<$200 Sub Recommendations Pls (1 Viewer)

[Luke525]

Hi,

I'd like to add a down firing sub to my system. Please advise. I have a Yamaha HTR 5940 that has 105 watts x 6.1. Speakers are Boston Acoustic CR8's on steel Spica sand filled stands, Cardas cables, Panasonic DVD-S29 player to play CDs, on a Bright Star Big Rock 3 isolation base, digital coaxial cable used to hitch it to the HTR 5940.

Would like to add a down firing sub and rear satellite speakers (which I think will be Fry's $50/pr Polk spkrs). I mostly listen to classic rock music with this, but sometimes video or TV sound from VH-1. I have my stereo rack next to my Toshiba 26" wide screen TV.

I was looking at a Boston Acoustic PV700 which they say is nice - has a 12" down firing with 200w amp. Would this be too much power? I'd like bass powerful enough to feel but not be muddy. Is a 10" sub big enough?

My LR is 13' x 13.6' (with 9' ceilings) but it's open to the dining room on one end, which is about the same size. Floor is wall to wall carpet. I'm not looking to saturate the whole house with sound (or bother my 2 cats with it too much), just the LR mostly, and my PC / desk in the DR next to it.

Thanks for any input!

 

[ThomasC]

AV123 x-sub ($199+shipping) = http://www.av123.com/products_produc...s&product=12.1

 

[Dingiswayo]

I asked a very similar question last month and a guy who works for SVS sent me a link to this JBL Sub 12, saying it is a decent sub for the price ($229 shipped)

http://www.jr.com/JRSectionView.proc....y=0&search=GO

 

[Luke525]

Thank you for the replies!

Thomas - Do you own one of the X-Subs? How's it sound? Is it muddy sounding at all?

 

[John Garcia]

I'll second the X-sub. If you want the definition of muddy, check out Polk's lower subs. The X-sub should do just fine.

I've had the R50s - they are not particularly good music speakers.

 

[Luke525]

Thanks again for replying!

I bought a JBL Venue Series Sub10. They seem to be an under-rated SW. I think I'll like it a lot. The reviews of them were real good. They are supposed to be very tight sounding.

I guess I'll hold off on the surrounds for now. The SW is going to be a nice upgrade to my system (first home SW I ever had - had one in my car once that put out pretty well).

 

[Mike Frezon]

Joe: Report back here after you receive the sub. I'd be very interested to hear your reaction.

 

[Luke525]

Will do Mike!

This JBL SW is not a down firing SW. I was thinking my 2 cats would be less apt to damage a down firing SW. If I have to I can put a cloth or something over it to keep the cats from scratching the grill cover. They have other things to scratch on so I don't expect it to be a problem.

 

[Luke525]

I got the JBL Sub 10 today. So far I really like it! It's built really tough! I think if it was dropped out of a 2nd floor window and onto the sidewalk, it would dent the sidewalk! It looks real nice. It did have a SW cable with it, but I had already got a Monster "MonsterBass 300" cable for it.

I don't seem to be getting a lot of output yet. My guess is that it will take a week or so to break it in.

I don't think I could go wrong with this for $148 shipped.

I knew JBL back in the 60s and 70s when me and my friends played in rock music bands and owned guitar amplifiers and PA systems with JBL speakers in them.

I'll report back to this thread in a week or two, when it seems to be broken in more. Happy listening!

 

[Robb Roy]

Luke525,

Don't count on break in to have much effect. You should go through this list carefully to make certain everything is set up correctly:

http://www.robbroy.net/HT/SubwooferErrors.cfm

-Robb

 

[Luke525]

Thank you very much Robb! I must have something on my Yamaha HTR 5940 that's not at the right setting. I can't seem to hear the SW at all! I don't think it's getting any signal. I'll report back here later.

 

[Luke525]

Update :

I changed some of the settings on my HTR 5940 and it's definitely working now. The DVD -S29 I've been using to play CDs on must be not set to "bitstream" as the SW seems to not work when I use it. I'll get that changed ASA I get an S video cable to use with it.

THe SW sounds nice. It's really powerful. I have a Panasonic DVD/VCR that I played some CDs on, just to see how it'd sound. I can also listen to XM radio with the SW now, and it sounds nice.

I played the King's X song "Cigarettes" and the bass was powerful. It sure is enough power for me! The HTR 5940 is new to me also. I got it about a month ago, and a super deal from Fry's for $111.50 shipped. It's quite powerful at 105 watts x 6. Me ears still seem to be ringing.

I found another setting that needed to be changed to "Max" and that seemed to help too.

This system is really starting to perform now. I really appreciate the help. It's nice to have powerful bass in my system again. I don't know if I've ever had a bass as deep as this. The Sub 10 is supposed to get down to 27 hz. It's my first home SW and I like it. I should get many years out of it. My next upgrade later on might be the Marantz 5001 CD player.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Does it get loud/low with no distortion?

You must be having fun!

 

[Luke525]

It does get loud and I've heard no distortion yet.

The only thing I don't like about the JBL Sub 10 is that it's made in China and has a circuit board odor to it. I had a 17" monitor once that was made in China, that I returned to the store I bought it at because of that. Made in Japan or USA has little or no odor, but China is known for this.

Other than that, the JBL Sub 10 seems like a fine unit. I don't think the smell is enough to make me want to part with it, but it's there. It makes plenty of high quality bass.

The bass in Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving You" was like having a big bass guitar amp right here in the living room! It's got power!