I'm looking to buy a subwoofer for my 10'x10' room. My budget is around $100-$150. Will the Energy ESW-8 work for me? I'm not looking for a super loud subwoofer that will shake my house up. I just want clean tight deep bass. Will this sub do the job? I have also looked in the PA-120 but it was over my budget and it might be a little overkill for my use. Anyone have experience with this sub? It is going for $99.99 at Audioadvisor.

I'm looking to buy a subwoofer for my 10'x10' room. My budget is around $100-$150. Will the Energy ESW-8 work for me? I'm not looking for a super loud subwoofer that will shake my house up. I just want clean tight deep bass. Will this sub do the job? I have also looked in the PA-120 but it was over my budget and it might be a little overkill for my use. Anyone have experience with this sub? It is going for $99.99 at Audioadvisor.

"I just want clean tight deep bass."

If you leave out deep you will probably be satisfied with the ESW-8. The ESW-8 should get you down to about 30 Hz. Deep is usually considered 25 Hz on down.

I'm not an audio expert but will the bass of this sub sound at least as good as those from Bose home theater system or close to it? I know Bose audio is not will regarded in the audio community but this is the only reference I have since these are the only speaker packages the Best Buy close to me has setup.

I doubt you will find anything that will get down to the depths for under $400. Like stated above, most offerings in the $100-$200 are not really SUBwoofers, more like just midbass woofers.

I'm not an audio expert but will the bass of this sub sound at least as good as those from Bose home theater system or close to it?

I can bang a garbage can with a wooden spoon and make better bass than a Bose home theater system

I'm not an audio expert but will the bass of this sub sound at least as good as those from Bose home theater system or close to it?

It pains me to say this, but I think a Bose system would even beat this thing.

I'm not an audio expert but will the bass of this sub sound at least as good as those from Bose home theater system or close to it?


Seems to me that Bose is good down to about 40Hz, perhaps as deep as 35Hz, so, my answer would be that the Energy will probably sound about as good as Bose.

Bose makes at least 2 different bass modules. The one in the $1,300 system may go deeper than the smaller one in the $700 system.

It pains me to say this, but I think a Bose system would even beat this thing.

You're kiddin' right...:eek:

My friend had a Bose Acoustimass system and I don't think that thing goes below 60 hz. That Energy sub should destroy it.

You're kiddin' right...:eek:

My friend had a Bose Acoustimass system and I don't think that thing goes below 60 hz. That Energy sub should destroy it.

I dunno, 8 inch driver, it might but not by much. Possibly SPL but not much in extension.

Either way, it is a moot point. Neither are really subwoofers.

I should add that I will be using it with:

Marantz SR5002 Receiver
5 Spherex (http://theaudiocritic.com/plog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=7&blogId=1)(Mirage Nanosat wannabe speakers)

This will be my temporary 5.1 setup until I get new house in a year or so.

I should add that I will be using it with:

Marantz SR5002 Receiver
5 Spherex (http://theaudiocritic.com/plog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=7&blogId=1)(Mirage Nanosat wannabe speakers)

This will be my temporary 5.1 setup until I get new house in a year or so.

Given your speakers and budget I think you'll be much happier buying a used subwoofer. You will get much more bang from your buck. Take a look on Audiogon and see what you can find.

I dunno, 8 inch driver, it might but not by much. Possibly SPL but not much in extension.

Either way, it is a moot point. Neither are really subwoofers.

If the TSC ASW-8 is a clone of the Energy then I could recommend it as a viable "cheap" subwoofer. I've had a Bose bass module before and there really is no comparison between the two as the ASW-8 does extend down to 30hz.


To the OP,

I have two of the TSC ASW-8 in my 13x16 bedroom and they do just fine, in your smaller room you'll probably have a good amount of room gain involved. I highly recomend a dual sub setup and you can do it for just a little over your budget ($190-ish shipped)

If the TSC ASW-8 is a clone of the Energy then I could recommend it as a viable "cheap" subwoofer. I've had a Bose bass module before and there really is no comparison between the two as the ASW-8 does extend down to 30hz.


To the OP,

I have two of the TSC ASW-8 in my 13x16 bedroom and they do just fine, in your smaller room you'll probably have a good amount of room gain involved. I highly recomend a dual sub setup and you can do it for just a little over your budget ($190-ish shipped)

I'm just buying one subwoofer but since the TSC ASW-8 cost the same as the Energy ESW-8, wouldn't the ESW-8 be a better deal since has the "patented Ribbed Elliptical Surround technology." I'm not sure what it does though. Which of the two sounds better? Which one the less boomy of the two? Anyone have experience of these two?

If I was going to spend upwards of $190-ish I think I would just go with the PA-120. It seems to get great reviews for the price around here. But I will most likely buy one of the two 8" subwoofer.

It pains me to say this, but I think a Bose system would even beat this thing.

ofcourse it pains you.... cause you just pulled it off your ass. :rolleyes:

Now THAT above was just funny!

I considered the Energy ESW-8 as i just bought C-100's for my set-up. Is it important at all to match subwoofer to satellites by brand? I would think it's important to match the speakers, or at least the front 3 speakers, but not the subwoofer, correct?

correct, no need to match subwoofer to speaker by brand.

I believe the ESW-8 is the same Sub that comes with the Energy Take 5.1... Classic or Original. If so, then that the kind of Sub I currently have. When I first got a 5.1 setup about 9 years ago, not knowing much about Subs then, I thought they were exceptional compared to the Bose. However, as years gone by, I feel that the Bass isn't low enough considering it only goes as low as 33Hz... maybe a bit lower at times. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty good Sub for what it's worth. And for an 8" Sub, it's pretty tight. I just think that it's time to retire it and replace it with a bigger, lower, tighter, and clearer boom!

Now if this is for a 10x10 room, what kind of room is it? Enclosed? Connecting "open" rooms/spaces? For a 10x10 it's good. Then again, it all depends on your listening level. I came from the days of cruising and clubbing where I like to hear cars that go BOOM and club beats that makes your heart skip a beat or two. So having the Take 5.1 with ESW-8 as a first, it's a good "budget" system enough to my liking.

An 8" won't put out much. Remember the relationship between cone area involved squaring the radius (or diamter...same for our purposes).

8 squared = 64
10 squared 100
12 squared 144
15 squared 225


so...a 12", all else being equal (excursion etc) would beat TWO 8" subs
and the 15" will beat two 10s

I believe the ESW-8 is the same Sub that comes with the Energy Take 5.1... Classic or Original. If so, then that the kind of Sub I currently have. When I first got a 5.1 setup about 9 years ago, not knowing much about Subs then, I thought they were exceptional compared to the Bose. However, as years gone by, I feel that the Bass isn't low enough considering it only goes as low as 33Hz... maybe a bit lower at times. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty good Sub for what it's worth. And for an 8" Sub, it's pretty tight. I just think that it's time to retire it and replace it with a bigger, lower, tighter, and clearer boom!

Now if this is for a 10x10 room, what kind of room is it? Enclosed? Connecting "open" rooms/spaces? For a 10x10 it's good. Then again, it all depends on your listening level. I came from the days of cruising and clubbing where I like to hear cars that go BOOM and club beats that makes your heart skip a beat or two. So having the Take 5.1 with ESW-8 as a first, it's a good "budget" system enough to my liking.

My room now is around 10x19 and my living rooms typically are all about that size. I have a Sony sub with what I believe is a 12" woofer. It can be very powerful if incorrectly set, but I've tamed that thing as much as possible. While it's not perfect it satisfies me, but only because I tamed the hell out of it so it doesn't have to be under-set to compensate for excess boom. I still would trade it up for something NOT as powerful but still is sufficient enough... not to mention smoother. I live in an apartment so I want something that gets me there, but not an inch more.

An 8" won't put out much. Remember the relationship between cone area involved squaring the radius (or diamter...same for our purposes).

8 squared = 64
10 squared 100
12 squared 144
15 squared 225


so...a 12", all else being equal (excursion etc) would beat TWO 8" subs
and the 15" will beat two 10s

Not following. Is this just a formula which figures out how much more powerful one sub is over another? In other words - in comparing subs a 16" wouldn't be twice more powerful than an 8" but more than 4 times. Can this be applied to sizing up the right sub size for the right room size..... in the same way screensize is determined based on estimated viewing distance?

regarding the first part of your post, I think I know what you are saying with "gets me there but not an inch more" although I believe you are always better off having equipment with greater capability (amps, subs etc.) so that you don't have to push it so hard, and so there is less distortion and greater headroom.

I may have the same Sony sub that you have, part of how I "tamed" mine was with the use of a Harrison Labs F-Mod (low pass), using the built in crossover alone did not give me what I wanted. You may be using your receiver to help with this instead.

regarding the second part of your email, yes twice the diameter four times the area geometrically, this does not mean output will follow along but I was just illustrating how going to the next size larger driver can really affect output dramatically. How powerful one subwoofer is vs. another is quite complex with many contributing factors. And a sub can be powerful in one respect and weak in another, of course.

Years ago, anything larger than a 12" was considered a big compromise, tending to be loose and sloppy...with a 10" noticeably tighter than a 12". That was my impression growing up with car audio, anyway. While the laws of physics haven't changed (a heavy cone is still a heavy cone), factors like material technology for the drivers and improved amplifier technology have changed the rules, not to mention products like Rythmik's servo drive system.

Not sure with anyone here,but Hsu Sub woofers are excellent for 400 bucks. Either stf-2 or the stf-1 will play tight clean bass. they will play down to 25hz and will fill the room, I own the stf-1 and it really punch on action movies. :D http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/stf-2.html