Time for a new subwoofer

[bikemig]

So it's time to retire the old Klipsch KSW-10 which I had been using in my home theater set up. It isn't terrible but it isn't great either. It's a bit boomy which makes it easy to localize.

So the lay out of the home theater room is a bit odd. The listening area is 1120 square feet (14' L, 10' W, and 8' H). I have some pics of the home theater attached. The speakers have changed from the pics since I am running bookshelf speakers (PSB imagine B) in a 2.1 set up. It's a small room and works really well without a center channel.

The one problem with the HT room is that one wall is glass (since it opens to the garden), another is brick, and the room is open in the back to the dining room and kitchen. We sit around 10 feet from the TV but the room is actually 30 feet in length.

I currently have the sub next to the couch but I find that the sound is easy to localize (perhaps that's because the Klipsch sub is a bit boomy). I'm leaning towards a sealed sub since it I may have to put it in one of the corners where the HT is set up and also because I think the room acoustics are a bit tough.

So these are the four options I am considering. I think these are powerful enough for the space I have but maybe I'm wrong.

1. SVS SB 1000

2. HSU VTF MK 2

3. NHT B10D

4. PSB Subseries 200

They each run around $500 and I would like to keep my budget around there unless I need a more powerful sub for the space. I can pick up the PSB for around the same price as the others but it is downward firing whereas the other three are either sealed or can be run sealed. Also is there another sub or subs I should be considering?

 

[Steve81]

Of those options I'd probably opt for the Hsu in your situation. It's reasonably powerful (which is good since the room is actually 30 feet long) and the multiple tuning options should help you blend it into your setup reasonably well.

 

[j_garcia]

I would not go with a small sealed sub in that room because the total size is so large. If you want to stick with sealed, I think you'll need a more substantial sub than that or dual subs.

I'd add the Rythmik LV-12R to the list. Vented, but also a servo sub and only a little bit more than the VTF-2.

 

[bikemig]

Of those options I'd probably opt for the Hsu in your situation. It's reasonably powerful (which is good since the room is actually 30 feet long) and the multiple tuning options should help you blend it into your setup reasonably well.

Good point about the HSU being more tweakable than most subs which given my HT room is important. I had thought about picking up the HSU bookshelfs with the sub since they are an easier load on my AV receiver than the PSB imagine Bs (4 ohm speakers) but then the sound out of the PSBs is really good and the receiver seems to be holding up.

 

[bikemig]

I would not go with a small sealed sub in that room because the total size is so large. If you want to stick with sealed, I think you'll need a more substantial sub than that or dual subs.

I'd add the Rythmik LV-12R to the list. Vented, but also a servo sub and only a little bit more than the VTF-2.

I was thinking sealed because I may have to shove the sub in a corner and I don't want something with a rear port if I do. So maybe I need to think about the SVS SB12 NSD. The Rythmik LV 12R is rear ported and the sealed unit, the F12, is more than I would like to spend at $800.

 

[Steve81]

I was thinking sealed because I may have to shove the sub in a corner and I don't want something with a rear port if I do.

The main problem with the sealed approach here is that you're going to give up a fair amount of low end output capability (ie 32Hz on down), and your room is big enough that you can't count on gain to make it back up.

 

[lsiberian]

I think you should save up for a more robust sub if you can. The PB12 is only like 250 more and a much better performer. For 250 more you can get reference level bass at 20hz.

 

[lsiberian]

The main problem with the sealed approach here is that you're going to give up a fair amount of low end output capability (ie 32Hz on down), and your room is big enough that you can't count on gain to make it back up.

You do gain response down to 10hz though and more headroom in the upper bass region.

 

[bikemig]

I think you should save up for a more robust sub if you can. The PB12 is only like 250 more and a much better performer. For 250 more you can get reference level bass at 20hz.

That's what I love about this website, people help convince you why you need to spend more money, . I think you're right though esp. given the advice I am being given. Maybe I need to bite the bullet and get the PC12 NSD which is the cylinder unit. There are only three places where this sub can go. I can either put it alongside the couch (in which case, I can use rear ported or pretty much anything) or it has to go in one of the 2 corners where the HT unit is. But there is not a heck of a lot of room there (the room is 10 foot wide). So the sub would have to get shoved into a corner and a cylinder unit will help out. Plus the PC12 NSD goes pretty deep. It also runs $750 which is a heck of a lot more than the $500 I started out with, . So $750 is my (new) max since I think the corner is probably going to be the best spot for the sub.

 

[manwithnocape]

all of what is said is true. a 30' room is a lot of room. a small sub will still gain in a larger room, but not as much as you might hope. you might want to think multiple subs or something big.
$500-750 bucks might be a tough order to fill. for that money you could go DIY and get a kit, if you were so inclined. (dayton or css)

 

[j_garcia]

In terms of tradeoffs then, I'd say the PC12 is probably a good choice, though I'd say a Plus would be more appropriate for the room. The PC12 will have the smallest footprint for the output it should give you.

 

[lsiberian]

Plus the PC12 NSD goes pretty deep. It also runs $750 which is a heck of a lot more than the $500 I started out with, . So $750 is my (new) max since I think the corner is probably going to be the best spot for the sub.

You act like corner loading is a bad thing for a sub. Guess where my sub is sitting.

You can always get a matching one for the other corner(or 3 corners)

 

[bikemig]

You act like corner loading is a bad thing for a sub. Guess where my sub is sitting.

You can always get a matching one for the other corner(or 3 corners)

I like the idea of corner loading a sub but my HT has so little room behind the speakers (less than 2 feet) that I think I need to get a cylinder . . . hopefully just one sub,

 

[Jeff R.]

Just saw EMP is having a sale. They have their dual 10" sub on sale for $324. You could do a pair for $648. That would really fill a room nicely. Not the greatest response down to 20 hz, but 30hz and above would be very good.

 

[bikemig]

Just saw EMP is having a sale. They have their dual 10" sub on sale for $324. You could do a pair for $648. That would really fill a room nicely. Not the greatest response down to 20 hz, but 30hz and above would be very good.

2 subs is a good alternative. It just wouldn't have the extension of the SVS PC 12. But using 2 subs is a good idea.

 

[Musicianized]

I wouldn't mess with a 10" for that room.. I'd check out Outlaws LFM-1 Plus or the EX.. The plus would be nice in that room, it's smaller than my room and I have the plus and it thumps hard, you can plug one port and get down to 18hz. It's a great sub for right around $600 delivered.