Holadem
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2000
- Messages
- 8,967
I had an SVS 20-39PC for 7 years, lived in 5 apartments of various sizes during that time, and never once wanted for more in the bass dept. This was a first generation SVS, long before the Plusses and PCis and powered boxes and what not showed up. That sub was a monster, and I was utterly satisfied (it did develop these bizarre loud minutes-long random hums in the last couple of years, when it was off. I would wake up in the middle of the night with the whole place shaking and run to the living room to unplug it. I am guessing the amp was going bad.)
I've had to unload it as part of an emergency wholesale liquidation of my system a few months ago.
Now, I am slowly rebuilding, got a pair of Paradigm Atoms v5 at the front for now. So far so good, they actually sound better than the older generation Paradigm Monitor 7 they replaced (as much as such things can be ascertained without A/B comparison. Last time I heard the 7s was a few months ago. Maybe I am just "sound-starved", and any speaker sounds heavenly after a few months without, who knows. But I frankly feel the new Atoms are better.)
Needing a sub, and a new SVS 20-39PCi being out of my budget for now, I somehow convinced myself that I could easily downsize. I eyeball my current room at 10 x 12(15?) x 20 -- I should really measure it I know. There is a staircase opening, pretty small one, but into a much larger room upstairs.
After a couple of days researching budget subs, I found the Dayton 100 (10") for $60 on craigslist (ships for $150 or so from Parts Express.) I thought I would start there, for that price I don't have a whole lot to lose, and I should be able to unload it on craigslist again for the same price anyway.
Um -- WTF was I thinking -- what a piece of shit. When I turned it up loud enough to hear anything at all, it was a boomy mess that muddied up the clean tight sound of my little Atoms. I quickly realized that once you are used to deep clean bass, it's hard to settle for anything less. I need a sub I can hear only when warranted, and accurately so.
Budget still being what it is, I settled for HSU STF-2 for $38X shipped. The thing should be here Friday or Saturday. The HSU site and customer service guy said it should be fine for my room. Now that I have looked at the actual dimensions of the sub, I am quite skeptical. It’s pretty small, and now I am wondering if I shouldn’t just have waited till I could afford the SVS.
I am hoping for a miracle, but I don't know how I am gonna be happy with a sub that has a smaller woofer and a far smaller enclosure (and same power amp power, 200W-HSU, 190W-SVS) than my old faithful... The HSU are said to be fantastic for “music” (quotes because I am skeptical of that music/movies distinction. A good sub should excel at both. The SVS did.) Since I watch few movies nowadays, hopefully it will be adequate for now with “music”… No pipe organs, but some of the classical and jazz stuff to which I listen has some deeeeeep piano, I am guessing in the 20s (Hz). Also bass heavy raggae and hip-hop sometimes when I have people over.
Just sharing -- I have no one with whom to talk about these things
--
H
I've had to unload it as part of an emergency wholesale liquidation of my system a few months ago.
Now, I am slowly rebuilding, got a pair of Paradigm Atoms v5 at the front for now. So far so good, they actually sound better than the older generation Paradigm Monitor 7 they replaced (as much as such things can be ascertained without A/B comparison. Last time I heard the 7s was a few months ago. Maybe I am just "sound-starved", and any speaker sounds heavenly after a few months without, who knows. But I frankly feel the new Atoms are better.)
Needing a sub, and a new SVS 20-39PCi being out of my budget for now, I somehow convinced myself that I could easily downsize. I eyeball my current room at 10 x 12(15?) x 20 -- I should really measure it I know. There is a staircase opening, pretty small one, but into a much larger room upstairs.
After a couple of days researching budget subs, I found the Dayton 100 (10") for $60 on craigslist (ships for $150 or so from Parts Express.) I thought I would start there, for that price I don't have a whole lot to lose, and I should be able to unload it on craigslist again for the same price anyway.
Um -- WTF was I thinking -- what a piece of shit. When I turned it up loud enough to hear anything at all, it was a boomy mess that muddied up the clean tight sound of my little Atoms. I quickly realized that once you are used to deep clean bass, it's hard to settle for anything less. I need a sub I can hear only when warranted, and accurately so.
Budget still being what it is, I settled for HSU STF-2 for $38X shipped. The thing should be here Friday or Saturday. The HSU site and customer service guy said it should be fine for my room. Now that I have looked at the actual dimensions of the sub, I am quite skeptical. It’s pretty small, and now I am wondering if I shouldn’t just have waited till I could afford the SVS.
I am hoping for a miracle, but I don't know how I am gonna be happy with a sub that has a smaller woofer and a far smaller enclosure (and same power amp power, 200W-HSU, 190W-SVS) than my old faithful... The HSU are said to be fantastic for “music” (quotes because I am skeptical of that music/movies distinction. A good sub should excel at both. The SVS did.) Since I watch few movies nowadays, hopefully it will be adequate for now with “music”… No pipe organs, but some of the classical and jazz stuff to which I listen has some deeeeeep piano, I am guessing in the 20s (Hz). Also bass heavy raggae and hip-hop sometimes when I have people over.
Just sharing -- I have no one with whom to talk about these things
--
H