subwoofer value

[MikefromNC]

Hi all --

Can anyone help me with a subwoofer choice?

Please describe what you get for your money.

How does a $200 sub and a $500 sub and a $1000 sub sound differently?

I hear many many great things on SVS and HSU - but want to spend my money wisely.

Room size - just under 3000 sq ft.
half HT and half music.

Are 2 - $500 subs better than 1 - $1000 sub?

Thanks in advance for your knowledge.

 

[Adam]

Hi, Mike. Did you mean 3000 cubic feet? I'm guessing that you did, but I want to make sure. If so, that's about the same size as my room - but my room has large openings to other rooms. Does your room open up into other rooms, too?

 

[croseiv]

With the more expensive subs, you get better quality parts and more robust build. Generally you can expect greater out put, deeper extension, and better sound quality as you go up in price. However, the DIY pushers will soon tell you that DIY is the only way to go...At the 1000 dollar point there are numerous sub options at your hands DIY or not. As for 2 500s being better than 1 1000? Not necessarily.

 

[fredk]

Re: 2 $500 subs vs 1 $1,000 sub.

IF the two subs are of similar build quality, you will be trading off smoother response at the listening position(s) for lower extension.

Most likely the $1000 sub will extend lower in room. The advantage of two subs is that you can use multiple positions to counter the effects of the room on your subs. This should give you fewer peaks and nulls and a wider sweet spot.

For $1000 you can build a better sounding sub than you can buy if you are handy and are willing to make the effort to educate yourself a little on basic sub design principles.

As with all things audio, its all about tradeoffs.

 

[WmAx]

Hi all --

Can anyone help me with a subwoofer choice?

Please describe what you get for your money.

How does a $200 sub and a $500 sub and a $1000 sub sound differently?

I hear many many great things on SVS and HSU - but want to spend my money wisely.

Room size - just under 3000 sq ft.
half HT and half music.

Are 2 - $500 subs better than 1 - $1000 sub?

Thanks in advance for your knowledge.

Another DIY pusher arrives....

The absolute best value for your money is to build a DIY subwoofer. You get far higher performance from DIY units when engineered correctly, as compared to buying retail. If you are at all handy, this option needs to be considered. But I understand that most people don't want to build anything.

-Chris

 

[shadyJ]

I would also add that subwoofer's performance doesn't scale with price that well. There are $200 subs that can outperform $500 subs, and there are $500 subs that can outdo $1000 subs (although I don't know of any $200 subs that can beat a $1000 outside of the DIY realm).
I can tell you that most subs you see at the best buy type stores in the $200 range will be boomy but have no articulation, that is they won't differentiate the low notes on a bass guitar or pipe organ very well. Since you listen to music as well as watch movies, you will want a sub that acts like a real speaker rather than a box that rumbles. There is a big difference as I found out going from a Aiwa to a HSU.
I have a range of HSU subs, and I can try to explain the differences going up the price ladder because I am very familiar with their sound. I have a STF2 ($350), a VTF3.3 ($700), and a couple ULS-15s ($1300 each).
The STF2 is plays low notes beautifully and cleanly with respect to the stuff I purchased from best buy in the past. Dollar for dollar, it will outdo anything you can buy at a store, as will most internet direct subwoofers. It doesn't go really deep that you can feel it in your chest, but than again most recorded material doesn't even have that kind of stuff in it. It is still a joy to listen to, even though I have moved up to bigger things.
The VTF3.3 is a sub that you can feel as well as hear. It gets much louder and deeper than the STF2. Unless your listening room is sound insulated very well, people in adjoining rooms will hear it and feel it very easily too. If you want to make earthquake scenes in movies seem much more realistic, this is much better. It plays back very low pitched music, like organ music, dubstep, rap, and drum'n'bass cleanly and clearly at very loud volumes, and it will make you feel it all, A magnificent subwoofer.
The ULS does all that too, but more effortlessly. I don't think it is can really get much louder than the VTF3.3, but it is 'quicker' and sharper. It makes things like lighting strikes and gunshots sound much more realistic. An analogy might be that if they were cars, the ULS would have better acceleration, handling, and braking, but not top speed. This is a fantastic subwoofer! You can find ones that sound louder, but not many that will sound better.

 

[MatthewB.]

If we are talking store prices than 1,000 will suck when compared to a ID sub at half the price. I go out most weekends (my hobby sickness) and test out store bought subs and in all my testing, I have yet to hear any store bought sub that was worth a damn. There are some like the Velodyne which will do an okay job but nothing compared to ID subs. For 1,000 you can get an awesome SVS or Hsu sub or go for two SVS PB10's to help with null voids and stereo sub configuration. Either will do you well. ID subs give you great performance for the money.

You will do better with DIY subs, but that's if your handy with tools (which some are not understandably) so if I had to do over again with a grand in pocket, I would go with either ID or DIY and avoid store bought at all costs.

 

[fredk]

Here is a nice kit by CSS that will set you back less than $500. It gives you an easy way to get your feet wet in DIY without having to do any design or putting together your own parts list. It will give you a good idea of what is available in the DIY world.

Here is a build thread on the above kit to give you an idea of what is involved. He also gives some in room measurements so you have some idea of how the sub performs.

 

[MikefromNC]

Room size clarification

Sorry Adam - 3000 cubic feet - not square feet.

Yes - the listening room (family room) does extend to a ktchen and dining room (all open) -- so the room area is actually much larger.

The seating area is the size I was referring to.

I prefer to buy a SVS or HSU sub than to build one.

Thanks for the good advice everyone.