Help Picking a Compact Sub

[mazersteven]

went home and measured my cylinder ... more like 16 5/8" - which is why i made a mental note of 17"

I don't want to hear about you measuring your "Cylinder". I don't know how they do it over where you are. But here men don't discuss measuring their "Cylinders" to one another.

 

[Adam]

To quote Mr. Bing, "We're not going to talk about girth, are we?"

 

[mike c]

I don't want to hear about you measuring your "Cylinder". I don't know how they do it over where you are. But here men don't discuss measuring their "Cylinders" to one another.

i knew someone would notice ...

but hey, it's the truth

 

[NewHTbuyer]

I see the discussion has degenerated....

Thanks for all the replies and opinions so far. It is definitely helping.

My budget is around $600-800. The max size is about 14"x14" for the footprint, so the SVS will just fit. I have to squeeze it between the end of my couch and a wet bar (the room was pre-wired by the previous owner).

The HSU looks interesting b/c it is wireless, but it is a bit to pricey for what I am looking for.

My time frame is probably 4-6 weeks.

Has anyone listened to the Def tech Supercubes? They have great specs, but I would love to hear some real world opinions.

 

[mike c]

14 x 14 of the SB12 is the height and width. actual footprint is 14 x 15

 

[Adam]

14 x 14 of the SB12 is the height and width. actual footprint is 14 x 15

Excellent catch, Mike. I'm pretty sure that it's 14 x 14 x 14 with the grill off, though. MDS could tell us for sure, if he's around.

 

[bandphan]

They have great specs, but I would love to hear some real world opinions.

im sure they are not as great as they claim

if its not sold for 450 this is a great sub

 

[NewHTbuyer]

I am also considering the Sunfire subs. I was looking at the Super Junior, but the HRS-12 recommended by Gus6464 may be a better choice. I need a compact sub, but it is not like I live in a tiny New York apartment, so I might as well get as big of a sub as I can reasonably fit. Over the next few weeks I will demo as many as I can. I might choose one and then order an SVS SB12 to do a direct comparison, since they have a 45 day return policy.

 

[Adam]

I might choose one and then order an SVS SB12 to do a direct comparison, since they have a 45 day return policy.

If you do that, I recommend that you call or e-mail SVS and ask them if they would extend their no-risk trial period to you on the SB12-Plus. A little while ago, they were offering to pay for shipping both ways if people decided to return one. I don't see that listed on their site anymore, but it never hurts to ask!

 

[mike c]

Excellent catch, Mike. I'm pretty sure that it's 14 x 14 x 14 with the grill off, though. MDS could tell us for sure, if he's around.

you want me to go home again?

but the driver is not flush to the front baffle, so even without the grill, the subwoofer would still extend a bit forward.

edit: as per the wife 13.5" depth without grill and driver ; 14.5" with grill (not counting terminals at the back)

 

[Adam]

you want me to go home again?

How could I have not known (or at least guessed) that you also had one? It's like I don't even pay attention around here.

 

[majorloser]

Have they specified a release date for these?

They want to release them by this Fall. We had a chance to see the two 12" models at last year's Audioholics SOTU show. They were quite impressive. They have also released pictures of the single unit on the VIP section of the Emotiva Forum. Emotiva is staying "hush, hush" on these so features won't make it to the competition prior to release. But you can go through their forum and find plenty of clues and leaked info.

It never hurts to call them and ask.

 

[AVRat]

The DT SCs should not be used in confined spaces since they have side-firing passive radiators. I also would stay away from anything less than the SC I. The Sunfire HRS or SVS SB should work well.

 

[NewHTbuyer]

AVRat,

Thanks for the advice. I am going to go listen to the DT Supercubes next week. The SC I is a bit pricey, but prices are always negotiable. After that I am going to listen to the HRS10. The dealer offered $699, and that was without any negotiating. That is the exact price as the SC III. It sounds like I should lean toward the Sunfire in that price range. Of course, the SVS SB-12 is the same price also.

The SVS has a ton of features included, do you think that would make it the favorite over the HRS10?

 

[mazersteven]

The SVS has a ton of features included, do you think that would make it the favorite over the HRS10?

Absolutely.

 

[AVRat]

Yes, based on current products that meet your needs, the SVS SB would be my 1st choice.

 

[NewHTbuyer]

AVRat,

Thanks for the advice. I figured I would update my search. This weekend I tested out a bunch of subs. I used a Dire Straits CD, the Pod Race from Phantom Menace, the tank attack scene from the end of Saving Private Ryan, and also a test disc from Infinity my father in law has that puts out frequency down to 20Hz.

1) Paradigm PDR 10. Nothing useful below 30Hz. Forget it.
2) Supercube III (the store doesn't carry II and the I is too much $). It did ok on the test disc, although volume dropped quite a bit below 25Hz. Music sounded great, but the tank scene lacked the deep rumble you want from HT.
3) Velodyne MiniVee. Accurate and loud for a tiny box, but dropped off at about 25-28Hz. Would be good if you really had a tiny room and nowhere to put a sub.
4) B&W ASW 610. Better than expected. It played louder 20-25Hz than the above subs, but did distort more when pushed using the test disc. Still, for HT you could feel the floor when the tank rolled by. List is only $650.
5) Paradigm Ultracube 10. Loved it. It handled the test without distortion and had good volume to almost 20Hz. It really impressed during the movie test. It is small and looks good. One problem..it lists for $899. Also, it has side firing passive radiators like the Supercube, so I would have to leave some room between it and my wall/couch. Still, it is small enough it would fit no problem.

So, once I get my room painted, I will probably order the SVS SB12+ and buy the Ultracube and do an in home test. The Paradigm dealer did not hesitate to offer 10% off the Ultracube, especially since I plan to buy ADP-190 surrounds from him. I feel I can talk him down to between 700-750, which would make it only marginally more that the SVS with shipping.

BTW, my system will probably be Denon 2309, Panasonic TH-50PZ85U, the NHT L5 Evolutions for L/C/R and the ADP-190s for surround. I can't wait.

 

[Adam]

Very cool. Thanks for the update! I'm glad that you found one that you really like. It's possible that you'll like the SVS even more, but at least now you have yourself a really good solution either way.

I probably missed it in the thread, but are you leaning towards the charcoal black SB12-Plus? That's the only one that goes for $699. The other finishes cost another $50.

 

[NewHTbuyer]

Very cool. Thanks for the update! I'm glad that you found one that you really like. It's possible that you'll like the SVS even more, but at least now you have yourself a really good solution either way.

I probably missed it in the thread, but are you leaning towards the charcoal black SB12-Plus? That's the only one that goes for $699. The other finishes cost another $50.

Yep, I am going to get the charcoal black finish. It does not have the magnetic grill, but the SVS guy assured me that they all sound the same. I can't see paying $50 more for a sub that will be 99% hidden in the corner.

BTW, I noticed you have NHT speakers. The ones I just bought, the L5s, sound quite a bit brighter, almost harsh, compared to the Infinity speakers I am replacing. They sound accurate and good with TV/movies, but with music I prefer the older floor standing set. I am not talking about the lack of bass, since I have no sub, just the tone. How do yours sound? Anyway, I bought them on closeout for $179 each, which is a great deal. Any other similar sized wall mounted speaker runs about $400-500 each.

 

[Adam]

My experience with my NHTs was very similar when paired with the receiver that I bought around the same time in 1998: good for home theater, harsh for music. My current receiver, which I got in 2005, has an auto set-up routine that includes equalization of the speakers. It made a very nice difference. It removed the harshness that I had dealt with for 7 years. I even noticed that home theater sounded more enjoyable to me. I'm very glad that I now have some equalization for my NHTs.