Hsu Research STF User Manual

Step 1: Unpacking

If your room does not have carpeting, unpack the subwoofer on a throw rug or piece of carpeting to

avoid unwanted scuffing or scratching. If the subwoofer is too heavy, please ask for assistance. Find

the top of the box and open it. Holding the flaps open, roll the box over until it is upside-down. Lift

the box off.
Stop for a moment to inspect the protective bag for any rips or tears that may have occurred during

shipping. If there is damage to the subwoofer underneath, or if there are missing items, notify your

local dealer or HSU Research as soon as possible. We will help you find a solution.
Leave the protective bag on for now because it will protect the subwoofer when you move it into position.

Step 2: Placement

Placement is extremely important because it dramatically affects the bass quality. An optimally placed

subwoofer is much more powerful and nice sounding than a poorly placed one. There are many myths

about subwoofer placement. For example, there is no need to center a subwoofer between the left and

right front speakers. Good subwoofers radiate bass in all directions and cannot be located in the room

by sound alone.

Important guidelines

• Always maintain 3 inches clearance between the port hole on the back of the subwoofer and near-

by surfaces.

• Your subwoofer has magnetic shielding, but 3 feet of space is still required between the subwoofer and

a television or other CRT type monitors. Computer hard drives are not in danger of being erased.

• Your subwoofer was designed to fire downward onto carpet. If you have hardwood flooring, use a

throw rug under the subwoofer.

Rules of thumb for placement

• Avoid the center of the room: In general, avoid placing the subwoofer half way between the front

and back walls. This is where you get a strong null from your room’s standing waves. You should

also avoid sitting in that area. No matter how powerful the subwoofer is, there will not be much

bass around the center of the room.

• Use corner placement: Subwoofers usually sound best tucked in a corner. A good corner is far from

wall divisions and has at least 6 feet of wall to either side. If you have more than one good corner, use

the one farthest away from large room openings or the one closest to the listener. Keep the subwoofer

within 1 foot of the wall.

• Use nearfield placement: A good subwoofer usually sounds best close to the listening position. As an

added bonus, the subwoofer’s volume level will be lower so neighbors are less disturbed. We strongly

recommend this method if your couch is up against the back wall and your room is over 18 feet deep.

• Use “subwoofer crawling”: This excellent technique is not as hard as it sounds. The room’s

acoustical reflections are used to your advantage. Place the subwoofer in the listening position, in

a seat, towards ear level. Connect the subwoofer to the system and play some music with steady and

constant bass. Walk around the room, listening for the nicest and most even bass. When the bass

sounds good, crouch down and listen where the subwoofer would normally be. You may use a SPL

meter to measure the evenness of the bass. Mark the best sounding place. The subwoofer should

be placed there.

• If you are using two subwoofers, place them side-by-side.
• If you are not able to place the subwoofer in an ideal location, the subwoofer should be placed

within a foot of a wall for better bass.

• You may place a subwoofer inside a cavity in your entertainment center if three inches of space is

maintained around the back and top of the subwoofer, and one inch is maintained around the sides.

You may need to secure items in the cabinet so they don’t vibrate.

Set-Up

Avoid placing the subwoofer

halfway between the front

and back walls. Avoid sitting

there as well.

Corner and nearfield

placement usually sound best.