New Power Sub Suggestions. (1 Viewer)

[mitch]

Hi All,

I'm looking to upgrade my powered subwoofer [Snell PS10] as part of my Snell system [E.5's front towers, SR-5 surrounds, and CR-5 center]. I love my Snells' but I'm looking for a significant upgrade to the sub.

My friend has a Velodyne HGS 15 which rocks the house, but he paid about $3K and that's out of my price range. I've been reading a lot about the powerful SVS subs and I'm very impressed.

Can any of you recommend an SVS [or other] powered sub in the $1K to $1500 price range that would be as good or better than the Velodyne?
I don't have any space restrictions as my finished basement is my home theater.

My electronics include the new Integra DTR-7.8 [which is unbelievable!] and the Toshiba HD A2 HD DVD player. I also have an HD cable box with DVR.

I am really looking for serious clean subsonics for movie watching. I need a sub that will " rock the house"!

Thanks for the advice as always,

Mitch

 

[JohnRice]

Mitch, you are a clear candidate for the PB12-Plus/2. In fact, I see the Piano Gloss and wood cabinet models are currently $300 off!!, putting them well within you price range. If you are willing to add shipping to your budget, you can get the Ultra 13, which simply has to be unbelievable. I wouldn't even give it much thought. I would probably jump on one of the Plus/2s.

 

[Rich Allen]

Look at the Hsu subs too. I've got a VTF-2 Mk3 and it is incredible for the price.

 

[John Garcia]

I've heard the DD-15 and the Ultra 13. The Velo didn't even come close to the capabilities of the Ultra and it costs a LOT more. The Ultra is 1700 though, just above your price range. The Ultra has as much output as the Plus/2 and I think it actually will give you better sound quality than the Plus (I have heard a single Plus in the same setup as the Ultra). For HSU, the VTF-3HO + Turbo would probably work as well.

 

[reeseherrmann]

check out source loudspeaker technologies model xls-- that's a world class sub. if you thinking about spending that kind of money you should buy something great not just your mainstream junk. this sub
will outperform subs in the 5-$10.000- price range also check out their lower priced subs. all source speakers will outperform any mainstream speakers from b&w on up.

 

[JohnRice]

EDIT: It seems the individual this post is referring to has been removed from the HTF universe. I was going to erase this post, but decided to leave it so readers can see what sort of tactics this manufacturer is using. I have also made a point of including the full company name (Source Loudspeaker Technologies), so anyone searching for info on them is likely to discover the underhanded methods they use to promote their products. What company is that? Source Loudspeaker Technologies.


Hmmm. I had heard of Source Loudspeaker Technologies at some point, because I know I have looked at their web site before. I also found some interesting things. First, the "recommended" sub in the previous post is $2,400. Hardly within the OP's parameters. Even more interesting is that the only dealer I have found is an individual named Walter Herrmann. Wow, the same person as the previous post. I also see he has been cruising all over the net posting about how great these speakers are or asking if anyone has heard of them, pretending to be a happy customer, including (this post was deleted by HTF>>) Right here on HTF in what appears to be possibly his first post. The stench of shill is unbearable.

Oh shock, here is another "innocent" query. (< that post was also deleted)

Get a load of This Thread. He is actually participating, pretending to be a happy, long term customer when he is, in fact, the only dealer there seems to be, and referred to by name in the thread.

Plus, they say they have been in business since 1984, but their domain was only registered in 2005. Quite odd.

FWIW, the Source Loudspeaker Technologies may in fact be quite good, but it appears you can't audition them anywhere outside the unnamed dealer in NY. Going to the "Dealers" list on the Source website yields a password protected page.

Yes, this is referring to Source Loudspeaker Technologies.

 

[mitch]

John,

Which post are you referring to? Some of your hyper links are to invalid pages.

By the way, thanks for the suggestion on the SVS PB-12/plus 2. For the price, I'm taking a serious look at them. Have you heard them?

Mitch

 

[Robert_J]

A new entry into the sub market is Epik Subwoofers. The owner, Chad Kuypers, is a long time member of this forum. Do a search in the DIY section for Ascendant Audio and you can see some of the comments on his the raw drivers he has designed. The drivers are built by Scott Atwell (he used to supply SVS with their ISD driver) from Fi Car Audio. The cabinets are built in the Epik factory/warehouse near Chicago. In house manufacturing gives him the added abilty of providing the customer with products they want. A few weeks ago in another forum, people were asking about sealed subs. They are now offering sealed subs.

Another relatively new entry into the home sub market is Elemental Designs. They have been a car audio manufacturer for years. They offer subs from 10", 200w to a dual 18" with 1,300w. They will also build custom cabinets as well. Their downside is finishing. They over their subs in textured black only. You can custom order raw MDF and veneer it yourself if you have the skills and time.

Disclaimer - I am not affiliated with either company listed above. I have only used their raw drivers in the past to build my own subs. But the dedication and help they have shown the DIY community has moved over to their home sub operations.

-Robert

 

[Brian Serene]

You might be interested in the sale at Outlaw. Their top of the line subwoofer plus the Velodyne SMS-1 is on sale for $999 plus shipping. The SMS-1 is included in the newer DD series. The DD-15 is roughly comparable to the HGS-15.

Go to the Outlaw web site and click on the Velodyne SMS-1, then
scroll down toward the bottom of the page for the LFM-1EX and the SMS-1 combo, (for $999).

 

[JohnRice]

Mitch, the HTF threads I linked to have been deleted by HTF, and the shill who posted them has been removed from the forum. The last thread I linked to is still there and incredibly damning, since the shill was participating, pretending to be a happy customer, but was actually the "dealer" they were referring to later in the thread. He also miraculously called the potential customer who had been trying to contact the "manufacturer" for over a month but had received no reply. I despise this kind of dishonesty, so I left the post and made a point that the company was included more than once, so that anyone searching for them with google or yahoo is likely to find this thread and know how underhanded and dishonest they are.


Yes, I have heard the PB-12 plus/2 and it is a remarkable unit. In fact, it blows away the $2,500 Velodyne ULD-18 mkII I used to have in most aspects. The Velodyne didn't even come close in repsect to extension and raw output, but did have a bit of an advantage in "musicality". I need to point out that I didn't have the opportunity to fully calibrate and play with the SVS, which has far more adjustments than the Velodyne, so it just may not have been optimally set to blend into the room well. The greater adjustments of the SVS makes it more complicated, but ultimately should make it capable of blending in more situations, plus you get to tune it to the performance you want, whether that be greatest extension or greatest output.

 

[mitch]

John,

Thanks for your help and information! I'm looking for "movie theater" deep bass with gut wrenching subsonics and strong bass extension. Would you categorize the pb-12/plus/2 that way?

I would be putting it along a front wall sitting sideways [with the length along the wall]. This is the same wall that my fronts, center and LCD is on.
Do you think that would work OK? I'm assuming that it should work out OK as they are downfiring. Do you feel that downfiring subs give better subsonics than front firing?

My biggest problem will be getting them downstairs into my home theater/finished basement! At 140 pounds, I'm going to need some serious help!

Thanks again,

Mitch

 

[JohnRice]

Mitch, that placement should work fine. There are ports in the back and you want to be sure not to impede them. I would also plan to have it a bit away from the front wall (maybe up to a foot, if you can) and allow yourself the ability to fine tune its placement. The general ideal is that you don't want it equidistant from any two surfaces, so off to one side is usually what I personally like.

It will give you amazing infrasonic radiation. If that is your priority, you probably want to start by tuning it to 16Hz. The manual explains this and you can change it any time you want. The movie that really knocked me out was War of the Worlds. Though the movie itself is a little disappointing, the scene where the aliens first appear has infrasonic energy like I couldn't believe. You just have to get it all tuned in first, which isn't that easy a task.

BTW, I've never used a front firing sub, so I can't answer that question. The main objective is just to not impede any of the "breathing" surfaces which on the PB is the bottom and back.

 

[mitch]

Hi All,

Now that I'm getting serious about my SVS Sub purchase, I want to be sure that I'm getting the right one. So, I once again turn to my HTF brothers for advice.

For the difference in price of $200.00, should I also consider the SVS PB 13 Ultra [ in textured black]? The PB 12 plus/2 is $1299 in textured black, the PB Ultra 13 is $1499 in textured black.

I don't want to make a mistake for $200. Again suggestions are requested. I am looking for earth shattering subsonics for my home theater [see my original post above].

John, and everyone, what do you think? Am I good with the plus 2's or far better off for the money with the PB 13 Ultra?

Thanks again!

Mitch

 

[John Garcia]

For $200 more (not including shipping), I'd get the Ultra

 

[JohnRice]

They'll both blow you away, but in for a penny, in for a pound. Might as well float the extra 2C. One thing to keep in mind, I suspect the Ultra is best positioned facing into the room, rather than along side the front wall.

 

[Brian Serene]

This sale is over.

 

[mitch]

Hi All,

Well I finally did it! I went and ordered my SVS PB12-Plus/2 based on my budget and room constaints. I should be taking delivery next Monday, the 15th if all goes well. I better go work out at the gym so I can move this baby around! I also ordered a new sub cable through SVS made by Better Cables at an excellent price. Of course, I had to also order my SVS sub human t-shirt!

By the way, has anyone been able to obtain an SVS plaque for their home theater? I spoke with Eric over at SVS today and he told me that Show-Case Designs used to carry them exclusively, but they are out of business with an anticipated grand re-opening soon. Please let me know if anyone has been able to get one as I would like to add the SVS plaque to my home theater [along with my Dolby Digital, DTS, and THX plaques].

Thanks to everyone for their help in helping me spend my money! I promise to get back to you on a re-post after I get my sub set up and let you know how much damage that I've done to my home.

Mitch

 

[JohnRice]

Congrats Mitch. You may have read this elsewhere, but when you first actually try out the sub, you may even be a bit disappointed. Most people have never heard a truly good sub and don't realize how little attention they draw to themselves. It is not the constant thudding you typically think of as bass. Try to resist the impatience and get it tuned reasonably well before trying it out.