SUBWOOFER recommendations...

[superpanavision70mm]

Hello,

I am in search of a new subwoofer....I am not looking to spend more than $500 though because my tower speakers have built in subs, which give a great deal of presence....

Does anyone have a recommendation for a great sub with lots of power for under $500? It can be used too. I am looking for maximum power with least cost.

[shokhead]

SVS PB10-isd

[teledynepost]

I got a new Velodyne CHT-15 recently for $460 shipped but it's been replaced by other models.

[superpanavision70mm]

I am actually already looking at both SVS and Velodyne...funny that those are the first two recommendations. I am also contemplating getting the SubZeroi that is made by PSB.

[EdwardGein]

I know this might be a somewhere bizarre question, slightly off the topic, but will the better more up to date high end subwoofers such as some Velodynes actually make the bass lines in recordings from stuff done in the 60/70's not as good & accurate as some lesser not as modern subwoofers? I know when I heard a modern recording of the Dixie Chicks (who I'm not a fan of) version of "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac on a Velodyne SPL-800 Series 2 subwoofer the bass line was perfect but when I heard this track on my Orb Supereight Subwoofer the bass notes almost sounded totally different. Yet, when I heard a track like the Beatles "Nowhere Man", the bass line sounded better to me on the Orb Supereight Sub & when I listen to 60/70's stuff on the Orb sub, I can't imagine the bass line sounding better on the sub.

[Woochifer]

Not sure you should go with a sub considering that you already use powered towers. The LFE output is presumably already getting fed into the built-in subwoofers. If you have not done so yet, I would first get a calibration disc and a SPL meter. Once you have the levels properly calibrated (i.e. matching the bass output with the overall output from the speakers), then you should do a baseline frequency response measurement and check the linearity of your bass response.

If you see a huge variation in the lower frequency response, then you should be able to solve most deficiencies in your bass by using a parametric equalizer with the LFE output going to the built-in subwoofers (this presumes that your speakers have separate subwoofer inputs). These variations in the lower frequencies are caused by the room boundaries, and once you corrrect for these room-induced effects, it creates a more even and full sounding bass.

A subwoofer can definitely help, but you should try to optimize what you already use first before investing in new hardware. Figure that a parametric equalizer costs less than $150, and even if you decide to get a subwoofer later on, that EQ can be used there as well.

[superpanavision70mm]

The PSB towers do not have a direct subwoofer in, but the towers are bi-wired and do have a crossover and sub level, so I can make fine tuning on each tower. I am already receiving incredible bass from them, however, I like having a subwoofer dedicated when playing 5.1 material.

[shokhead]

I know this might be a somewhere bizarre question, slightly off the topic, but will the better more up to date high end subwoofers such as some Velodynes actually make the bass lines in recordings from stuff done in the 60/70's not as good & accurate as some lesser not as modern subwoofers? I know when I heard a modern recording of the Dixie Chicks (who I'm not a fan of) version of "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac on a Velodyne SPL-800 Series 2 subwoofer the bass line was perfect but when I heard this track on my Orb Supereight Subwoofer the bass notes almost sounded totally different. Yet, when I heard a track like the Beatles "Nowhere Man", the bass line sounded better to me on the Orb Supereight Sub & when I listen to 60/70's stuff on the Orb sub, I can't imagine the bass line sounding better on the sub.

Best beatles bass i've heard was on Abbey Road, Come Together. It just shakes my windows and cabinets.

[agtpunx40]

I actually have a velodyne spl1000r ( I know someone who sells them and got a pretty good price). The build in parametric eq is actually pretty good. In my previous setup I had a HSU VTF2 and a BFD (Behringer Feedback Destroyer, a common parametric eq that alot of people use for subs). I don't even use the BFD now, although if I wanted to go through the trouble I might be able to improve the sound a small amount, but really I'm happy with it now. If you step up to the dd series you get an on screen display and stuff so that you can better adjust it, but that's alot more expensive. Since you already have a sub, well a pair actually, I'd invest in a BFD. Although it is sort of a pain to use at first it is definatly worth it. It will certainly bring alot of improvement, and be much more cost effective. As a side note, having a good separate sub is probably a good idea in the long term, but for now, I'd try getting a parametric eq and see how it goes.