<$500 sub recommendations?

[dg27]

I'm shopping for a new subwoofer to go with my rather old but trusty Kenwood receiver/JBL speaker system. Here's what I have:

Kenwood VR-6070 receiver

Speakers:

Front: JBL Studio S38II
Front center: JBL ES25CCH
Rear: JBL 2 way 4 in
Rear center: JBL N24II

I have a JBL Venue Sub12, but it seems the amp finally fried. All I get are gurgling noises.


I'm considering these:

JBL Sub 260P 12-Inch 300-Watt Powered Subwoofer
JBL Studio SUB 250P 10" Powered Bass Subwoofer

I've heard good things about the Hsu VTF-1 MK2, but know nothing of this brand.

The JBL Sub 260 and the Hsu are about $400; the JBL Sub 250 is about $100 less.

I'm pretty much 50-50% in terms of music versus movies.

Any recommendations in this price range?

 

[LegendKiller]

I'd go with an SVS PB-1000. That'll beat the snot out of any JBL. I don't like HSU, they put crap components into their lower end subs and don't stand by them.

 

[dg27]

I'd go with an SVS PB-1000. That'll beat the snot out of any JBL.

Thanks. I love my JBL fronts, but was never too thrilled with the Venue sub. I saw references to the SVS PB-1000, but again, don't know that brand.

I don't like HSU, they put crap components into their lower end subs and don't stand by them.

Thanks for steering me away from this.

 

[dg27]

How does the SVS SB-1000 (sealed) compare to the SVS PB-1000 (ported)?

From what I've read it seems that sealed is more suited for music and ported for home theater. Is this accurate?

 

[soulcougher73]

How does the SVS SB-1000 (sealed) compare to the SVS PB-1000 (ported)?

From what I've read it seems that sealed is more suited for music and ported for home theater. Is this accurate?

Yes, that is the general rule of thumb for ported vs. sealed. And SVS is an amazing company and product.

 

[dg27]

Yes, that is the general rule of thumb for ported vs. sealed. And SVS is an amazing company and product.

Thanks. Although this system is technically 'home theater' my wife and I never watch movies that require a heavy hitting sub (no explosions, etc.: our tastes are more cerebral, movie-wise).

But for music I listen to a lot of reggae and dub, so it's important.

With my previous sub I used a Monster RCA that I actually had to extend with a female to female adapter.

Would it be advisable to spring for an 8-meter SVS RCA cable? (It's ~$50, which is why I ask.)

Thanks for all your help.

 

[LegendKiller]

Thanks. Although this system is technically 'home theater' my wife and I never watch movies that require a heavy hitting sub (no explosions, etc.: our tastes are more cerebral, movie-wise).

But for music I listen to a lot of reggae and dub, so it's important.

With my previous sub I used a Monster RCA that I actually had to extend with a female to female adapter.

Would it be advisable to spring for an 8-meter SVS RCA cable? (It's ~$50, which is why I ask.)

Thanks for all your help.

What you should do is either call them or use the online chat. Try to get Ed Mullen, he's widely known as one of the most knowledgeable people about subs, IIRC he used to do a lot of independent reviews before he got hired by SVS. Tell him about your room, type of music or movies, and he'll steer you the right way.

I bought a refurb PB-1k that had a problem. They let me "upgrade" it to a better sub as a warranty move without any problems. They were so nice about it I even told them I'd pay for the shipping on the "upgrade". They declined and paid for it.

Super nice people to do deal with.

 

[dg27]

This is all great advice--thanks so much.

 

[Arcadio]

I'm very satisfied with my SVS PB-1000. Great sound and customer service is amazing.

 

[dg27]

Thanks for your reply.

I'm probably going to go with the SB-1000 because of the general consensus that sealed is better than ported for music as well as my preference for a smaller footprint. SVS customer service also recommended this one based on my audio system specs and general listening habits/preferences.

One point I'm unsure about is whether the cable makes a difference. With my old sub I had used a Monster (RCA) cable that I lengthened with a female to female adapter and another RCA. I need an 8 meter cable, which is $45 at SVS as well as on Amazon.

Is it worth it?

Also, I live in an apartment, which is why I need a front firing sub (rather than down firing).

Are the isolation feet worth it? Do they make a difference? Those are $50.

 

[gorb]

Don't waste $50 on the feet.

 

[dg27]

OK--thanks.

 

[gorb]

Also, don't waste money on an expensive cable. This cable (or a similar one) will work just fine: http://smile.amazon.com/Mediabridge-ULTRA-Subwoofer-Cable-Feet/dp/B003FVX9FO/

Since SVS has free trials you should demo both the SB1000 and PB1000. Send back whichever one you like less.

 

[dg27]

Thanks so much for providing the link: I ordered it.

 

[cmdrdredd]

My next sub will be a SVS. They are very high quality.

In fact I have been considering redoing my game room with all new speakers from SVS which have been getting good reviews for not a ton of money too. It's kind of a mishmash right now. Sound is fine but I'd like to fine tune it a little more with matching components and a little bit more bottom end from the sub.

 

[dg27]

I ordered the SVS SB-1000 today.

It occurred to me that because this has a smaller footprint than the sub it is replacing, that factor opens up more options for placement.

I do realize that there are a lot of factors involved, but in general, is is better to have the sub on the same side of the room as the mains or opposite the mains?

I have front L/R/C and rear L/R/C.

Because of its size, my previous sub was on the same side as the rear speakers; not in the corner of the room, but in the left rear corner of the listening area.

I could put the SVS in the left front corner of the listening area.

Would that be better?

 

[Arcadio]

The best thing to do is to test the subwoofer in different locations.

 

[dg27]

Will do that. I think generally it's preferred to have the sub on the same side as the mains (especially for music), but we'll see.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I've always placed my sub toward the front of the listening position. Off in the corner on the same wall as the mains. That depends on the room though because the acoustics of the room make a large difference in the bass response. I know some people can't tell a difference, they feel the bass so they therefore think it's fine.

 

[dg27]

Thanks for your insight. My previous sub was too big to fit on the same side as the mains; with this one I'll first try it to the right of the right main (not in the corner of the room, but in the corner of the listening area) simply because it works better logistically. I can try it to the left of the left main, which is closer to the corner of the room, but that definitely is not as convenient.

 

[soulcougher73]

Once you love this sub, and you will Buy another one for the other side of the main you didnt choose this time. Dual subs FTW

 

[dg27]

This is exactly what I feared as soon as I realized it would fit on the same side of the room as the mains (and that I could, with a little rearranging, accommodate two). Yikes.

Thanks for the warning!

 

[dg27]

Is there any sonic reason something cannot sit on top of a subwoofer?

I'm trying to make this as invisible to my wife as possible. There's a small Parsons table that has a small lamp on top of it in the spot where I want to put the sub.

If I move the table I'm hoping I can put the lamp on top of the sub. It's small, but fairly heavy. I doubt it would rattle at all.

 

[stockwiz]

I have a Rythmik LV12R that I really enjoy. Has a much tighter bass for music than my last budget sub while still having power for movies. Not sure how it compares to the SVS subs but it seems to get plenty of praise on various forums. I'm not sure whether the 'direct servo' system is a gimmick or not but it's a big step up from what I had.

Most of the people on these forums buy subs at over $1000 price points so it's hard to get really good recommendations though.

 

[dg27]

Thanks for your reply. A few people replied who have subs in the $500 range.