Subwoofer pairing with Klipsch Chorus II

[mikieboyblue]

Hello folks,
I have a vintage pair of Klipsch Chorus II speakers driven by a low end Pioneer VSX-D514. I listen to music of most genres, Netflix, and Hulu. I run 2.1 only from motherboard optical spdif out on standard Windows 10 drivers.

I believe my 8 year old Sony 150w 10" sub has kicked the bed. It turns on but I get no sound. Driver looks OK.

What subwoofer would be best paired with these speakers? Anything I should consider upgrading otherwise?

Thanks!
Mike

 

[shadyJ]

You will want a sub with big dynamic range to keep up with Chorus speaker. I would be looking at Reaction, Hsu, or Rythmik, and get a 15" woofer model. Your old sony is a junker, and your speakers deserve better.

 

[tyhjaarpa]

How big your room is? What is your budget? And do you plan to use this for music only or for movies as well?

 

[mikieboyblue]

Thanks for the reply guys.

Completely agree the Sony is on the very low end. It was purchased at a point when I had little money but needed bass. The Klipsch speakers I inherited, rebuilt and refinished in black lacquer. When I got them they were both missing the passive sub in the rear, scratched and marked up on the outside, and badly needed a custom crossover to replace the puny stock ones.

The placement of the sub is behind the TV and stand which is mostly open with a clean line of sight to the driver. This is approximately 8 feet from the seating. The room is not a dedicated theater room. Your standard living room about 24x14. Three large windows on one side, two doorways on the other and an opening to the hall in the back. Standard ceiling height. Hardwood floors. Seating is a bit close for the Chours II at about 6 feet centered between the speakers. If on the very end of the seating, typically the speaker on that side is a little hot. The right speaker for some reason is always a hotter than the left and I adjust down -1. Could never figure out why it sounded louder -- even when I swap the actual speaker. The TV is a 50" plasma.

I listen to approximately 30% music, 70% movies and TV shows. Almost no gaming.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[tyhjaarpa]

Thanks for the reply guys.

Completely agree the Sony is on the very low end. It was purchased at a point when I had little money but needed bass. The Klipsch speakers I inherited, rebuilt and refinished in black lacquer. When I got them they were both missing the passive sub in the rear, scratched and marked up on the outside, and badly needed a custom crossover to replace the puny stock ones.

The placement of the sub is behind the TV and stand which is mostly open with a clean line of sight to the driver. This is approximately 8 feet from the seating. The room is not a dedicated theater room. Your standard living room about 24x14. Three large windows on one side, two doorways on the other and an opening to the hall in the back. Standard ceiling height. Hardwood floors. Seating is a bit close for the Chours II at about 6 feet centered between the speakers. If on the very end of the seating, typically the speaker on that side is a little hot. The right speaker for some reason is always a hotter than the left and I adjust down -1. Could never figure out why it sounded louder -- even when I swap the actual speaker. The TV is a 50" plasma.

I listen to approximately 30% music, 70% movies and TV shows. Almost no gaming.

Thanks,
Mike

You forgot to mention your budget!

 

[mikieboyblue]

You forgot to mention your budget!

Haha...I'm open to options but around 1K at the high end is ideal. I plan to keep it for a long time and want something that will hold up well and handle future needs. No plans to build an HT though, at least not with my current cash flow.

I don't think a 10k sub with speakers in a lower class makes sense. I don't believe anyone considers the Chorus II to be high-end.

 

[mikieboyblue]

I've been doing a bit of reading and have narrowed my search to the following:

HSU VTF-15H MK2
Rythmik F15HP
Rythmik FV15HP
SVS PB12-Plus
SVS SB13-Ultra (non-ported, above my price range a little bit but I can swing it)

I like the SVS models as they come in an oak veneer which would match my Klipsch Chorus II nicely. That said they are a bit more pricey and I want to be sure I am not paying for the name or marketing at the sacrifice of quality. Based on my research each of these is likely to be a good choice making the decision difficult. I would like this purchase to be once that I don't have to make again for a long time.

I have been keeping an eye on the HSU / Rythmik thread in this forum and reading the thoughts and opinions there.

I'm not sure if I need a ported design or not. It seem likes the HSU triangular ports have advantages over the circular. I have read a few threads about people blowing the drivers of the HSU easily.

Advice on these choices?

Mike

 

[shadyJ]

The Rythmik subs come in a black oak veneer. The SVS subs are good, but if performance is your main criteria, I believe the Hsu VTF15H will outperform it and I know the Rythmik will. I would only consider the sealed subs if your room is small. If is is medium or larger sized, get the ported subs. The SB13 is a nice sub, but for the price of one, you can get two Hsu ULS-15s which will have a massive performance advantage. For a tad more you can get two VTF3 mk5s which will have a major performance advantage over all of your choices.

 

[mikieboyblue]

Hi Shady,

What is considered a small, medium, and large room in the context of subs?

The room this is in has a bit of furniture, hardwood floors, and is 14' W x 20' L x 8' H. Open to a hall and door to kitchen. 3870720 cubic inches / 2240 cubic feet.

Mike

 

[shadyJ]

Sounds like a medium room to me. Here is some info on how room sizes can affect bass performance. Sealed subs will give you the same amount of output from around 40 to 50 Hz and up, but do not have the output the ported subs have below that point. However most conventional music does not have content below 40 Hz, so these ported subs will not gain you much if that is what you listen to. If you like movies or bass heavy electronic music, I would go for ported subs.

 

[mikieboyblue]

That's a great link on room size. Thank you. I agree, medium. I feel it prudent to go with a ported sub in this case as I am in a temporary house right now which is smaller than what I will have in the future.

Now I have to decide how importance oak wood veneer is and if I get one or two.

Dual VTF-3 MK5 HPs are at a great price but are a smooth finish. Dual FV15HP will cost almost 1K more but with oak vinyl veneer. Not sure how I feel about vinyl as it cannot be refinished as far as I know. The SVS subs comes in real wood I believe.

How much amperage do these pull?

Mike

 

[shadyJ]

You would be able to put two of any of these on a 15 amp circuit, no problem.

 

[mikieboyblue]

Thanks Shady.

 

[mikieboyblue]

In the scope of performance, are dual FV15HP worth the extra money over dual VTF-3 MK5 HP? Putting finishes aside.

 

[mikieboyblue]

I made the decision and ordered a Rythmik FV15HP. I can always add another later if the room warrants it. I'm looking forward to have bass again in a few weeks. Thanks for the help.