Please HELP what is the best subwoofer??? (1 Viewer)

[Boblee772269]

Also has anyone had any experience with the Klipsh THX Ultra 2 subwoofers? If so how do those rank against the PB Ultra 13 and the Trinity?

 

[SethH]

I don't think I've seen a direct comparison of the Klipsch THX Ultra2 system and a high-end SVS. One thing to note though, is that to meet rated specs on that Klispch setup you need two subs and an amp which will set you back $3900 -- so a fair comparison would need to be against 2 of the SVS Ultra subs (which would still come in $900 cheaper). I would love to see Tom Nousainne or Ed Mullen do that comparison.

 

[Robert_J]

I don't think Ilkka has taken the time to even test a Klipsch sub in the tests I mentioned. The older Klipsch subs were designed by Deon Bearden. After he was fired from Klipsch he stated that he was constrained by size, costs and profit margins. That's what happens with the larger companies. At least with the smaller ones, you can talk to the designers and owners directly before purchasing.

-Robert

 

[Gabriel.H]

For your price range I would suggest a Sunfire True Subwoofer Signature EQ. At 2700 watts it's a monster sub for sure. I had the chance to audition one while visiting my sister in Chicago and let me tell ya.....not only do you feel every note in your lungs, the people in the upstairs loft of the audio store came down and told us to turn it down because their chandelier was about to come off its hinges.

I'm sure SVS is of the highest quality as most people on here recommend those subs but if you have a chance to listen to both, do yourself a favor and do so that way you can have a better idea of which one is right for you.

 

[Robert_J]

At 2700 watts it's a monster sub for sure.

Wattage is one of the worst specs to use when choosing a sub. Based on Hoffman's Iron Law that I linked to above, it needs 2700w because the designers chose to go with a very inefficient, small enclosure. At least they they knew the trade-offs and used a high excursion (xmax of almost 30mm) driver supplied by TC Sounds. Larger, more efficient designs can easily meet or best this sub with much less power. There is a market for compact subs so they created one to meet it.
-Robert

 

[Edward J M]

The Plus/2 in the 20 Hz tune and the PB13U have similar max output capability from 30-80 Hz. Below 30 Hz, the PB13U starts to assert an advantage, amounting to a few dB at 20 Hz.
While the two subs can generate similar max in-room SPL, the PB13U is a better subwoofer, having a flatter FR, lower distortion, and superior output linearity across the pass band.
With that said, the Plus/2 is a legend and still a great performer, and at the close-out price of $1099 (we're down to textured black only) it's the best performance value in our line-up.
We generally avoid public comment on other brands, but as others have correctly pointed out, subwoofers are subject to the laws of physics and larger enclosures generally allow superior efficiency and output at the deepest frequencies with lower amp power levels.
We've purchased and tested most competing brands on the market, but we don't release our test data to customers in the interest of fair business practices, etc. Instead of releasing our own data, we instead rely on 3rd party independent testers who measure subwoofers per the above methodology and have proven themselves to provide accurate, reliable, and consistent data. Both AVTalk and Ilkka Rissanen have measured the PB13U and is has performed extremely well (and virtually the same) for both testers. It exhibits a flat frequency response, ultra low distortion, deep extension, very high output (particularly at the deepest frequencies) and excellent resistance to output compression. Here are the links to both tests:
AV Talk: AV Talk Subwoofer Tests => SVS: PB13-Ultra (20Hz Tune)
SVS PB13-Ultra 20 Hz tune *new* - Home Theater Systems - Electronics and Forum - HomeTheaterShack
The only 3rd party tester we are aware of who has direct experience with both the Trinity and the PB13U is Craig Chase over at AVS forum. I don’t think Craig has tested both subwoofers outside yet due to weather restrictions, but he has conducted extensive indoor testing (both sighted and double blind) with both subwoofers. Here is the link to his rankings summary. I recommend you contact Craig directly to discuss details of his comparison.
Official Craigsub rankings thread - AVS Forum

 

[RobertR]

This discussion of the best commercial subs is nice, but I also wanted to expose Rich to the idea of an IB sub:
Projects update and information page

 

[Boblee772269]

Thanks Robert and thanks to everyone else who posted but the IB is beyond my technical knowledge I think from what I read thats pretty hard to do and you need to know what your doing to get it right where I'm a noob in the world of HT I'm debating on either dual PB Plus/2's or 1 PB Ultra 13 what does everyone think gives more output a PB Plus/2 with dual woofers or an Ultra 13with the single woofer? Can homeade sub systems be made on a $3,000.00 budget? Also can the homeade compete with the pre-made systems? Also which would all of you prefer the SVS Ultra 13 or an Epik Conquest its very confusing trying to go from the particular websites because of course everyone will say there's is the best I've done research and from what I've found the SVS is the most popular but from what Epik's website says they have the premier sub so I'm getting more and more lost with each passing day lol. I've found with other things I have gotten into (airsoft) the best way is to find out what people are using "themselves" instead of what I read so as always I need help lol. Thanks to everyone with all there suggestions and posts but I'm still lost as what to get I do know that SVS does offer a darn good deal if you buy pairs of there subs but at this point it seems like if you really want the good stuff you pay the good price so any suggestions will definitly be appreciated!!!!!

 

[Vaughan Odendaal]

Hello,
There is another subwoofer that no one has mentioned that is stirring up the high-end market. It's called the MFW-15. Over at AVSforum, Craigsub has just reviewed this subwoofer and has submitted test results.
It outperformed the Velodyne DD-18 in both music and home theater (has greater clean output across it's bandwidth), it is seemingly an equal to a JL Audio Fathom 13 and approaches the clean output of an SVS PB13-Ultra.
Even Craigsub noted that it's subjective performance with a panel of judges sounded similar to the PB13-Ultra except on some pipe organ material. The subwoofer retails for $599. For an additional $100, you can get a really nice finish. It weighs in at around 110 pounds.
You can purchase dual MFW-15's for $1k. $1100 gets you dual MFW-15 subwoofers with a really nice finish. This is just another option that I thought you should know about.
All the subwoofers mentioned are fantastic performers.
--Regards,

 

[Robert_J]

I haven't seen the test results of the MFW-15 but the designer, Mark Seaton, is extremley knowledgable. I'm sure he designed a great sub to fit into the requirements set up by AV123.

Also which would all of you prefer the SVS Ultra 13 or an Epik Conquest

If you decide to go retail, there is no replacement for displacement. An 18" driver moves more air (most of the time) than a 13" sub. I say most of the time because not all drivers are created equally. But with Epik and SVS, you are looking at drivers designed by Scott Atwell and Stephen Ponte. Two of the best in the industry.
-Robert

 

[Jasen Chandler]

Also has anyone had any experience with the Klipsh THX Ultra 2 subwoofers? If so how do those rank against the PB Ultra 13 and the Trinity?

Yes. Get a pair of these and the ultra 2 amp. IMO they are the best production subwoofers on the market in their price range. Even though Robert contends that they may not have been the best possible work of the designer they are fantastic. I have installed several of these and have yet to be dissapointed. Not to mention the amp has some killer features like variable phase, etc.
If you want a truly unique expirence buy 4 of them.

 

[Greg_R]

I was also kind of hopeing that people that owned the different types of subwoofers could give me there inputs on the units they own honestly and this may sound silly but all I use my HT for is strictly movies and I want the most ear shattering bass that a sub can put out I'm talking (figurativly of course) enough to blow the windows out of my house lol.

If you are coming from a car audio background (i.e. that level of bass) then you are going to be disappointed. Your are trying to energize a space significantly larger than a car.
Infinite baffle subs are the (potentially) cheapest DIY implementation because they don't need a full enclosure (the attic or basement is the enclosure). However, most people opt for 4+ drivers for extreme levels of bass. One nice advantage of IB or very large enclosures is that you can go with a lot of less expensive drivers and smaller amps and get the same (or better) levels of performance (vs a mega driver + huge amp in a small box). For example, 250W + a mid-tier 15" driver in a water heater sized enclosure will produce a LOT of bass.

 

[FlameHaze]

If you want an interesting one, you could cover the last 20 to 1 HZ with a TRW-17. but thats if you want to drop around 27,000$.

 

[Mr645]

Some excellent advice above. You can also check out VMPS and I have heard the Velodyne DD-18, extremely impressive

 

[phil750]

Please consider a company called HSU research. They usually have a small advertisement in the back of Stereo Magazines.
I have owned mirage, revell, PSB. I thought the Revell would be the best. It was a good sub, with allot of user interface. More than I needed.
When I got serious about good equipment that is where all my problems began. Expensive does not always mean quality and longevity.
The HSU sub will make things in your home come undone. It's fast, user friendly and has several different ways you can configure.
16 hertz just warms this sub up. 1400 watts peak 350 watts. A sub is suppose to disappear in your listening room, this was so easy to accomplish.
Unless you workout get someone else to help in lifting. It weighs a fraction over a hundred pounds.
I hope this helps.