svs or hsu subwoofer? (1 Viewer)

[AlanZ]

What you fail to mention is the fact that it is nearly impossible to do so. Aside from the PCi 16-46, most every other SVS sub will either pummel into submission any other brand of sub you put anywhere near it, or it'll literally walk over to it and consume it whole.

I've mentioned the fact that I've witnessed this phenomenon first hand with an SVS PCi 25-31 and a Paradigm PDR-10. People have sent me countless personal messages asking if this really happened......yes, it really did happen. Usually the SVS will make this grunting, snorting type of sound before it takes such drastic action against a rival subwoofer, so vigilance is the only way to prevent such an occurance. If you have any thoughts of putting your non-SVS sub on Ebay or whatever, do yourself a favor and keep it somewhere the SVS can't see it.

If you have either the 25-31 PCi or PC+ and fail to heed my advice, God help you......

 

[AlanZ]

DAmn you and your diplomacy, John Garcia........

 

[WayneO]

Well here we go again......the search feature must of exploded when you typed in "SVS vs. HSU". One is a flagship box model, the other their second cheapest offering. So if you can't hear both, consider the $100 difference, who's logo is better and toss a coin. And you'll be able to get a TURBO CHARGER thingamabob for it in the summer! For even more output if you have more dough in the future.

I currently have an SVS PB2+ and would love to hear the "musicality" the Hsu supposedly posseses over the SVS brand. Luckily I have a friend at FedEX that can ship anything for me for $3. I can basically test one out for free if I return it. I was gonna order a VTF3MKII to do some comparisons, but I know it wouldn't hold a candle in output to the PB2+ and I don't wanna order 2 or 3, so I'll wait for the HO model and then have a showndown.

 

[AlanZ]

You may need 4.....

 

[Craig Chase]

Has anyone done a DBT between a PB2+ and a pair of VTF-3 Mark II's ? Hsu will discount a pair of VTF-3 Mark II's to $1248 for the asking ... about a wash in price.

 

[CurtisSC]

Hey...is this a trick question? Didn't you do this?

I did compare my VTF-3 to a PB12+(PB1+)......we know what happenned in that thread.

 

[Craig Chase]

Curtis ... Yep, You had what I call a "Harlem Globetrotters" test. We KNEW the winner before the game began ...

Trust me, you are not the ONLY one who has done this. Stereophile dis-avowed blind testing YEARS ago. It was costing them ad revenue.

Anyway, As measured, TWO VTF-3 Mark II's were about 3 dB lower in SPL than a single PB2+ ... (now PB12-Plus/2).

The Hsu units I tested were first off the line, and later models had drivers which were closer to Dr. Hsu's specs ... so you would likely see more in SPL ... though it would be sheer speculation to give a number.

In the 16 to 22 Hz range, MY VTF-3 delivered 6-8 dB higher SPL in the one port tune than the twin ports ... look at Ed Mullen's test of the STF-3 and PB12-ISD ... the SVS was about 7 dB higher than the Hsu at 20 Hz ... Add 7 dB to the VTF-3 in one port (over the STF-3's twin port mode) ... and a VTF-3 will roughly match a PB12-ISD...

When you consider the "plus" driver typically is 3 dB more powerful than the ISD driver ... this all makes sense, as far as the numbers go.

Which sounds better ? I had them REALLY close ... and later discussions with Dr. Hsu really makes me think the VTF-3.2's coming out now are better than what I had here...

So .... I don't know which is the best choice. Both are BARGAINS at $599 and $699 ...

 

[CurtisSC]

OK OK...it wasn't blind.

.....but was it a trick question?

 

[Eric C D]

I've got to admit, when I saw the title

my kneejerk response was:

"yes."



Glad most of the other responses are in a similar vein (and more helpful ).

good luck,

 

[WayneO]

Hey Craig,

I followed your comparison threads while those subs where in the mix some time ago, but I see so few people here doing direct comparisons to give more informative suggestions between these two. Myself, I'd have to hear a pretty good increase in SQ to change brands and we know your impressions. The SVS' being my first real good sub, I been nothing but floored by them and couldn't image how much improvement I could get at it's price point. I know one MKII couldn't handle my room and volumes since I bottomed a PC+ within days and moved on to the PB2+, and I'm not really wanting to have two subs in my space, stacked or not. But I'm curious, maybe bored with no money to spend(a sale of one could offset the cost of the other), to try. We'll see.

 

[Craig Chase]

WayneO ... Several times on AVS, when asked about both Hsu and SVS subwoofers ... MY typical response has been: "Whichever you get, you will not possibly believe that other company's subwoofer could POSSIBLY be this good" ...

They are both fine companies, with little competition (PSB provides some) it the $600 to $1000 range for a quality, 12 inch subwoofer.

 

[Axu R]

"At 20 Hz, it would require two co-located STF-3's to match the clean output of one PB1-ISD."

Tough choice

 

[Craig Chase]

AXU ... At 20 Hz, It would require one VTF-3 Mark II to match the clean output of one PB1-ISD, and the VTF-3 has a strong, usable output to 16 Hz.

Add into that the no-cost maple option for a $699 subwoofer ($100 more than the PB1-ISD) AND variable tuning, and it is a tough choice.

 

[Dave Nelms]

Well I should have kept my mouth shut when I saw the question but I just could not hold back.

Why is it wrong on this forum to sugest for a person to see or listen to which subwoofer he/she likes best. That is what I did. And I did compare SVS and Hsu in the same room moving the subs into the same position. As Curtis said, it was not blind testing but is was testing.

The curious thing was that when this test was going on I was not the only person to form the conclusion that the Hsu sounded better. But I was being selfish and I was going to have to spend my cash on a sub for me so I took some advice from others but I followed my ears and chose the sub that I thought was the best for the bucks. Could I have been happy with a SVS sub? Sure. Am I questioning my decision based on all of the postings I have read? No, because I did the testing for MYSELF. That is the best recomendation I can give, not that product A blows the doors off product B.

If there are any complaints or questions about my hearing or my choices, I can take them.

 

[Craig Chase]

Dave ... I have not seen anyone complaining about your posts ... am I missing something ?

I WOULD recommend AlanZ see someone on a professional basis...

 

[AlanZ]

lol....why do people keep saying that?

Seriously, I'm sure that the Hsu sub I heard last year was just calibrated incorrectly or something. I don't have anything negative to say about them, really. I just am a very satisfied SVS customer, and I get excited about their product. So don't take me too seriously, Dave......I'm just having fun I last had a PB12-ISD/2 in my 2500 s.f. home, and it literally blew me away time and time again. I had to part with it due to a divorce and have been without an SVS for several months now....so I'm getting very eager to place my next order. SVS is clearly the right choice for me.....if Hsu is the right choice for you then party on, bro

 

[paul clipsel]

Dave most here know that mentioning Hsu in this forum is like mentioning Svs in the Hsu forum. You never going to get either forum to swing the other way. AVS forum is a much more neutrally orientated balance of postings. As far as the VTF3 MK2 vs PB12-ISD after listening to both I too preferred the sound of VTF3 MK2. Although members need to remember that I am a enormous music listener compared to most members, so ultra loud reference level playback of movies is not my systems goal. For $750 with freight its an awesome sounding subwoofer IMHO.

PC

 

[Craig Chase]

Paul ... The treatment of SVS fans on the Hsu forum is "off the charts" worse than what happens with Hsu guys here ...

Peter Marcks has helped in this in the past couple of months ... but some of the things said about Ed Mullen there were just plain horrible.

Hopefully Peter can keep improving things there ...

 

[David Bikeman]

"The treatment of SVS fans on the Hsu forum is "off the charts"

You don't even need to be an SVS fan to be treated poorly on the Hsu forum. They'll attack anyone who dosen't chant the mantra.
Haven't stopped by in awhile. It'd be nice if they cleaned up their act. If I end up with a Hsu, it'd be nice if I could participate in their forum without abuse.

David

 

[Peter Marcks]

Let's all just relax and be thankful for all the good things that we have. At the end of the day, making a purchasing decision is a very personal thing, and there are many good quality products that cater to various consumer preferences. The most important thing is for one to choose the product that compromises in the least number of areas that they consider to be important.

Regarding the Hsu forum, I can assure you that we have cleaned things up there. We will not tolerate verbal bashing, and even our most vocal and loyal supporters are now very clear on where we stand. You are all always welcome to participate there, and we appreciate thoughtful and informative posts to no end.

Dr. Hsu has also started participating a bit more at the Hsu forum, which we should all be very thankful of. All of us stand to learn from an audio genius such as him.

Sincerely,