Expert advice needed on my new upgrade subwoofer

[William Lemmerhirt]

I think that a pair of PB3000s will rock that room easily and would be my choice. Don't get me wrong, I love the PB16 and your enthusiasm for big bass, but it really is overkill for your space. A pair of PB3000s are overkill too, but in all the right ways. Dual subs almost always offer better overall performance over a single.

Yep. I’m gonna echo this. The Pb16 is amazing, but it doesn’t do midbass as good as some. Like the 3000 series...
Truth be told, and I’m not super familiar with them, but PSA’s newer subs have been getting lots of love. A couple use pro style drivers and supposedly slam pretty good. Seems like music wins over movies for the OP so I’m gonna not recommend the 16. If not going for the XTZ’s, and choosing SVS, I think the PB3000 wins.

 

[vslimited]

Well after some deep consideration

Guess who is a brand new SB16 pro ultra owner...

Me

I spoke with many people and i was told the Sealed box would serve me better for music than the ported box willl.

So my set up wil now have 1 single sb16 & a k14 dali subwoofer.

I am sure this should keep me happy for now.

Guy i bought from told me , this wil be a major upgrade for me. Excited to listen to it next week!

 

[vslimited]

I did not want to buy the dual 3000s. As i did not want to have a spare dali k14 . Not getting used as The Dali k14 sounds very nice too!

 

[ryanosaur]

Congrats on the purchase!

Side note: the sealed vs ported thing is a myth these days and should not be given any more life.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Have to agree with ryan. In the level of subs you were looking at, sealed will have ZERO advantage. Zero. And also, I think using it with the Dali might be a mistake. I would use it in a separate system. It will only hold back the overall dynamics. It’s also possible to make things worse by phase cancellations.

However, congratulations on the new purchase. Do let us know how you get along! Curious to see how you like it.

 

[vslimited]

Thanks man


Wel i think it was a no brainer to purchase the one with that smaller box but same internals for £500 cheaper.

Price was £2550 , but paid £2260 delivered.

I was happy consideding someone was trying to sell me one 3 years old for £1750.

 

[vslimited]

Hi william

My plan was to have the Sb16 infront of me.

While the dali kicks at the back of me .

I shall set up both and see. The problem is , i cannot sell the dali, there is not a huge market in the UK for cinema systems. It would never sell

 

[vslimited]

I never mentioned , i have a large kitchen / lounge . So its a large open area. May have my cinema in this lounge area. Or just go ahead with the spare bedroom that is square shape?. I should attatch some photographs later

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Hi william

My plan was to have the Sb16 infront of me.

While the dali kicks at the back of me .

I shall set up both and see. The problem is , i cannot sell the dali, there is not a huge market in the UK for cinema systems. It would never sell

Roger that. Selling used gear is pretty tough just about anywhere. I definitely see your point. Setting up as you described could definitely work, but it also might not. Do you have any test equipment? Even a simple spl meter(everyone should have one), can help find the best spot, and help with balancing the system. Rew(room eq wizard freeware) and a measurement mic will definitely help get to the next level of setup but the learning curve can be pretty steep.
With a big open space and that big of a price tag I sure hope you get the performance you’re looking for!

 

[Pogre]

Well after some deep consideration

Guess who is a brand new SB16 pro ultra owner...

Me

I spoke with many people and i was told the Sealed box would serve me better for music than the ported box willl.

So my set up wil now have 1 single sb16 & a k14 dali subwoofer.

I am sure this should keep me happy for now.

Guy i bought from told me , this wil be a major upgrade for me. Excited to listen to it next week!

Who did you speak to? I think everyone here suggested dual PB3000s... enlightening us as to the extra space you have just makes me think even more the 3000s would be the better choice.

I swear every time I see the sealed is better for music thing it makes me want to just scream... this myth needs to die. Folks aren't making the best choices based on it.

 

[vslimited]

My decision came more down to watching reviews on youtube.. Dual maybe is the better option. But i then have a £1000 dali subwoofer not getting used and won't sell.

The dali is a lovely sounding subwoofer. Which only gives 500 RMS and i enjoy listening to it.

I can only imagine how much extra bass i will gain with the Sb16. I am sure i will be satisfied.

 

[vslimited]

Roger that. Selling used gear is pretty tough just about anywhere. I definitely see your point. Setting up as you described could definitely work, but it also might not. Do you have any test equipment? Even a simple spl meter(everyone should have one), can help find the best spot, and help with balancing the system. Rew(room eq wizard freeware) and a measurement mic will definitely help get to the next level of setup but the learning curve can be pretty steep.
With a big open space and that big of a price tag I sure hope you get the performance you’re looking for!

Yeah i have an SPL meter
One i got provided with my yamaha x1040 .

When i get home and set the sub up. I would like any advice you can provide on layout - setting up etc!!

Thanks

 

[ryanosaur]

Subwoofer crawl.

Crawling for Bass - Subwoofer Placement Tips

Do the Subwoofer Crawl. It's the easiest way to find the proper placement location for your subwoofer to get the best performance and sound.

www.audioholics.com

 

[shadyJ]

The SB16-Ultra is a good sub, but it is a real PIA to deal with physically. It's not huge but it still weighs 120 lbs. It is not fun to move around.

 

[vslimited]

Thats some crazy weight . The PB16 would be impossible to shift around on your own !

 

[Cpt.America]

Well. congrats on your purchase. I personally would have chosen a pair of PB3000s. That would be choice number one... and my second choice would have been a single PB16 ultra. There is zero advantage to the sealed 16 ultra, except for the size of the enclosure. "better for music" is just pure hogwash.

 

[vslimited]

If there is no difference between the sb & pb . Why go for the bigger enclosure what costs £500 more?

 

[ryanosaur]

If there is no difference between the sb & pb . Why go for the bigger enclosure what costs £500 more?

There is a difference.
The sealed version will roll off earlier and have lower output below the comparable tuning frequency of a ported version. This is simple physics.
The catch is, in a room smaller than say, 3000cu.ft (85 cu.m?) of open room volume, you will experience what is called Cabin Gain with a sealed Sub. If the acoustics of the room are right you will actually see both a rise in SPL and a deeper extension to the FR.
Every room is different, and this is not something completely predictable in the results, so it's a crap shoot.
In general, we recommend Ported because you get definite better output at lower frequencies.

 

[vslimited]

Roger that (noted)

Well i do have the choice to return if not satisfied.

I am currently away working and cannot test it. How about i just call up , and tell them to send pb instead? I must be honest i prefer the beastly appearance of the ported sub.

 

[vslimited]

If PB is the better option. i am changing it tomorow ! Haha