How is this sub? (1 Viewer)

[WillNE]

Have any of you guys used this sub? http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Z7fe20y...00&I=107PSW10B
I'm thinking of picking one up. I'm a little wearry of the 50watts as that seems really low but all of the reviews I've read seem to praise it. I was just wondering how you guys thought it was? It will be used mostly for movies and TV with the ocasional rap or heavy rock music cranked up.

 

[SethH]

What is your budget? You can get the BIC H100 for just under $250 and I would think that would be a much better subwoofer, especially considering that polk is -3db at 40Hz -- not really much of a "sub"-woofer with those numbers. The BIC Acoustech is -3db at 24Hz with a 12" woofer and 150 watt amplifier. If you can swing the extra price it would definitely be worth the additional price.

 

[DougDoe]

$4 per watt??

 

[DaveHo]

Frequently, they give that sub away if you spend more than $300 on Polk products. That should give you some indication of how good a "sub" it is. I'd look elsewhere. The BIC mentioned above, or one of the Daytons from Parts Express will stomp all over that Polk.

 

[John Garcia]

I've owned it, it is far from impressive. I would actually say it barely qualifies as what I would define as a sub woofer. I got it free when I bought some LSis. For the price, it isn't worth it. Don't shop at Crutchfield either; unless it is on clearance, their prices suck.

 

[WillNE]

Well I saw it was going to be on sale for $99 at Circuit City on BF so thats why I wondered if it was worth picking up. $99 doesn't seem to bad and I didn't know if it would be worth that or not.

 

[Jeff Adams]

http://www.homespeakers.com/buynow.a...red+Subwoofers

Save up $299 and buy this. I am buying two of them.

 

[John Garcia]

$99 is better, but then you could just get a Dayton 10" which would be a better sub at just ~$120. www.partsexpress.com

 

[steve nn]

That was my first thought. I picked up the Dayton to do a little comparison against the Sony WM-40 (budget leader at the time) and it held it's own and then some. It would be fun to see how it stacks up to their 12" offering. Anyway if the $100 mark is what your wanting to come in at, I would suggest the Dayton.

 

[John Garcia]

The numbers for the 12" version aren't much more impressive, but it should move more air, so I'd expect it to at least have more output.

 

[steve nn]

Oh it definitely would no doubt about it. Considering it's only $20 more and still way below the $200 mark, why not? It would certainly trounce whats being considered imo.

 

[DougDoe]

Bic Ventiru (15"),350W,20Hz for $250 ...

 

[johnADA]

DO NOT BUY THE DAYTON!!!!

The Dayton is better than most sub $400 dollar units by far, but has one fatal flaw in it that is apparent. BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMYYYYYYY, just like any other ported unit has, but using a better amp than most sub $400 unit, it really shows itself!!!!!

I had that unit and many others also.

Subs are way over rated and HIGHLY over priced against the rest of the audio market place.

This is the one area where I would build your own and get what you want.

I tried out many different brands under $400, which IMO is more than enough wasted on such. Not one had good tonal qualities to go both home theater, which likes ported boomy and then be used for music. I did listen to some higher ended HSU's and SVS's which now offer the best of both worlds, but are so highly overpriced its not even funny.

Nobody "NEEDS" over 150 watts.
For the most part, amps are amps
Boxes are boxes, if sized right.
Ports for boom, enclosed for clean sound.

I built the one I now will be keeping for $250.

Not boomy, its clean sounding and might be a tad light on the home theater end, but it does the job.
You can look at Madison Sound and or Parts Express and get the parts needed.

Just use google and DYI searches for information on building one.
Your gonna see how each drivers rating effects on how its built, either for porting for boom or enclosed for clean sound, then pick the type that suits you.
All you need to be able to do is cut holes and use a screw driver!!!! They charge over $150+ for those 2 things!!!!

 

[steve nn]

I'm glad you found what you were looking for at such a good price. Frankly though, the 15" drivers we like to use in the DIY arena have a tendency to start around the $250 mark and will require much more than a 150 watts....well unless your building a budget project. Do you happen to have a pic of what you built?

 

[johnADA]

Well you can go to parts express and or madison sound, buy a cabinet, amp and driver. You need exactly a screw driver and sometimes a way to cut a hole. Thats it and nothing more unless you want more. You want to build your own crossover, cabinet etc, then it requires more.

Yeah I think and I wasnt talking about as a business, but still yet as a business they are still way over priced. They average over 100%+ markups and reach much higher because there are people willing to pay for it. WHY?? I could get into it, but isnt worth it.

Can someone really explain why someone needs a 15 inch sub woofer that needs so many watts to drive it makes your meter spin?????

And I'll say it again, why someone "NEEDS" it.

I dont see many homes that have rooms that large that might required such.

 

[mylan]

Well then, you have never seen my room. I have a 15x15 theater room that opens up to a pool room that is 18x14 that opens into a third bedroom that opens to a stairway upstairs. What I have here is a very large space and my little Velodyne cannot properly pressurize the room due to it "seeing" all that other space. If you can build me something for cheap that will give me SOME bass in my theater, i'll buy it, otherwise i'm spending at least $800 for an SVS or similiar sub. No, I don't need it but without it I may as well get a HTIB and just be satisfied, right?

 

[johnADA]

And your defending what?????? As to the conversation!!!!

House acoustics/ size was mentioned in my post as a possible reason, yet your defending in like a sure fire cure for all.

Now in your case , with one all ready boughten and paid for, ever think this could be a time to add yet another smaller sub?????

Now I'm not fond at all of these new ideals of adding subs to begin with, I still have alot of old school in me. The old days, which is rare to find today, I guess trendiness killed it, you had speakers that had a 10 inch or etc along with a mid and tweet, there was no need for a sub. Music doesnt go below 40hz or so and these setups where more than enough bass. Even today, there inst much content that does, but it does exist and to get it a sub is in order.

But I found its easier to deal with lack of bass where I use my system the most in music, versus the much less time used in lower frequency realms. Thats where I find it to be overpriced harshly, besides the fact of markup. Its easer to swallow that kind of markup when its being used for most of what your listening to than a add on accessory type deal.

With that outta the way, listening to various store setups, friends setups and playing with my own. I still dont see a large sub solving everyones problem as a whole and not in a majority fashion either. OK, if you like it rappy, over drowned in bass, hey thats your style, this is your ticket. But if you like music, not rappy on tonality and yet want a good bass punch for movies, I'm alot more willing to accept a multiple sub ideal.

We all have heard placement, placement, placement and large rooms and or openings of your nature doesnt seem placement is and issue for a single unit. Sure a single as large sizing may take care of some of it, but I think calibrated in levels equal to the other speakers, it wont be much, but turned up over the others level it may cure more which is overkill for some areas of these rooms.

I've heard 2 systems where once a 15 inch or dual 12's where swapped out with 4 placed 6 1/2ers that just out shined the single and dual units. Had plenty of low end, good solid blended bass that let you know it existed, but wasnt overly bassy, which was the case with the other setups.

The price of the 4 was cheaper than the dual and about equal with the 15 incher. Roughly from what I remember off the top of my head, there Neo something Tang Bands at 6 1/2 inches, in separate cabinets, each with a 100/120 watt dayton amp. Amps were like $100 per and something like $60 per driver and home built cabinets. So your talking $800 ish, which is the price of one HSU/SVS or whatever at 15 inches, 400 amps plus. The other one I didnt really get into it with him, but its similar in nature and you may think BOSH to it, but to me it sounded outstanding for both modes of useage!!! Just another idea basically!!

 

[John Garcia]

1) not everyone listens to music only 2) most mainstream movies contain sound well below 40 Hz. If you liked those giant speakers with big drivers, that's great, but that is little more than your personal preference.

This thread is about SUBS, and if you don't like subs, then DON'T POST HERE, because you are adding nothing of value. If you want to go on a diatribe about subs or speakers in general, start your own thread.

I don't get what you're talking about with the construction of subs, because speakers fall into exactly the same category.

I have a 15" sub fed by 350w and it does very well for both music and movies. I LIKE the rumble - that is my preference. That pressurization of the room still adds quite a bit to music as well. It doesn't sound "rappy" as you put it. Proper integration is important, and isn't exactly perfectly simple, but it isn't so hard that the average person can't do it either.

 

[johnADA]

Got a burr in your saddle????
Or is it you cant read well?????

Lets see, I went over pro's and cons of sub usage to some degree.
Posted I have a sub, though I'd rather have larger main drivers for music and have the sub for effects in movies.
I added some ideas.
Sound is a very subjective subject, my rappy is your OK and so on.

 

[John Garcia]

People don't, and shouldn't, expect a first rate sub at the $150 and under point, so attacking the Dayton subs saying they are boomy and cheap is just retarded. OF COURSE they aren't great subs, but they don't cost much either, and they are quite highly reviewed for the price. The Dayton 10" sub is easily better than the Polk sub in question at the price point. You are certainly entitled to your opinion of the Dayton, but in my experience, your view of it is in the minority, and I've found that those who weren't pleased with them had too high of an expectation for a sub of this price. I really haven't heard any new, fully built subs at the price point that I would call impressive, so expectations have to be reasonable. As I'm sure you well know, the room is also a factor when comparing a sub like this - stick that sub in a large room in the center of it and it certainly won't perform well, so we need to know your conditions when testing also.