Best Bang for the Buck for a Sub????

[oldjonny]

I'm in the market for a Subwoofer and not looking to break the bank! Would like to stay around $600 or less, if possible. What's the best bang-for-the-buck in this price range. I have Polk RTi10's for the front, CSi-A6 center, TC80i rears and an Onkyo 805. Shoot me some suggestions...Have about spent all I want to at this point, just want to get it working!!

[Ricci]

600$ or less you have some good choices. Here are the ones that I would look at.

AV123 MFW-15. This is a 15" ported sub that comes in a lot of very good looking finishes and is designed by Mark Seaton. You can also get a discount if you order a pair(1000$). There is a long wait right now though.

Epik Knight. A little bigger but otherwise similar to the MFW-15. Ported 15" a lot of people rave about this sub too. This one also has a wait due to demand. It is not as nicely finished as the MFW-15.

ED A5-350. Ported 15" like the other 2. This is the least nicely finished though and there is a really long wait for them. Also there have been a few problems cropping up with the amps used in them.

If you don't feel like waiting a month(or 2) for a sub, you should be looking at Outlaw, HSU, and SVS.

[tcarcio]

I agree with Ricci because I have the A5-350 and for the money it was the best choice for me. As far as the problem with the amps I think that problem was with the A5 -300 and that is why they stopped making the 300 and went to the 350. Mine has worked fine but it is a fairly long wait so if your looking for something right now it might not be the route to take. ED also ships them for free and at 128lbs that saves a few bucks also. You can check the ED subs out here. www.edesignaudio.com

[nova]

Best bang for the buck? Probably a DIY sub. If you are not up for that,... maybe a Dayton sub kit from Parts Express.

You've already gotten a few good suggestions. I'd also suggest SVS.

[mojomike]

Ricci wrote:

600$ or less you have some good choices. Here are the ones that I would look at.

AV123 MFW-15. This is a 15" ported sub that comes in a lot of very good looking finishes and is designed by Mark Seaton. You can also get a discount if you order a pair(1000$). There is a long wait right now though.

Epik Knight. A little bigger but otherwise similar to the MFW-15. Ported 15" a lot of people rave about this sub too. This one also has a wait due to demand. It is not as nicely finished as the MFW-15.

ED A5-350. Ported 15" like the other 2. This is the least nicely finished though and there is a really long wait for them. Also there have been a few problems cropping up with the amps used in them.

If you don't feel like waiting a month(or 2) for a sub, you should be looking at Outlaw, HSU, and SVS.

That's a nice, tidy little summary.

[tonyvdb]

In my opinion the SVS PB12 NSD for $599 its a box sub with a front fireing 12" driver and cant be beat for that price range. It will go down to 18hz without a problem.

[jakewash]

I agree with Tony, I have the PB12-NSD right now it hits hard and goes plenty deep. It is also worth considering along with the other already mentioned subs. It is good to have so many quality subs in the $500-600 range.

[funky_waves]

You may also want to consider the FW12.1 on clearance right now. Our custom subwoofers also start in that price range.

[oldjonny]

Thanks for all the replies. The other "issue" I have is that the room this is all going in is a large basement rec room (24'x40') with tile floor (I know, not the best suited for sound...). Does it make the most sense that I stick with front firing? I see SVS also has the "tube" style, but I suspect that would not work very well for me. Any additional comments?

[Mike P.]

I had 2 Shiva tubes in a basement rec room with a cement floor. They performed better on their sides with the base plates removed. Just my personal experience, in my specific enviroment.

[tonyvdb]

oldjonny wrote:

Does it make the most sense that I stick with front firing? I see SVS also has the "tube" style, but I suspect that would not work very well for me. Any additional comments?

In your case it really comes down to taste, either will preform well in your environment the advantage to a downfireing sub is if you have a wood floor the movement of the sub will actually cause the floor to vibrate giving you even better response but because its a tile floor with I am assuming cement under that there will be little vibration transfered through it.

[shokhead]

tonyvdb wrote:

In my opinion the SVS PB12 NSD for $599 its a box sub with a front fireing 12" driver and cant be beat for that price range. It will go down to 18hz without a problem.

[bac4822]

I agree, Shokhead and tonyvdb. Got a close-out silver PB12-NSD for $499 last May. Live 78 miles from SVS so I was able to pick it up myself and save on shipping. Ed Mullen told me I got one with the updated amp. Great performer on both HT and music.

[gyusher]

i've owned several SVS subs starting with a 2039 passive cylinder which put me in the SVS camp for life. I was skeptical so I bought their cheapest at the time. . . That turned into a PB12+2 plus their first 10incher. After several more over the last few years now I've settled down to what I consider their best bang sub. A PB12NSD2.

I've now owned this PB12nsd2 for almost 1 year and it still amazes me. . . I've also owned their PB12isd2 which is very similiar but can't hang with the newer NSD2 period. . .

I don't know how you can beat an SVS subwoofer period no matter how you judge it. . .

[oldjonny]

The SVS site shows that sub as being discontinued...not sure why?

[gyusher]

oldjonny wrote:

The SVS site shows that sub as being discontinued...not sure why?

I think it was priced too cheap and was too close to the plus model in performance besides with the Ultra out and reasonable it might have just fell through the cracks. . .

[DougMac]

tonyvdb wrote:

In my opinion the SVS PB12 NSD for $599 its a box sub with a front fireing 12" driver and cant be beat for that price range. It will go down to 18hz without a problem.

Last night I used my RS SPL meter (we can talk about it's low range accuracy) to measure my newly arrived PB-12 NSD. I started with a 40 hz reference tone. I was down 3db @20 hz! I couldn't hear it, although I could hear 25 hz with no problem.

I've read of some people being initially disappointed with the PB-12 NSD. The only other sub I've owned was a little Infinity SV-10 servo cube. It let you know it was there. I sat down for the first time last night for an extended listen. At first, I thought there was less bass than with the recently deceased Infinity. What I discovered is the SVS wasn't honking out a couple of notes, it was playing extended really deep bass. I watched Frontline about the ill fated year on Mt. Everest. When the wind was howling, there was a ton of low frequency energy. The sub doesn't call attention to itself, it just provides really wonderful low end. I also watched David Gilmore at the Royal Albert Hall. Again, the bass was smooth and deep, not in your face. I now think what I was hearing with the Infinity was peaks and harmonics, not true bass.

Doug

[gyusher]

I think that good clean bass takes a little while to get used to it especially when what you were hearing was distortion or one that was setup completly wrong. I also think that many of those who don't like subs either don't know how to set one up properly and maybe have never heard one that was right. . .

I've had subs since the early 70s and wouldn't have it any other way. If for no other reason than the flexibility a good sub offers. Among other pluses are lower power requirements, allowing the use of smaller less expensive main full range speakers. . .

Sometimes I just forget mine is in the house. I could swear the bass is coming from the speaker that the bass would have been directed to if I had no sub. I've had friends sit right next to the sub yet swear nothing was coming from it. . .

[epereira]

What about the SVS PCi series? They are highly regarded subs.

[solid7]

gyusher wrote:

I've had friends sit right next to the sub yet swear nothing was coming from it. . .

Not surprising, really. I've got a wicked null or cancellation just above my head at my listening position. (the "sweet spot") If I sit down, everything is great. However, if I just simply stand up, I can barely hear anything from the sub - literally. 2 feet in either direction, and it's back on...

So, in summary, maybe for them, nothing (literally) really is coming from it..