Subwoofer $350 or Under

[countryboy]

My son is looking for a sub to use with his Ryan Acoustics MCL-3 speakers and his Outlaw RR2150. The speakers are 3-way acoustic suspension (8 1/2" woofer, 4 1/2" mid, 1 1/4" tweeter) which have very good tight bass for as low as they go (38HZ to 20KHZ +/-2 db).

His room is fairly small 10x18 and he listens to both cds and blu-ray with his 2-channel system.

He would like a little foundation for both music and movies but mostly for the latter while at the same time blending with his speakers and working well with the RR2150 receiver. The RR2150's line level output includes it's own bass management.

I've been looking at the Outlaw LFM-1 Compact Subwoofer and Outlaw has said it will work great with his setup and at $350 shipped (B-Stock) this is a great buy but it's footprint (Dimensions: (HxWxD) 16.75" x 13 " x 19 ") is a little big for his room. The depth is really the problem since the sub sticks out kind of far in his small room.

Would something like the Emotiva Ultra Sub 10 for $289 shipped (having a smaller footprint 12.5” wide x 12.5” high x 13.5” deep ) be just as good as the Outlaw in function and quality? Any others in my price range?

 

[lsiberian]

I personally like the Dual sub approach because it smooths out in room response when placed mid wall on the sides of the room. Check out a pair of Dayton sub-120's as an option.

 

[countryboy]

He really needs to keep to a single sub there just isn't room for more than one.

 

[sholling]

A single 10" vented sub should be enough in a room that size. That assumes a total of 1800cuft and the door closed. I haven't heard the Ultra 10 but I'd be a concerned that a single 10 sealed sub might struggle. Sealed subs are also a bit picky about placement and you'll want to find a corner.

 

[rnatalli]

HSU, eD, and Emotiva are your best bets IMO.

 

[countryboy]

HSU, eD, and Emotiva are your best bets IMO.

Which specific models are you recommending I know so little about HSU or eD and haven't bought a sub in years.

The Emotiva 10 fit our price range but if it definitely would have to go in a corner then it's out of consideration. The room is pretty small especially with furniture so the sub location can't be optimized it's basically going to have go where it can and I realize this isn't the way it should be done.

So we need a sub $350 (shipped) or under that can operate decently without it's position being optimized that just gives his speakers some foundation without muddying things up.

 

[lsiberian]

Which specific models are you recommending I know so little about HSU or eD and haven't bought a sub in years.

The Emotiva 10 fit our price range but if it definitely would have to go in a corner then it's out of consideration. The room is pretty small especially with furniture so the sub location can't be optimized it's basically going to have go where it can and I realize this isn't the way it should be done.

So we need a sub $350 (shipped) or under that can operate decently without it's position being optimized that just gives his speakers some foundation without muddying things up.

Unfortunately what you're asking for simply doesn't exist. Any sub placed in the same spot will have very similar issues this is the nature of subwoofers being placed in homes. Corner loading a sub is generally not good in my experience for overall unless you have 4 of them.