sub to match def tech setup? (1 Viewer)

HI guys,

i'm just trying to get your opinion on a good sub to go along with def tech bp7002s that comes with 12" powered subs and clr3000 that comes with a 10" powered sub. i was looking at a svs pb10 but i'm afraid that it won't make an impact to my existing set up. what svs box sub can you recommend?

PB12-Plus/2...or B12-Plus/4...

-THTS

"...hi, my name is Frank...and am an SVS bassaholic..."

can i get a recommendation for something that's waaaay cheaper than the post above?

How are you planning to utilize this extra sub? Are you planning on using this extra sub in concert with the subs that are in your towers and cc? Or, are you planning on setting all of your speakers to small, thereby sending all low frequencies to the new sub, thus bypassing the subs that are in your towers and cc? BTW, scenario number two is what I did with my Def Tech setup when I discovered that it is truly better to have a good standalone sub, rather than having subs built into my towers, and certainly the center channel. Also, how big is your room?

i called def tech tech support and they said that i should just connect my towers and cc using regular speaker wires and on the receiver set it to large. then the sub output on the receiver should be connected to the separate subs. i'm planning on using it for home theater use. i think the def tech with built in powered subs are excellent. don't get me wrong, it's just that it's not the same with a sub box on the corner. scenario 2 would just be wasting my money on getting the def techs with powered subs because it defeats the purpose. all i want is a good sub to complement or enhance the set up that i have right now. if i have to spend a lot of money to find that sub, i might as well learn to live with what i have. i'm not looking to go overboard on the extra sub. is it even possible with the set up that i have to get a separate sub and complement each other to produce a better home theater sound? by the way, my room is 10'H X 18'W X 25'D. i was looking at like an svs pb12-isd or an hsu vtf3-mk2. will this make a difference or is it a waste of money since it will not make a significant difference. i just don't want to set the towers or cc to small because i don't want to look at those speakers each time i watch a movie and realize i spent extra on something i'm not utilizing.

someone give out some help/recommendations/ideas please

Well, I don't know the FR for your speakers, but perhaps you could get a 16-46pci or + to get more depth out of your system. I think the 25-31 would simply increase your SPL. Depending on the ratings on your speakers you may or may not get additional benefit from the 20-39, but I would think that a 16-46plus would be perfect for your situation.

thanks for the response

PB12-Plus/2...or B12-Plus/4...

-THTS

"...hi, my name is Frank...and am an SVS bassaholic..."

>>>can i get a recommendation for something that's waaaay cheaper than the post above?

something that's less than $1000 please....

are you guys saying that it's only worth it to add a dedicated sub to my set up only if i spend 2K and up?

because if it is, then i'll just stick to what i have...
i take it that experts' posts in here that spending an extra 600-1000 for a sub will not add any significant value to my home theater.

i was down to svs pb12-isd or hsu vtf3-mk2...

Sorry about that Joe_L. I was just playing with Frank actually, but it kind of came off at your expense. (Please forgive) It was not my intention.

If you can get them all working without cancellations, the 2 subs you speak of would serve you well. You might try doing the cross at 60-80 Hz set to small, but you state it would be a waste of $$ considering what you have bought. I understand your thinking.

so is it ok to get a dedicated sub?

run the def techs to large so the subs there will be both highs and lows sent there?

and this will work?

that spending an extra 600-1000 for a sub will not add any significant value to my home theater.
__________________________________________________ ____

I'm sorry to say Joe, my opinion is it (could) make things even worse. I think you would be more impressed with the dedicated sub, like described in a previous post.:frowning: I have seen more than a few give up on your intended goal... and were very glad they did so.

If you do a search, you ought to come up with some of the member experiences.

What would happen if you picked up the extra sub and tried it out both ways and you liked the dedicated better. Would it be more of a loss than what your experiencing now? It wouldn't take much to out perform your current situation, so you could go the conservative rout and see what you think?

I think DefTech customer service steered you wrong. If you hook up the powered subs in your 7002s to your receiver's sub output, then you should set your receiver's front speaker setting to small, not large. Does the 7002 have some sort of defeatable high-pass filter for the mid/tweeter array like my very similar Infinity IL60s? If not I would not use the sub out and instead connect the speakers normally and set the receiver to speakers: large, subwoofer: no.

I couldn't help but notice a low frequency response of 15Hz on DefTech's web site. Right! They've been exaggerating their FR specs for years. My old PF1500 is supposed to be good to 13Hz. Maybe at -20dB. So figure 25-30Hz flat. Unless you're willing to spend some bucks for that last 10-15Hz or just want reinforcement, I'd sit on what I had. Just some thoughts.

so a pb12-isd or a hsu vtf-3 mk-2 will not make that much of a difference?

Joe,

Consider DIY... You might some great results. As many stated above, you should consider trying to set your mains/center to small and run a dedicate sub. I don't have a DefTech speakers so I don't know how they r like. I have a friend who has the JBL 312 (12" woofer) that always have his set to large. He also has the 10" JBL powered sub (I forgot the model). He asked me to calibrate his speakers for him since I have the tools. After it's all set and done, he likes it more when his mains/center are set to small. They seemed to be more clear, detail and smoother than before. The reason being is that his powered sub did all the dirty work with bass, leaving the mains/center handle all the highs...


I say save your $1000 if you run your mains/center as large. As in my friend's case, setting mains/center to large will result in lil utilization of his powered sub (I think it's a waste of a powered sub). I'd urge you to try set all to small and powered sub to on(make use of Bestbuy, CC as you can always return it) If you like the way it sounds, perhaps sell your mains and get something smaller, and use that extra money on the powered sub.

Al,

You could set your DefTechs to large and get one of those mean subs. Your mains would play all (or most) of the low bass for the left and right channels, and the sub would play the LFE channel and bass from the center and surround channels, provided they were set to small in your receiver. Would you notice an improvement. You bet! I'd do it in a heartbeat. Some here will say bass from three sources will cause cancellations, comb filtering, etc. They're probably right. But you'll still hear mind-boggling bass.

what's cancellations, comb filtering, etc.? is it worth the risk? will it still sound better or not? if i put the separate bass in the rear of the room will it make a difference? someone suggested that i delay the bass from the receiver calibration to get it more pronounced too... any more feedbacks? i can't beleive that with all the members here in htf, no one has a def tech set up like mine that added another separate sub.

Sorry if I missed it, but do you currently have the bp7002's and clr3000 or is this a planned purchase? If you do not yet own them I would go BP30's and a center without a built in sub, spend the money saved on the biggest SVS you can afford and call it a day. If you already own them then your best bet depends on how your receiver handles bass management. Does your receiver allow you to set the speakers to large and sub to yes. Some do not and force the main speakers to small if using a sub. In this case the subs in the mains are essentially wasted. Not necessarily a bad thing as DefTechs FR specs are very optimistic. Also, some may allow it, but will then also send the main LR bass to the sub as well. This could lead to issues getting smooth bass response due to having multiple subs outputting the same signal from different room locations. Only if your receiver truly keeps the bass from all channels discrete would I say the DefTech rep's suggestion is the best. At any rate any SVS will easily get you more extended LF response over the DefTech subs, provided you position it properly and can get everything working harmoniously.

-Dave

Joe,

You've been bombarded by a lot of technical gibberish that's sometimes difficult to understand without an encyclopedia. As I mentioned earlier I have powered towers as well. Here's something similar to what I've done that will probably work for you. Get your killer sub and put it in a corner of your listening room. Get some Y-connectors and hook up the sub AND your DefTech woofers to the receiver's sub output. In essence you'll have 3 subs in 3 different locations working for you, but one of them will play way lower. It may not be textbook, but it will be very impressive. Hook up the tops of your 7002s normally, set all speakers to small (including that powered center) on your receiver, sub to yes, and get ready to rock. I am assuming that the 7002s give you the option on how to connect the powered sub part - either from the sub output on the receiver or through the speaker outputs. And as low as your speakers go, a moderately priced sub - say an SVS PB12-ISD - would make a world of difference.