Differences on ported and sealed subs

[Steelers252006]

Can anyone educate me on this? On a side note, though I may not need it smd probably only have a 400-500 square foot room tonput it on damn I’d im not smitten on just one SVS PB Ultra 16 to go along with my Denom 4400 and two Ultra Towrs. Damzilla has recommended dual SVS OB2000s, smd O know he’s not wrong....but I can’t shake that bad ass sub. Can anyone else tell me down from the ledge or just push me over it, please??

 

[Steelers252006]

Can anyone educate me on this? On a side note, though I may not need it smd probably only have a 400-500 square foot room tonput it on damn I’d im not smitten on just one SVS PB Ultra 16 to go along with my Denom 4400 and two Ultra Towrs. Damzilla has recommended dual SVS OB2000s, smd O know he’s not wrong....but I can’t shake that bad ass sub. Can anyone else tell me down from the ledge or just push me over it, please??

Sorry for all the spell check typos, got tired eyes.

 

[ryanosaur]

LMAO!

 

[Steelers252006]

LMAO!

Damn spell check!!!!

 

[ryanosaur]

You will be much better served with several smaller subs in that room.
Given the size, you could go sealed or ported. Sealed subs have a more shallow roll off at the bottom of their frequency and are often times considered to be better for music.
Ported subs rolloff steeper, but often have more output at lower frequencies than a sealed box will have. Thus, if you shop around, you will notice that sealed boxes tend to not be rated as deep in extension, or as loud.
Now to complicate: In small rooms like yours, you will experience what is called room or cabin gain. Sealed subs will work in conjunction with each other to increase their perceived output and extension. So 3 SB 2000 will behave differently than just one alone. Your room acoustics will decide exactly how they do it, but it will happen.

If I recall, you were more into HT and gaming?

Good ported subs will still provide good musical experience, and will dig deeper for that more exhilarating HT experience.

Dual PB2000 would be a great thing for your room. You will experience better quality, more even bass, than if you have even just 1 amazingly overpowered sub for your room. If you really need to go BIGGER... get 2 PB 3000. Still more power than you need, but they will be impressive and you will still benefit from the multiple sub placement assisting in smoothing out your room acoustics.

Hope that helps!

 

[ryanosaur]

Damn spell check!!!!

Actually, more laughing at you wanting an ultra 16! They are beasts... but really not necessary for your space.
You have a battle with acoustics to win, and one of those isn't going to overcome that.

If you want to do something crazy, get 4 Hsu ULS15mk2s. A little squad of these in your room will destroy you! And you can get 4 for only $500+shipping ($812) more than that 1 PB16Ultra.
Hell, 4 SB2000 will only cost $2600, and be better balanced for your room. (Just being pragmatic.)

 

[Verdinut]

Damn spell check!!!!

No, it's a Chinese word!

 

[ryanosaur]

No, it's a Chinese word!

ROTFL!

Wait... is that Deutsch?

 

[lovinthehd]

400-500 sq ft with normal 8ft ceilings is 3200-4000 cuft, pretty significant room volume particularly if it's not a sealed off space and still open to other rooms. Might start with this article https://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/subwoofer-room-size

This one to cover some ported vs sealed ground https://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/sealed-vs-ported-subwoofers

 

[shadyJ]

The trade-off in sealed vs ported subs is deep bass output vs size. Everything else being equal, sealed subs can be much smaller, but they sacrifice a lot of SPL capability vs the ported subs' port tuning frequency. For example, look at the PB16-Ultra vs the SB16-Ultra. At the port tuning frequency of the PB16-Ultra, it can score 109 db at 16 Hz, but the SB16 can only do 94.7. That means that the PB16 has four times the headroom at 16 Hz than the SB16. As we move away from the port tuning frequency, that output advantage lessens. The question is, how much deep bass capability do you want. If you want monster deep bass capability, get a ported sub. But if you don't have room for a large subwoofer, sealed is a great choice, but you do give up a lot of deep bass headroom.

Something else to keep in mind is that many of these variable tuning subwoofers support a sealed operating mode. So if you find that the deep bass from a ported sub to be overwhelming, you can always plug the ports which majorly reduces deep bass output. But with a sealed subwoofer, you are stuck with its deep bass output limitations.

 

[Steelers252006]

Damn spell check!!!!

You’d think I’m illiterate

You will be much better served with several smaller subs in that room.
Given the size, you could go sealed or ported. Sealed subs have a more shallow roll off at the bottom of their frequency and are often times considered to be better for music.
Ported subs rolloff steeper, but often have more output at lower frequencies than a sealed box will have. Thus, if you shop around, you will notice that sealed boxes tend to not be rated as deep in extension, or as loud.
Now to complicate: In small rooms like yours, you will experience what is called room or cabin gain. Sealed subs will work in conjunction with each other to increase their perceived output and extension. So 3 SB 2000 will behave differently than just one alone. Your room acoustics will decide exactly how they do it, but it will happen.

If I recall, you were more into HT and gaming?

Good ported subs will still provide good musical experience, and will dig deeper for that more exhilarating HT experience.

Dual PB2000 would be a great thing for your room. You will experience better quality, more even bass, than if you have even just 1 amazingly overpowered sub for your room. If you really need to go BIGGER... get 2 PB 3000. Still more power than you need, but they will be impressive and you will still benefit from the multiple sub placement assisting in smoothing out your room acoustics.

Hope that helps!

Aweee, back on my keyboard with a cup of coffee in my hand!!

So if I go two PB2000s, I'd probably put them on either side of my entertainment stand. Danzilla said I could move the couch out and put behind the couch, too.

I don't know why I'm so stuck on this one. I literally go back and forth between these, the MK2 15s, and that monster sub as it looks incredibly bad ass. The logical points you make are hard to overlook, though.

If I get the subs, should I go ahead and get the amp for the two front towers, too, then? Also, I'm going to get a center channel at some point. I'd have to put it on a small stand in front of the TV somehow, can't think of any other solutions. Any ideas?

 

[shadyJ]

You’d think I’m illiterate

Aweee, back on my keyboard with a cup of coffee in my hand!!

So if I go two PB2000s, I'd probably put them on either side of my entertainment stand. Danzilla said I could move the couch out and put behind the couch, too.

I don't know why I'm so stuck on this one. I literally go back and forth between these, the MK2 15s, and that monster sub as it looks incredibly bad ass. The logical points you make are hard to overlook, though.

If I get the subs, should I go ahead and get the amp for the two front towers, too, then? Also, I'm going to get a center channel at some point. I'd have to put it on a small stand in front of the TV somehow, can't think of any other solutions. Any ideas?

I wouldn't bother with the 2000s. They are great subs, but the problem is your towers are already so capable in the bass range that I would go with something that could really outperform the towers if I were adding a sub. I would be looking at ported subs with 13" drivers or larger. SVS 3000 series, Hsu 15"s, Outlaw X13s, Monolith 15"s, etc.

 

[Steelers252006]

I wouldn't bother with the 2000s. They are great subs, but the problem is your towers are already so capable in the bass range that I would go with something that could really outperform the towers if I were adding a sub. I would be looking at ported subs with 13" drivers or larger. SVS 3000 series, Hsu 15"s, Outlaw X13s, Monolith 15"s, etc.

So then purchasing one SVS PB16 Ultra for now wouldn't be a bad move in your opinion?

 

[shadyJ]

So then purchasing one SVS PB16 Ultra for now wouldn't be a bad move in your opinion?

That wouldn't be bad. The Ultra towers probably have good mid bass, but they are no match for the PB16-Ultra in deep bass. The PB16-Ultra is ridiculously powerful in deep bass, especially from 40 Hz and below.

 

[Steelers252006]

That wouldn't be bad. The Ultra towers probably have good mid bass, but they are no match for the PB16-Ultra in deep bass. The PB16-Ultra is ridiculously powerful in deep bass, especially from 40 Hz and below.

I'm a little confused. So it wouldn't be overkill and is a good purchase? I found one with just a few nicks at a good deal, was thinking of jumping on it. Also, would it require me then to purchase another amp for my two front towers, or would they be just fine at this point in a 2.1 setup?

 

[shadyJ]

Again, it all has to do with your tastes. Do you want your movies to have monster deep bass? Because the PB16-Ultra will deliver that. But maybe you don't listen that loud, and if so, the PB16-Ultra is overkill. Something else to consider is its ungodly weight. It is 176 lbs, and it is a challenge to move around. You need to have a serious plan for getting it into place if you decide to buy one. If I remember right, this is for an upstairs room, like an attic type room? If so, I would rethink the PB16-Ultra. Trying to get it up a stair case with a turn would be courting tragedy.

Regarding an amp, that depends on how loud you listen. If you like to crank it, yes, a separate amp can be useful. Or, get a separate amp to bi-amp the woofers.

 

[ryanosaur]

Shady nailed it. Mind, those two Hsu subs aren't slouches! We can't tell you if you should get the 16 or 2 VTF15Hmk2 subs... that's a decision you have to make. I know you've already received advice encouraging the dual sub route. I was one of those votes.

You should not need an amplifer at this stage. You will likely want to consider it when you have your surrounds and atmos set up.

 

[Steelers252006]

So I just got off the phone with SVS, was talking a good hour or so (need to get my run in now). I sent pictures of my room, and he said it's probably around 3,000 cubic feet and suggested the two PB2000s and eventually the center channel to go with it. I asked him about the SVSPB Ultra 16, and he said it would crank and sound great, but I'd have to turn it down significantly. I also asked him if I turned it down, how would it compare to say dual PB2000s? He still seemed to think the PB2000s would be more balanced and sound better. In essence, he thinks the SVSPB16 is overkill for my room. He also thought the 3000s and 4000s probably were, too.

Now, I am intoxicated with the idea of power. I may not listen ALL THE TIME to powerful loud bass or screaming volume, but I may have a football game on or a kickass movie or be listening to some tunes that I just want to crank. I was trying to play my drums the other day with a Spotify feed (I know it's the best quality) and had it in the 70s and could still hear my drums over it. I'd like to have the "potential" to go louder should I want to upgrade my system and add more power, more volume to it. However, I could hear those PB2000s and be like damn, that's cranking, too.

I guess if the SVS PB16 is indeed just way, way overkill, and I"ll let it go. But if it's potentially worth it and will rock my world should I want to in a way that the 2000s just can't touch, even two of them, I need to seriously consider it. Does that make sense from a true layman who doesn't know what the hell he's gotten himself into?

 

[shadyJ]

I don't think you realize what you are getting into with the PB16-Ultra. Have you seen one in person? Try lifting one just a couple inches off the ground before you pull the trigger on one of those. That will be a dose of reality for you.

Even two PB-2000s will not be much fun to move around, but they will be WAY easier than a PB16. You might take a closer look at the PC-2000s. They have all of the performance of the PB-2000 but are very easy to move and place.

 

[ryanosaur]

I would gladly talk to you more about this but am on my way to the shop soon... I agree, it is overkill. I have two subs set at about 25% in my room because they two/too are overkill. Those Hsu's would be overkill, too.
Pwer isn't a bad thing, and it is better to have a little too much, rather than not enough! Consider the PB 3000. Or the 4000. Both will still be capable of numbing your ear-holes! Just like the Hsu subs that have been discussed.