Svs

Guys, somebody help me out here.
I'm seriously looking to upgrade my sub. I've decided my best bet is an SVS. My first choice was the PB12-NSD. Nice specs, good comments here, great price. Problem; the friggin' thing is huge! Fitting it into my living room would be a problem. Not an insurmountable one, but a problem none the less.

I'm currently looking at the SB12-plus. The review here was staggeringly good considering the given size.

Here's my question: How can this 1 foot cube SB12 contend with the ported design of the PB12? What am I missing? For $100 bucks more to boot?
I realize it has a better amp and driver but really, What am I missing?

Well I don't know how much of a difference there is between the two subs you listed but isn't the 20-39PCi supposed to be just as good as the PB12NSD? If it is you could consider getting a cylinder sub to save space.

I've heard both! Speaking for myself the sb 12 is a killer sub both for aesthetics and performance. Yes, the pb 12 nsd may have better extension, but that's not everything. For me the waf and small footprint far outweigh the other factors. Put it this way the 20-39 and pb12 did not kill it IMO.

The PB-12NSD will play louder and lower. You should know this

The SB has a better driver, and a PEQ.

SheepStar

Nomo said:

Guys, somebody help me out here.
I'm seriously looking to upgrade my sub. I've decided my best bet is an SVS. My first choice was the PB12-NSD. Nice specs, good comments here, great price. Problem; the friggin' thing is huge! Fitting it into my living room would be a problem. Not an insurmountable one, but a problem none the less.

I'm currently looking at the SB12-plus. The review here was staggeringly good considering the given size.

Here's my question: How can this 1 foot cube SB12 contend with the ported design of the PB12?

Click to expand...

It can't, but it was not designed to. The SB12 is a small footprint sealed sub where size is a constraint. The PB12 is a ported designed where low extension and greater output is the goal. I suspect the SB12 costs more to make, but in any case it's supply and demand like all products.

Nick

I was recently looking at the new SB12 sub on the SVS site and I like the fact that it is smaller and 20 pounds lighter than the PB10 but it costs twice as much as the PB10.

I may be in the minority here but the one thing I don't care for with that sub is that it has a whole bunch of stuff I will never need - like XLR inputs and speaker level inputs and outputs. If they would make that sub with nothing but a single line level input like the PB10 and priced it between the PB10 and the SB12, I would buy it in a second.

Thanks for your thoughts guys.

I guess I just wanted to bounce the idea off of a few people to see if anybody had anything bad to say.

A cylinder is not out of the picture but I think their disadvantage is the lack of WAF. I think they look pretty cool. But they are a bit radical looking.

At this point I feel the size advantage, cosmeticly speaking, far out weighs the decreased extension and output.

I'm not sure I'll have much use for the PEQ and room comp, not sure I completely understand what they do, but who knows?

Thanks again.

I'll keep you posted.

Maybe I'll be able to post my set-up without shame.

I bought one of the cylinder subs due to space constraints. It's really amazing at how no one even notices it in the room (unless it's on ) Much less obtrusive than the plant stand models IMO......unless you have an indoor cat then all bets are off.

Mort

Um, indoor cat. Got one of those. I had been thinking about the idea of having a $700 scratching post in the house after realizing the things are wrapped in fabric.
Nice looking subs however.

Still contemplating.

Sell the cat, or kick it's butt outside.

Nomo said:

Um, indoor cat. Got one of those. I had been thinking about the idea of having a $700 scratching post in the house after realizing the things are wrapped in fabric.

Click to expand...

I have the same concern. We have two cats, and they mean more to us than speakers. When I chose my sub, I deliberately looked for a down-firing one, figuring a big front-firing one with a cloth grill would be too much temptation. Ditto for almost all tower speakers.

And no, we wouldn't think of declawing our cats. The never go outside, but if that happened one day--say someone broke in or broke a window--we'd want them to be able to defend themselves.

There are plenty of good subs that don't have fabric fronts, so you should find plenty that will suit you. For info on cat-proof speakers, see my thread in the speaker forum:
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26191

G'luck,
Chris

Seth=L said:

Sell the cat, or kick it's butt outside.

Click to expand...

Oh, Seth...

ChrisJam said:

We have two cats, and they mean more to us than speakers.

Click to expand...

Fellow cat lover too. IMO, cats are the coolest animals around and being that they get bored easily they will leave the subwoofer alone soon enough. Of course if it's located somewhere they find appealing there is a very high probability that they will adopt it as a sleeping place.

MDS said:

Fellow cat lover too. IMO, cats are the coolest animals around and being that they get bored easily they will leave the subwoofer alone soon enough. Of course if it's located somewhere they find appealing there is a very high probability that they will adopt it as a sleeping place.

Click to expand...

Hi, MDS,

I knew there was a reason I liked you--beyond your encyclopedic audio knowledge, that is!

I don't think you participated in my metal-grill speaker thread. I got some good advice there. (Expensive advice--AAD 2000s and Canton Ergos--but great! LOL) This is a BIG concern of mine.

As you might remember from another thread or two of mine, our main speakers are on shelves 6-ish-feet in the air. I know that isn't optimal, but it's all we can manage right now without a lot of room changing. For example, we'd have to switch one bookcase for another, swap a wooden buffet we're using as our audio/HT rack for a slimmer model, and on and on.

Many years ago in other apartments and houses, I had cats scratch the cloth grills of my small Advent speakers, which were just a couple feet off the floor. That wasn't a bad loss, and my ex-wife and I were able to replace the cloth with new, and then repeat the process. But I'd hate to go through that again, especially with really, really good modern speakers.

But when my gf and I get a new place, I'd like to have the mains in a better position. Towers scare me, because they almost shout, "Here, kitty-kitty...come see your new scratching post." Putting good-sized bookshelf speakers on stands would also be tempting for the cats, because they could easily reach up and touch the cloth grill, just to see what this new thing in the house is. We try to keep our cats' claws clipped, but there are times--like now, for example LOL--when their claws are too long. That's our fault, of course. As I said in another thread--and I bet it's the same for your cat(s)--if a cat hurts or destroys something in the house, it's the people's problem, not the cat's.

So that's what I'm starting to look for--better speakers and a way to position them that'll be cat-proof. Hey--I can dream, can't I?

Chris

My cat much prefers the material on the back of the couch.


stupid cat.

Hey, hey, hey!!!!!!!!

I love my cat too. But let's not turn this into some cat luvin' tree huggin' fest.....thread......thingy.

I really do like the idea of a cylinder. The GF has, at this point signed off on it. But she had a long day and seems pretty tired. Quote: "what ever you want". That vote may change without notice tomorrow.

The location the sub would sit, behind an antique wooden chair (open at the bottom, skinny legs) to shield it partially from sight actually would allow me to wrap the lower side of it with plastic or some non-feline approved covering.

Our cat likes closed loop material when she decides to claw things. (Did I say I love her?) I can't tell exactly from the description or the pictures on the SVS site what exactly the material is. Can some one help?

It's a very short plush fabric -- "cut pile" not open loop.

Nomo said:

I love my cat too. But let's not turn this into some cat luvin' tree huggin' fest.....thread......thingy.

Click to expand...

Why not? Cats and our audio equipment have to live side-by-side.

Though I love my cats beyond mention, I wouldn't be happy if they ripped multi-thousand-dollar speakers. I know it'd be my fault, not theirs, but I still wouldn't be happy. Since I know it wouldn't be their fault, I have to find speakers we can all live with.

Getting back to the original theme, there are plenty of down-firing first-class subs.

Nomo said:

I really do like the idea of a cylinder {snip} The location the sub would sit, behind an antique wooden chair (open at the bottom, skinny legs) to shield it partially from sight actually would allow me to wrap the lower side of it with plastic or some non-feline approved covering.

Click to expand...

I think I can picture this. But if know cats--and I do--they'll find it and...er...explore. I would not get a column sub. Just my not-so-humble-cat-owning opinion.

Having said that, I can sympathize: I like the look of a column sub, too. I just know it would never work for us.

Nomo said:

Our cat likes closed loop material when she decides to claw things. (Did I say I love her?)

Click to expand...

Ah...glad to hear you say that!

And I agree: Cats seem to prefer nappy or open-weave fabrics. BUT--if something gets into their heads, they can claim anything as theirs. Who are we to argue?

Chris

You should just point the Cylinder AT the cat.

That should solve any problems between the 2.

SheepStar

I agree