one sub positioned between the speakers.

View attachment 389359

And here is one sub placed under the listener.

You will find that using more subs will give you a better bass response. The problem is - where are you going to put all those subs? Most of us are limited in where we can place them, so in that situation, building a sub into the sofa is a viable solution.

As the others have mentioned, vibration and maintenance issues are a concern. I would suggest that you do not build the subwoofer into the sofa. It would be better to build the sofa with a subwoofer sized cavity and put a subwoofer in there, making sure that the subwoofer does not touch the frame of the sofa. That way, you can easily remove the sub and place it elsewhere in the room if you want to experiment.

I think this is the best answer so far.

 

[JSmith]

Some put tactile bass shakers in their couches or HT chairs... not so much sub-woofers.


JSmith

 

[Edgar]

Thanks for all your answers.
My conclusion until now is that it's not a stupid idea and it might work.
I guess my next step will be to talk to a custom sofa builder and look if they can do what I have in my mind.
I guess the easiest build is to have the speaker output at the front of the sofa. That means I would have maybe two holes 12" in the front of the sofa and a sturdy sealed area behind that.
But maybe it's better/easier to have the output somewhere else.
If I try it and it doesn't work, then worst case I remove the speaker chassis and put them in external enclosures.

Something like that - just the rough idea.

 

[DanielT]

Speaking of vibrations. Here is a person who built a custom subwoofer for placement under a sofa. So not in the sofa but placed under it. After a few weeks he decided to stabilize the sofa and reduce the vibrations because his ass had had enough of the bass massage.

The sofa is stabilized:


Incidentally, the subwoofer under the sofa is designed by a real professional. He has cooperated with Genelec, or know people at Genelec (I don't remember exactly what he said about it). He who designed the subwoofer is not the same person who built it.

All drawings can be found in the thread below. It also shows how it was measurements,EQ done, how the time delay was fixed and so on. A complete solution for that specific listening room, that is.
The subwoofer itself can of course be placed in any room, if it fits under a sofa.

faktiskt.io • Visa tråd - Soffsub

 

[kemmler3D]

If you do this, and actually build it into the sofa, please make the subwoofer a dual-opposed (push-push) design. This should mostly cancel out the vibrations.

 

[DanielT]

Thanks for all your answers.
My conclusion until now is that it's not a stupid idea and it might work.
I guess my next step will be to talk to a custom sofa builder and look if they can do what I have in my mind.
I guess the easiest build is to have the speaker output at the front of the sofa. That means I would have maybe two holes 12" in the front of the sofa and a sturdy sealed area behind that.
But maybe it's better/easier to have the output somewhere else.
If I try it and it doesn't work, then worst case I remove the speaker chassis and put them in external enclosures.

Something like that - just the rough idea.

View attachment 389366

Why not, because as you say: If I try it and it doesn't work, then worst case I remove the speaker chassis and put them in external enclosures.

Can you live with the vibrations it will bring, then it is nema's problemas.

Edit:
Place a thick pillow or a mattress (something as thick as your cushions on your sofa) on a large subwoofer. Then sit on the pillow/mattress/sub. Turn the volume up high. If it feels ok, your built-in sofa subwoofer won't be an annoyance regarding vibrations.

 

[Edgar]

I guess there will be vibrations also if the subs are not inside the sofa. The whole idea about subs is to have "vibrations".

 

[Rednaxela]

Just the sofa?

 

[Laagman]

My old roommate once built one. It was a nice effect for movies because of the vibrations but not more then that.

 

[egellings]

It's been done before... (search for subwoofer sofa) ... but I don't think it's the best idea for many reasons;

Limited space, muffled bass, resonance and vibrations, sound diffusion issues, heat dissipation, bass response in general, access and maintenance issues etc.


JSmith

Optimal placement for a subwoofer might not align with optimal placement for a sofa.

 

[kemmler3D]

Optimal placement for a subwoofer might not align with optimal placement for a sofa.

Yes, but by sitting right on top of it (leaving aside absorption from the couch itself) you maximize the SPL you hear, but minimize the SPL the neighbors hear... this can be a big advantage depending on your living situation.

There was one user here who hid a low-profile sub behind an art panel right behind their couch, next to their head... while it restricts the listening position, they got even bass with minimum disturbance to anyone else... which is a common problem with subs of course.

 

[Sangthip]

Sounds like an crazy, but fun ide, keep us updated pls. If u build the sub-sofa I would really like to have some info where u made it in Bkk and the price etc. I acctually had a 2 piece corner sofa made to order 15 years ago, still in use, here on Phuket. So quality is good. I know that the company is still active, maybe I should contact them about a 2 seater Sub-Sofa.

 

[DonH56]

I would not build a sub into a sofa personally. Ties the sub to the sofa, be a lot of work to build and integrate, and chances are good the sofa is not the ideal place for a sub. For tactile feedback, ButtKickers work well (I do not have them, but have felt them in action, and they seem well-regarded): https://thebuttkicker.com/

 

[Oddball]

Interesting idea but challenging as others noted. ButtKickers are for tactile response if you like that kind of thing under the seat.

You need to think about bass response at your MLP as well as elsewhere in the room if not dedicated and closed HT room.

Near field subs are a much better solution in most cases, combined with others in the front if you need to tame the room modes even outside your MLP.

Seems like you have resources so having a basic double bass array two front and two back might be a good idea.