Help! I need to pick a new Subwoofer and speakers!

[Pogre]

What if it is an awesome subwoofer but sounds like garbage because the people who set it up have no clue what they're doing or even care about room interaction?

Just think about it. They have how many different subs all set up in the same room? How much effort would you guess was put into setting each one up with a microphone to adjust levels, crossover points and frequency response? Just being placed in a different part of the room completely changes how a sub will perform. The best subwoofer on the planet can sound bad if it doesn't have good placement and setup technique. There are too many factors that affect performance to rely on the accuracy of how any sub sounds in a retail setting.

I can imagine quite often when they get something new in, they just unbox it and plug it in with no setup whatsoever. All bets are off at that point and you cannot trust what you're hearing because it could be, and very likely is, a case of piss poor implementation which happens A LOT. Which again, would lead you to a fallacious conclusion.

 

[Danzilla31]

Uploading pictures of the room now: View attachment 55729View attachment 55730View attachment 55731View attachment 55732View attachment 55733

That is a gorgeous home and a beautiful room I love love the columns and the wrap around railing that goes up to the loft? And that room is absolutely MASSIVE for one sub or even 2 subs to try to fill. It's not just room size ots everything it's open too.

Okay okay this is going to be fun! I need like 40 min I'm going to look at the pictures and I have about 3 ideas I want to run by you and the fellas

I'll be back soon!

 

[Pogre]

I think part of what's being lost here, and maybe my fault for not being clear, and that is that below a certain frequency the size and shape of the room are what is going to determine how a subwoofer will perform. That's why appropriate size and placement are so important. If poorly placed and implemented the quality of the subwoofer is irrelevant and no amount of eq, power or quality engineering will make it sound right.

The room size and shape are completely in control of the bass domain, and when you have a bunch of different subs placed all over the room one or 2 of them are going to sound better than the rest no matter who made them. Just by virtue of having an advantage with optimal placement while the rest are doomed from the start and have no chance of playing to their true potential.

This is why I keep banging that drum. You just can't trust what you're hearing from a subwoofer in a retail demo room.

 

[shadyJ]

That is a gorgeous home and a beautiful room I love love the columns and the wrap around railing that goes up to the loft? And that room is absolutely MASSIVE for one sub or even 2 subs to try to fill. It's not just room size ots everything it's open too.

Okay okay this is going to be fun! I need like 40 min I'm going to look at the pictures and I have about 3 ideas I want to run by you and the fellas

I'll be back soon!

Use near-field placement to take out room size as a factor. Why not replace that table behind your listening position with a sub? I have outlined it with a red circle:

Replace that table with a nice looking sub. Look at the Outlaw Audio Ultra-X12 or the Arendal 1723 1V. You can put a tablecloth on them to keep the room looking nice. Use a wireless sub signal transmitter to avoid wires altogether. If you really want to go nuts, replace that little table between the sofa and the armchair with this sub. Both seats get blasted with high quality bass, and you have unlimited headroom since the sub is so close to you. The dual-opposed driver configuration negates cabinet vibration, so you can rest your drinks on the sub without worrying about them vibrating off the top. It's the perfect end table subwoofer.

 

[Pogre]

Use near-field placement to take out room size as a factor. Why not replace that table behind your listening position with a sub? I have outlined it with a red circle:
View attachment 55745
Replace that table with a nice looking sub. Look at the Outlaw Audio Ultra-X12 or the Arendal 1723 1V. You can put a tablecloth on them to keep the room looking nice. Use a wireless sub signal transmitter to avoid wires altogether. If you really want to go nuts, replace that little table between the sofa and the armchair with this sub. Both seats get blasted with high quality bass, and you have unlimited headroom since the sub is so close to you. The dual-opposed driver configuration negates cabinet vibration, so you can rest your drinks on the sub without worrying about them vibrating off the top. It's the perfect end table subwoofer.

Damn Shady, what a great idea! As long as just covering those main seats is good enough that's a beautiful solution and doesn't intrude at all on the room. The bass in those seats would be fantastic too.

 

[Replicant 7]

One or two of these would accent you're room very nicely. If you got 110k to 200k lying around.

 

[CajunLB]

Damn Shady, what a great idea! As long as just covering those main seats is good enough that's a beautiful solution and doesn't intrude at all on the room. The bass in those seats would be fantastic too.

It seems like for some reason “read somewhere,or someone told OP”? about the sealed subwoofer myth being tighter,faster,less boomy, blah blah blah and can’t shake it out of his mind.
I’m thinking maybe stop trying to explain the benfits of going ported and let him go with a ported sub that can be sealed with port plugs and adjustable dsp like HSU,s ported subwoofers and others that have the multiple tune options so that he can try both sealed and ported modes using the same subwoofer and he can choose whichever mode sounds best to him in his own room.
After all that’s what It’s all about his room and his ears.

 

[Replicant 7]

It seems like for some reason “read somewhere,or someone told OP”? about the sealed subwoofer myth being tighter,faster,less boomy, blah blah blah and can’t shake it out of his mind.
I’m thinking maybe stop trying to explain the benfits of going ported and let him go with a ported sub that can be sealed with port plugs and adjustable dsp like HSU,s ported subwoofers and others that have the multiple tune options so that he can try both sealed and ported modes using the same subwoofer and he can choose whichever mode sounds best to him in his own room.
After all that’s what It’s all about his room and his ears.

You've see his room? Looks like something out of a movie set. Think Scarface movie. On a more serious note, I believe Shady J recommend HSU which like you just did. Which I also recommend HSU.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Where do you think you'd place one or two big subs? Looking at your current placement, you might want to mock up something the size of the pb-3000 (or 2000) with some cardboard....see where it "fits"

We can see how most home builders (and people in general) don't think like Audioholics when they design houses.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

For subs, maybe get the RBH SI-12 or SI-1212 passive subs since they are only 9 inches deep and can be hidden behind the TV stand.

 

[Pogre]

You've see his room? Looks like something out of a movie set. Think Scarface movie. On a more serious note, I believe Shady J recommend HSU which like you just did. Which I also recommend HSU.

I recommended Hsu too. I feel like I'm being scolded for doing what he suggested... lol.

 

[Replicant 7]

I recommended Hsu too. I feel like I'm being scolded for doing what he suggested... lol.

Lol, @Pogre if I had a killer room like what OP has, I'd rearrange everything. I'd go with no less than 120" pull down screen overhead projector. Like what Andrew has. Got that really big window area going to waste! Put his L/R towers on each side of that window area. Looks like he could definitely make a center channel work somewhere in the middle high up or at the bottom on a little shelf maybe.

Not trying to derail the thread, but I can't help but see, Tony Montana, "Scarface" movie, standing in that balcony saying, Say hello to my little friend!

@mvp that's one gorgeous room you got there! You gotta make something work in that room with your setup!

 

[Danzilla31]

Y

Use near-field placement to take out room size as a factor. Why not replace that table behind your listening position with a sub? I have outlined it with a red circle:
View attachment 55745
Replace that table with a nice looking sub. Look at the Outlaw Audio Ultra-X12 or the Arendal 1723 1V. You can put a tablecloth on them to keep the room looking nice. Use a wireless sub signal transmitter to avoid wires altogether. If you really want to go nuts, replace that little table between the sofa and the armchair with this sub. Both seats get blasted with high quality bass, and you have unlimited headroom since the sub is so close to you. The dual-opposed driver configuration negates cabinet vibration, so you can rest your drinks on the sub without worrying about them vibrating off the top. It's the perfect end table subwoofer.

Yes I was going to say the same thing in a room like that going nearfield is a fantastic idea. Sorry OP I got busy at work but I'll be back on this thread after 11!

 

[lovinthehd]

How would a projector cope with those skylights? Windows look like they may have shades....

 

[Danzilla31]

Yes, the fireplace is in the way. That is where I would have put one of the tower speakers. That is the front left. The back right is just as bad. I have the doorway to my bedroom, and right next to that the staircase. Then that is the table, about 1 foot of space and then the bookcase. Not conducive to tower speakers.

Okay option #1. Move the TV in front of the windows. That way you have room for 2 towers a center channel and those pre wired positions are perfect for surround and surround backs eventually tilted down I did that at an old house and it worked out great. With the surrounds up a little but angled to the listener

Option 2 go the fireplace side but mount the TV it doesn't have to be centered over the fireplace but centered along that wall. Above the mantle towards the right of the fireplace and then you could do 2 towers a center channel with 1 tower by the left side of the fireplace the other at the right corner or

Option 3 my fave one tower to the left corner by the fire place one tower by the right side of the fireplace for the center channel. And then one tower to the right corner. TV up centered on that wall like in option #2 all equipment goes in that alcove to the right of the fireplace

In all 3 options I think Shadys suggestion of nearfield placement for the subs is ideal. It's the best way to beat that room size without gigantic subs and nice looking ones as end tables or behind the seating can do very well

I had a huge living room like that in the old house and that's exactly how I beat the room size 2 SVS PB 4000 nearfield right behind my couches. It was friggin epic man.

I mean bookshelves in those spots just wouldn't give you much there not even in the right places. But if you did that would be option #4 but I wouldn't do polk S15 I'd go with Polk S20's minimum

But I'd go with the Monopricr Monolith Encore series before the polk the Monolith bookshelves would smash the polks and for less money too.

That's my 2 cents

 

[Danzilla31]

Uploading pictures of the room now: View attachment 55729View attachment 55730View attachment 55731View attachment 55732View attachment 55733

My Monolith Encore towers just arrived tonight for my bedroom I'm installing them tommorow morning and will post the entire experience on the Encore tower review thread Shady just did if you want to get an idea of what the Encore series of speakers can do

 

[Danzilla31]

the encore b6
the encore T6

 

[Replicant 7]

How would a projector cope with those skylights? Windows look like they may have shades....

Good point HD, didn't factor that in.

 

[mvp]

One or two of these would accent you're room very nicely. If you got 110k to 200k lying around.
View attachment 55748

No, don't have that kind of money.

 

[mvp]

Lol, @Pogre if I had a killer room like what OP has, I'd rearrange everything. I'd go with no less than 120" pull down screen overhead projector. Like what Andrew has. He's go that really big window area going to waste! Put his L/R towers on each side of that window area. Looks like he could definitely make a center channel work somewhere in the middle high up or at the bottom on a little shelf maybe.View attachment 55750
Not trying to derail the thread, but I can't help but see, Tony Montana, "Scarface" movie, standing in that balcony saying, Say hello to my little friend!
View attachment 55751
@mvp that's one gorgeous room you got there! You gotta make something work in that room with your setup!

Lots of good suggestions. So funs about the scarface reference. I will never see that part of the house again without thinking of that! Ha! Ha!