S8 Wireless Subwoofer

Frequently Asked Subwoofer Questions

Subwoofers are pivotal in enhancing the audio experience, providing the depth and richness that transform good sound systems into great ones.

As part of the Audioengine lineup, the S6 and S8 subwoofers offer distinct advantages and features tailored to various listening environments. Here, we address some frequently asked questions about these two subwoofers to help you make an informed decision.

#1 What Makes the Audioengine S6 and S8 Different?

The Audioengine S6 and S8 are designed to cater to different needs and preferences:

• Audioengine S6: Compact and front-firing, the S6 is ideal for desktop setups and apartment living. Its design directs sound towards the listener, minimizing disruption to neighbors and fitting seamlessly into smaller spaces. This subwoofer is perfect for enhancing desktop audio without taking up much room.

• Audioengine S8: Larger and down-firing, the S8 excels in providing powerful, deep bass suitable for home theaters and larger rooms. Its design ensures that sound resonates throughout the room, making it a versatile choice for both music and movie enthusiasts.

# 2 Why Do I Need a Subwoofer?

Even with high-quality speakers, adding a subwoofer like the S6 or S8 can dramatically enhance your audio experience. Subwoofers handle the lower frequencies that regular speakers struggle with, adding depth and clarity to your music and movies.

For example, the Audioengine A2+ Home Music System delivers excellent mid and high range sounds but pairing it with a subwoofer like the S6 or S8 brings out the full spectrum of bass frequencies, making your listening experience richer and more immersive.

# 3 Are All Subwoofers Created Equal?

When it comes to subwoofers, quality is paramount. Lower quality subwoofers, included with some desktop audio systems, can significantly detract from the overall listening experience.

Here’s why investing in a high-quality subwoofer like the Audioengine S6 or S8 can make all the difference.

• Precision and Clarity: High-quality subwoofers like the Audioengine S6 and S8 deliver tight, controlled bass that enhances both music and movie soundtracks. They provide clear, defined bass that complements mid and high frequencies.
• Robust Build Quality: The S6 and S8 are built from durable materials that minimize unwanted vibrations and resonance. This ensures improved sound quality and a longer lifespan compared to cheaper subwoofers.
• Wide Frequency Range: Both the S6 and S8 reproduce a broad range of low frequencies, providing depth and impact across various types of audio content. Lower quality subwoofers often struggle with this, resulting in a lack of depth.
• Sufficient Power: The S6 and S8 produce ample volume and dynamic range without distortion. Lower quality subwoofers are often underpowered, leading to distortion at higher volumes.

#4 How Should I Place My Subwoofer for Optimal Sound?

Placement Tips for the S6:

• Desk Setup: Place the S6 on your desk or a dedicated stand to keep the bass directed towards your ears. This front-firing design ensures the sound reaches you directly without spreading through floors or walls.
• Room Positioning: Position the S6 near your primary listening area but avoid corners and walls to prevent muddy sound.

Placement Tips for the S8:

• Larger Spaces: The S8 can be placed on the floor in larger rooms to fill the space with deep bass. Its down-firing design allows sound waves to resonate off the floor, enhancing the overall audio experience.
• Subwoofer Crawl Technique: For the best placement, use the subwoofer crawl method. Place the S8 in your usual listening spot, play bass-heavy music, and move around the room to find where the bass sounds best. This spot is where you should place your subwoofer for optimal performance.

#5 Should I Choose a Sealed or Ported Subwoofer?

• Sealed Subwoofers: The S6, with its sealed design, offers tighter and more precise bass. This makes it ideal for genres like jazz or acoustic music, where detail and clarity are paramount.
• Ported Subwoofers: The S8 features a ported design that produces deeper and more impactful bass, suitable for energetic genres like rock and EDM. It’s perfect for larger spaces where you want the bass to be felt as well as heard.

#6 What is an Adjustable Crossover and Why is it Important?

An adjustable crossover allows you to control which frequencies are sent to your subwoofer and which are sent to your speakers. This ensures that the subwoofer handles only the low-end frequencies, allowing your speakers to deliver clearer highs and mids. Both the S6 and S8 feature adjustable crossovers, enabling you to fine-tune your audio setup for the best performance.

#7 How Do I Connect My Subwoofer to My System?

Both the S6 and S8 can be connected to your home music system through various methods:

• Wired Connection: Provides a stable and continuous sound quality. It’s ideal for setups where the subwoofer will remain in a fixed position.
• Wireless Connection: Using adapters like Audioengine’s W3, you can convert a wired subwoofer into a wireless unit, offering more flexibility in placement and reducing cable clutter.

#8 Are Front-Firing Subwoofers Better for Desktop Setups?

Yes, front-firing subwoofers like the S6 are specifically designed for desktop setups. They direct sound towards the listener, making them ideal for close-proximity listening environments like a home office or gaming station. This design ensures that you experience the full impact of the bass without disturbing adjacent rooms or neighbors.

Conclusion

Choosing the right subwoofer depends on your specific needs and listening environment. The Audioengine S6 is perfect for compact spaces and desktop setups, offering precise bass in a neighbor-friendly package. The S8, on the other hand, excels in larger rooms and home theater setups, delivering powerful and resonant bass that can transform your listening experience.

Whether you’re enhancing a home music system or creating a full home theater, understanding the features and benefits of the S6 and S8 will help you make the right choice. Both subwoofers embody Audioengine’s commitment to quality and superior sound, ensuring that every note and beat is delivered with clarity and depth. Upgrade your audio experience today with the S6 or S8 and discover the difference a high-quality subwoofer can make.

15.6mm thick MDF cabinet
8" custom downfiring woofer

Dimensions (HWD)
11.25" (28.6 cm) x 11.25" (28.6 cm) x 11.25" (28.6 cm)

Weight
23.6 lb (10.7 kg)

Total Shipping Weight
30 lb (13.6 kg)

Shipping Box Dimensions (LWH)
16" (40.6 cm) x 16" (40.6 cm) x 18" (45.7 cm)

Type
Powered Subwoofer w/ wireless audio receiver, rear ported design

Amplifier Type
Class D

Rated Power Output: 125W RMS (measured in compliance with 16 C.F.R. § 432.3)
Total Peak Power Output: 250W (AES)

Drivers
8" long throw down-firing woofer

Inputs
3.5 mm stereo mini-jack, RCA L/R

Outputs
N/A

Input Voltages
100-240V AC, 50/60Hz auto-switching

SNR
Greater than than95 dB (typical A-weighted)

THD+N
Less than 0.05% at all power settings

Crosstalk
N/A

Frequency Response
27Hz - 180Hz ±1.5 dB

Frequency Response w/ Bass Reduction Switch selected
N/A

Analog Input Impedance
N/A

Nominal Impedance
N/A

Input Impedance
10K ohms unbalanced

Crossover Frequency
50Hz - 130Hz

Protection
Output current limiting, thermal over-temperature, power on/off transient protection

Power Consumption
N/A

Standby Consumption
<1W

Phase
0 / 180 degrees

Recommended Amplifier Power
N/A

Battery Life
N/A

Battery Charge Time
N/A

1. Turn Off and Unplug:

• Make sure your system is turned off and unplugged.

2. Dust the Surfaces:

• Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe away dust.
• For hard-to-reach places, use a soft brush or a can of compressed air.

3. Wipe Down the Exterior:

• We do not recommend using any solvents
• If cleaning off stains or build-up is necessary, we recommend doing so with a very small amount of mild cleaning solution applied only to the affected area, followed by quickly wiping the area dry completely. 
• Any scoured pads or objects like a 'magic eraser' too easily run the risk of removing sealers and top coats of the painted finish that can leave a clearly visible change in the uniformity of the paint/finish

4. Clean the Speaker Grills:

• The speaker grills can be gently cleaned with a vacuum, preferably using a soft bush attachment.
• A lint roller can also be used.

5. Clean Buttons and Knobs:

• A dry cloth is recommend for cleaning any knobs, buttons or other surfaces
• Be careful not to let water get into any gaps.

6. Clean Ports and Connections:

• Use compressed air to blow out dust from ports and connections.

7. Let Everything Dry:

• Make sure everything is completely dry before plugging back in and turning on.

8. Regular Cleaning:

• Dust your system regularly to keep it in good shape.

By following these steps, you can keep your Audioengine system clean and working well.

Audioengine operates two websites, audioengine.com and audioengineeu.com. If you go to any other site but these, they are not an Audioengine site. For Canada, Mexico and most of Europe and the UK, we only sell through Amazon. There are also a host of authorized retailers and sites across the US, and they can be found here. For international sales, we have distributors that operate independently, and they can be found here. 

What happens if I buy from an authorized site claiming to be Audioengine? Unfortunately, there is not much we can do. We are taking all the action we can to make sure those sites don't get indexed, but we recommend you work with the provider of the card you used to make payment to get your money back.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Terminal:
   • You can find Terminal in your Applications folder under Utilities, or you can use Spotlight by pressing Cmd + Space and typing "Terminal".
2. Execute the Command:
   • In the Terminal window, type the following command and press Enter:

bash

Copy code

sudo pkill bluetoothd

3. Enter Your Password:
   • After pressing Enter, you will be prompted to enter your password. Type your Mac's administrator password and press Enter.
   • Note that when you type your password, it won't be displayed on the screen (not even as asterisks). Just type it and press Enter.

By following these steps, you should be able to reset your Bluetooth service on your Mac, which can help resolve connectivity issues with your Audioengine devices or any other Bluetooth peripherals.

The S8 is 11.25"H x 11.25"W x 11.25"D

We take great pride in our products, and go through great lengths to ensure consistency and quality. For that reason, this item was randomly selected for an additional step of Quality Assurance.

No, there are no firmware updates or special drivers needed unless you own our A1-MR multi-room speakers or our B-Fi multi-room wireless streaming device.

If a firmware update is released for the A1-MR or the B-Fi, you will be notified of the update the next time you open the Audioengine Control App.  If an update is needed, simply click "update" on the DEVICES page next to the product that needs to have the firmware update applied.  The app will handle the rest of the process from there!

Standard plug-n-play drivers that are provided by your computer's OS are utilized when using the USB input on our A2+, HD3, and HD4 speaker models.

And all of our Bluetooth speakers/products are compatible with any device that supports Bluetooth, and the A2DP profile for streaming stereo audio. This includes most smartphones, tablets, and computers. For computers that don't include Bluetooth support out of the box, you can simply add a USB Bluetooth adapter.

Absolutely!  You can connect any Audioengine speaker with an analog output to any Sonos product that has the Line-In feature.  You can also connect any Audioengine passive speakers into an existing Sonos system using the Sonos Amp.

Yes! All of our speakers and subwoofers are directly video shielded. They also allow the user to place the speakers or subwoofer within a few inches of a video monitor. In addition, this shielding offers protection for hard-drive digital music players.

M6 x 40mm, 6mm diameter pan head

Most Audioengine powered speakers have variable RCA outputs for use with a subwoofer like the S8. This means that the output of the speakers and the RCA output will go up and down together. So once you dial in the volume of your S8, you should be able to adjust the volume from the speakers, or your source device. Either way the subwoofer and speakers should stay in balance as the volume is raised and lowered.

Using the supplied W3 sender and receiver, follow the diagram below:

Yes they do! They are equipped with a power-saving circuit that turns off the speaker's final stage amp. This idle mode activates right after you stop playing music. Due to this power-saving function, it's perfectly fine for the speakers to stay on all the time!

Audioengine speakers can be easily connected to your TV set as long as there are analog outputs available. Any of our speakers will provide a greatly enhanced TV audio experience with a wider soundstage and better imaging than most sound bars.

Your A2+/A5+ have a variable RCA output located on the rear panel of the left speaker.  This connection can be used to connect an S8 Powered Subwoofer (or any self-powered subwoofer) for extended bass response.

You can also add a W3 Wireless Adapter to make this connection wireless as shown below.

The B2 is designed as a standalone speaker, it has inputs for Bluetooth and 3.5 mm mini jack. It does not have an output, so unfortunately you cannot output from a B2 to a subwoofer.

The USB port can provide around 500mA, which is standard for high powered USB 2.0 devices; these are perfect for using a W3 or B1 for instance.

However, when trying to charge a iPad or iPhone for example, they require around 1000mA to charge with the screen on (the iPad's included USB charger actually provides around 2100mA to speed up charging with the screen on).  If your device is at a higher battery level it should work fine to plug it in to the USB power port to maintain the battery while listening to music (with the screen on it will always show "not charging").  If the battery is low though, we'd recommend plugging it into the charger that came with it.