Lift and Separate

Audio demos on the CEDIA show floor are few and far between—and with good reason. The din of several thousand attendees scurrying about and yapping incessantly is generally enough to render the subtleties of audio reproduction null and void.

But I did happen across a demo of one product this afternoon whose sonic benefits were apparent even in the sea of noise. Auralex Acoustics’s SubDude HD is a simple and unassuming little platform designed to hold a subwoofer or floorstanding loudspeaker. The goal is near-total acoustic isolation from the walls and floors of the room, with the intent of effectively eliminating secondary resonances, therefore allowing for cleaner low-frequency response.

I’ll admit, the setting really didn’t allow for thorough evaluation of any improvements in bass response, and the tower speakers used in the demo weren’t exactly kicking out the booty shaking bottom end, but to my ears the biggest difference was in the mid frequencies. Vocals were clearer, more discernable when compared to the exact same speaker sitting on the floor. The overall sound was less muddy.

Was it an earth-shattering revelation of sound? Not entirely. But even on the noisy show floor, I could definitely hear an appreciable difference. And that's saying quite a bit.

Contact: www.Auralex.com