low budget!

[gggooolllooo]

Energy 10.3, Ed a2 300, PA 120, PA 150, or the BIC pl200?

the lower the price the better but if quality is dramatically sacrificed then ill pay more

 

[theJman]

Some indication of your room size and listening habits would help us assist you.

 

[gggooolllooo]

Oh! oops! haha

I have a medium to small room. Id guess about 15x15 or 20x20. I want the most musical sub and i like mostly rock and indie but i do listen to dubstep and stuff as well and i listen to music fairly loud too. I would like to spend no more than 300 dollars but will stretch to 400 if need be. I don't really want a down firing sub because I have people below me but I still want to be able to shake the walls but musical accuracy is of the most concern.

 

[theJman]

I have a medium to small room. Id guess about 15x15 or 20x20. I want the most musical sub and i like mostly rock and indie but i do listen to dubstep and stuff as well and i listen to music fairly loud too. I would like to spend no more than 300 dollars but will stretch to 400 if need be. I don't really want a down firing sub because I have people below me but I still want to be able to shake the walls but musical accuracy is of the most concern.

• shake the walls
• musical accuracy
• $300

Pick any two, because you probably aren't going to get all three.

15x15 isn't too bad, but 20x20 is another story altogether. Assuming 8' ceiling height the difference is about 75% more cubic feet, which is substantial.

You'll need to know how big the room really is before anyone can provide accurate suggestions. What might work quite well in a 15x15x8 room would be woefully inadequate in a 20x20x10 room.

 

[j_garcia]

With a budget of $400, I would not expect to be shaking walls or get awesome musical performance. You CAN get a decent sub for $300-400 though. At $400, I'd say the Cadence CSX-12 MkII would be a good choice, below that, most of the ones you listed would likely be the recommended ones. BIC F12 is another budget sub often recommended. The Energy being a 10" might potentially be a bit cleaner higher up, but will struggle to fill a good size room. There's a pretty big difference between 15x15 and 20x20 and 20x20 is a pretty big room.

I would also look at the HSU STF-2 ($319) or VTF-1 (pushing the limit at $449)

Down firing really makes no difference to your downstairs neighbors, the sound from the sub will pretty much still go through the floor.

 

[KEW]

Where are you located?

 

[raynist]

I have several of these subs. I really like them for music.

Audioholics reviewed this a few months ago.

EMP Tek ES1010i Subwoofer (2012 Summer Sales Event)

 

[gggooolllooo]

my best audio experience was with Logitech z2300 speakers and the sub was the highlight of that. as long as a sub blows that out of the water its perfect. I like that dual 10" that was recommended but which of the subs listed is going to impress me the most? or are their any better comparable subs?

i want music quality first
am able to go up to $400
and im sure any of the bass's in this price range are going to all around be blowing me away as well as rock the walls more than the 8" long throw z2300 sub I had that was what i would call a wall shaker and musically awesome.

 

[j_garcia]

That EMP only goes to 30Hz. Not too deep even for a modestly priced sub.

The STF-2 will get you to 25Hz and HSU is considered to be quite good with music. I can attest to that having owned one of their subs and heard a few different models. STF-2 Subwoofer

 

[gggooolllooo]

hm, I think I might by an HSU despite it being smaller.
I like their reputation with music and as a whole through my recent research.
I will be running this through a denon 1712 receiver if that makes any difference in bass selection..

 

[gggooolllooo]

where am i located? i dont get it, like in my room?
also, ive been considering getting an a2-300 from all the amazing reviews of it but im confused about their website stating it only has 40-160Hz which is really bad cause the all the others are below 25hz right?

 

[KEW]

where am i located? i dont get it, like in my room?
also, ive been considering getting an a2-300 from all the amazing reviews of it but im confused about their website stating it only has 40-160Hz which is really bad cause the all the others are below 25hz right?

No, what state are you in? I have some gear I no longer use and if you are in the area, I can probably set you up.

I'm not familiar with that particular sub, but if it is an anechoic measurement, you will actually get better than that due to room effects.
If you are into hip-hop and other music with lots of low frequency energy, you would not be happy with that sub. But for standard music (classical, rock, jazz, country, etc.) 30-35 Hz is a pretty reasonable low end. In classical, for example, some of the lowest pedal tones from a big organ will be weak. You will still "hear" them because you mind takes the overtones and fills in the root, But your gut won't feel them!
If it were for HT and you really want your body/stomach to feel the impact of an explosion, that is where you want the 16-20 Hz subs!
At your budget, you don't want to chase after low frequency extension as you are liable to get a very un-musical sub.
You might want to read this review as it gives a lot of info on the trade offs in sub design in the context of a musical sub similar to what I believe is a good fit for you. Often this Emotiva sub is discounted to $400. My biggest caveat for recommending it, is that it may be under sized. Usually buying one and adding another later if you need more bass is an option, but Emotiva is pretty quick to redesign products. IOW, a year from now when you are ready to buy a matching sub, Emotiva may have replaced this model with an entirely different model.
Emotiva X-Ref 10 Subwoofer Review — Reviews and News from Audioholics

HSU is a good option. Call and talk with them about it. That will give you a warm feeling about who you are buying from - they are great about helping you determine what to get rather than just trying to maximize their profit off of you (I hope they have not changed - it has been 3-4 years since I spoke with them).
You really need your room dimensions to do this!

 

[gggooolllooo]

ok great thanks! I live in washington...

that emotiva looks pretty awesome and i'l definitly try and give HSU a call!

i am into dubstep and low frequency music so thats a no go it seems. I want to feel the music! my crappy z623 computer speaker sub i have now is awful.

say i bump up my budget to $500, how much better can i get?

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

ok great thanks! I live in washington...

that emotiva looks pretty awesome and i'l definitly try and give HSU a call!

i am into dubstep and low frequency music so thats a no go it seems. I want to feel the music! my crappy z623 computer speaker sub i have now is awful.

say i bump up my budget to $500, how much better can i get?

a bit over $500 will get you VTF-2 MK4 Subwoofer or this Outlaw Audio LFM-1 Plus Powered Subwoofer
Both would be better fit for medium to large sized room or small-medium at high volumes...

P.S: Pretty much ANY sub mentioned here would HUGE improvement over logitech crap

 

[gggooolllooo]

THe HSU VTF looks amazing, seriously about to break the bank on it.
I am just a beginer who is buying a denon 1712 receiver. Will my receiver handle such an amazing sub like the VTF?

I know gettin this sub may be overkill as it will be paired with only two boston a25 speakers at least for now. I think im gonna do it!

 

[j_garcia]

The sub has its own amp, so your receiver does not have to "handle" it, so that won't be an issue. The Outlaw subs are also designed by HSU, so you wouldn't be losing anything going with one or the other.

 

[KEW]

I am just a beginer who is buying a denon 1712 receiver. Will my receiver handle such an amazing sub like the VTF?

The 1712 is an excellent receiver for use with a competent sub like the VTF!
What J Garcia says is right about the power - it is not a concern.
However, my first experience with a decent sub is it sounded like crap because I knew nothing about bass resonance and room modes. The sub sounded loose and boomy despite every review saying it was very musical!
The Denon 1712 has Audyssey MultEQ XT which is the best room EQ you will get short of $1000 or a decent DIY learning curve.
A sub with good low extension is likely to sound like crap unless you have a way to tune it to the room. Be sure to run MultEqQ after you have everything setup.

Lastly, you said you have people under you. I'm not sure whether the sub is down-firing or not really matters. Either way, you have a heavy object vibrating against the floor. The sub has a level control on the back and you'll probably want to mark a setting for day and a lower one for night sio as not to annoy your neighbors.
I know you are trying to stay on a budget, but the best thing you can do to reduce bass transmission through the floor is get a SubDude:
Amazon.com: Auralex SubDude Subwoofer Isolation Riser; 15x15x2-inch SubDude in Charcoal, Single: Musical Instruments
It will improve your in room bass response and most people consider it a good investment, but in your case with neighbors below, it really is a no brainer (that is not to say it will eliminate all bass going through the floor by any means)!

 

[spyboy]

Right now Outlaw is having a sale on B-Stock subwoofers. You could get the Outlaw LFM-1 Plus for $499 delivered.

B-stock Order Form

The B-Stock LFM-1 Plus will save you $83 vs. the HSU VTF-2 MK 4...

 

[j_garcia]

Right now Outlaw is having a sale on B-Stock subwoofers. You could get the Outlaw LFM-1 Plus for $499 delivered.

B-stock Order Form

The B-Stock LFM-1 Plus will save you $83 vs. the HSU VTF-2 MK 4...

On top of that, this sub was also very well reviewed here on AH.