Subwoofer

[aiyappan]

I have a moderate HT with paradigm titans for the front and rear and CC-100 for the center channel. i am yet to buy a subwoofer and i was wondering which ones to pick for under $400.
I live in an apt. and the space would be arnd 450 sq. ft.
Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.

[brulaha]

Klipsch has some good low priced options

[spacedeckman]

They are tuned way too high so you get one note, droning "bass". Of these the Klipsch are some of the worst...and they aren't cheap.

Play some music on any woofer you listen to. Something with some acoustic bass is probably the most revealing.

I've taken a lot of heat for recommending Yamaha subs, but the SW315 is around $300 retail, Best Buy has the Athena AS400 for about that. Both Energy and Mirage have new 8" woofers for $350 retail or so. I'm sure there are some internet brands that don't suck, but I don't have any experience there, so I can't recommend them. These are the ones that seemed to be pretty good to my ears for not much money.

[Lord Nikon]

I have an HSU VTF-2 MK2 coming in on Wednesday that was $499... I'll let you know how that goes. I had a Velodyne VRP-1000 10" sub that I got from Circuit City for $300. Lets just say after less than a week I returned it due to not being satisfied. :)

[Croney]

Check out the new SVS Sub PB-10 for 399.00 through October. Internet Order only. Reviews are mostly positive for the entire line. They are stating response curve down to 20 Hz. There are no speaker level inputs but it is pushing around 300 watts. Here check out this link and look at the Freq Response: http://www.svsubwoofers.com/subs_pb10_isd_response.htm

[aiyappan]

I have heard good reviews about Hsu research STF-1 and 2 (which are below 400) but these are only 8" and 10" drivers. I saw a good deal on Velodyne DLS 4000 for $350 with shipping. Has anyone tried that out??

[PAT.P]

I have a moderate HT with paradigm titans for the front and rear and CC-100 for the center channel. i am yet to buy a subwoofer and i was wondering which ones to pick for under $400.
I live in an apt. and the space would be arnd 450 sq. ft.
Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.
IT ALL DEPEND FIRST OF ALL IF YOUR NEIGHBOUR WILL TOLARATE THE BASS OF A SUB VIBRATING THEIR CEILING ,WALLS (what are the floor and walls made of ? is it a highrise? )IF YOUR NOT WORRY PARADIGM MAKES THE PDR8 / PDR10 /PDR 12 ! If you live in Canada check out the Dahlquist QX100SA GOING AT A VERY GOOD SALE PRICE ! IM USING THIS ONE FOR MY SOUND SYSTEM ON THE RIGHT SIDE ,ON THE LEFT IM USING THE PARADIGM PS -1000.THE VOLUME CONTROL IS IN FRONT A BONUS ! GO TO www.audioshop.on.ca VERY GOOD QUALITY AND IT DELIVERS A GOOD SOUND 35HZ TO 150HZ.PAT.P

[s dog]

I was just wandering why i dont see a cross over control on the amp plate

[Bryan]

You have a few options. The upcoming SVS PB-10 looks like it would be a fantastic fit for you. Another would be the Adire Audio Rava. Rocket's upcoming ULW-10 could be in that picture too. Could look around for a used or B-stock Rocket UFW-10.

[Lafferman]

you could also stick with paradigm there pdr series subs if i remember right the pdr 10 is around 370 dollars. just something else to listen to and consider.

[aiyappan]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I kind of looked at all your suggestions and the ones that fit my
current budget ($350) are STF-1, PDR-10, Velodyne DLS-4000, Polk PSW 12 (I am not sure abt this) and Velodyne VRP 1200B, CHT-10.

Any comparisons/suggestions on my selections??

[Vardo]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I kind of looked at all your suggestions and the ones that fit my
current budget ($350) are STF-1, PDR-10, Velodyne DLS-4000, Polk PSW 12 (I am not sure abt this) and Velodyne VRP 1200B, CHT-10.

Any comparisons/suggestions on my selections??

I haven't heard any of the subwoofers you've listed. I have
the HSU VTF2, which is probably similar to the STF-1,
(except 8") woofer, and an older Velodyne ULD12.
With the HSU subs (they sould great) I've had both
power supplies (I have 2 of the HSU's) go bad after
the normal warranty (2 yrs), and it cost me $300 total to
have them fixed (replaced). So if you go with the STF-1 get
the 5 yr warranty ($30). My Velodyne (though old) sounds
great, and I've never had a problem with it in the 11 yrs
I've had it. Something to think about.....quality.

Vardo

[Woochifer]

With an apartment of that size, double check with how close you are to your neighbors and how good the soundproofing is between the units. If your building is woodframe construction with some drywall separating the units, a subwoofer's just asking for a quick eviction notice! The thing about subs and bass notes in general is that they are the most difficult ones to control and unless the walls are masonry or some other material that's not acoustically transparent, they will freely travel between rooms.

The way that room acoustics work and bass waves interact, it's very possible that bass that sounds even and well controlled from your listening spot might sound unbearably loud where your downstairs or next door neighbor sleep.

The list of subs that you're going with seems like a good one to start with. I would add the $400 Adire Rava to your list partly because I own one and am understandably biased, but also because it's a very versatile and capable sub with both music and movies alike. One thing to keep in mind is that the room acoustics will play a huge role in determining the type of bass that you get. Even a tight-sounding sub like the Rava will sound horribly boomy in a bad room like mine. I used a parametric equalizer to get the bass under control and allow for the sound to be full and even, rather than alternately peaky/boomy and underdeveloped/anemic.

[aiyappan]

With an apartment of that size, double check with how close you are to your neighbors and how good the soundproofing is between the units. If your building is woodframe construction with some drywall separating the units, a subwoofer's just asking for a quick eviction notice! The thing about subs and bass notes in general is that they are the most difficult ones to control and unless the walls are masonry or some other material that's not acoustically transparent, they will freely travel between rooms.

The way that room acoustics work and bass waves interact, it's very possible that bass that sounds even and well controlled from your listening spot might sound unbearably loud where your downstairs or next door neighbor sleep.

The list of subs that you're going with seems like a good one, and I would add the $400 Adire Rava to your list because I own one!


My apartment is kind of isolated in the sense that there are no neighbors on three sides and only one neighbor close to my dining space (which is combined with the living room).
Also i am not the guy who likes my whole house to rock. I am looking for a sub which reproduces the low frequency sound. I listen to music as well as movies.

[Lensman]

I have a moderate HT with paradigm titans for the front and rear and CC-100 for the center channel. i am yet to buy a subwoofer and i was wondering which ones to pick for under $400.
I live in an apt. and the space would be arnd 450 sq. ft.
Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks.

I'm going to step out on a limb and suggest an alternative because Pat P. raises a very valid point. Living in such a small apartment (and even ones much larger) can be a significant drawback to owning a sub because the high sound pressure levels that give you those room-shaking HT effects can really annoy your neighbors with the rumbling and thumping they get on the other side of your walls/floor/ceiling.

If you want decent bass, but need something more polite, you might want to consider a Velodyne VX-10. This is a reasonably full-featured 10" sub with good musical and HT ability. On par, in fact, with the subs you're considering. But it has one main drawback - it simply doesn't have anywhere near the SPL output of the ones on your list. But this might be just what you need. It also won't go quite as low as the ones you're considering, though the difference is small.

It's also a lot cheaper. It retails for around $250, but can be bought for much less online. Here's a link to a place that has it for $115:

http://www.6ave.com/adlong.jsp?w=1&x=vx10

If neighbors aren't a consideration, I think the Paradigm or the Velodynes would be the best choices from your list.

[royphil345]

I know that Sony has never made a decent sounding sub before, but you have to hear a SA-WX700. Think you can audition one at Circuit City. Can buy one on the web for a little over $200.00 shipped.

250 watts with a sealed dual 10" woofer design. Goes pretty deep and believe it or not, sounds musical (not at all boomy) and blends well with most mains. Most of the people I've talked to that own one agree that they are a SERIOUS bang for the buck.