[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Welcome to the Forum Mark!

There is an opening at the right rear corner of the long wall which opens to kitchen/breakfast nook, another one at the left rear corner of other long wall which is a hallway to front door, then another above that at 2nd floor level which is an open diagonal balcony serving the 2nd floor.

Hmm – bad news. Basically it’s all space the sub has to fill with bass, so it all has to be counted. When the openings are small, like a doorway, it isn’t as bad, but that second floor thing sounds like a big hole in the side of the ship, as it were. Not good.

We probably use the system about 75% TV and movie watching and 25% music.

Since you’re primarily interested in TV, that might be your salvation. Assuming we’re talking about regular programming and not 5.1 PPV fare, TV bass is much less demanding than DVD movie bass or even music bass. One of the better SVS subs should have no problem getting response down to 25 Hz, even in a space that big, and can probably make a good presentation even with DVDs.

What you’re probably going to be lacking is bass dynamics – i.e., impact – in movies: Scenes like the ring drop in the first chapter of the first Lord of the Rings movie, or the depth charges in U-571. The dynamics require lots of headroom, both from the driver and the amplifier. That’s a pretty tough order in a huge space. I’d be surprised if there is a single sub on the market up to the task, and certainly not in your price range. Indeed, it most likely will require at least a couple of highly capable subs a room this big, maybe even more.

I think what you’ll find with most of the subs these days using BASH digital amps is that their output is limited to protect the driver. If the sub is marginal for the room, you can see the effect in a demanding DVD passage – i.e., one where it seems the bass could be stronger. You crank the sub up higher and play the scene again, and you notice you don’t get any more than you had before.

Since you’re primarily interested in TV, it probably isn’t worth the expense and the visual blight to achieve high-impact performance. The SVS guys have a good reputation for making recommendations in matching a sub to the room. If you find the one they recommend isn’t quite up your needs, you could always add a second one later.

Regards,
Wayne