Best 100% music sub??

[Tex-amp]

Sorry,i just dont buy it. Musical sub? Good sub,bad sub yes.

I can't blame you. I was a bass is bass guy for years until I actually heard different subs in the same room with the same front end playing the same pieces.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Whether the sub is sold direct or thru dealers is irrelevant- a good sub is a good sub. The Hsu TN-1220 is a staggering sub, simply tremendous for music or HT. I've never heard better. I haven't heard everything, of course, but I've heard a lot.

One caveat- the TN series is out of production right now. It's coming back in the fall, but for now you'd have to go used.

The ACI subs are nice, too. Pretty spendy, though. The REL's are okay, but limited in output down low compared to the heavy hitters.

 

[mfabien]

This week, I received my new PB-12 ISD from SVS and find it most enjoyable for both music and HT.

For music, may I suggest that the sub's calibration is of importance. If the sub is set to be too loud, it becomes out of balance with the other speakers and comes as distraction. On the other hand, perhaps metallic music lovers may want that.

For HT, the sub's setting may be louder and somewhat not configured as it should be, but, who's to question what is appropriate to a big time LFE fan?

My original choice was with model PB-10 ISD but after giving the room size and placement intentions to SVS, it became obvious that more power was required to fill the air in my 15' x 35' room which also has an additional 20' open space for the first 11' in length from the front. And SVS was right. The PB-12 ISD is very powerful but my Gain setting of 1/3 up is very pleasant, it gives a rich sounding bass, and, the result is omnidirectional bass with the sense that it's coming from the Front Towers plus the Center channel (at one point I powered off the sub to understand what was going on).

 

[Rob Babcock]

Judiciously applied parametric EQ will also do wonders for any sub.

 

[sts9fan]

TN set up?

So I have a Yam RX-777 stereo reciver and I want to add a sub plus some amps for my L and R. I planning right now on getting 2X outlaw M200's for the L and R. So I would connect them to the pre-outs..correct? I like what I am reading about the Hsu TN series so now how could I connect a passive sub plus amp with out high level imputs?

Your friend
Newbmister

 

[Tex-amp]

I don't think it is any different then hooking up to the amp built into most subs other than the added wire between the amp and the sub.

 

[Rob Babcock]

Yeah, you'd just run the high level output (probably the subwoofer out, assuming your reciever has good bass management) to a separate amp that will then power the subs. Hsu research does sell a very nice 500 W amp with all the necessary electronics (a good, flexible X-over and EQ) tailored to their TN subs.

As I said, the TN-1220 is temporarily unavailable from Hsu, but will be back in the fall.

BTW, I am a very big fan of passive subs. I simply don't like the idea of mounting electronics in or on a speaker enclosure.

 

[sts9fan]

that is what I was planning

I don't have a sub out but if I hook my L and R through the pre-outs via 2XM200s I can then hook the Hsu sub amp from the high level L and R outs.

Correct?

 

[dropbear]

well, just to throw my two bits worth in to this. On my own personal experience I have found the Bag End Infrasub 18" unit probably about the best music orientated sub I have come across. As for movies, it is still quite spectacular but lacks the SPL that some of super woofers do these days.

It is a totally different sounding beast to most others subs you will come across. Having a fixed crossover i thgought this would be a problem (95Hz) but once it was in and balanced it was truely seemless. Extended, deep and extinguishable bass notes, tight and dry but with weight.

I have owned Sunfire, Yamaha, Richter (aussie brand) Bag End, SVS and have auditioned all other big names such as Velodyne, REL, Martin Logan, Krell and a few others ....

If you want a sub for MUSIC, put the Bag End Infrasub on your short list and get to a dealer. You will be impressed.

Happy hunting...

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Drop,

How were you able to get the SVS without paying a fortune in shipping? They are made here in the states. Which one do/did you have? Where did it compare on the scale for music/movies with your others?

Also, you said you auditioned a Martin Logan. Did it knock your socks off until seeing the price tag? I was blown away by that sub. It was sitting 8 feet from the wall in an enormous room and keeping up with 8' tall electrostats. That's my vote for the best musical sub, but a little pricey. Great WAF though.

www.ultraaudio.com/equipment/martinlogan_descent.htm

 

[dropbear]

Drop,

How were you able to get the SVS without paying a fortune in shipping? They are made here in the states. Which one do/did you have? Where did it compare on the scale for music/movies with your others?

Also, you said you auditioned a Martin Logan. Did it knock your socks off until seeing the price tag? I was blown away by that sub. It was sitting 8 feet from the wall in an enormous room and keeping up with 8' tall electrostats. That's my vote for the best musical sub, but a little pricey. Great WAF though.

www.ultraaudio.com/equipment/martinlogan_descent.htm

hehee... I did pay a small fortune but the US$275 door to door was well worth it. My all up cost on the unit was just under Aus$2600 (which included customs, GST etc).

Yes, love the Martin Logan has great ability to keep pace with music and more than decent impact and extension. One sexy looking bit of gear too. Would be very very happy with it but not the price tag Having said that I still think the Bag End Infrasub 18" is probably the best sub I have heard though you would need at least 2 of them to give you the SPL that you get from the Descent and the SVS. The excursion of the cone isnt as great even though it is a larger drive not needing it... but man, does it sound sweet.... it was totally different in its character of bass, every note truely disceranble from one another...sorry, but I can guff over this one for a olng time.....

As for the SVS PB12-plus/2; Its a tough one, my personal experience tells me that it is in the same league as these monster subs from the High End audio brands for music and in fact I believe it betters a few of them on impact and extension for both Music and Movie tracks. For the money you just cant beat it and for the money you could even upgrade and get two of the UPB12-Ultra/2 and then nothing would touch you - and you still may have change to spare if you live in Australia

The SVS has shown me that great audio components can be had for a reasonable amount cash laid out - I am now falling back in love with what great music and movies are like because of this SVS. A truely great and unique audio product. I actually laugh when I see subs selling for similar amounts (in Australia) and then listen to them and just smile in my own contented self for what I have obtained

Hope you like the pic. It is along side of one of the Sunfires True Subs I used to have. Have to get an updated website going sometime ...... do have one but it is about 3 years old now...

 

[Tdekany]

Sorry,i just dont buy it. Musical sub? Good sub,bad sub yes.

You are still singing the same old song

And it IS the other way around. If accurate with music it will do well with movies. Not the other (your) way.
A good sub is a musical sub. A bad sub is a boomy sub.

 

[shokhead]

A "Musical" sub doesnt need to go below 25Hz or so for 99.9% of music so that sub is worthless for movies. I'm sticking to my story. We disagree.

 

[bpape]

Back on topic.....

Check out a USED Vandersteen sub. Schweet on music. Easy to integrate with many different speakers.

 

[Tdekany]

A "Musical" sub doesnt need to go below 25Hz or so for 99.9% of music so that sub is worthless for movies. I'm sticking to my story. We disagree.

Unless your taste bud like organ music. You want your sub go deep. (Like VTF3/TN1220)

 

[adjutant]

I don't have a sub out but if I hook my L and R through the pre-outs via 2XM200s I can then hook the Hsu sub amp from the high level L and R outs.

Correct?

Hey I dig your handle. I just saw them for the first time at Langerado last year. They killed it!! I've been following them on Jambase, but I live in Florida and it seems that we are the red headed step child of any tour

 

[sts9fan]

Love em

yeah I llove them. Do you have the new album Artifact?

 

[adjutant]

Nah, but I hear some of their songs every once in awhile on Sirius "Jam-on"

I bet they'd sound nice on a high end stereo set-up. I've been listening to Medeski, Martin, and Wood's "End of the World Party" and it sounds great on big speakers

 

[dbarry]

Would there be any value in timbre matching?

While just reading I find that most of the comments in this thread suggest a strong urge to mix equipment or at least to supplement existing equipment with bigger and better.

What about an opposite side of the coin where it is pretty common to consider the necessity to timbre match fronts, center and surrounds (perhaps even subs??). Then consider floor standing units like perhaps the RBH Reference Series that includes a 10 inch woofer in their R/L front speakers to provide fairly full range sound down to about 35 Hz. I know that I am picking on RBH for example surposes - but their specified sub-base unit is a dual 10 inch speaker that probably uses the very same speakers that are in the floor standers. Wouldn't it be fairly logical that this configuration would be able to be configured with a say 70 Hz cut-off for two channel listening to provide a very well timbre matched system with desirable musical tonality? Wouldn't this particular configuration be possibly better than trying to drop in the biggest or best sub that some other manufacturer might be selling? Of course not every speaker manufacture sells a perfectly matched sub but I am just thinking here.

 

[dropbear]

A "Musical" sub doesnt need to go below 25Hz or so for 99.9% of music so that sub is worthless for movies. I'm sticking to my story. We disagree.

Actually you would be wrong in thinking this. Yes, whilst most music laid down has content above the figures you have quoted what happens when you have a sub that goes into the subterranean, is that it flattens out the frequency we can and cannot hear thus making the playback more linear in response. This too is also true for the high frequency. thisd is a simplistic view of course.