JBL PB10/12 or Athena AS-P400? (1 Viewer)

[Rex Quinn]

Alright, I'm bulding my first HT and I have no clue how to measure the advantages/disadvantages of subwoofers. My setup will consist of the Panasonic SA-HE100 reciever, and the Athena Audition series speakers (AS-B2's for mains, B1's for surrounds, and 2 AS-C1's for front and back center). As for a sub to complete the set, I'm considering the following:
Athena AS-P400 ($499.99 CDN)
JBL PB10 ($499.99 or $350.00 on floor sale)
JBL PB12 ($499.99 on floor sale)
Here is the info for the two JBL's, and I'll just post the specs below for the AS-P400. The HT is in a small bedroom, so I don't need too much base, but it does have to be powerful. I'll be using the setup for music as well as HT (death/black metal mostly) so base is important. The Athena sub is the matching sub for the Audition series. Any help would be appreciated.
AS-P400 specs:
Woofer:
- 10" Injection Molded Cone with Rubber Surround
System:
- Front firing Bass Reflex design
Power:
- 400 watts peak power - 100 watts continuous, MOSFET Amplifier
Frequency Response:
- 23Hz - 150Hz
Controls:
- Bass Level
- Bass Range: from 30Hz to 120Hz
Features:
- Front Mounted controls
- Auto-On/Off with Dual colored LED status indicator
- Internal Protection Circuitry
- Anti-Clip Circuitry
Dimensions:
- 18-1/2" H (20-1/2 including feet) x 11-7/16" W x 15-3/8" D
Finish Options:
- Black Ash
Weight:
- 32 lbs each
- Sold Individually
Total Carton Weight:
- 35 lbs

 

[Paul Clarke]

Rex,

I'm not familiar with the Athena but it sounds fine. I have the PB10 and love it. But I live in a townhouse with common walls, my space is 12x17 and is filled with heavy furniture. I can only tell you what I like about my sub...other opinions may vary:

The response of the 10" w/150W is quite low and loud enough for my present circumstances. (LOTR is the most requested movie when I have company.)

The front LED's are a useful feature when listening to various content, especially with differing setup options.

Build quality and reliability have been excellent in my case

Most JBL owners will say get the 12" if you can afford it and I would not disagree, especially if your tastes are more to HT over Music and your space is large.

Good Luck.

 

[Ryan-Stone]

I got my PB12 at www.J&R.com for $299 with no tax and free shipping. Its not hooked up yet so i cant tell you what it sounds like but the unit itself looks very nice.

 

[matthew_rm]

Polk PSW 404.

$500 CDN, new, but man it Kicks ass. Go try it out.

 

[Michael Preyer]

I own a PB12. It is in the large 28 X 15 foot family room in my house. It can more than fill the room with impressive bass - tight and clean, no hint of distortion. When watching "The Haunting", I thought the earth was moving.

 

[Brian Ruth]

Rex - you MAY want to use the Athena, since the response seems to be a bit lower.

I have a PB12, but its in a 20x20 room AND I got it for a nice discount. If your room isn't bigger than 15x15, I'd stick with the Athena. It SHOULD be big enough for the kind of sound you want.

I'm not an expert on here though, so be sure to listen to some more opinions before you go out and get something.

 

[John_Bilbrey]

I have the PB12 and am very pleased, but I have not listened to the other sub you mentioned. It does a good job on both music and HT

 

[JohnTKline]

I was looking at a pb12 but decided to go with svs, however you can find a new pb12 on ebay in the 225.00-245.00 range, new. In american currency...

John

 

[Brian Ruth]

John.... SVS sounds great. I've heard nothing but praise for the SVS subs ever since I've been on here, and hopefully it will be a good fit in your system.

 

[Rex Quinn]

Thanks for the input everyone. Its either going to be the PB10 or the Athena for me, I'll see if i can audition them side by side in the near future. The PB12 would definatly be overkill, this is a bedroom HT setup So far though, I'm leaning towards the Athena, it just seams easier as it's the matched sub with the set of speakers I have. I'll post a reply with the results of the audition as i get them