Need help with best sounding subwoofer (for me) under $1K

[AtariBaby]

Hi

The more I search and research the more confused I am! I'd be grateful if you guys could help me decide.

I'm looking for the best-sounding compact-sized sub I can find below $1K. And of course if a $600 one sounds better than a $900 one well yay!

Small bedroom! We're talking 9ft x 19ft. Old victorian. Cramped with a king size bed, a metal desk, armoire, and various electronics computer equipment and furniture.

The plan was to celebrate the much anticipated release of the videogame "Batman Arkham City" by adding a sound system to my small bedroom (which also houses a 65" VT30 plasma screen).

I was set to get a HSU VTF MK-3 or Outlaw equivalent. The Hsu arrived and I realized how much space that would occupy in this cramped space. So big I wouldn't be able to get my legs under the desk. A smaller sub could go in a lot more places around the room. I can do the crawl test as I learned about here!

I have a borrowed sub that's about 14" x 14" by 17" and I'd really like that small or even smaller. Can I get amazing home theater, video game and music sound from a subwoofer that small?

I can pay $1000 or even more, but then I get the nauseating sensation of how much more that costs than the axiom front and center speakers i ordered, and my Onkyo 809 AVR, wondering if I'm now completely off-balance.

I'll probably go with any kind of consensus I can get from you learned folks and be relieved just to be done with it. I'd love to sound test a bunch but it costs a fortune to ship these things around, and I also don't really have the time. And I know some of you even apply science to these things.

Help me, oh subwoofer gurus.

 

[FirstReflection]

Well, to start, if you're going to spend proportionally more on any single item in your home theatre, the subwoofer is the place to make that out of proportion purchase. I've zero problem with the idea of the subwoofer costing a full 50% of your entire speaker budget. Get great Front L/R speakers. Just save up for a center and run the Front L/R in "phantom" center mode for a while if you have to. Don't worry too much about the surround speakers. But by golly, get yourself a great sub! Other than the Front L/R speakers, it's the most important speaker in your system IMO.

With that out of the way, I have to be honest and say that "small" subwoofers are not my forte. There's just no getting around physics, so it's extremely difficult to make a small subwoofer that still plays low, accurately and loud all at the same time. Thankfully, you have a small-to-medium sized room, so massively loud output isn't a priority. But it's still very difficult to make a small subwoofer reach down to those lovely 20Hz and below notes that add so much impact to movies.

Are you restricted in terms of the height of your subwoofer? I ask because one very good option would be to get a cylinder subwoofer such as the SVSound PC12-NSD DSP . For your room size and budget, that would absolutely be my top recommendation for a subwoofer that takes up as little square footage as possible. Rather than being a big box, it makes up for its fairly small footprint by being tall. If going tall is an option, that's certainly the subwoofer I'd recommend the most to you.

If you can't go tall though, then things are a bit more tricky. There's the sealed SVSound SB12-NSD . There's also the Rythmik F12 , but the F12 is bigger, costs more, and sadly, Rythmik is having a bit of a backlog with amp stock right now, so it's on backorder for what might be a rather long stretch at the moment.

So honestly, in your situation, with your room size and budget, I'd be going SVSound. Get the PC12-NSD DSP if you afford the extra height. It does play lower and louder than the SB12-NSD. But if you have to have the small dimensions all around the SB12-NSD is about as good as you'll find.

Hope that helps!

 

[AtariBaby]

You Sir, are my hero. I'll do some measurements and see if I can work with a tall sub. Off to look at those rec's and do some reading!

 

[GranteedEV]

I'm looking for the best-sounding compact-sized sub I can find below $1K. And of course if a $600 one sounds better than a $900 one well yay!

If you want the best sounding bass, you need to accept the need for

1) Multiples
2) EQ to cut out peaks

In your budget and given your self imposed size constraints I would contact Nathan Funk and ask him if he's got any suggestions for a custom dual-sub build within your budget:

Sub Woofers

Don't expect much of the deep, deep stuff from small subwoofers. It's basic physics.

 

[ski2xblack]

Emo dropped the price on these again, so a pair can be had for $760 shipped:

Ultra Sub 12 with NEW Studio Black Satin Lacquer Finish

They're a step down from the single SVS or Hsu subs, but they're fairly small, sealed (usable output below cutoff), and there's two of them to even out room response.

Good option?

 

[AtariBaby]

ski2black I'm extremely grateful for the tip but I think I'm going to investigate Mr. Funk and otherwise grab one of these SVS cylinders, so far. I encourage contributions and debates. Hopefully they won't make me confused and bewildered.

 

[theJman]

The SB12-NSD is a very nice sub and would probably do the trick, as would a pair of the Emotiva Ultra 12's. A few others that are probably within the size and price range you mentioned are:

Paradigm UltraCube 10 and Seismic 110.
Sunfire HRS12
Martin Logan Dynamo 1000
Rythmik F12, F12G and F12SE

Not too sure about the Rythmiks though. Most of them seem to be on back order lately, some of those "until further notice" (whatever that's supposed to mean).

 

[Knucklehead90]

After you get the sub(s) installed put a buttkicker or two on the bed frame. You'll get those sub 20hz effects - right in the butt.

 

[its phillip]

Not too sure about the Rythmiks though. Most of them seem to be on back order lately, some of those "until further notice" (whatever that's supposed to mean).

I'm pretty sure the rythmiks are on backorder because of an amplifier shortage.

 

[sholling]

Depending on ceiling height that's not a big room and a SVSounds PC12-NSD should rock the crap out of it and would be high on my candidate list. I'd also consider a Rythmik FV12. I'm running a Hsu ULF-15 (currently on sale but still a bit over budget) in my bedroom and it does a very credible job after a bit of EQing.

 

[BillCinLR]

If you are really looking for SMALL, try this:

Sunfire HRS-12 Subwoofer

Bill C

 

[jcl]

I'm pretty sure the rythmiks are on backorder because of an amplifier shortage.

It looks like they are available through the Ascend Site.

 

[its phillip]

Ascend isn't what I would call fast when it comes to updating their store. I would imagine that you'd get a notice about the subwoofer being on backorder if you tried to order one. It is of course possible that they have some in stock though.

 

[jcl]

Ascend isn't what I would call fast when it comes to updating their store. I would imagine that you'd get a notice about the subwoofer being on backorder if you tried to order one. It is of course possible that they have some in stock though.

Agreed. That's why I used the term 'looks'. Trust but verify as R Reagan used to say....

 

[holt7153]

It also can't hurt to call both Ascend and Rythmik. The particular sub I wanted was listed on backorder on both sites, but I called Ascend and they had one available for me.

 

[AtariBaby]

Hi all,

So I worry that the smaller recommendations will be a little lacking, while going bigger will be a bummer, so I'm left with Paul Funk's tech and the SVS cylinder. The dimensions of the smaller SVS are more appealing, but if I'm going to be missing out, I think it will be the tall one.

Paul Funk said he's coming out with an 8" that meets my price and size needs, but will I be coming up short if I go that way?

 

[AtariBaby]

Still considering which way to go! I appreciate the suggestions. Pretty sure it's between the SVS cylinder and a new sub from Nathan Funk, pending further consideration.

 

[Pyrrho]

I would go with an SVS cylinder subwoofer (in fact, I have done that and use two CS-Ultras [a discontinued model]). There is no substitute for actual internal volume in a subwoofer, and if you can manage the subwoofer being tall, the cylinders are great for not taking up much floor space. They also weigh less than comparably sized boxes, and are a good diameter for grabbing onto them for moving them about.

With smaller, one typically gives up deep bass and/or maximum volume, and one typically also pays more for what bass one does get. Only get a tiny subwoofer if you absolutely cannot have a large one.

 

[timoteo]

HSU has some B-Stock on their site!!

Satin Black ULS-15 for $949......

Hurry up & jump on one of those bad boys!!!

 

[Matt34]

Another option I would consider. If your not opposed to screwing and gluing a couple flat packs of Baltic birch together I would get a pair of these. Way under your $1000 budget and you will have some amazingly clean output down to around 25hz. If you never heard a tapped horn design your missing out IMO.

They are narrow and tall so you can shove them in a corner and take up very little floor space.

Anarchy Tapped Horn DIY Sound Group

With two of these:

DIYCable.com : Intro » Home » Exodus Anarchy »

Power it with one of these:

Dayton Audio APA150 150W Power Amplifier 300-812