newbie -- looking for a good subwoofer fit

[jayrobers]

hello all-

my name is jason and i stumbled upon this board while looking for buying tips and reviews, and figured it would be better to talk with some people instead of reading countless articles.

i've never really gotten into home audio, either because of no time (at home) or no space (cramped dorms at school). this year, i've upgraded to slightly bigger living quarters here at school so i decided to dip a few toes into the water.

my receiver is the yamaha htr-5930 http://yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200505&CTID=5000400
i've had great experiences with yamy av receivers so i decided to get one for myself.

my bookshelf speakers (2) are the NS-AM370S, also from yamy. (sorry, the only info i could find was a BB page) http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7687826&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03043&id=1138083489658
for the room they're in (20x20 or so) they provide enough sound to last until i decide to upgrade.

now, onto my subwoofer predicament -- when my friend found out i was starting a system, he let me have his yamaha sub (matching only by coincidence), the yst-sw216 http://yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200519&CTID=5003300
which unfortunately did not have room on his moving truck.
for a while, it seemed as if this sub would be sufficient. however, after i was all settled in and really started to get down to business, i found out this sub wasn't a good match for me.

just by going on ears alone, it seems as if the sub dies at low frequencies, maybe anything below 35 hz. granted, i don't need my sub to hit 19 hz with flying colors, but i still need a little "bottom end" to my bottom end for movies.

on the top side, it doesn't have the guts to keep up, almost like it's being overworked, underpowered, or both.

in the middle ranges, it sounds ok and has its bright moments. the low pass filter is currently set to cross at "low" but i don't know what frequency that is. placed in a corner and near my speakers, it's relatively non-localizable.

my gripes:
1. as mentioned before, no real "bottom end" for support in movies
2. it lacks punch/oomph/shake/etc. i can hear the bass, but i can't feel it in my chest/stomach. during movies, the floor will almost rumble, but not quite. when the kick drum hits, it doesn't have that snap.

i use my audio system occasionally for movies but mainly for music. for general listening, i'll put on a variety of music where a sub really counts (kick drum in rock, bass lines in jazz, thumping quarter-note bass beats in electronic dance music). for social gatherings, i'll turn up the volume and put on top 40/rap/hip-hop.

please guide me if i'm wrong, but i'm looking for something larger (12") and that can handle/output more power. i have no close neighbors and my roommates would rather i get a real subwoofer than listen to wanna-be bass, so noise and thump-factor are not big issues here. i'm at ground level too, so a down-firing driver (if that would help) is also not a concern.

what can you recommend as a new starting point for a subwoofer? this can be brands, specific models, things i should look for, etc. as for price, i'd like to keep it below $400, but if that needs to go up, i'll consider it.

thanks,
-jason

p.s. i don't want to turn this into a holy war of a vs. b vs. c, but a few people have suggested the HSU stf-1. yea or nay?

 

[sbader2]

I think the STF-2 is $399. Its got a 10" driver rather than the 8" on the STF-1. I have the STF-2 and absolutely love it. I got in January as bstock and havent had a problem with it. That being said there are others that you can look at. A lot of people will recommend the SVS PB10. It's a little over your budget with shipping but might be worth the extra cash.

 

[Sheep]

I probly won't be the only one to say this, but 20x20 is a big space to fill with bass. An STF-1, while a great subwoofer, is not going to fare much better then the Yamaha in the areas you want improved (at least not the bottom end).

A SVS PB-10 MIGHT do it in that room, a member used to have on in a similar room and said it was a little overwhelmed(though still outputed to 20Hz). This might be your answer.

If that subwoofer is to much $, you could consider the BIC H100, or the Cadence XSUB-12, both of which have been touted as great bangs for the buck. They won't play as low as the PB-10 but they can still throw out some decent SPLs. Search the names and you should find some good threads regarding them.

Lastly, if the sale is still on, the Mirage S12 is a great sub, that will play louder then the PB-10. I think it's a bit over budget though.

SheepStar

 

[Nick250]

my gripes:
1. as mentioned before, no real "bottom end" for support in movies
it lacks punch/oomph/shake/etc. i can hear the bass, but i can't feel it in my chest/stomach. during movies, the floor will almost rumble, but not quite. when the kick drum hits, it doesn't have that snap.

I agree with Sheep on this, the SVS PB10 would be the way to go in that price range. Place it near-field to get best "tactile" LFE response IMO.

Nick