ThomasL
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2001
- Messages
- 963
Hi everyone. This is probably a newbie type question so bare with me. Well, I finally upgraded my entry level Sony satellite home theater system with something more decent (the old system was the SAVE315 - it was ok as a newbie entry level system for movies but the tiny satellites use a one midrange driver setup that really sounded tinny and bright with no bass whatsoever making stereo music sound poor). I replaced it with some CSW Newton M50s for fronts, Newton MC300 for a center channel and a pair of Newton MC100s for the rear surrounds (everything had passing SAF ratings although replacing the tiny Sonys with the M50s as one can imagine was a difficult sell until she heard the M50s compared to the smaller satellites 
) It sounds a lot better especially stereo music. Now, I'm left with the Sony subwoofer that came with the package. This is not the Sony everyone likes around here, but a smaller 6 1/2 inch woofer system that I think it the descendent of the SAW-305? listed over at www.audioreview.com. It is ok, but I suspect I need something better now that I've retired the bass-challenged Sony satellites. My center and fronts seem to be able to handle everything above 100 Hz fine so that is where my crossover point is on my Pioneer receiver. So, I'm looking for an inexpensive subwoofer (< $300) that does best in reproducing the bass frequencies accurately from 35-100 or so. I'm not so much interested in booming/bone shaking bass but one that doesn't sound muddy/garbled at the lower frequencies. In addition to that, I have hard and fast space constraints of < 13 1/2 inches wide, < 16 inches high and < 18 inches deep. The wide part is the most constraining since 13 1/2 is the absolute max with no space left so I'd rather get something a little less than that so let's say 13 inches. The models I've been looking at are:
Acoustic Research S108PS
Energy S8.2
CSW BassCube 8S
Mirage FRx-S8
Given my requirements/desires, does anyone have an opinion on these or can recommend others? I'm leaning toward the Energy since I've read that it handles frequencies very accurately from 30-100 Hz.
Oh, I'd also like something that is magnetically shielded if possible just for future flexibility and our room is carpeted so I'm not sure how that effects downward vs. front firing models.
thanks very much for your thoughts and happy new year.
--tom
) It sounds a lot better especially stereo music. Now, I'm left with the Sony subwoofer that came with the package. This is not the Sony everyone likes around here, but a smaller 6 1/2 inch woofer system that I think it the descendent of the SAW-305? listed over at www.audioreview.com. It is ok, but I suspect I need something better now that I've retired the bass-challenged Sony satellites. My center and fronts seem to be able to handle everything above 100 Hz fine so that is where my crossover point is on my Pioneer receiver. So, I'm looking for an inexpensive subwoofer (< $300) that does best in reproducing the bass frequencies accurately from 35-100 or so. I'm not so much interested in booming/bone shaking bass but one that doesn't sound muddy/garbled at the lower frequencies. In addition to that, I have hard and fast space constraints of < 13 1/2 inches wide, < 16 inches high and < 18 inches deep. The wide part is the most constraining since 13 1/2 is the absolute max with no space left so I'd rather get something a little less than that so let's say 13 inches. The models I've been looking at are:Acoustic Research S108PS
Energy S8.2
CSW BassCube 8S
Mirage FRx-S8
Given my requirements/desires, does anyone have an opinion on these or can recommend others? I'm leaning toward the Energy since I've read that it handles frequencies very accurately from 30-100 Hz.
Oh, I'd also like something that is magnetically shielded if possible just for future flexibility and our room is carpeted so I'm not sure how that effects downward vs. front firing models.
thanks very much for your thoughts and happy new year.
--tom
