ie8 fix

woofer

How to set up a subwoofer

August 29, 2012: This is an update of my subwoofer setup article from 2008.

Merely buying a great subwoofer is no guarantee that you'll wind up with great bass. There are too many ways to squander its performance potential, and that's why putting in the extra effort to achieve proper subwoofer setup is crucial. This two-part guide will help you get the best room-shaking bass from your subwoofer.

Part I: Placement and positioning

Part II: Connectivity and fine-tuning

Subwoofer Setup Part I:Placement and positioning While a subwoofer's deep bass is nondirectional, it would be unwise to … Read more

How much bass is too much bass?

A lot of folks crave room-shaking bass, but some prefer it more tightly controlled.

Little speakers or subwoofers may promise deep and powerful bass, but truly deep bass only comes from big woofers. Speaker cabinet size also plays a huge role in determining bass quality and quantity, so go for big speakers if bass is a major priority. To a lesser degree the same logic applies to headphones: full-size headphones generate more bass impact than tiny earbuds.

Speaker and headphone designers know most people prefer a little too much rather than too little bass, so they usually add a little … Read more

Crave 16: Where my baby daddy? (podcast)

It may not be a creepy Kaspar baby, but the lead item on today's show is its very own brand of disturbing: a belly band that plays music to an unborn child. It's not the product that bothers Donald and Jasmine, though...it's the eerily happy mother and absentee dad. Also this week: a fan-tastic subwoofer, a new MP3 player that is not a phone, and some sweet street art in Portland, Ore., that Mario-loving cyclists are sure to appreciate. Plus, we get some viewer feedback and sort of drool over this week's heart attack-inducing foodstuff.

Subscribe in iTunes SD VideoSubscribe in RSS SD VideoRead more

This Twitter look-alike requires 1,400 characters

Sometimes it's hard to know why people do things. But it's easy to see why some creative minds have come up with Woofer.

This is a site whose look bears a remarkable resemblance to Twitter--right down to its pale-blue colors. But its conceit is to create an entirely new form of blogging: "macroblogging." You see, Woofer requires every post to have a minimum of 1,400 characters. Yes, minimum. This, of course, contrasts with Twitter's "microblogging" platform, which limits users to 140 characters per tweet.

This means that finally, the world has a … Read more

The 404 411: Where we keep hitting the snooze button

Mark the Former Intern stops by The 404 studio today to shake us out of our slumber...maybe we do need Wilson's laugh after all! Today we steer through more news about the upcoming "BioShock" movie, CBS running a video ad in a magazine, Jessica Biel (that's all), Woofer, and more!

We haven't had Mark the Intern on in a while, so since Wilson is still gone we take the opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with the host of CNETTV's The Green Show. We're all a little sluggish this morning from severe lack of sleep and lingering illness, but we all know laughter is the best medicine, so we rip right into the new "BioShock" movie, slated to come out in 2075. Just kidding, but it's not far off considering the weekly changes we've been reading about in the news!

Next up, we take a look at a creative new video ad to run in Entertainment Weekly magazine this fall. The ad is the first of its kind to appear in print and can handle 40 minutes of video. You can even attach a mini-USB plug and recharge the batteries if you literally have nothing better to do. Although, something tells me Neil Patrick Harris giving the "peace" sign isn't exactly going to sell boatloads of Pepsi products...

After a Call from the Public (just one), we're very excited to talk about Woofer, another Twitter clone that requires each post to have a minimum of 1,400 characters, or roughly 500 words. Obviously, we don't expect the service to catch fire as quickly as Twitter, and in fact many of the early adopters are reaching the minimum by copying and pasting excerpts from the Gettysburg Address and the Old Testament. Go check it out, but you might want to brush up on your writing skills first!

Check out the show and please leave us a voicemail at 1-866-404-CNET and let us know what you think about any of the stories, or just tell us what's on your mind! If it's good, we'll play it on the show. Heck, even if it's awful, there's still a good chance you'll hear yourself on the air!

EPISODE 411 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS VideoRead more

Chinese vase packs a mean woofer

You heard it here first: The next trend in home media gadgets will be on the dinner table.

It started in Japan a few months ago with the "Supper Sound System," which hides speakers and other media gear in fake bottles, cups, and other dinnerware. Now, URBoom has modified its "Boom" system to include a Chinese vase that houses a 25-watt subwoofer to complement its 2.1 speakers, according to Shiny Shiny.

We're already anticipating the next addition, which seems inevitable: an LCD dinner plate.

Subwoofer or electric fan?

If you're of a certain vintage, you may remember an old TV commercial and print ad campaign from Maxell that featured gale-force winds blowing from a stereo. That's the first thing that came to mind upon viewing this weird subwoofer from Eminent Technology.

The "Thigpen Rotary Woofer," which the company bills as "the world's first true infrasonic home audio or home theater woofer," looks more like an electric fan than a piece of audio equipment. Here's what the propeller supposedly does: "If you want to hear and feel the 4-5 hertz … Read more