sub recommendations (1 Viewer)

[Neil Winslow]

I am by no means an audiophile, but I do have some ear for sound.I currently have a Klipsch RSW-10 (R remember, not K) and am running it on a Sony STR-DA1ES. My main speakers are some old HH Scotts (S196), their last good ones before they went overseas and sold themselves to the devil's bad quality. They are 3 ways, with a 12 in woofer and a 2 inch voicecoil and sound great especially for their age. My problem is that I got them after I had the Klipsch and by themselves the Scotts hit deeper and a tad cleaner. However they lack the projection of the Klipsch and when I turn it's volume down to match there just seems to be a hole under 35 hz. I am in the unfortunate class of people who can hear extremely low and when I am missing parts of music or sound effects I feel like something is, well, missing. What kind of sub should I upgrade to? I have heard great things about the Hsu VTF-3 and it would appear to better satisfy my need for something good down to 20 hz, but is there something better or cheaper? Or should I just fix up my Scotts at the hi-fi repair shop in town that does custom speaker repair and builds custom speakers?

 

[Mark.Morris]

Try SVS. I have one and it's outstanding. I did a lot of research before buying and one review compared the HSU VTF-3 to the SVS 25-30PCi they said the SVS was equal to the HSU but lower in price. So, the edge went to SVS. You won't be disapointed.

 

[Lew Crippen]

What is your budget Neil?

 

[CurtisSC]

Hsu and SVS both make great subs.

I think that review that Mark is talking about also said the Hsu was more accurate. The VTF-3 can also get deeper than the 25-30PCi....although SVS does have models that compete with the VTF-3 very well....they have a broader product line.

Hsu is also coming out with a low cost line of subs with excellent performance. I think SVS is also planning the same thing.

You won't go wrong with either.

 

[Neil Winslow]

My budget is around $800. I know it's not much for a sub that can hit real low, but I was thinking of selling my Klipsch for around $500. That, I am hoping, will cover a little more than half the price of the sub, or perhaps I shall just have to wait. I have also heard NHT was good.

 

[Lew Crippen]

In that price range both Hsu and SVS have good offerings. Adire makes a ported model in that price range as well—I’ve not heard it, but it has had good reviews.

At $600 the new Rocket UFW-10 might be a choice—it is rated at plus/minus 2db down to 22hz. It would not fill as large a room as the VTF-3, so you would need to consider your room size. I’ve heard this and it will be a fine value for the right room.

 

[CurtisSC]

Neil,

At $800 you can get nice subs from Hsu, SVS, and Adire that will hit pretty low and sound great.

The Rocket UFW subs sound promising too.

 

[Martice]

Hi Neil, If you have $800.00 to spend you should also pay Kyle at Acoustic Visions a visit. I've bought a couple of subs from him and they were definitely great performers. I currently have a Stryke AV15 based sub and it is the best sub that I've owned. If you are big on custom finishes and world class performance, then a custom is another way to go.

Check out the choices:

Custom Sub Prices

 

[Neil Winslow]

Thanks for all the advice guys! You make me feel like family, (sniff)...
Seriously, don't Hsu's need some sort of equalizer or something like that to get the response just right?

 

[CurtisSC]

Seriously, don't Hsu's need some sort of equalizer or something like that to get the response just right?

You have been reading into too much of the other thread.

In any room, a sub is going to need something to get a flat response.

Like all the subs listed, Hsu subs are excellent, they do not need anything extra.

 

[Lew Crippen]

The UFW-10 has a built-in, single band parametric equalizer. According to the guys at AV123, its big brother (UFW-12) will have a 5 band equalizer. Of course no one has heard this one yet.

I agree with Curtis—the Hsu is consistent with the other subs of its class and price range. They all will impress you in most room conditions and they all could use some adjustments in order to achieve perfection (assuming that can actually be defined) in most environements.

 

[Neil Winslow]

And where can one get a UFW-10?

 

[Curt C]

At your budget, I'd also check out the Velodyne CHT-15. It does a great job and I hear CC has it for $599. and easy return if needed.
Curt

 

[Jon Musil]

Neil, Rocket (Onix) is taking orders on the UFW-10. List price is $599 and can be found at AV123.com.

 

[Neil Winslow]

How would most of you compare the Velodyne CHT-15, UFW-10, Stryke AV15, or SVS 25-30PCi (and SVS has so many choices on the site it's hard to know which is good for ones needs) over the RSW-10 that I already have? Small improvement? big improvement? I know some of this is subjective, but all opinions help.

 

[Rob Tomlin]

I have a HSU and SVS subwoofer.

Ths HSU is the VTF-2, which is a great little sub for the money. I have heard the VTF-3 as well, and its great.

That being said, I recently received my new subwoofer of choice: the SVS 20-39 PC+. So far, I am extremely impressed with the performance of this subwoofer.

But let me tell you what I am truly impressed with regarding SVS:

I received my first SVS sub a week ago. Hooked it up, and there was a problem. There was a metallic rattling noise coming from the sub. I sent an email to SVS and posted the problem on the AVS SVS Support thread.

Literally within 5 minutes of posting and sending the email, I received a personal phone call from Tom at SVS. He said we could try to diagnose the problem over the weekend (this was a Friday), but in the meantime, he wanted to get a new sub on its way to me in case we couldn't resolve the problem. If we did resolve the problem, he would simply have the new sub turned around from UPS.

In short, I actually had a new UPS tracking number for the replacement sub [rant]the same afternoon that I received the first SVS![/rant]

I received the replacement last Thursday, and it has worked perfectly. I love it. It plays low, loud and clean!!

Based on both the performance and incredible customer support and service, SVS has earned a customer for life!

Highly recommended!

 

[Martice]

Neil, regarding the SVS, HSU, Adire Audio subs or well established custom subs like the Stryke AV15 25" Power Cube, it's more a matter of picking a sub that fits your budget as well as your performance desires. All of the above sub companies offer products that can fill most rooms and if not in a single driver configuration, you can purchase two of a given model or go with one that has multiple drivers.

More times than not, if two drivers have similar performance specs in a similar configuration, you will not be able to tell which one is playing unless you are doing a direct comparison and sometimes a direct comparison will not be enough. That being said, if you are looking to play your music/movies at extra loud levels and you have a large room to fill, your best bet would be to find a sub that is capable of pressurizing your room (air moving capabilitity) with ease and with ample headroom to boot (sufficient power amp).

The only thing left is to see which sub offers the bass required for your taste at the right dollar amount.

**The issue of quality build and performance is not an issue because all of the above companies offer high quality products and have excellent customer service. Also, do a search on this forum using "AV15" or Stryke AV15 in the "Do It Yourself" section and see what comes up. Better yet, also do a search on the Adire Tempest in the DIY section as well. You may be surprised with what you find.

Good Luck

 

[MikeTrotter]

If your in doubt just email Tom @ SVS and i'm sure if you give him your listening taste room dimensions.He will recommend the right sub for your needs.About a year ago I owned the Klipsch RSW 10.When I contacted SVS and gave them all my info he recommeded the 25-31pc+.I have owned my SVS for about a year.And it has been a great sub for the money.Comparing it to the Klipsch is like a night and day differance.The SVS will go low at a good volume.And imo,it is not nearly boomy as the RSW-10.

 

[Neil Winslow]

Yes, boomy. It gives me a headache when it's too strong in the 40-50 hz range for too long, I am really looking (and saying this to really clarify it in my head) for something flatter and more menacing. I don't care about turning my room into a wigger-mobile, I want to know the sound is there and strong. I also want something long-lasting, not something that is run hot and I will have to replace in a few years. Anyone have preferences of boxes over cylinders?

 

[steve nn]

IMO the SVS+ or the AV15 would serve you very well. Considering the service and take care attitude of SVS, (Kyle is very good also) I lean in that direction. It can also be a less complicated/$$ rout. I run duel 25-31 CS+'s along with a AV15 tuned to 20Hz and I can truly say they are both incredible subs.

Box versus tube>> I like them both.