Anyone have experience with either or both of these subs?

[little wing]

Hi Folks -

I'm going to buy a new sub this spring. Looking to get a better quality one this time around. There are pretty much 2 subs I have it narrowed down to. One is a Rythmik Audio sub http://www.rythmikaudio.com/F12.html The other is from SVS http://www.svsound.com/subwoofers/sealed-box/sb-2000. The Rythmik would be at my limit as far as funds to spend on the purchase. I have read reviews for both and they seem to be pretty positive, but I was wondering if anyone here had personal experience with either or both of these subs. My Listening area is not very big - 13 1/2 feet by 10 feet that opens into another room approx another 10 feet in width. This sub will replace and 8inch model from Energy -about 8 years old. Any knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a lot,

 

[Steve81]

I'd toss in the PSA XS15se into your mix. Its performance is comparable to the SB13U, but the PSA runs $799 shipped.

XS15se measurements
SB13U measurements

 

[little wing]

I'd toss in the PSA XS15se into your mix. Its performance is comparable to the SB13U, but the PSA runs $799 shipped.

XS15se measurements
SB13U measurements

Thanks Steve81 I'm just not sure I want a down firing woofer though, but this does look like a quality sub.

 

[Steve81]

Thanks Steve81 I'm just not sure I want a down firing woofer though, but this does look like a quality sub.

Funny enough, PSA just switched the form factor to front firing for their new S1500, though its a tad over your budget at $949 (cost went up due to switching out the 550W BASH amp for a US sourced 725W ICEpower amp).

You could also check out Reaction Audio. Their PS-15X was also recently tested by data-bass, and has been supplanted by the Gamma 15, which makes a few improvements to the driver and also uses a 925W ICEpower amp.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

besides price, any other limitations? keep mind - sub doesn't give a damn about your listening area - it "sees" entire open space.

 

[zieglj01]

You could also check out Reaction Audio. Their PS-15X was also recently tested by data-bass, and has been supplanted by the Gamma 15, which makes a few improvements to the driver and also uses a 925W ICEpower amp.

The Gamma 15 looks nice.

 

[little wing]

besides price, any other limitations? keep mind - sub doesn't give a damn about your listening area - it "sees" entire open space.

No limitations really - I do want something that's fairly tight and musical. That why I was looking at those two.

besides price, any other limitations? keep mind - sub doesn't give a damn about your listening area - it "sees" entire open space.

I need a fairly compact sub, the lower the profile the better. Music is more important than movies, that's why I'm looking at Rythmik and SVS.

 

[Steve81]

Music is more important than movies, that's why I'm looking at Rythmik and SVS.

As far as the SVS versus the Rythmik go... I'm not aware of any direct comparisons between the two, but Jim Wilson did compare the models up, i.e. the SB13U and the E15HP, which might shed a little light on how the SB2000 and F12 compare:

http://www.avsforum.com/forum/113-subwoofers-bass-transducers/1471574-rythmik-e15-vs-svs-sb13-ultra-4.html#post24544440

One of the big things for Jim was the feature set of the E15, which allowed him to tune things a bit better than he could with the SB13. As it relates to your comparison, the F12 retains all the goodies boasted by the E15 (PEQ, rumble filter, & extension / damping controls). By contrast, the SB2000's amp is bare bones. However, in this case, the Rythmik commands a $244 premium with shipping included, while the E15 was the cheaper sub in his comparo.

 

[KEW]

I have a Rythmik E15HP and an SVS SB-12plus (which I think can fairly me called the precursor to the SB-2000).
For tight and musical, you really want the Rythmik if you can afford it. The E15HP offers extension and output over the F12, but I believe the tightness is equivalent among all of Rythmik's sealed designs.
I would also chose the PSA over the SVS based on measurements. It may actually equal the Rythmik, but without hearing it, I am reluctant to recommend it over the Rythmik.

Here are some pulse response measurements taken by Jim Wilson that I find useful for evaluating how tight a sub is.
Here is the Rythmik E15HP (which is very close to ideal, as the signal drops quickly and evenly):

Here is the SVS SB-13Ultra (which is SVS's best sealed sub). Notice how the sound is still at 80dB after 20milliseconds. This is very good performance, but the Rythmik did it in under 10ms. Also you can see the imbalance - overhang is greater in the 30Hz region than it is in the 60Hz region. This is a tight sub, but in comparison to the Rythmik, it is not as precise. You can read the review Steve posted to get Jim Wilson's subjective opinions of the differences.

Here is the PSA XS15se. You can see it is a very close match to the Rythmik! I have never heard this sub, but based on this measurement, it is a very tight sub.

Here is the SVS SB1000 (which is the model below the SB2000 you are considering). You can see quite a bit of "bass bloom" in the 25Hz region:

I believe SVS deliberately designs in the "bass bloom". I feel certain they have the expertise to tame it if they thought it would make their product better. For HT, it is a lot of fun, and if you are a typical buyer, hearing the extra power in the lowest frequencies can be very gratifying with a great degree of pride of ownership. Many people are looking for that in a compact sub (WAF) and SVS gives it to them. However, if you are looking for the ability to articulate details in the lower frequencies, the extra energy down low gets in the way.

From what I have seen, the Rythmik (or PSA) are the best options for "musical and tight".

 

[little wing]

Kurt and Steve- I can't thank you enough for this wonderful information! This is exactly what I was looking for. I am leaning toward the Rythmik to complement my Ascend towers.

Cheers!

Earl