Subs anyone?

[wayner86]

There seems to be quite a few reputable sub manufacturers to choose from, i have been eyeing Paradigm subs at my local hifi, and also online, the Paradigms sound nice, but my hifi doesn't carry SVS and i was wondering if anyone would be able to distinguish any sonic diffrences, im looking to spend 600 - 800 on a 10"/12", also anyone have any insight as to the differences between the cylindrical & box models of SVS?

thanks,

Wayne

[bjornb17]

i've never heard an SVS sub so i cant really give any advice, but I just thought i'd point out the reason why you cant find SVS subs locally, and that's because they sell their products online only. They are very reputable and are among the top choices when it comes to subs, along with Hsu, Velodyne, and a couple others.

[calegrant]

If I lived in the states I would have 100% bought a build-it-yourself sub from parts express. I've heard their 12 inch one and it blows away anything in it's pricerange because everything else is using 30 dollar drivers.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=300-764

Check that bad boy out. Should be able to tickle your bowels. In other words, provide a hell of a lot of bass.

[Woochifer]

On their website and in posts that their owners have made on various message boards, SVS has typically recommended going with their cylindrical subs if your room can accommodate them -- both practically and aesthetically. They only began building box subs because a lot of consumers want that type of design.

Another brand that you should consider is Hsu. And if you have a small room, you should consider a sealed sub such as the Rocket ULW-12.

On the retail side, Paradigm and Velodyne both make very good subs at their respective price points. And if you want to look into sealed subs, then you should look at the Martin Logan, B&W, and Atlantic Technology subs in your price range.

The most suitable sub for your listening might ultimately boil down to your room size and acoustics. Keep in mind that certain subs might not be as well suited to your room as others.

[wayner86]

Thanks for the input guys, i'll have a listen around, and report back when i find what im lookin' for. :cool:

Wayne

[Gilligan]

I was looking at buying a sub. I have NO IDEA which subs are good, and which ones are bad.


Is there really that much of a difference between a cheap sub and a good one?

What about this sony from bestbuy that is only 100 bucks. Or should i buy a Velodyne for 500 bucks?

The sony.......... http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=5378913&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03045&id=1051806317490

[bjornb17]

Velodyne no questions asked :) Which one were you looking at?

[Gilligan]

Velodyne no questions asked :) Which one were you looking at?


I was looking at the DPS-12. 500 bucks

But that sony is ONLY 100 bucks...(on sale) ....... is the velodyne that much better???????????

[bjornb17]

I was looking at the DPS-12. 500 bucks

But that sony is ONLY 100 bucks...(on sale) ....... is the velodyne that much better???????????

I used to have a $100 subwoofer.... ended up being a losing proposition since i was never really happy with it and ended up upgrading anyway. I now have the firm belief that its actually cheaper to buy a better component to start off with :)

[Eric Z]

Gilligan- It depends how good you want your music/movies to sound. Usually Sony, Yamaha, Denon, and other companies that make speakers as well as other audio equipment don't do a great job at both- their speakers aren't nearly as good as speaker only companies. Now, maybe the $100 Sony will do enough for you, however, the majority of the people on this site will tell you to stay away. Maybe you can look at something in between the $100 and $500- if you're concerned about your budget. Definitive Technology makes some decent subs (I have the 8" and 10" and like them a lot), so do many other speaker companies. I'm sure someone's Hsu or SVS can blow my subs away, but my Def Techs are good enough for me- I got them at a good price, too.

[calegrant]

Is there really that much of a difference between a cheap sub and a good one?

Of course. It's like buying a ferrari and a used tempo and going to lamans, the tempo will make it around the track alright but will do it half assed. I have the dps12 and its awesome. If you must buy a cheap sub though, stay away from 12's. Just because it's a larger driver doesn't mean it's better.

[Woochifer]

I was looking at the DPS-12. 500 bucks

But that sony is ONLY 100 bucks...(on sale) ....... is the velodyne that much better???????????

Give it a listen for yourself and tell us. In general, subs in the $100 range cannot extend much beyond ~35 Hz, if they can even reach that point in the first place; and their bass characteristics are typically not especially linear. Good subs require a driver capable of moving considerable amounts of air without distorting, a well designed cabinet that meshes with the driver's performance parameters, and adequate amplification. And you won't get all of that with a $100 sub.

A lot of the LFE information on movie soundtracks nowadays goes well below 25 Hz. If you want to render the bass in that range with some degree of accuracy, then subs in that $100 range simply won't be up to the task.

[paul_pci]

I was looking at the DPS-12. 500 bucks

But that sony is ONLY 100 bucks...(on sale) ....... is the velodyne that much better???????????

I used to have a $100 sub and now I have a Velodyne (1K I got for 1/2 price) and the difference is night and day, but of couse, I didn't appreciate the difference between a cheap sub and a costly one until I listened for myself. Unfortunately, quaity subs begin at about $500. If you want a kick-ass HT system, then I'd do what you can to swing a Velodyne, B&W, Hsu, or SVS. It'll be worth it.

[Gilligan]

ok..........


well i have decided to blow about 500 bucks on a sub......... just cuz i LOVE bass.......

Well......... i still feel lost. There are SO many different "good" manufacturers. I was looking at Velodyne and SVS, and i have a hard time figuring out what i want.

For example..... is the Velodyne DPS-12 better than the DLS-4000???

I have been looking at the subs on www.brand-electronics.com

Is that place any good? It seems to have nice prices.

[paul_pci]

Be careful of obscure online dealers as they may not be authorized retailers leaving any warranty useless; also the product may be b-stock or refurbished as opposed to new.

As for Velodyne, their website does have a sub recommendation feature. As for the difference between the two lines, the DPS might have the edge on the specs, but I imagine they'd sound pretty similar and only a live audtion would help you out there. Another thing to consider is that, unless this is the last sub you'll ever own, you really can't go wrong with choosing between Velodyne, SVS, Hsu, or B&W and the experience with any one of these would give you a better indication in the future what sub is best for you. A lot of times, finding the right equipment is trial and error, at least as much as what one can afford.

[royphil345]

The Sony subs at Best Buy suck. Boomy and not enough power. The dual 10" push-pull Sony SA-WX700 which can be had for around $200.00 online would surprise alot of people. Check the reviews here. Think Circuit City still carries them. Can audition alongside Polk and Velodyne.

[HT BUFF]

Unfortunately some of the the best subs are ones you cannot audition prior to purchasing namely, HSU, SVS & OUTLAWAUDIO.COM to name a few, rest assured however you will not be disappointed buying factory direct.

[zepman1]

There have already been some good points made here. I have heard the Sony in question, and run, don't walk, away from it! If you really want go to Circuit City listen to it, and then listen to one of the Velodynes. There should be noquestion in your mind why you can't buy the Sony. The Sony does get pretty deep, but has seemingly no ability to produce anything resembling music. It would probably be a good bargain bet for rap/hiphop/home theater use. But.... see for yourself.

I for one love the Velodyne subs, and the DPS is very nice. The earlier recomendation about driver size was a good one. From my experience, in the under $500 sub market, there aren't a lot of very musical 12" subs. Not to say there aren't any, but they are fairly scarce. I much prefer the sound of a 10" in this price range, for music anyhow. Home theater is another story, and 12" would almost always be preferable. Just make sure you get as much power as you can for the $$$, especially if you have a large room.

The only way to really choose is to take some music you like along and listen to some subs. The brands mentioned previously are all good choices. Don't forget Athena either, especially if it is to be used for music only.

I have no experience with SVS subs, but for the money it looks like their PB12–ISD and PB10–ISD are tough to beat for the price. Extension below 20 Hz with 300 Watts of power for $419. That sounds like a sweet deal to me.

[wuttuptae]

Just to add my 2 cents.. I built a DIY HSU 12" subwoofer for my car a few years ago, and it really sounded great. So I now have a HSU VTF-3HO on order without ever hearing it. There really are a lot of good subwoofer manufacturers now, and you don't have to worry about any timbre matching so they're pretty-much interchangeable. I'm a fan of HSU, so that's what I went with.

[Gilligan]

well....... i like the prices on www.brand-electronics.com........ do you guys know if that particular site is legit?

[Woochifer]

well....... i like the prices on www.brand-electronics.com........ do you guys know if that particular site is legit?

Check with the manufacturer of the subwoofer you're interested in, and see if they will honor the warranty should you buy your subwoofer from that vendor. Prices that are dramatically lower than other vendors typically indicate an unauthorized vendor, and keep in mind that most specialty manufacturers will not honor the warranty if purchased through an unauthorized vendor.

[Gilligan]

What do you guys think about the Velodyne DLS-5000R, as opposed to the DPS-12???

[Gilligan]

Is the sony SA-WX700 just as good as a Velodyne DPS-12?

I was looking at spending a 500-800 bucks on a sub, but i have read really good things about this 200 buck sony sub. Is the 500-800 subs not worth it?

[paul_pci]

Is the sony SA-WX700 just as good as a Velodyne DPS-12?

I was looking at spending a 500-800 bucks on a sub, but i have read really good things about this 200 buck sony sub. Is the 500-800 subs not worth it?

Pardon my elitism, but Sony and Velodyne shouldn't even be in the same sentence when talking about subwoofers. Unfortunately, for subwoofers, they cost money for quality output, beginning in the $500 range on up. I would say, in my limited exposure to subs, there's a night and day difference between your mass market $200 sub and a $500 sub, usually entry level, produced by a quality sub maker such as Velodyne or Hsu, or SVS.

[Gilligan]

Pardon my elitism, but Sony and Velodyne shouldn't even be in the same sentence when talking about subwoofers. Unfortunately, for subwoofers, they cost money for quality output, beginning in the $500 range on up. I would say, in my limited exposure to subs, there's a night and day difference between your mass market $200 sub and a $500 sub, usually entry level, produced by a quality sub maker such as Velodyne or Hsu, or SVS.

Yeah but people have said that there is one exception that this sony is actually really good. I was wondering if there are any other opinions on it.

[zepman1]

I've heard the Sony in question at Circuit City right next to a $300 Velodyne. The Velodyne blows it out of the water. The Velodyne DPS series is not even close.

Anyhow, the Sony sounds like a $200 sub should sound: loud and sloppy. You can't distinguish one sound from another. All it does is rumble. For $200 it does play louder and deeper than I would expect. I assume the "rave reviews" on this sub are from those who just don't know any better.

The $300 Velodyne and Athena subs are in another class. Maybe not as loud, but they actually produce something that sounds nice.

[royphil345]

[QUOTE=zepman1] I assume the "rave reviews" on this sub are from those who just don't no any better. [QUOTE]

Yes, the unejucated

[zepman1]

I guess the point is, I don't think anyone here is going to recommend that (or any other) Sony. But, you really need to listen to it for yourself. If you like it just as much as the other more expensive subs, then by all means get the Sony. Get a damn Quiznos sub if that sounds better to you. Some people really appreciate the low frequency extension of ham and turkey on toasted wheat bread.

Don't get something because its what some idiot on a message board told you to get. Just get whatever makes you happy, whether it costs $200 or $2000.

[GMichael]

Some people really appreciate the low frequency extension of ham and turkey on toasted wheat bread.


Are you trying to kill me? That was great!
Would a club burger be just as good?
Should I use mustard or mayo?

[L.J.]

Yeah that was pretty funny! :D