Hello all!
Unfortunately in Hong Kong we don't have the luxury of good online shopping for subwoofers nor the wide variety of choices in shops which are so frequently mentioned on the forum e.g. HSU and SVS.
Also, my apartment is very small(lounge 3mx4mx3m) so it's difficult even to find information on smaller subs, as most house dwellers can afford more space, louder and bigger systems- and this is where the bulk of reviews and opinions elude to.
The other day I went out to every shop I could find and made a list of available small sized subs in my price range:
$HK
Mordaunt-Short 309i $3600
Mordaunt-Short carnival 9 $3000
Velodyne vx series II $3600 (VX-10?)
Energy ESW-V8 $3800
Wharfedale powercube 10" $3100
Velodyne CHT 8r $3800
Mission MV-as $2780
Polk SPW303 $3300
(NB Sunfire 8" $6000 too $$$ for me)

Basically I am looking for something "I can't go wrong with" and "guarantee to put a smile on my face" and wont 'give any trouble for a while'. Mainly for HT.
As for the prices these are what I would call 'westerner discount' prices i.e. possibly inflated by as much as 50% but at least they are all relative!
N.B. I will send my local Chinese friend in, based on recommendations, to 'negotiate' the purchase!!

As for my own impression, I like the look of the Mordaunt-Short, but I can't read much about it online.
I am pretty sure most of these subs would suffice, but do any 'stand out' also other hidden factors- quality issues, drivers, setting up etc

I did ask for a demo, but I was informed I had to 'buy' it first then If I didn't like it I could exchange it, plus it is impossible to compare as each shop only carries a few models. gripes aside... I turn to your help.
Also interested to hear from people with any of these models too.


Marantz - SR301 AV Receiver
Front- Klipsch RB-61
Rear- Wharfedale Diamond 9.1
Centre- Wharfedale 9.1CS

Not exactly a list someone would put together in the US.:) A lot to look up, so let's take one at a time. The M-S 309i is only rated to 35Hz. Not what I would call an HT sub. Probably good for music. In your 1271 cf (36 kL) space, you should get somewhat lower. Maybe upper 20's. Not too pricy at $481 US (1000 HK$ = 128 US$).

Cheers ransac, I think the lack of responses backs up what information is available on these smaller subs. I saw a local Chinese mag. run a big review on eight 8" subs in comparison here. Based on what I can gather it recommends the Sunfire if you can afford it, then Velodyne, Energy and an MK.

Thanks !

radar audio at times square building has a lot of Velodyne models on display. last time i went there, they had a Velodyne 1812!!!

for the life of me, i can't imagine that fridge in the typical hongkong apartment.

their prices were pretty good IMO.

try to check out Velodyne DD10, SPL-R models

you could use the variables identified in my paper to help guide your decision. see sig.

Let's take a quick look at the second sub on your list, the Mordaunt-Short Carnival 9. As with the 309i, there isn't much press on this. It is basically the same size/type as the 309i with a lesser amp 100 vs 175. A nicer finish, IMO. They don't say if they are sealed or ported, but I don't see any ports. The FR is rated down to 25 vs 35 on the 309i. At a somewhat lower cost, this may be the better choice, but you would have to hear them to know. There just isn't much to go on with these.

Next up, the Velodyne VX-10. A small, ported sub with 100 Watt amp and 10" driver in a compact box. FR is only rated to 36Hz, so as with the 309i, not what I would consider as a mainly HT sub. It is made from LDF instead of the normal MDF, so the cabinet may produce some ringing.

While we are on the Velo's, let's look at the Velodyne CHT 8R. This looks more promising than any of the others, so far, especially if you can step up to the 10. Decent DSP amp, remote control, presets... This does say it is for 230VAC/50Hz only. Then VX only shows it for 117VAC. What kind of power do you have in HK? Oops, just looked in the manual and it mentions a 230V version.

The 8 is only rated to 34Hz, but the 10 lowers it to 28. With room gain, this should get you decent HT performance.

BTW, I can't speak to the performance of any of these subs, as I have not heard any and have not heard of some. I am just trying to help you shorten your list.

I like the specs of the Energy ESW-V8. 200 watt RMS amp with a -3db point of 26hz. It looks like it will play a good bit deeper then some of your other options.

The ESW-V10 looks really nice with 300 watts rms and -3db at 23hz. Anyway you could swing that? I honestly would try to get at least a 10" sub.

I like the specs of the Energy ESW-V8. 200 watt RMS amp with a -3db point of 26hz. It looks like it will play a good bit deeper then some of your other options.

The ESW-V10 looks really nice with 300 watts rms and -3db at 23hz. Anyway you could swing that? I honestly would try to get at least a 10" sub.

Thanks ransac and Megaflop I am beginning to think this way as well, it looks good on paper compared to the others The Energy seems to be 10 cm smaller too, same price and lower Freqs. Cheers too LTD02, I am taking a look at your paper at the moment.

So far it's the front runner in choice, probably I will get one next week when I get some free time.

Bought the ESW-v8 for about US$390, my local friend did some hard bargaining for me :)! Cheers mate!
Also thanks to those who responded. Hopefully this can assist others in the future too.

Checked out the good bits of LOTR2, Master and Commander and U571

Sounds very good in my house which is small and concrete enclosed. highly recommended to people in small flats and smaller bookshelf systems.

Bass definitely filled out the soundtrack, didn't dominate over the other speakers ( X-over set to 80Hz). Everything you would want in a sub!

I listened to the Velodyne CHT 8r, but the Energy seemed to be a bit deeper, though it may have been due to different conditions and set up. I preferred the Energy and it was cheaper. ( ~us$100)

Happy camper:p