Subwoofer Advice... (1 Viewer)

[Eran]

Hi,
I want to know what do I need to look for when looking for subwoofer?
Thanks, Eran

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

I'd suggest thinking about how low(extension) and how loud(volume) you'd want the subwoofer to play without straining in your room.
If you're a pipe organ fan...you'll likely want 16hz extension to hit the biggest stops. When thinking about DVD reproduction...you'll need to think about how loud you're likely to crank the volume on those action oriented DVDs.(how close to *reference* levels you'll push it?)
How large is your room btw?
Also, if you want to purchase locally, would you know what brands are available to you nearby?
TV

 

[SVS-Ron]

Eran,
You might find some of your questions answered here: Link Removed No matter what sort of sub you buy the advice might be helpful I hope.
Ron

 

[Korey McAlpin]

Well since this thread is here.What would I get if my room is 25x30??

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

25x30?
let's figure 6000-7000 cu-ft then?
As with the previous inquire...it will also depend on the extension and volume levels you'll be expecting. If you're a pipe organ fan for instance....16hz extension could be important to you. And if you're a serious HT enthusiast...having the ability to reproduce reference volumes levels could be important to you for DVD playback.
If you were gunning for reference capability in 7000^3...dual HGS18s might be considered.(for example).
TV

 

[Korey McAlpin]

Thank you for the reply..
See I'm still kinda new to the scene so what are the subs that you mentioned??Heh sorry if my question seems a little dumb of me hehe..

 

[Guy Kuo]

Korey, those are Velodyne high gain servo subs that Tom mentioned. In case you don't realize, Tom is being his usual helpful self in giving advice. Despite being a key figure at SVS Subwoofers, he regularly mentions other manufacturer products rather than diving in and promoting his own equipment.
I'd look very keenly about the www.svsubwoofers.com site if I were you. SVS delivers servo sub level performance at a fraction of the price because their subs work with physics rather than against physics in converting electrical energy into deep, powerful bass. I had my doubts, but after getting a pair of SVS subs, I was very impressed. Tom hasn't steered you that way, but I'm not at all hesitant to send you in that direction. Tom can tell you exactly which type of sub in their line will take care of you desires. The amount of SVS sub you get for the money is something that will keep you happy. A lot of us on the forum have discovered the internet secret of SVS. You might want to as well.
------------------
Guy Kuo
Link Removed
Ovation Software, the Home of AVIA DVD
[Edited last by Guy Kuo on October 20, 2001 at 07:29 AM]

 

[Korey McAlpin]

Thank you Guy and Tom im going to look into them all.I was asking because my house is being rebuilt and were moving back into it and right now I dont have a sub...
One more question.There is alot of doubt that my house will ever finish (mold claims) and I was wondering if i got a bigger sub and I ended up moving into a smaller placer with smaller rooms.Would my sound be good or bad with the bigger sub??
Thank you for all the help.

 

[SVS-Ron]

Korey,
With a smaller room you won't need as capable a subwoofer(s). Again, it's just a matter of physics. Even if you have biggest badest sub in the world, it will not sound bad in a smaller room, it just means you set its level a bit lower is all.
If you can wait, better to see just what is going to happen with your house. Or get one sub now, with the alternative of getting a second later on. All other things being equal, bigger rooms mean you need more subwoofers. SVS's are no exception to this rule (you just spend less for more/better bass with us is all ;^)
Ron

 

[Korey McAlpin]

Well I found out whats going on with my house.
Were moving into a apartment but its a college town so im able to play most stuff pretty loud.
And the room im setting up in is bout half the size or a little less then half the size of the room i previously mentioned.So which sub would do??

 

[Tom Vodhanel]

Ok...so figure 3500 cu-ft max then? I'll also assume you have a couple small openings into the room.
Again, it ends up depending on the source material and the volume levels you want the subwoofer to be able to reproduce without sounding bad/straining past it's intended operating limits.
If you wanted to hear *Pipe organs* reproduce at reasonable volume levels...than something like the Hsu Research TN20,Velodyne HGS15,HGS18,Paradigm servo15,SVS 16-46 could all be considered. If Pipe organ music wasn't important to you...I'd concentrate on maximum clean output capability from about 21-25hz and up. Sure it's neat to have extension to 12hz on a DVD like TPM...but if you're trading off a good bit of potential performance >20hz(where 99% of the bass effects reside in both DVD and CDs)...I don't think it's a great trade. So...look for subs that can play as loudly,cleanly down to the 20-24hz range.
Paradigm PW2200 is a great unit,HSU VTF-2,HSU TN25...the VELODYNE SPL1200...all great units. SVS has the 20-39 and 25-31 models to think about too. If you'll be using a DD(dolby digital) receiver/processor in the system...something like the dual 20-39cs/S700 package from svs would be a cost effective approach for reference level bass in your size room.
TV