Subs less than $500

[Thepope]

ok im planning on buying a sub but im no that rich so i need to find something decent for under 500 bucks i was thinking a velodyne dps but anyone have any other suggestions

 

[Rob Babcock]

Try clicking here. About halfway down the page I list some under $500 subs that'll really rock your HT rig. There are some excellent subs for that money nowadays.

Rob

 

[Mudcat]

Yamaha YST-SW315

 

[armaraas]

For under $400 couldn't you get two of the Yamahas 315s? I have a Yamaha 305, dual 8" subwoofer, and have been pretty happy with it. Of course I have never had a chance to listen to anything higher priced, so I am not sure how good it really is. I have noticed the 315s tho, and was wondering how 2 of those would compare to single $4-500 subs. Might be worth looking into if you are on a budget.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

This is the best sub-woofer I have seen under $500. Try and find anything that is -3db down at 18hz under $500. This is a serious sub.

 

[outsider]

the nicest sub I've seen/heard for under $500 is the Aperion Audio 10"

 

[jeffsg4mac]

hmmm, just looked at the Aperion, only goes down to 25, cost more than the SVS. Like I said, try finding a more serious sub than the svs for the same money. Remember, a subs sole purpose is to go low and do it cleanly and loudly. Thats what you are paying for. After owning many subs, I have found that 25hz is the absolute minimum I would be happy with for home theater. I am running two Velodyne 12's and I am flat to 25. I would rather have two of the SVS's going down to 18hz.

 

[cbecker33]

ok im planning on buying a sub but im no that rich so i need to find something decent for under 500 bucks i was thinking a velodyne dps but anyone have any other suggestions

you could build your own.....it pretty easy to buy the parts from www.partsexpress.com and then assemble a very competitive subwoofer for cheap.

also, watch out, just beacause a sub goes low, with little roll off, it doesn't mean that it is the best choice for you.

-chris

 

[aspaceintime]

i built the 10 inch kit and it is amazing. I never realized how much bass i was missing without a sub. Very easy to build too.

 

[Audioholics]

While I'm a fan of some SVS subs, I hope everyone will realize that frequency extension isn't everything. You can make a frequency response graph look flat only have it completely fall apart at high SPLs. Almost 98% of what you hear and think is super low is actually above 30Hz.

Patrick Hart just reviewed a nice Rocket 10" from AV123. There is a "little brother" for $399 (plus I think there may be an AH reader discount - no we don't get commission) that should sound very similar.

Just thought I'd toss that into the mix...

 

[sjdgpt]

Almost 98% of what you hear and think is super low is actually above 30Hz.

Thanks you.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

While what hawke said is certainly true for music, it is not necessarily true for movies. While there is a lot of energy above 30hz there is also a lot of information below 30hz especially with explosions and special effects sounds. If your sub cant dip into these lower frequencies with some authority then you are missing out on a lot of the home theater experience. While you may not be able hear some of those tones, you can most certainly feel them. If you don't believe that then listen to something like the depth-charges in U-571 and roll your sub off below 30hz and see what you are missing. I read somewhere that a blast from a cannon reaches down to around 10hz. Read page 3 of this

I am also now thoroughly convinced of two subs being the minimum required for smooth bass response throughout the room. I hope to have an update to my bass calibration article on this topic in the near future. While I am no expert such as Patrick Hart, I have drastically improved my room with two subs and that is what I will cover. Pat is a super nice guy by the way, a vast amount of audio knowledge in his noggin. I could listen to him for hours

 

[Topper]

A couple of nice $500.00 subs are the polk psw505b (12") or I think a better sounding/feeling Velodyne DLS 3750k (10") I have each and both do very well.
Topper

 

[20to20K]

Velodyne...

Second vote for the Velodyne...their budget DLS series offer good value.

I've got the DLS4000 that I got online from Listen Here. It's lists for
$599 but I got it on clearance for $349. It's replacement is pretty nice
too...it's got a remote for setting your levels, xover freqs. and a couple
other things...I think it lists for $699 so you may be able to find for "around"
500 or maybe a little over.

BTW...the DLS4000 has a 12" driver and a built in 200RMS amp.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

Almost 98% of what you hear and think is super low is actually above 30Hz.

I've been looking at complete speaker systems and if the specs don't say they go at least below 25Hz, or in the case of Bose don't even list them, I completely cross them off.


So am I doing myself a disservice by ruling out any sub that doesn't go to at least 25Hz or lower?

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Shadow, I have owned at least 10 different subs and none of then went below 28hz, I was never quite happy with any of them. I now have 2 velodynes and am flat to 25hz. I am happier, but I would prefer to have them reach a little lower. As finances permit I will replace them. All of the really good subs go lower than 25hz some as low as 15hz. IMHO 25hz is the minimum for a serious home theater sub. That is based on my experiences with all the subs I have owned and built.

 

[wafflebird]

Very pleased with my Velodyne

I have just recently purchased a Velodyne DLS-3750R, and am blown away with it. I recently had a passive sub with the Kenwood system I had, which was OK. I have recently went through a HT upgrade (To say the least) and I bought the Velodyne after auditioning many, many subs. They were all good (Polk, SVS, JBL, Mirage, Outlaw, Klipsch, etc).

I went with this particular Sub for several reasons. The price for one, which is right at your price point, obviously for the sound as well. And for one really important feature for me this sub has a remote control, for volume, and it also has 4 different sound fields that make a very noticeable difference in the sound that comes out of the sub. You do not have to continue to tinker with it. And although everyone may not want to admit that they do, a lot of people will admit to having to constantly "Tinker" with their settings till they get them right.

Now which way do you want to set yours up? By having to constantly having to turn dials on the sub (Which a lot of the controls are behind the sub) or with a remote control? I do not mean anything negative about any other manufacturer of Subs but Velodyne is on to something here.

Also the DLS stands for "Distortion Limiting System" meaning that the sub has electronic circuitry in it that eliminates distortion. This thing weighs in @ 52 pounds and will deliver room shaking bass. Again besides the features what you want is quality sound, and this thing delivers in mass quantities, it really is amazing for what I paid.

There are a lot of other Subs out there, again most all of the really good quality, but I do not beleive any bring all of the features that the DLS-3750R brings for this price range.

Go and listen to all you can before you spend your hard earned dough though!!! I just wanted to give you another idea!!!

 

[jmgillespie]

I'm looking at getting a sub soon I would like to keep the price range under $1000. What do you guys think would sound better a paradigm pw2200, definitive supercube, or two paradigm pdr10's or 12's? Small room made up of a Yamaha 5660, Paradigm legends in front and rear, and paradigm cc270.

 

[jaxvon]

Don't neglect to look at Hsu Research,SVS, or Outlaw. Keep in mind that Outlaw designed their subwoofer with the help of Mr. Hsu.

 

[WarpCorp]

Paradigm PDR10 - Under $300??

Since there seems to be some interest here, I have a brand new - factory sealed box: Paradigm PDR-10 Powered Sub in Black Ash finish. Latest version v.3 - will sell for $240.00 + shipping. Also have brand new pair of AM250 in walls: $280.00 + shipping. Feel free to email me at: warpcorp@swbell.net for more info.

Thanks