Best Subwoofer Under $1000.00 (delivered) (1 Viewer)

[ryounglaw]

Ok guys, I need some help. I am new to high end HT and want some advice. I have $1000.00 for buy a new sub, no more including delivery. My room HT is set up an old refurbished townhouse and is basically the entire first floor, I know not the best. The room is 35 long x 8 high x 13 feet wide (3,640 cubic feet). Though we may not be here for long that’s the situation now. I have heard so much about svs and hsu and outlaw. What would be the best sub in that price range given my room specs?

 

[Robert_J]

For a room that large, you need to move some air. The A7-350 for eD is one choice if you can spare an extra $50. The Castle from Epik Subwoofers is another choice but I don't know if shipping is included. If you are in the north Chicago area, you can go by and pick it up.

If you can build it yourself, then you can get much more for the money. I have about $1,000 invested in my sub. It has a pair of 15" TC Sounds drivers, powered by a pro amp delivering about 800w per channel @ 20 hz and is EQed by a 12 band parametric pro model.

-Robert

 

[hodedofome]

Definitely what Robert said. This is the bare minimum you should get http://av123.com/component/page,shop...art/Itemid,37/

The eD would definitely rock, it would be $50 extra well spent. Epik is another great choice, though they are all out of stock. Building your own would be the best if you know what you're doing. HSU and SVS doesn't have a sub in your price range that can compare to the AV123 MFW-15 or especially the eD or Epik sub. You can go with one of the cheaper eD subs if you like Elemental Designs and can configure it with the 1300 watt amp and equalizer for less than $1k. Shipping is free.

 

[ryounglaw]

I have never heard of epic and ed. this is a bit overwhelming especially when you cannot hear them first. I am leaning tworad the svs PC12 plus. also, how can the ed weigh in a 215 lbs.

Also is the ED over kill. I am sure that will start a firestorm

 

[hodedofome]

Check out this link for reviews of the various subs we're talking about. Subwoofer review summary page ... From the AVS forum - Tweak City Audio

The PC-12 isn't a bad deal, I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

Elemental Designs may be a company you've never heard of, but believe me they are the best bang for the buck subs out there (IMO!). The A7-350 is every bit 215lbs, and free shipping. You'll need some help moving it around, or for that matter most of these subs you'll need help. You have a huge room, you need a huge sub. I don't think any of these are overkill. But once again, a PC-12 is a great sub, so is a MFW-15 from AV123 (though it just went up $100 in price, it was a steal at $599), and so are the eD and Epik subs. AV123 and SVS allow you to try the subs for 30 days, don't know about eD and Epik. All of these are internet direct companies with excellent, if not extraordinary customer service and bang for the buck that retail stores can't even dare to come close to.

 

[Robert_J]

There is no such thing as overkill. Only headroom. You don't want to run a sub at it's mechanical limits the entire time you are watching a movie. The closer you get to the limits the more distortion you have. Any of these subs will put out amazing amounts of bass. But the subs with the larger drivers will take your system to the next level.

-Robert

 

[ryounglaw]

great post thanks

 

[ryounglaw]

OK - if you had to choose between the rythmik F15 or the G15SE which one. Also are the Rythmiks comp to ED - the watts are off by a mile.

 

[Robert_J]

Do you mean the D15SE because I don't see the G15SE. But with either you are getting an awsome sub. But when you look at the driver, the Rythmik has an xmax of 15mm. The eD driver has an xmax of twice that. In theory, it can move twice as much air as the Rythmik driver.

The Rythmik is more like a Rolls Royce or another ultra-luxury car you might think of. That sub was designed for pure accuracy. The eD and Epik are more like the luxury/sport sedans. They sacrifice a little of the finer details for more output. They are still head and shoulders above anything in the $1k retail price range.

With a room as large as yours, you need the pure output more than the accuracy. You will only benefit from the audiophile-ness of the Rythmik if you have room treatments, etc.

Too bad you haven't mentioned DIY because you can really make that $1,000 go a long way if you built your own cabinets. You could get a pro amp and a pair of 18" drivers. Or an IB sub with quad 18's! That would beat anything mentioned above.

-Robert

 

[ryounglaw]

D15se is correct - i would have to go with the F15 b/c of hard wood floors and the eventual placment on carpet. I think the ED A7s-450 is the way to go.

 

[ryounglaw]

I think its between the rythmik F15 and the ED A7s-450 - the F15 by all acounts is tighter but the 450 will give me a deeper punch. Since i cannot hear them i am at a loss

 

[Robert_J]

We'll go at this from another direction. Do you watch a lot of movies or listen to a lot of music? Why types of both? How much of each?

My subs are sealed but they are flat to 17hz since I used EQ to boost the low end a little. That's lower than most ported subs and I get the 'tightness' of a sealed sub. I'm in the process of upgrading to quad 18" subs in an infinite baffle configuration mounted in my attic. With that, I'll have the same benefits of a sealed sub while having significant output down to the single digits.

But ported isn't "bad" or "loose" sounding. Properly set up it will sound just as good as a sealed sub while going much lower. For example, I haven't finished painting my cousin-in-law's ported sub that I built for him so it is still in my theater room. During testing I can push it to its limits when trying to keep up with my subs. But right up until it starts to fart, it sounds great. You have quite a large room so that's why I'm pushing the eD. It's in your price range and will sound excellent.

-Robert

 

[ryounglaw]

i know its (the 450) just so large - will i be unhappy with F15

 

[Robert_J]

I'm sure you will be more than happy with the Rythmik. All subs mentioned in this thread will crush anything from a big box retailer so it's not like any of them are bad. I understand that you are a little aprehensive about spending that much money on a sub. I know you can call eD and discuss this with their sales people. I'm sure that Rythmik is as open.

Since you are worried about size, here's why big subs work better - Hoffman's Iron Law. It's just physics. To overcome that smaller air space, a sub needs a powerful motor structure like the one below. Yes, that is one of my two 15" drivers on the left and a Dayton (by Parts Express) DVC 12" driver on the right.

-Robert

 

[Chris Bedard]

To the OP, RobertJ appears to be steering you in the right direction. I myself just purchased a new sub and was debating between eD and Epik, and ended up going with an Epik Conquest.

There was about a five week wait, but the wait was worth it. I can vouch for the build quality of the Epik, and have heard nothing but positives about eD as well so it was a tough choice. I figured I couldn't go wrong with either one. The Conquest is huge, but looking at a knight or valor in your price range isn't nearly as large. Chad is great to talk to, and you should feel free to call Epik, he'll discuss the in's and out's with you openly and fairly over the phone. I spent probably 30 minutes talking to him before I made my decision, and to be honest, it was my conversation with him that led me to chose Epik.