Best small sub for a large room... (1 Viewer)

[Rich X]

I'm looking for a new sub to put with either B&W 600 series LCR's or Totem Acoustic Mite-T-C LCR's. I've demo'd Velodyne HGS & SPL series and Sunfire Mark IV. Both sound great at the dealer, but how will they sound in a large room? My room is 20x15 with 17' sloped ceiling and is completely open at one side. WAF requires a small sub that can be tucked away in a corner.

 

[Blake R]

Your living room sounds very similar to mine Rich. I have a Definitive Technology ProSub 100TL that I'm very happy with.

10" driver, 250W amp,adjustable crossover 40-150 Hz, Gain control, auto-on, 14x11x17, $450

 

[Dustin B]

Acoustic Visions for somewhere around $600-650 (spend a little more and you can get a very nice laminant or veneer finish) could get you a Dayton DVC12" or MkII Titanic (difference is like the difference between a SVS CS and CS+) driver with an Adire PR15 in a 60-80L enclosure tuned to 20hz-22hz powered by a 250W plate amp. Will be around an 18" cube in size.

Would compete very well or beat the subs you've mentioned.

 

[JohnDG]

I've got a Paradigm PDR-10: 14.25" x 13.5" x 16", tucked underneath a coffee table.
Decent response down to 22Hz. Check out Link Removed for a frequency response chart: especially if you lower the crossover to 90Hz.
jdg

 

[Miklsan K]

Of late, my job has required me to do several home theater demos in large areas. One was a large glassed in conference room (approx 50x100x12) and the other was a large classroom with stadium seating (maybe 80x40x16). The sub we used for both demos was the amazing little Velodyne SPL1000. I can tell you that it aquitted itself quite nicely, and that most of us were consistantly impressed at the quantity and quality of bass it produced in such large rooms. I would recommend taking one home and giving it a try. Let us know what you wind up doing!

 

[Michael R Price]

Rich, if you want it loud, you will need a serious sub. I suggest DIY - Blueprint 1203/1503 in small PR enclosure with a huge amp. But if you're not shooting for high SPL, a Sunfire or Velodyne will work fine.

 

[Mike Burke]

Look at the M&K MX-350, the sub is not that large and is simply amazing! It is #2 on my favorite sub list (The Revel B-15 is first). VERY worth it to audition!

Good Luck
Mike

 

[Rich X]

Thanks for all of the tips and additions to my demo list! This should keep me busy for a while. Unfortuantely, I don't know of a dealer around me who carries a few of the subs you guys mentioned, so I'll have to do some research.

The Velodyne SPL1000 is one of the ones I've demo'd--though not in my home. I have to say that the output is impressive, also very musical, definitely on my short list at the moment. I've also heard the Revel B-15 and the Aerial SW12, both are amazing, but are beyond my budget and size constraints at this point.

I don't need to reach huge SPL levels in this room, since it adjoins another room and shares a common wall with a bedroom upstairs. My main concern is fast, tight, and musical bass. I'm planning to build a dedicated HT in my basement sometime soon, so I'll save the eye-popping bass for that.

I'll keep you posted on my progress and welcome any additional advice.

 

[Greg Schex]

I recently shopped for a small sub too. My short list was Rel Q150, Velodyne SPL 800 (1000 was to tall), Carver Knight Shadow, and the Earthquake SuperNova MKIV-10. All of these are less than 12.5" high. 8" driver in the velo all the others are 10" and the EQ has a passive 10" as well. Don't think you would be disappointed with any of them. Good Luck

 

[BryanZ]

Rich,

Either the ACI Force or HSU VTF-3 should be a viable option for you. Both are factory direct but you may find someone in your area who has one.

 

[LowellG]

"Rich, if you want it loud, you will need a serious sub. I suggest DIY - Blueprint 1203/1503 in small PR enclosure with a huge amp."

Where could I find more info on these DIY subs?

 

[Dustin B]

DIY/Advanced section. Do some searches and ask some questions there.

A BP1503 in the right enclosure with enough power should compare favorably to a pair of SVS CS+ subs.

 

[Chas_T]

I recently shopped for a small sub too. My short list was Rel Q150, Velodyne SPL 800 (1000 was to tall), Carver Knight Shadow, and the Earthquake SuperNova MKIV-10.

Greg,

Out of these choices, would you mind sharing which one you purchased and why?? I am in a similar situation and will not have the ability to demo them.

Thank you,
Charles

 

[Sihan Goi]

SVS Ultra's are obvious choices. Other viable options are
Hsu VTF-3
Paradigm Servo-15
Earthquake Supernova MKIV-12
Earthquake Supernova MKIV-15
Velodyne HGS-15
Velodyne HGS-18
Energy ES-18XL

 

[Rich X]

I'm going to demo a few subs today:

Velodyne SPL800
Velodyne SPL1000
Velodyne HGS-10
Paradigm Servo-15
B&W ASW 2500

I'll post my thoughts on these later on.

 

[LowellG]

"I'll post my thoughts on these later on. "

Please do, I am looking for a small, but powerful, sub too.

 

[Chas_T]

Yes, please post your thoughts and consensus.

 

[Rich X]

Ok, Here is how today's demo went. All subs were demo'd with Anthem AVM2 and MCA5 amp. The CD player was a Sony--not sure which model. The interconnect to the sub was Monster--not sure which one. Mains were B&W 602s3.

Velodyne SPL 800: Good sound, musical. No problem keeping up even on complex Jazz piece with a lot of kick drum, string bass. I did not really "feel" the bass though. I think this one may have trouble in my large room.

Paradigm Servo-15: Deep, fast, accurate--even at lower volumes, which is important to me. However, it is really big. For the money, I think this is a great value if you have the space.

B&W ASW2500: Again, to my ears an accurate sounding sub, but it did not go as low as the others. The bass was smooth but it lacked the presence that the Velo's had.

Velodyne SPL1000 & HGS-10: Very similar. tight, accurate bass. Kept up with same jazz piece mentioned above. You could feel the kick drum, but it did not have a boomy sound. I would give a slight edge to the HGS-10. It seemed to go a little bit deeper and give a better underpinning to the music--if that makes sense. It is also a smaller package and has a nicer finish.

I did not get to demo the Sunfire with these today, however from memory, I think it had very similar characteristics to the HGS-10, perhaps even able to go lower and put out higher volumes, but it did sound a little muddy at times--could have been placement.

Bottom line: I think I am going to go with the Velodyne HGS-10, but only because this dealer (who I trust) is willing to sell me a demo for $900 with the waranty. (The piano finsh has a few nicks, but I'm hiding it anyway, so who cares?). Otherwise, for the price, my money would have been with the SPL1000.

Hope this helps and please let me know your thoughts (he's holding the HGS-10 for me--I did not buy it yet!) and how all of your search's progress.

 

[Chas_T]

Rich.. Thank you for the reviews. Considering the list price on the VELODYNE HGS10 - HGS Series is $1799.00, that's a great price and your input is appreciated greatly.

I am just curious.. Did you or anyone else listen to the VELODYNE SPL1200??

I am communicating with a bud of mine who has quite a bit of expertise in this area and he is telling me the following: Again, there are no dealers in my area to audition this brand and these are his words, not mine.

"The SPL-1200 is FAR FAR better than the SPL1000. Remember Pie Radius Squared in geometry? The 12 inch has more than 40% greater area and the 1000 is just not enough. Also, the 1200 sounds better than the HGS-12II (more musical)
as the servo degrades the output and the 1200 actually has more "oomph" even with 1/2 the wattage."

Thanks for the input if anyone has something else to add.

Charles

 

[Greg Schex]

Charles, I ended up with the Earthquake. For the size and the price and the SPL's it was a clear winner. It also comes in a cherry finish which I wasn't sure I would like till I got it home but now I really like the look of it I kept thinking SPL's when shopping as I have a large room but the EQ with a single 10" driver and the 10" passive radiator is PLENTY I actually had to turn it way down when I balanced all the speakers. Don't just think about SPL's get a sub that does music well and HT will be no problem. happy hunting