15' x 25' Dedicated Home Theater ... need BOOM!!!!!!!!

[Hub67]

Hello - I've come here for your advise. We are finishing out our 15' x 25' x 8' (h) Dedicated Home Theater - this room will be 'sealed' off from the rest of the house and well insulated. We will have a 7" riser for the back (approx. 9 ft.) - we are planning to use Bass traps (floor to ceiling) in all corners as well as wall treatments as necessary after measurements are taken. This room will be used primarily for Call of Duty (and gaming) with movies following and a bit of 2-channel listening.

I'd like to keep the bass section in the $1600 range - I am convinced that going Internet Direct is the only way. DIY is not an option. Have read so much on this and other forums - thought I put one up myself and get your advise.

There are a few options I have looked into - and am thinking duals are the way to go right from the start? Am open to options - but want THUNDEROUS base. Originally I was looking at the PSA XV30Fse w/dual 15's (with the option to upgrade to a second at a later date). Now I'm thinking duals right away (at my price point) might be the way to go - I could always add two more?!?! And with my wife asking why we can't just use the Sub from the upstairs HTIB need to keep this 'affordable' ... lol.

I talked to Tom @ PSA and from what I've read - like the guy. Not sure I understand the woofers shooting down - but what do I know?

PSA XV-15se (duals)
PSA X30Fse (single)
HSU-VTF-15 (duals)
Rhyhmic?
SVS?

What's a guy to do???

 

[Steve81]

Welcome to the forums! Given the size of your room, a pair of XV15se's from PSA or VTF-15H's from Hsu would definitely be a good choice. I'd also suggest picking up a measurement mic and downloading REW to help you get things dialed in. Out of curiosity, what are you running on the AVR side?

 

[Hub67]

Thanks for the reply - today I am running a Pioneer VSX-1021. Will definitely be upgrading once the room is finished - Marantz AV7701 and Seven channel amp is high on the list.

As for measurements - will DEFINATELY! Since this is not my forte - my local dealer offers XT-32 measurements ($500) - and will be an integral part of bringing this all together. This is the first dedicated home theater I've ever had (had lots of rooms with equipment in them) so we are also looking at room treatments. I found to what seems to be a nice treatment package from Acoustimac (Home theater room package III) for starters - and affordably priced at about $1000. I've read too many times that the 'room' is one of the most integral parts of making this spectacular.

I want impressive

 

[j_garcia]

Duals will probably be better, but I'd still strongly consider the XV30. To be honest, I don't know what your previous setups might have had, but one of the subs mentioned is going to be impressive for that size room already IMO, but obviously, two is moar bettah. Going from a HTIB to ANY of these subs is like going from a Yugo to a McLaren P1.

 

[Steve81]

I want impressive

I'd say you're on the right track

One other possibility I'd throw out there is a pair of XS30se's. Given the dimensions, I'd say your room is right on the fence in terms of whether a vented sub would give you better results than sealed. While I'm not one of those guys that believes sealed subs are inherently more musical, a pair of XS30s combined with a modicum of cabin gain to lift the low end could give you some useful output below the 20Hz mark. Case in point: the XS15se managed a passing score of 88.9dB at 12.5Hz, 2m outdoors. In Josh Ricci's theater (which isn't a shoe closet AFAIK), that bumped up to 99.7dB, and in fact the XS15se broke 100dB at 10Hz in room. One can imagine what a pair of XS30se's would do under similar circumstances.

 

[kini]

Since a pair of XS30s are out of your stated budget, take a look at Reaction Audio's BPS215 or a pair of the 500 watt PV15Xs.

 

[Tom V.]

Hello - I've come here for your advise. We are finishing out our 15' x 25' x 8' (h) Dedicated Home Theater - this room will be 'sealed' off from the rest of the house and well insulated. We will have a 7" riser for the back (approx. 9 ft.) - we are planning to use Bass traps (floor to ceiling) in all corners as well as wall treatments as necessary after measurements are taken. This room will be used primarily for Call of Duty (and gaming) with movies following and a bit of 2-channel listening.

I'd like to keep the bass section in the $1600 range - I am convinced that going Internet Direct is the only way. DIY is not an option. Have read so much on this and other forums - thought I put one up myself and get your advise.

There are a few options I have looked into - and am thinking duals are the way to go right from the start? Am open to options - but want THUNDEROUS base. Originally I was looking at the PSA XV30Fse w/dual 15's (with the option to upgrade to a second at a later date). Now I'm thinking duals right away (at my price point) might be the way to go - I could always add two more?!?! And with my wife asking why we can't just use the Sub from the upstairs HTIB need to keep this 'affordable' ... lol.

I talked to Tom @ PSA and from what I've read - like the guy. Not sure I understand the woofers shooting down - but what do I know?

PSA XV-15se (duals)
PSA X30Fse (single)
HSU-VTF-15 (duals)
Rhyhmic?
SVS?

What's a guy to do???

Hi, just a comment on the driver orientation. It is important to remember that because of the length of the sound waves involved with subwoofers the acoustical output pattern is essentially "omni polar". Or, equal in all directions. For example, you can have a "front firing" sub pointed directly at you and then flip it around 180 degrees so it is pointed AWAY from you and notice no difference at all in bass quality.

Tom V.
Power Sound Audio

 

[crossedover]

What are the mains and surrounds going to be? If your looking for the wow factor a high dynamics type mains and surrounds combined with a a couple high output subs will do it. You have mentioned that you want to upgrade to a 7701 and seven channel amp, and if that's the case I'd look to spend (now or eventually) 3000 on subs or a monster sub ie JTR orbit shifter, the sub setup is really the wow factor not the amplification.

 

[Hub67]

My last system consisted of a Sunfire Theater Grand III - 7 Marantz MA-700 mono-blocks - NHT T-1 Evolution speakers (bi-amped) with a Velodyne HGS-18 Servo Sub - in a 25' x 30' room (not sealed). Unfortunately with such a 'great' Sub I still didn't get the boom I thought I should. That is why I am paying SOOOO much more attention to the room - it's measurements - and treatments. I feel this is the one part of the equation that I've always ignored. Not going to do it this time!

I am NOT opposed to 'upping' the Sub budget. My wife is a Controller (accounting that is) and understands value. She will be OK with my upping the budget as long as she knows what I purchase will include loooooong term ownership. She doesn't want me to buy something only to get the up-grade itch in a few years!

Currently my main speakers were designed/built by a 'friend' - they are 7' linear arrays with (29) Ribbon Tweeters - (9) 5" mids and an 8" powered 'sub' for each L/R - sub is a 21" (Pyle) in a sealed box with a 230 watt plate amp - and another 10" sub following up in the rear. This set-up is a mess - the sub has absolutely no 'musicality' and only provides a one-note boom and I can't get the mains to work well with the other speakers. Will NEVER go down this road again - or stop hearing from my wife the $1700 I pissed away on this (see wife comment above).

Haven't yet deceived on the speakers - but will be looking for advise on a 5 channel matching set on that side as well. As I mentioned the main focus of this room will be my Call of Duty - second will be movies - and third will be two-channel listening.

 

[crossedover]

FWIW if my setup was COD dependent I'd be loading eboot and menus with every release, o wait I do. I have a hard time gaming at anywhere near reference levels, it's just too much. Having said that I love to watch movies at that level. For what you describe look at some horn loaded surrounds and some high sensitivity front 3.

 

[Hub67]

Whatcha thinking Crossed ... Klpisch?

 

[crossedover]

all depends on budget. the are a few good options across board.

 

[3db]

Have a look at Rythmik's F25 .. which $200 under your budget


Rythmik Audio • 15" servo subwoofer F25