Good subwoofer under 250usd?

[Matthew Quenette]

I am currently upgrading my home theatre setup from stereo to 5.1. I'm using a Polk PSW 505 and already have the receiver and speakers on order. Receiver is pioneer VSX 832 and speakers are pioneer bs22-lr and pioneer sp-c22. I don't really think I can find a better sub for 250usd but please give me some recommendations around that price or at it. Don't really want anything under 12 inches but if it sounds better I'll consider it.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Save until budget allows least double.

 

[Matthew Quenette]

That's what I was thinking.

 

[yepimonfire]

The Dayton sub 1500 is great and runs about $200. Measures reasonably flat and gets down to a solid 23hz. Depending on room size, 1 should be enough. I know in a 2000 cu ft room with an open back I managed 105dB at 11 ft.

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[lovinthehd]

I'd still consider the Dayton SUB1500 more a lateral move from the current Polk 505, altho I think it is somewhat better. Save up and get a better sub is the way to go IMO.

 

[yepimonfire]

I'd still consider the Dayton SUB1500 more a lateral move from the current Polk 505, altho I think it is somewhat better. Save up and get a better sub is the way to go IMO.

Having owned Polk subs I'd disagree. They are absolute garbage, in fact, some of the worst performers on the market. For $500, op could get a single pb 1000, Hsu vtf 1, or dual sub 1500s. The Svs and Hsu will dig deeper, but fail to match the output of the dual 1500s. I don't know about the pb 1000, but assuming the vtf 1 cea 2010 numbers on the site are accurate, a single 1500 can meet its performance based purely on SPL above 25hz.

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[Matthew Quenette]

Yeah I agree. I read the polks are pretty bad. I'll probabaly save up and get something better. The polk almost has too much bass. Theres really no sweet spot for me with it.

 

[Matthew Quenette]

The Dayton sub 1500 is great and runs about $200. Measures reasonably flat and gets down to a solid 23hz. Depending on room size, 1 should be enough. I know in a 2000 cu ft room with an open back I managed 105dB at 11 ft.

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My room is pretty small. I don't have the exact dimensions. I looked at the Dayton subs after reading on this forum. I heard they are very good.

 

[lovinthehd]

The Polk sub you have generally gets good remarks (the best for the Polk subs I've read), the SUB1500 does too. They're both still budget subs and I still think it's a better idea to save up and simply get a better sub. I think that's just a better plan overall. It's a common theme, people always upgrading in small increments and regretting it later for not having patience and making a bigger step up. Depends on your long term goals, tho. Personally I'd aim at something like the Hsu VTF-2 mk5, if not even better. AH review on that one here https://www.audioholics.com/subwoofer-reviews/hsu-vtf-2-mk5

 

[lovinthehd]

Yeah I agree. I read the polks are pretty bad. I'll probabaly save up and get something better. The polk almost has too much bass. Theres really no sweet spot for me with it.

Might also just make sure you've set that sub up optimally in your room. How did you? Have you read the setup articles here on AH?

 

[MrBoat]

Budget constraints for recreation and other creature comforts are a design of the "Gotta have it now" crowd, and the perpetual repeat customer marketing model.

Break the cycle.

 

[yepimonfire]

Yeah I agree. I read the polks are pretty bad. I'll probabaly save up and get something better. The polk almost has too much bass. Theres really no sweet spot for me with it.

Too much bass is a sub placement problem. The polks aren't boomy, they just have lousy output, excessive port noise and poor extension.

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[lovinthehd]

Too much bass is a sub placement problem. The polks aren't boomy, they just have lousy output, excessive port noise and poor extension.

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Hard to put all of what Polk labels "sub" with a broad brush to an extent, altho the boomy could be due a frequency response accented in the middle, a hump of too much bass so to speak. Which Polk subs did you have? Have you yet bought or made a better sub yourself ?

 

[Foxrox]

PSW-505 is not the worst sub in the world. It’s at least as good or better than most HTiB subs or the subs that come with sound bars. I think that’s why it reviews so well on Amazon. Most people have never heard a good subwoofer except maybe in the theater. I used one for years before I set up my current system. I was happy. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

 

[Matthew Quenette]

Hard to put all of what Polk labels "sub" with a broad brush to an extent, altho the boomy could be due a frequency response accented in the middle, a hump of too much bass so to speak. Which Polk subs did you have? Have you yet bought or made a better sub yourself ?

I have never assembled my own sub. However I did own an older velodyne 12 inch sub. I just swapped out my Yamaha rs 700 With a surround pioneer vsx 832 and I have to say with the mcacc setup it sounds a lot better. Very well rounded not too much bass. I'm running 4 pioneer sp bs22-lr and the pioneer center speaker. The system sounds as good if not better than the 1000$ Yamaha unit I was running 6 or 7 years ago I had polk tsi 500s and tsi 200 as rears. I was recommended the pioneer speakers on this forum and love them. I believe they are the best thing for the money.
Also I used to run a psw 10 by polk. It was awful. The psw 505 is way better than the psw 10 in my opinion. The velodyne I had got bad critic reviews due to the cabinet. Customer reviews were great though.

 

[lovinthehd]

I have never assembled my own sub. However I did own an older velodyne 12 inch sub. I just swapped out my Yamaha rs 700 With a surround pioneer vsx 832 and I have to say with the mcacc setup it sounds a lot better. Very well rounded not too much bass. I'm running 4 pioneer sp bs22-lr and the pioneer center speaker. The system sounds as good if not better than the 1000$ Yamaha unit I was running 6 or 7 years ago I had polk tsi 500s and tsi 200 as rears. I was recommended the pioneer speakers on this forum and love them. I believe they are the best thing for the money.
Also I used to run a psw 10 by polk. It was awful. The psw 505 is way better than the psw 10 in my opinion. The velodyne I had got bad critic reviews due to the cabinet. Customer reviews were great though.

Yeah, the 505 tends to be much better liked than the PSW10. Polk just isn't a subwoofer oriented company, though. Velodyne made some very good subs (and a few cheap ones) and these days their efforts are more pointed towards different areas of technology (automated cars/lidar IIRC). The AJ Pioneer speakers are good value.

Assembling your own sub isn't that hard with a flatpack/driver combo and some glue and a few tools (or you can build your own box), sometimes the quality of the finish is the hardest part . Follow a design/size box for the particular driver with an appropriate amp and you can get good value, and if you build a second sub for use with the same amp the value really kicks in (altho you have to not charge yourself a high $/hour rate )...lots of ideas in the diy subforum here.

 

[Ernie Schmuntz]

I am currently upgrading my home theatre setup from stereo to 5.1. I'm using a Polk PSW 505 and already have the receiver and speakers on order. Receiver is pioneer VSX 832 and speakers are pioneer bs22-lr and pioneer sp-c22. I don't really think I can find a better sub for 250usd but please give me some recommendations around that price or at it. Don't really want anything under 12 inches but if it sounds better I'll consider it.

I played with Pioneers 8” sub that a guy threw in with purchase. It’s a very solid sounding sub. It sounded better than my Supercube III. You can feel the air from the port 8’ away.