sub to replace polk 450

[taigovinda]

I was helping my friend to reconfigure his audio system, trying to fill in a gap at the 100 hz range and smoked a polk psw 450. I moved it from the corner of the room, where it was rattling window pains, closer to the center of the room... but that meant the volume dial on it had to be cranked up all the way. Just when the sound was dialed in perfectly, the thing started smoking!

So now it's time for a new sub! We hooked up my paradigm pdr-10 and it's not powerful enough for this room. We had to put it in the corner in order to be loud enough, and it just doesn't do the deeper sounds as well. I'm pretty sure the best placement in this room is in the middle, because it has loose windows among other reasons... It's about 16x20 with a wood floor, so I don't want a down-firing sub.

The dealer told my friend to buy a PSW 125, when he called to ask about the smoke. Anybody have any ideas better than buying another Polk PSW 450 or similar?

Thanks!
Tai

[RoadRunner6]

Unfortunately, you don't give us a budget. I suppose you are somehwere in the $500 or above range?

Get a real sub from a direct to buyer company for a great price. See one of these:

http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/index.html (I have the LFM-1 Plus and it is super and the $499 price is amazing, see also the LFM-1 EX)

http://www.svsound.com/products-sub.cfm (see one of the PCi cylinder subs or the PB12-NSD box sub)

http://www.hsuresearch.com/subwoofers.html (check out the VTF-3 MK3 and VTF-2 MK3)

http://av123.com/component/page,shop...art/Itemid,37/ (this is a new brute of a sub)

Read the reviews linked at these sights. Buying from these direct online companies will save you tons of money. These are all outstanding subs for the money and will knock your socks off. I don't think a down firing sub is a problem with a wood floor. Call and ask them.

These really work:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GRAMMA

No offense to your Polk sub but these above are in a different class.

RR6

[hydroman]

Parts Express has the Dayton powered sub kits. These will put out enough bass at a decent budget.

[taigovinda]

Hey Guys,

Thanks a lot for your responses. These are definitely along the lines of what I'm looking for. And I got Paradigms from some Canadian bootlegger; the Polk wasn't mine! That was my friend :-p

Tai

[Alex at SVS]

Tai,

While Polk makes excellent regular speakers, their subs have always been lacking (heard a rumor they're trying hard with a new line-up of better competing subs in the near future, but nothing conclusive yet).

An SVS PC-Plus or a PCi 20-39 would be great improvements. Where your current sub hits a -3dB point at 35Hz, both of the subs I mentioned are flat down to at least 20Hz, and in-room most people get even deeper response.

Alex

-------------------------
SVS Cust. Service
SVS is a registered advertiser of AudioReview

[flippo]

Build a sub using an Infinity kappa perfect 12 VQ and an amp of 500 watts or more and you will have a sub that will compete with the SVS Ultra (if you build your box right)