Need help choosing an 18 inch sub

[Supa Nige]

My current setup consists of an all Definitive Technologies speaker setup:
BP-7001sc towers
CLR 3000 center
BPVX surround
BP 10 rear
SuperCube Reference subwoofer.

I am unhappy with the bass in this setup.

The problem is the basement in my new house has about 2,000 sq ft of open space.
Although my home-theatre setup is in a 20x15 ft area, the wide open space makes the bass sound very un-impressive.

I went to a friends studio that sells commercial speaker solutions. His setup had a little less space than my current basement. Long story short, only 2x18 sub configuration was music to my ears. Problem is, his equipment is for commercial use and it looks very ugly.

Looking for equipment that looks good and performs the way I want, so far only Velodyne DD-18+ has my attention but there isn't a store anywhere near me that has this in stock for a demo.

Any suggestions on:

1 - Which 18 inch subs i should buy?
2 - Any place near Montreal, Quebec, Canada that I can go and hear it/them?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

For me, Funk Audio in Canada has all the subs I'll ever want.

I have dual Funk 18.0 subs. Love them. And I used to own the DT Trinity sub (also BP7000SC, BP7001SC, CLR3000).

For more money, might look at the 18.2/18.3.

 

[Irvrobinson]

With a space like yours demos are pretty much useless. The top contenders in the 18" class are the Velodyne, the Funk 18.0, and the Funk 18.3. All look good, are built well, and the Velodyne competes with the 18.0, not the 18.3. It's not clear how the DD18 compares with the 18.0, no one has reviewed the 18.0 yet, though the Velodyne has a remote, selectable programmable profiles for different usages, and IMO a better integrated look with the grill on, if any of that matters to you. The Funks have a much wider selection of finishes than the Velodyne, which has two. I suspect that performance of the two products are comparable.

You might find Velodyne dealers with DD15 Pluses in their showroom. They look identical to the DD18 Plus, just smaller, so you can get a feel for quality, finishes, and features. I've never seen a Funk sub either, but there are owners on this forum that'll swear to awesome quality and results.

The Funk 18.3 is much bigger, especially taller, so you'd have to be able to tolerate what are essentially two additional tower-size cabinets in your room. Funk says the 18.3 has similar output to two 18.0s below 40Hz, so it might be your best choice for rocking that massive room. At least in the US the street price of the DD18 Plus is about the same as the 18.3, the 18.0 is considerably less. I'm not sure how Velodyne prices in Canada, or what dealer discounting policies are.

If it were me choosing, I'd go with two Funk 18.3s.

 

[Steve81]

I'd second Funk Audio as being a fantastic choice given your presumed budget. They're a Canadian internet-direct manufacturer.
Hi-fi Glory

Of their offerings, for a huge room that's going to give you practically zip for room gain, I'd think one or two of the 18.3's would be your best choice.

 

[lsiberian]

Funk audio 18.3

Look nowhere else.

 

[GranteedEV]

Four Funk 18.0s and then equalize accordingly.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Four Funk 18.0s and then equalize accordingly.

I second that. Four F-18.0 subs.

 

[shadyJ]

Nah, four power levels 3 Funk 18.2 subs. Yeah, that oughtta do the trick.

 

[Supa Nige]

Thanks everyone for all the responses so far.

Never heard of Funk Audio before.

I'm super curious the hear the 18.3's now. I'm a big fan of double 18's in 1 enclosure - sounds awesome. But Funk Audio are internet direct dealers. This is a lot of cash to layout for a brand I've never heard of before. Any suggestions to getting a demo of the 18.3?

At least with the Velodyne, I heard the DD-15's at a friends place and I was quite impressed. I can imagine that the 18's would sound even better (to my liking).

 

[Irvrobinson]

Thanks everyone for all the responses so far.

Never heard of Funk Audio before.

I'm super curious the hear the 18.3's now. I'm a big fan of double 18's in 1 enclosure - sounds awesome. But Funk Audio are internet direct dealers. This is a lot of cash to layout for a brand I've never heard of before. Any suggestions to getting a demo of the 18.3?

At least with the Velodyne, I heard the DD-15's at a friends place and I was quite impressed. I can imagine that the 18's would sound even better (to my liking).

Well, I sympathize with your view, because that is exactly the way I thought in 2011. I wouldn't take chance on Funk because I couldn't see one in person. So I got the Velodyne. And, you could do a lot worse than the DD18 Plus. I enjoy mine immensely.

On the other hand, Funk has come a long way since I was in the market. New designs, better amps, their own custom drivers. Customers like ADTG who are very satisfied. If I were buying now I would order an 18.3, not the DD18 Plus.

BTW, the 18.3 has only one driver, and two passive radiators. The 18.2 has double 18" drivers, but it's also twice the price.