Cadence XSUB for Home Theatre Ok?

[swamyg1]

I've pretty much decided on my semi budget sub... the Cadence XSUB. It has gotten awesome reviews everywhere and seems like a really quality unit for the price. I found it for $229 shipped, not a bad dealio. However, my only concern is how it will sound for Home Theatre. People say it sounds great for music but I will probably use it for about 70% for movies.

Any opinions by anyone would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

It's very good for HT. I don't know if there's a better "store bought" sub for $229 out there, period. Just keep in mind - it won't go much under 25Hz (which is plenty deep), at any usable output. That's due to the size of the box, and tuning. You'd need a much larger box - like the SVS PB10, for lower output, but at twice the price. If you're looking for a powerful 12" ported sub, and don't feel like a DIY job, this is probably the one.

You read this, I assume?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=571552&page=1&pp=30

 

[AzN_plyR]

It's very good for HT. I don't know if there's a better "store bought" sub for $229 out there, period. Just keep in mind - it won't go much under 25Hz (which is plenty deep), at any usable output. That's due to the size of the box, and tuning. You'd need a much larger box - like the SVS PB10, for lower output, but at twice the price. If you're looking for a powerful 12" ported sub, and don't feel like a DIY job, this is probably the one.

You read this, I assume?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=571552&page=1&pp=30

Can this be applied to the Acoustech H100 too.. but with 24hz and rolling off from there...without any usable output... This is the only thing keeping me from getting the Cadence is that the H100 would be very noticably much deeper...

 

[swamyg1]

Hmmmm... that Acoustech H100 looks awesome! Any other opinions on that?

 

[j_garcia]

Cadence has had some quality issues with their amps, some batches tended to hum, so that is something to be aware of. The X-sub should be fine in a medium to smaller room and it has good output into the mid 20s, but dropped off quite quick beyond that. Overall a good sub for the price., IMO; as good as the offerings from most of the big name store bought subs at twice the price. There's a bass boost knob on the amp too, I felt it sounded best with this basically turned all the way down.

 

[swamyg1]

I sent a message to UBID asking about the buzzing problem and this was his response:

"The noise was a ground loop issue in some homes with digital cable boxes. That was also 2004 units that had the probelm. Current units have upgraded circuitry so there are no more ground loop issues."

I was debating between the BIC H100 and Cadence XSUB... I was weary of the XSUB because of this problem, but now feel that XSUB is the best choice overall. Thanks for all of your input and help!

G

 

[Ron Temple]

I sent a message to UBID asking about the buzzing problem and this was his response:

"The noise was a ground loop issue in some homes with digital cable boxes. That was also 2004 units that had the probelm. Current units have upgraded circuitry so there are no more ground loop issues."

I was debating between the BIC H100 and Cadence XSUB... I was weary of the XSUB because of this problem, but now feel that XSUB is the best choice overall. Thanks for all of your input and help!

G

Unfortunately, that maybe some of the story, but it's a transformer/board circuitry issue with the current generation, not ground loop. I don't want to discourage you, the XSub is a fine performer. If you get a hummer they will replace it, but until they rework the board design you may have to live with a slight hum. It may have been already addressed.

 

[j_garcia]

Ground loop has nothing to do with the hum. While it may have been in 2004 units, those units may very well be in stock at some places, so there is no guarantee that you will get one that does not have this problem. Ron is actually the way I know about this issue, so he is speaking from first hand experience

 

[AzN_plyR]

is the hum THAT loud.. can it be heard say... 3 feet away? if not... I wouldn't really care... I am also looking at this vs the H100 too...

 

[j_garcia]

I believe Ron said he could hear it across the room on the first one. Cadence acknowledged that it was an issue, which is why they offered Ron a free replacement, so Ubid has no business saying that it isn't. It probably is limited to a certain batch of them. As long as you get a warranty, I wouldn't be too worried about it, because they should replace it for you as well. For the price it IS a good sub.

 

[Ron Temple]

Here's the scoop...if you turn it on it's very slight. Watch a movie at -20 reference or just loud, depending on your setup. You won't hear the hum during playback at all. After the movie is over you will hear a hum from 10-12' away. Put another movie on, it disappears. Keep it on auto-on the hum will disappear until it comes back on. It has nothing to do with playback, it's a transformer issue, irritating, but no big deal.

I've been hesitant to discuss this openly because Cadence really stepped up to keep me a satisfied customer. The unit(s) really performed well, but the nagging hum can't be ignored. I'd say this is absolutely the choice below $400, as I've tried a few, except for the hum. I've talked to Cadence, they were addressing the issue 3 months ago. Hopefully, they have it fixed and everyone can enjoy this product without this issue.

 

[Ron Temple]

Addendum...

I recently went to Frys to audition some Polk bookshelf speakers. I went throught the room listening to 6 Polk subs and 2 JBL subs in the $300-1100 range. The Cadence easily outperformed all these subs subjectively. Both John and I were very impressed with the subs performance/price ratio. It's no slouch. I've said it was 80% of a PB10 and I think that holds up. YMMV.

 

[AzN_plyR]

Thanks for the heads up Ron, BTW would I hear this thing if my computer fans runs at like 40db? lol..

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Ron's right about the service. Joe at Cadence is an asset to the company, and will bend over backwards to make his customers happy. The first amp that went bad on my unit was pretty loud - so much so it couldn't be ignored. Joe sent me a new amp (and a grill b/c UPS damaged the first one) without having to mail in the originals. The amp alone probably weighs 20lbs. It's massive.

I was just looking at the capacitors in the XSUB A/B amp. They are each 10,000 mF, which is impressive for a sub that size and price. They look like a half roll of .50 cent pieces. Most receivers don't sport caps that large.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Thanks for the heads up Ron, BTW would I hear this thing if my computer fans runs at like 40db? lol..

I'd say if you're right up next to it, it's probably equivalent to the whine of your pc fan - but at ~60Hz. The amp is enclosed in a separate sealed enclosure on the sub. It's not lined with anything. Adding some baffling or foam may quiet up the amp. I've pluged it in when it was disconnected to the box itself,and it's quieter than when it's in the sealed off enclosure. I think that space actually amplifies the hum a tad.

I pulled mine out tonight thinking it was humming, and it turned out to be the compressor on the fridge. Psychoacoustics .

 

[Ron Temple]

Buck, your amp looks like it might be the earlier version. I never took pictures of mine, but it looks different. You're right about the weight and power. Makes the unit work...gooder

 

[einsteinjb]

Addendum...

I recently went to Frys to audition some Polk bookshelf speakers. I went throught the room listening to 6 Polk subs and 2 JBL subs in the $300-1100 range. The Cadence easily outperformed all these subs subjectively. Both John and I were very impressed with the subs performance/price ratio. It's no slouch. I've said it was 80% of a PB10 and I think that holds up. YMMV.

Having owned both (replaced my X-Sub with a PB10-ISD), I have to say I agree with pretty much everything Ron's said, except I must politely and respectfully disagree about the X-Sub being 80% of a PB10. IMO, it might be 40-50% of a PB10, maybe. But that's hard to qualify because they sound quite different from each other. One of the first things I noticed about the PB10 was that at similar volumes on similar material, you might seem to hear a bit less bass than you heard on the X-Sub, but you FEEL a lot more.

The difference, I believe, is accuracy. The PB10 is a VERY accurate performer right down to 20 Hz, without any unneeded emphasis on any particular frequencies, whereas I think the response of the X-Sub has more variation to it, at least to my ears. To me the X-Sub sounded as though it was over-emphasizing the mid to upper bass regions a bit but rolling off quickly under around 30 Hz.

After a lot of hours with both subs, I also feel the X-Sub has a fuzzier, less defined sound than the PB10, which by contrast has a very tight, punchy, clean and natural sound (and a LOT more clean output).

HOWEVER, please don't let these comments discourage you from trying out the X-Sub! My comments might sound negative but all this is simply in comparison to a sub that I personally feel strongly is totally in a class by itself. In fact I'm totally serious when I say I think Ron and Tom have made a grave error in their pricing, and should be charging a LOT more money for the PB10-ISD. There's just no way a sub should sound the way it does and perform the way it does for anywhere near $429. (Of course I'm tickled pink that they ignored my opinion and kept the price low. ) If you can possibly stretch your budget to afford it, DO.

If not, I think the X-Sub is a fine product for under $250 and a great value, as long as your particular sample doesn't hum (mine did but only a little, didn't bother me). It's put together really nicely and it does rock the house. My younger cousin is enjoying my X-Sub as we speak, and he's a good young musician with excellent ears.

 

[Ron Temple]

Having owned both (replaced my X-Sub with a PB10-ISD), I have to say I agree with pretty much everything Ron's said, except I must politely and respectfully disagree about the X-Sub being 80% of a PB10. IMO, it might be 40-50% of a PB10, maybe. But that's hard to qualify because they sound quite different from each other. One of the first things I noticed about the PB10 was that at similar volumes on similar material, you might seem to hear a bit less bass than you heard on the X-Sub, but you FEEL a lot more.

The difference, I believe, is accuracy. The PB10 is a VERY accurate performer right down to 20 Hz, without any unneeded emphasis on any particular frequencies, whereas I think the response of the X-Sub has more variation to it, at least to my ears. To me the X-Sub sounded as though it was over-emphasizing the mid to upper bass regions a bit but rolling off quickly under around 30 Hz.

After a lot of hours with both subs, I also feel the X-Sub has a fuzzier, less defined sound than the PB10, which by contrast has a very tight, punchy, clean and natural sound (and a LOT more clean output).

HOWEVER, please don't let these comments discourage you from trying out the X-Sub! My comments might sound negative but all this is simply in comparison to a sub that I personally feel strongly is totally in a class by itself. In fact I'm totally serious when I say I think Ron and Tom have made a grave error in their pricing, and should be charging a LOT more money for the PB10-ISD. There's just no way a sub should sound the way it does and perform the way it does for anywhere near $429. (Of course I'm tickled pink that they ignored my opinion and kept the price low. ) If you can possibly stretch your budget to afford it, DO.

If not, I think the X-Sub is a fine product for under $250 and a great value, as long as your particular sample doesn't hum (mine did but only a little, didn't bother me). It's put together really nicely and it does rock the house. My younger cousin is enjoying my X-Sub as we speak, and he's a good young musician with excellent ears.

Don't disagree with anything you've said. When I say 80%, I didn't qualify it. I have in other posts. The 20%, IMO is the additional extention, clarity, output that easily justifies the additional expense. It's the subjective WOW factor that says real quality. If I rate the Cadence as 8 on a 10 scale of subs under $500 it means that it will do many of it's functions very well. I'd put the PB10 as a 10 on the same scale, in fact I'd set the scale based on the PB10 because I think it's a monster.

I guess it's how you define performance.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Buck, your amp looks like it might be the earlier version. I never took pictures of mine, but it looks different. You're right about the weight and power. Makes the unit work...gooder

Does the new amp have the same a/b type design and power spec?

 

[Ron Temple]

Does the new amp have the same a/b type design and power spec?

Don't have it anymore, but it had a different board, the same large transformer. Yours looks beefier. I should have taken a picture as I looked at all three of the amps for the units I had. I'll ask my son to take a picture.