I need help choosing a new sub

[shadyJ]

I would say go with ported. You have them so why not use them. Don't let good deep bass headroom go to waste.

 

[myriad1973]

That's where the fun factor comes on. "What mode am I in the mood for today?"

 

[mx416]

Why not the Rythmik LV12-R?

Just a thought

 

[myriad1973]

I already got the Hsu.

 

[KEW]

I would say go with ported. You have them so why not use them. Don't let good deep bass headroom go to waste.

And I would say just the opposite (at least for music). Sealed mode allows better transient response yielding greater clarity and articulation.
Watching Star Trek movie? Go ported for the explosions and low rumble of the engines.

 

[myriad1973]

They each have their benefits. That's what intrigued me most about this sub. The customizations.

 

[shadyJ]

And I would say just the opposite (at least for music). Sealed mode allows better transient response yielding greater clarity and articulation.
Watching Star Trek movie? Go ported for the explosions and low rumble of the engines.

That greater clarity and articulation isn't reflected in any measurements. Impulse response? Group Delay? Decay times? There are plenty of ported subs that do just as well with sealed subs in those metrics. I would wager in a blind test you would not be able to tell the difference between a well build ported and sealed as long as the sound is within clean dynamic range of either sub.

 

[KEW]

That greater clarity and articulation isn't reflected in any measurements. Impulse response? Group Delay? Decay times? There are plenty of ported subs that do just as well with sealed subs in those metrics.

From Hsu webpage for VTF2-MK4:

With the added Q control and sealed mode options, even higher sound quality is now possible.

The only Hsu sub I know of that has been measured in both sealed and ported mode is the VTF-15H and the impulse response shows that sealed has better transient response:

SEALED

PORTED

It should also be pointed out that with the large size of the Hsu VTF2-MK4 cabinet (which is a ported sub adapted to add sealed option), the full benefits realized by a sub designed to be sealed from the start are not realized.


An example of "designed to be sealed" vs "designed to be ported" on the identical budgets is the SVS SB1000 vs the PB1000 which both sell for $500:
SEALED

PORTED

I would wager in a blind test you would not be able to tell the difference between a well build ported and sealed as long as the sound is within clean dynamic range of either sub.

Maybe, but it is atypical for a ported to be as tight as a sealed.

 

[ATLAudio]

From Hsu webpage for VTF2-MK4:


The only Hsu sub I know of that has been measured in both sealed and ported mode is the VTF-15H and the impulse response shows that sealed has better transient response:

SEALED

PORTED

It should also be pointed out that with the large size of the Hsu VTF2-MK4 cabinet (which is a ported sub adapted to add sealed option), the full benefits realized by a sub designed to be sealed from the start are not realized.


An example of "designed to be sealed" vs "designed to be ported" on the identical budgets is the SVS SB1000 vs the PB1000 which both sell for $500:
SEALED

PORTED

Maybe, but it is atypical for a ported to be as tight as a sealed.

Right, when you compare a VTF in sealed mode with an actual sealed sub it falls well short. The bottom line is if you want a sealed sub, get one.

That said, I bet 95% of all HSU VTF** buyers will go one port open EQ1, run Audyssey and be done.

That said those SVS subs look bad, am I reading that right?

 

[KEW]

That said those SVS subs look bad, am I reading that right?

If you are trying to compare Jim Wilson's (Jman) charts against the dB Impulse response, I don't believe you legitimately can. If you are comparing the SVS to other measurements taken by Jim, you can.

The SVS certainly are not the best, nor are they the worst. For example, here is a $1600 Martin Logan 15" sealed sub that fares worse (in this metric, at least). For transients, it is close to the equal of the SVS ported. I have to believe SVS and ML both are deliberately adding some "fat" to the lower bass. I'm sure SVS has the expertise to measure and control what the end product measurements are, and have to believe ML is no slouch either!
What do you think the common guy buying a subwoofer is looking for? Prodigious bass or articulate bass. The power of that heavy bass is appealing to most people and unless they spend time listening to music, they will never realize the details that get masked over.
ML Dynamo 1500X

In conclusion, I'm not sure you can say say a Hsu in sealed mode will be less (again, talking pulse response) than a true sealed sub. It all depends on the particular sub.