Acoustic Research vs. Hsu subwoofers (1 Viewer)

[Shawn.G]

How would the ARS 112PS 12inch be better than the hsu vtf-2?

 

[John A. Casler]

Probably only the price would be better.

I have not heard the 112PS but its published specs state a response of 30Hz.

I have owned the VTF2 and it will play lower than that and I would venture a guess that it could also play louder.

 

[James Edward]

Shawn- Buy the VTF-2. I see from some other threads that you have a line on buying one used for about 300 dollars. You're not going to do better for the money unless you build one yourself. It is a fabulous sub- I owned one for over a year and when I upgraded to an SVS, the difference was NOT night and day. The SVS 20-39PC that replaced the VTF-2 goes louder and lower, but the difference was incremental, especially in my smallish (12 x 12) room.

 

[Shawn.G]

Thanks. My room's 12 by 10.6. Im going with the hsu!

 

[Yousaf]

I don't mean to hijack this thread but I have a related question...
How close in performance to the Hsu do you suppose Acoustic Research's beefier sub, the PR1212 ( http://acoustic-research.com/subwoof...sp?prodID=1212 ) would be? I was buying new speakers for my computer with the original intent of getting computer speakers for around $300...I decided to go HT-style instead and now I'm close to $1000 Oh well...
Anyway, I found the PR1212 for $212 online, and since I can't afford the extra $200+ that the Hsu would cost, I stuck with the AR. Now, I haven't received the sub yet but do you think I will end up feeling let down? I needed bass now (only bookshelf speakers will fit in my room), so I did indeed require a sub, but will it be sufficient? Room size is 16x18 but with closets and built in shelves I suppose it would seem more like 14x16...

 

[Brett DiMichele]

If your going to look at AR subs buy the best they offer..

The performance series is "Okay" it's the mass market model
but if you want the best they offer look at the ARS300 and
ARS500.

The 300 packs a Bob Carver/ Sunfire TDC Amp @ 300Watts RMS
mated with a high excursion 12" Driver in a dual slot loaded
enclosure.

The 500 is the beast.. 500Watts RMS of Carver/Sunfire TDC
Power mated with a 15" High Excursion driver in a slot loaded
enclosure tuned to 18Hz.

AR Discontinued both of these models they are in the proccess
of replacing the whole Hi-Res Series with something new so
those two subs are getting harder to find.. Honestly if I
was looking for anything other than a SVS or Velodyne the
AR would be my choice... Check out the Reviews on Audioreview.com

 

[Yousaf]

To be honest, the problem is coming up with the cash...otherwise I would have gone for the AR300 for sure.

I'm actually becoming something of an AR man myself...I ordered the sub (might be able to get one of the Hi-Res ones later) and two AR15 bookshelves. Come christmas and birthday in February, I think I'm going to go for two more AR15s and then the AR2C for the center. I know the series may be getting replaced, but I don't know if you can really beat the prices that they're at right now ($147 for AR15 pair, $230 for AR2C).

Oh well, I guess I'll see how this sub turns out...if it's nto too good, I know what I can look forward to.


edit: I just looked around online and I can't see anyone who is selling either or these subs new. Will I have to go used?

 

[Robert_Gaither]

The only thing that bugs me about the AR is simply the weight of it (38 lbs for a 12? Must not be braced imho). I'd advise if budget is tight to even check out some of the www.partsexpress.com sub kits as most of these only need either a power screwdriver or drill with screwdriver and will be a much better performer for a slightly greater cost than the AR sub. I would also recommend the AudioSource SW15 as well at www.ubid.com as a little mod for it still makes it much cheaper than the AR (149.01 inc shipping). Hope this helps you out if you're budget strapped.

 

[Brett DiMichele]

Rob,
That weight must be for the Performance Series..

They are fairly small cabinents made out of 3/4 MDF I am
not sure what kind of bracing is inside the Performance Series.

Like I said the PS is thier lowest line marketed for like
sears and Best Blunder. None of those places ever carried
the Hi Res line which is far more robust..

My AR9 Mains weight 65 Pounds each 3/4" MDF and are heavily
Braced Inside (Had the subs out and stuck my head in) and
those are unpowered.. The AR7's which are the same only with
amps built in weigh about another 10-15 pounds more and the
AR1's (The Flagship Tower) are nearly a hundred pounds each
from what I recall.

The ARS 300 and 500 Sub should be fairly heavy but the cabinents
are also relatively small in terms of sub cabinents.


Yousaf,

The 500 and 300 are getting very hard to find new anymore..
I wanted a 500 but I couldn't find one.. Well I got the brand
new Carver 500 watt amp from an ARS500 and I am building my
own enclosure and choosing my own driver (going with the
Stryke AV-12) In a sealed enclosure.

If you could find one used and saw the seller had a real
good feedback I might take a chance... But I would rather
have new if at all possible.

You will enjoy those AR15's and AR2C...

I have the AR9's the AR4C and a pair of 216 Performance Series
Bookshelfs as my rear surround.. I am going to replace those
with a set of AR15's and since the prices are so ungodly low
right now I might just buy 2 pairs of AR15's and set a pair
away untill I am ready to use my 6.1 decoding..