best subwoofer for under $500?

pddufrene

pddufrene

Audioholic
My room is 20x15x9 and opens up into my dinning room which is 12x15x8 I'm gonna be pairing it with a Yamaha av receiver, and my pioneer surround sound speakers. I like listening to music with a lot of bass, and heavy metal. Any and all suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
Welcome! I'm thinking most will suggest 2 subs because of the open space. I'd suggest saving a bit over $1,000.
 
pddufrene

pddufrene

Audioholic
I didn't buy the matching sub that went with the pioneer speakers because I figured it wasn't going to give me much results with only 100 watts and a 8" woofer
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
I didn't buy the matching sub that went with the pioneer speakers because I figured it wasn't going to give me much results with only 100 watts and a 8" woofer
That is 100% correct.
 
S

shadyJ

Speaker of the House
Staff member
+1 on the Outlaw, if you can swing the extra cash. However, if you really can't spend over $500, a great option would be the Premier Acoustic PA-150. It doesn't go really deep, but it can play very loudly and is very appropriate for your budget, room, and listening material.
 
pddufrene

pddufrene

Audioholic
At this point in time I can't afford more than 500 and that's pushing it, I guess if worse come to worse I can hold off on buying a sub for now till I can get a better one later I don't want to buy something I'm going to regret later u know
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
If you miss the Outlaw sale, there's the SVS PB-1000 or the new VTF-MK2 by HSU.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
...the new VTF-MK2 by HSU.

+1

Assuming $500 is the absolute max including shipping, I would unequivocally take the HSU VTF-1 MK2 for $477 delivered.

CEA Standard 2 Meters SPL @ 32/40/50/63 Hz:
$1200 B&W ASW-610XP: 96.1/101.5/105.9/108.9
$700 Emotiva X-Ref 12: 99.1/103.5/107.6/108.5
$1600 Klipsch SW-311: 102.6/105.3/108.6/111.4
$769 SVS PB12-NSD: 105.9/106.5/107.3/108.0
$300 BIC PL-200: 102.5/107.7/110.4/108.1 (HSU STF-2 clone)
$4000 Velodyne DD15+: 102.0/109.0/109.0/112.0
$900 Aperion Bravus II 12D: 105.3/109.8/112.6/112.2
$879 Velodyne EQ-MAX15: 104.2/110.0/114.2/114.8
$1,200 RBH SX-12: 108/111.1/113.7/112.7
$650 Outlaw LFM-1EX: 110.7/112.3/113.7/113.8
$800 Power Sound XV15: 109.6/113.7/116.6/114.7
$1200 SVS PB12+: 111.5/114.3/115.3/115.3
$800 Epik Empire: 109.7/113.2/116.4/119.2
$1700 Funk FW12X: 112.4/114.0/113.9/113.1
$9,000 Paradigm Sig Sub2: 109.9/113.2/116.9/120.2
$2200 JL Audio F112: 112.4/116.2/113.3/117.6
$900 Hsu VTF-15H: 113.0/115.7/115.7/115.6
$5,000 Velodyne DD18+: 113.0/115.8/116.8/115.3
$2,000 SVS PB13 Ultra: 115.5/117.5/117.8/116.6
$1,100 Chase HT VS18.1: 116.0/118.1/117.8/117.2
$1,200 Rythmik FV15HP: 117.0/119.5/119.1/118.8
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Why unequivocally? There is no test data on the HSU VTF-1 MK2 to show it as any better than SVS PB-1000. According to teh Canadian SVS rep, the PB-1000 is rated for 103 dB RMS @ 20 Hz via CEA-2010 outdoors at 2 meters ground plane.



+1

Assuming $500 is the absolute max including shipping, I would unequivocally take the HSU VTF-1 MK2 for $477 delivered.

CEA Standard 2 Meters SPL @ 32/40/50/63 Hz:
$1200 B&W ASW-610XP: 96.1/101.5/105.9/108.9
$700 Emotiva X-Ref 12: 99.1/103.5/107.6/108.5
$1600 Klipsch SW-311: 102.6/105.3/108.6/111.4
$769 SVS PB12-NSD: 105.9/106.5/107.3/108.0
$300 BIC PL-200: 102.5/107.7/110.4/108.1 (HSU STF-2 clone)
$4000 Velodyne DD15+: 102.0/109.0/109.0/112.0
$900 Aperion Bravus II 12D: 105.3/109.8/112.6/112.2
$879 Velodyne EQ-MAX15: 104.2/110.0/114.2/114.8
$1,200 RBH SX-12: 108/111.1/113.7/112.7
$650 Outlaw LFM-1EX: 110.7/112.3/113.7/113.8
$800 Power Sound XV15: 109.6/113.7/116.6/114.7
$1200 SVS PB12+: 111.5/114.3/115.3/115.3
$800 Epik Empire: 109.7/113.2/116.4/119.2
$1700 Funk FW12X: 112.4/114.0/113.9/113.1
$9,000 Paradigm Sig Sub2: 109.9/113.2/116.9/120.2
$2200 JL Audio F112: 112.4/116.2/113.3/117.6
$900 Hsu VTF-15H: 113.0/115.7/115.7/115.6
$5,000 Velodyne DD18+: 113.0/115.8/116.8/115.3
$2,000 SVS PB13 Ultra: 115.5/117.5/117.8/116.6
$1,100 Chase HT VS18.1: 116.0/118.1/117.8/117.2
$1,200 Rythmik FV15HP: 117.0/119.5/119.1/118.8
 
Last edited:
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Why unequivocally? There is no test data on the HSU VTF-1 MK2 to show it as any better than SVS PB-1000. According to teh Canadian SVS rep, the PB-1000 is rated for 103 dB RMS @ 20 Hz via CEA-2010 outdoors at 2 meters ground plane.
Both are 10" though. The PB-1000 has a higher RMS, but the VTF-1 has higher peak amp power - not sure if that would even make a difference, but I don't think either of these will move enough air to handle a fairly large room. When I had my gen 1 PB-10 in a big room it sounded great, but couldn't handle the space.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Both are 10" though. The PB-1000 has a higher RMS, but the VTF-1 has higher peak amp power - not sure if that would even make a difference, but I don't think either of these will move enough air to handle a fairly large room. When I had my gen 1 PB-10 in a big room it sounded great, but couldn't handle the space.
That is a rather large room. No single sub in the $500 price will be able to do much with this room. May be two of them might.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
Why unequivocally? There is no test data on the HSU VTF-1 MK2 to show it as any better than SVS PB-1000. According to teh Canadian SVS rep, the PB-1000 is rated for 103 dB RMS @ 20 Hz via CEA-2010 outdoors at 2 meters ground plane.
Why unequivocally?

$700 Emotiva X-Ref 12: 99.1/103.5/107.6/108.5

$769 SVS PB12-NSD: 105.9/106.5/107.3/108.0

$300 BIC PL-200: 102.5/107.7/110.4/108.1 (HSU STF-2 clone)

Because the HSU STF-2/ BIC PL-200 is equivocally better than the SVS PB12-NSD. :D
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
+1

Assuming $500 is the absolute max including shipping, I would unequivocally take the HSU VTF-1 MK2 for $477 delivered.
Let me rephrase the question again.... :D Hint pay attention to the bolded text.

There is no test data on the HSU VTF-1 MK2 to show it as any better than SVS PB-1000. According to tehe Canadian SVS rep, the PB-1000 is rated for 103 dB RMS @ 20 Hz via CEA-2010 outdoors at 2 meters ground plane.
 
pddufrene

pddufrene

Audioholic
I was looking at and reading reviews of the SVS PB1000 and everyone I read its hard to find any complaints, I'm gonna check into the HSU and see what they are about. Thanks
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
I was looking at and reading reviews of the SVS PB1000 and everyone I read its hard to find any complaints, I'm gonna check into the HSU and see what they are about. Thanks
While they may not 100% handle that room, I don't think you'll be disappointed with either of them. Both are excellent manufacturers.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
Let me rephrase the question again.... :D Hint pay attention to the bolded text.

There is no test data on the HSU VTF-1 MK2 to show it as any better than SVS PB-1000. According to tehe Canadian SVS rep, the PB-1000 is rated for 103 dB RMS @ 20 Hz via CEA-2010 outdoors at 2 meters ground plane.
What is "rated" is one thing, what is measured is another. And yes, we don't have measurement of either VTF-1 MK2 or PB-1000.

Based on the data of BIC PL-200/HSU STF2 vs PB12-NSD, I would say:

STF2 > PB12NSD
MK2 > STF2
PB12NSD > PB1000

Therefore, MK2 > PB1000.
 
j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
What the rep "says" is one thing, what is measured is another. And yes, we don't have measurement of either VTF-1 MK2 or PB-1000.

Based on the data of BIC PL-200/HSU STF2 vs PB12-NSD, I would say:

STF2 > PB12NSD
MK2 > STF2
PB12NSD > PB1000

Therefore, MK2 > PB1000.
STF-2 only goes to 25Hz and really not much below that. PB12 goes to 18Hz and will likely do 25Hz with a lot more authority than the STF-2, so this isn't telling the entire story and is not how I would compare these particular subs.
 

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