Anyone go from a signal to a Dual VTF-2 MK5 or VTF-3 MK5 HP?

[tchest77]

My room size is 18ft x 13ft x 8 ft, and my main use would be for movies; I have two open doorways, one in the front the other in the back of the room. I am looking for the deep chest-thumping but also love to hear those bass lows as well.

I didn't know if one VTF-2 would be good enough (maybe tuned properly to give the sound I am looking for),but read that duals are the way to go. Or perhaps just one VTF-3 is more then enough. I have read people are happy with just one VTF-2, some have the duals and say they love it, some have just one VTF-3 and love that as well. I have not found anyone that has had a VTF-2, then upgraded to either duals or one VTF-3 (or upgraded to two VTF-3); it would be great to know if someone went through this process to hear their opinion on if it really makes that much difference.

Really just don't want to spend more money if it's not going to be such a dramatic difference.
Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[lovinthehd]

Just saw this again and thought of your post https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/two-hsu-vtf-3-mk2-subs-one-is-still-sealed.116056/

One consideration about duals is how many seats are you concerned with? Just yours? "Single" sub can work well enough for one seat usually, duals/multiples are more about smoothing room modes at more than one seat....

Disclaimer....I own no Hsu subs, I go the diy route these days.

 

[ryanosaur]

I just want to add that since you do seem to be concerned with output, both low, as well as the mid-bass chest-thump, you should probably be looking at two vtf-3s... the added extension, greater displacement, and open area of your floor plan all point to that being a better choice.

 

[tchest77]

Thank you for your input, just trying to gauge what may be the better option that works without over doing it.

 

[snakeeyes]

If you are sitting on a loveseat with one other person, a single sub can work good as long as you are keeping the low pass (crossover) at 80hz or near that

Otherwise, go dual.

Two VTF2 would about equal one VTF3.
By the way I have dual VTF2 mk5 subs and they actually have quite a lot of mid bass.

 

[tchest77]

Not sure if it helps, but attached is a sketch of my home theater room with detail of the layout. I just have a L shaped couch, but hey, I appreciate your advice!

 

[snakeeyes]

Not sure if it helps, but attached is a sketch of my home theater room with detail of the layout. I just have a L shaped couch, but hey, I appreciate your advice!

One sub probably ends up on one side of the TV (left side is my guess) and the other on one end of your couch. Hard to predict unless you move them in the room itself.

 

[tchest77]

Interesting, would need to figure it out. My only prob is the wiring, I would need to get long wires to go any other place other than on each side of the tv. Thanks again! The sketch of sub placement is what I think may work best, or the options I have that would be easiest to wire.

 

[ryanosaur]

Long cables are cheap and easy to come by. Look at Monoprice High Quality Subwoofer cable, for example.
Learn about the subwoofer crawl for best placement.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Long cables are cheap and easy to come by. Look at Monoprice High Quality Subwoofer cable, for example.
Learn about the subwoofer crawl for best placement.

Yep. And also if you have an AV store they might be able to make some. I had a 50’ section of rg-6 made for a subwoofer run. It was 15 bucks and I stuffed it under the baseboard. Done.

 

[tchest77]

Awesome, appreciate the advice!

 

[Audiosaur]

I have gone from one to two VTF2-MK5s. As mentioned by others, if it's just a couple seats you're concerned with, one can be sufficient with proper placement. One was great for just me in my 1400 ft2 apartment. I bought the second only because I could. I promised myself if one became available in B-stock, I'd jump on it. So I did.

They moved with me into a townhome that was slightly larger. They were great in that space too.

I've since moved into a 3800ft2 home. I've upgraded in the main area to a pair of DIY 18 in beasts, relegating the Hsus to the Master bedroom that is about the size of your space - more than adequate, I can assure you. That said, if you can afford one 3.5, get it. Eventually, when you can afford more, you can get the second.

 

[Grandzoltar]

My room size is 18ft x 13ft x 8 ft, and my main use would be for movies; I have two open doorways, one in the front the other in the back of the room. I am looking for the deep chest-thumping but also love to hear those bass lows as well.

I didn't know if one VTF-2 would be good enough (maybe tuned properly to give the sound I am looking for),but read that duals are the way to go. Or perhaps just one VTF-3 is more then enough. I have read people are happy with just one VTF-2, some have the duals and say they love it, some have just one VTF-3 and love that as well. I have not found anyone that has had a VTF-2, then upgraded to either duals or one VTF-3 (or upgraded to two VTF-3); it would be great to know if someone went through this process to hear their opinion on if it really makes that much difference.

Really just don't want to spend more money if it's not going to be such a dramatic difference.
Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!

I am contemplating the same move but I own 1 Vtf2 mk5 and I wonder should I just buy a second 1 or move it into a bedroom system and buy the vtf15 mk2 and plan on a second a few years down the road. My room is 24 x 11.5 x 8 - 11 ceiling with open door way off the right to kitchen.
My gut says go bigger so buyer remorse doesn’t kick in.

 

[tchest77]

I have gone from one to two VTF2-MK5s. As mentioned by others, if it's just a couple seats you're concerned with, one can be sufficient with proper placement. One was great for just me in my 1400 ft2 apartment. I bought the second only because I could. I promised myself if one became available in B-stock, I'd jump on it. So I did.

They moved with me into a townhome that was slightly larger. They were great in that space too.

I've since moved into a 3800ft2 home. I've upgraded in the main area to a pair of DIY 18 in beasts, relegating the Hsus to the Master bedroom that is about the size of your space - more than adequate, I can assure you. That said, if you can afford one 3.5, get it. Eventually, when you can afford more, you can get the second.

Hey, thanks for your input. When you went from one to two VTF-2.5's were you wow'd by the difference, meaning what it much more significantly better having the two or just better?

 

[Pogre]

I have a pair of VTF-3 MK5s in a large open area and get good chest thump as well as good wall rattling bass. I don't know if the VTF-2s would do the deep bass as well as the 3s. I'm working with, very roughly, ~5500 ^3.

 

[tchest77]

I have a pair of VTF-3 MK5s in a large open area and get good chest thump as well as good wall rattling bass. I don't know if the VTF-2s would do the deep bass as well as the 3s. I'm working with, very roughly, ~5500 ^3.

That's a decent sized space, pretty cool. Thanks for sharing. Looks like going with the 3.5 will be good, and from there I can gauge if another is needed. How does one of your 3s compare to having both 3s playing? Does having both really make a much more noticeable improvement and worth the investment when comparing to playing just a single 3? If you took one of the 3's away, would you really miss it, or would having just one 3 be fine and acceptable?

 

[Pogre]

That's a decent sized space, pretty cool. Thanks for sharing. Looks like going with the 3.5 will be good, and from there I can gauge if another is needed. How does one of your 3s compare to having both 3s playing? Does having both really make a much more noticeable improvement and worth the investment when comparing to playing just a single 3? If you took one of the 3's away, would you really miss it, or would having just one 3 be fine and acceptable?

I think with optimum placement I could probably get away with one. I could probably even get it to sound pretty good at my mlp, but I'm positive I'd miss the second one. I have some acoustic issues with my room that creates a particularly deep null in a very useful frequency band and having 2 of them smooths it out across a much bigger area than one alone would.

 

[tchest77]

I think with optimum placement I could probably get away with one. I could probably even get it to sound pretty good at my mlp, but I'm positive I'd miss the second one. I have some acoustic issues with my room that creates a particularly deep null in a very useful frequency band and having 2 of them smooths it out across a much bigger area than one alone would.

Ahhhh, cool..... good to know. Yeah, that is a decent amount of space. Cool man, I appreciate your input!

 

[tchest77]

So, I finally settled and am done. I think I may have an obsession or am now addicted, but I started off saving money and just getting a Black Friday deal of 2 definitive Tech 2000 subs for $300 each, and then I got 2 SVS PB2000's, and then got the PB4000, but then found a great deal for a new SVS 16 Ultra for around the same price as the 4000 so got the Ultra.

This may sound insane, but I'm new to subs, and have to say, I stuck with the Ultra 16. I thought I would be saving money, but realized, you get what you pay for. The 4000 was a very close contender, and would have kept it even after the 16 test, but considering it was around the same price, I kept the 16.

For my room size, the 16 and the 4000 completely filled the room, both are smooth and effortlessly spread oxygen molecules into your body and walls, you can feel the air hit you, it is truly an amazing experience that the Def Tech 2000 and older Super Cube could not do. The Def Techs I still think sound good, but they are just loud, and do create the Bam I like, but it was just noisy and not once have I felt the air molecules hit my body with them.

The PB2000's were good, but they just didn't push enough air. They are very clean though and do deliver a nice sound, but I wasn't blown away and they didn't come close to the 4000 or 16. I perhaps am being biased as I didn't really mess around with the dual PB2000's as I played around with them a little, and then just went to the 4000 and didn't turn back after this. Perhaps I'd be happier with the 2000's, but once I had an amount of air surround my by body I was sold. I don't know much about subs, so perhaps if I knew how to and what to do, I would have more tests, but it's over now and am really happy.

This was a long experience, but I learned first hand what good bass sounds like, and just wanted to share this with anyone that maybe considering these subs.

I really wanted to go with HSU, but went with SVS due to the fact that they were easy returns, although more money, in the end, I knew if I choose HSU, and if not satisfied, I knew I'd be out of money with the returns, and with SVS I could decide to just get a full refund.

Thank you too anyone who chimed in, I appreciated your time. I couldn't be more pleased, and eventually upgraded my theater with a 7.1.4 receiver and got height speakers.
There really is nothing like a good home theater. Better late then never, but anyone consider upgrading, do it if you can. The 7.1.4 was a nice upgrade as well, but the major upgrade in the sub blows away anything I have done or experienced in my home audio experience, and as of now with the limited experiences I have, I would take a great sub over speakers any day. I was majorly impressed once I went with surround backs, but a good sub is favored more if I had to choose.Or maybe, if the addiction continues, someone will have to recommend a great center and front speakers that would blow me away. Or maybe, don't.

 

[ryanosaur]

The addiction will continue.

The Def Techs I still think sound good, but they are just loud, and do create the Bam I like, but it was just noisy...

You pretty much just nailed the description of Bad Bass and LF Distortion in that sentence.

I'm glad you found a great sub and are happy with it!