bholio, thank you very much your review... its good to finally see some FR curves!

Just another thank you to bholio for his hard work.

http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/9216/crushedql3.jpg

I measured 67lbs, with that crap-o scale. :D :D

yikes... watch out for the spikes ;)

HA HA Great Picture!!!! :D

Wow! That think is a monster!

I almost wish I hadn't cancelled my order.

I measured 67lbs, with that crap-o scale. :D :D


That is quite possibly the single most awesome thing I have ever seen. Thanks for the laugh this morning.

HA HA Great Picture!!!! :D

wuss


;)

Definition (http://www.wordreference.com/definition/wuss)

Ordered 11/30, last day of the special, received it today. Have it crossed over 75% of the way over towards 120, I have it tuned up around 75% of the way as well, but I only have 1 place to put it and its less then optimum. I have my Onkyo set at double bass, which sends the R+L low freq + the LFE to the sub. First Disc was the Jeff Beck DTS which I've never really heard because it lacked all the Low Freq, sounded good but Jeff Beck really wasn't the cd to test it out, next I played The Roots - Tipping Point, and it sounded great. Serenity sounded great as well. Also, I have it next to my couch and it works great as a transducer.

Things I've noticed. As someone else was saying, I had to turn it up to really hear it, I'm sure I'll lower the volume as I get used to it. Also the last 3rd of the level pot is the only part of the throw which has audible gain, nothing nothing nothing wham. Again I'm pretty sure its a tweak issue. Next, if the phase pot did anything at all, I can't hear it. I had the house rocken and I turned it all over the place and no difference at all. Not sure about that. Maybe the room eq is so bad it sounds the same no matter.... One last thing I was using the Left input and now, after reading I changed it to the right maybe it'll make a difference.

Preliminary Verdict (based on expectations) - 8+

Athos

hey guys... I had an a2-300 on order but found out it was 6-8 weeks to be built/shipped.... i decided to cancel the order and get a Tempest Classic 15" and a Rythmik Audio 350 Watt Amp..... i'm going to put it in this box i'm building.... dual 3" ports with 3 layers of bracing if that's the correct terminology... ;] don't know as much as you guys about this stuff but i can't wait.... what do you think? Think it should sound pretty good in this box? i'm going to position the sub near the lower middle and have the two ports at the bottom... Thanks guys!! I just was so impatient for the a2-300 so decided on building since my budget was around 300-400... parts+materials cost me about 400 total.

-j0sh

Here's a pic of the box just freely standing in the general shape it will be after completed..... don't mind my goofy co worker holding it... haha
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c396/josholand/Photo_020707_002_000.jpg

Athos, I ordered mine on 11/30 also. It's been "in woodshop" since 01/02 and that's when my CC was charged. Did you get a shipping notice before it showed up? My patience is wearing thin.

Athos, I ordered mine on 11/30 also. It's been "in woodshop" since 01/02 and that's when my CC was charged. Did you get a shipping notice before it showed up? My patience is wearing thin.

Bunker, why don't you call them, and find out your answers! 641.792.2501
or go to their website, and chat live with a salesperson http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/index.php Let us know what you find!

I think many of you that are having to turn your sub up to get any kind of output are not fully understanding how to set the sub up. I'm not trying to point fingers or say that someone is stupid, but after I learned how to set up a sub properly (after my own ignorance) it made a huge difference and I still haven't tweaked for placement yet.

There is no (ZERO) way you can even come close to setting the sub up properly without an SPL meter. If it just sounds good by adjusting levels to your ear then it's most likely too loud. My opinion is that if the sub is more or less the right size for your room size/environment, you should never have to turn up your sub past half way once proper reference levels are adjusted. Most people think that loud, house shaking base is the only litmus test for a HT subs quality, but the more important factor should be that the sub is well integrated into the system. My sub is only turned up to the 11:00 position and I can rumble the room with a 20hZ hit and barely hear it with my ears.

OK, now that I'm off my soapbox, here are a couple of things that a person can do, but they do need an SPL meter because if not, your best guess by ear won't even cut it. I tried it and the settings were so far out by the SPL meter it wasn't even funny.

Make sure ALL speakers are set to small (this is important). This has nothing to do with size of the speakers but rather the crossover frequency sent to the sub. I don't know if ED subs do this, but if you can disable the subs crossover and let the AVR do the work, that IS the better way to go. If your AVR has an adjustable crossover, set it to 80 or 90 Hz.

Does your AVR have a master sub volume and a sub volume for DD and DTS (usually buried in the menus)? If it does, you need to set your subs master volume (on the AVR) at half way. This allows some fine tuning to taste without having to get up and reset the subs gain knob. Then set your DD and DTS levels at ZERO (0). This should be all the way up for DD and right in the middle for older DTS AVR's (like mine) or all the way up on newer AVR's. They both should be set to zero though.

MAke sure that you are not attenuating the subs signal in any way. One example would be to make sure you are not using any "night modes" or digital commpression through your AVR. Do you use a "night type mode" when you want to watch movies at night so you don't wake up the wife but still want some bass in the movie? Make sure your not.

Make sure your sub's gain is at 1/3 to 1/2 way and using your SPL meter at reference adjust there. From that point on, if you need any advice, you'll probably want to use the search or start a new thread. Or ask ED.

BTW, all of the above info was either from this forum or from REAL experts that I was in contact with.

Rob

Excellent post highside, and right on the money! Do the homework, and dial in your system before making a review, so we can know that it's setup correctly. The sound pressure meters are cheap at Radio Shack, invest in that, and maybe an Avia Home theater calibration DVD, (optional camera stand for Meter placement) and it will pay off with a more accurate, balanced system. It can be the difference between a boomy muddled sounding sub, and a musical, tight, spot on sounding sub.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the few reviews we have had on these, as it's the only info one can get right now, so please keep them coming......

I'm going to get a little off topic here but I would like to quantify my last post and also let everyone know that I too had no idea what I was doing before.

My first point to make is that I have a 26 month old son and my HT is just a year old. Doing the math tells you in a nutshell that trying to watch a movie at a decent volume is prone to disaster with a toddler trying to sleep. I also must say that the sleeping scenario is not as much of a deal 15 mo. later. OK enough of the background.

I had always listened to my movies at what I thought was a reasonable level to keep the dB sanity in check but my wife was always saying, "I can't hear them talking". So to make a long story short, I was altering the CC +10dB to compensate. I don't think most of us know really how much soundtrack information is in the CC. A LOT. We listened to our movies like that for over a year. Wow, this sounds really good. (NOT! <---Say that like Anthrax.)

Fast forward....I got my new sub and an SPL meter and went through the courses with help from 2 very qualified experts. The sound is leagues ahead of where is was. I had my AVR set to -50dB before with a CC 10dB hot. Now all of my speakers, including the .1, are balanced at reference level. My sub is set 4dB hot (recommended) and I even readjusted the delay on my surrounds. (another story).

Reference level on my system is -25dB on the master volume knob and I went from -50 to -52 to about -40dB for 95% of our listening. The "overall apparent" volume seems to be about the same since I am not running the CC so loud. You would not believe what I was missing before though. I would not recommend listening at reference level unless your room is treated properly (way too loud) and most people listen between -10 to -15dB lbelow reference anyway.

All in all, this is no different than trying to calibrate your display without the use of Avia or DVE...

Rob

thanks for the very informative posts Rob :)

Do you happen to have your whole calibration experiance saved in type somewhere? I searched through your old posts and couldn't find anything. I'd really like to start calibrating my system as soon as my sub comes in.

Calibrating using receiver test tones...SPL meter

On your receiver...

Set speaker distance to the listening position from each location
Set speakers to small - crossover to 80hz (to start)
Go to Channel trim...
Before starting calibration set Sub level to -5 (on scale from - 10 to +10)

On sub...
Set crossover to bypass or all the way up (basically disengage crossover function on sub, you don't need it)
Set gain from 1/4 to 1/3rd

On SPL meter...
Set C weighted (Slow)
Set to 70 dbs

Back to receiver...
Back to Channel trim
All speaker levels should be at 0 to start
Set volume (gain) on receiver to -10
Run test tones

At LP hold SPL meter at 45 degree angle pointing toward the LF speaker (or center whichever you prefer to start with)

Adjust LF (or center) channel trim so that the meter reads 75dbs
Continue adjusting each speaker channel to match 75dbs
When you get to the sub you'll notice some movement...LFE tones are tough for the meter to measure. You can then adjust the trim to flat 75dbs(which will be about 2-3 dbs hot [louder]) or like some/most of us to 77-78dbs.

Repeat

You're done and your system will sound much better, plus you won't be overdriving your subs (bad thing)...room dependent.

Some receivers (HK) require separate calibration for each source which is kind of a pain, but once you start tweaking you'll get hooked.

People, it's the only way to get the most out of your system, pretty easy and you'll get to hear the bass notes. Bass is source dependent. A good sub plays what's there and should only be noticed when it's off, not all the time. There's plenty of bottom on today's DVDs and music for you to appreciate your calibrated subs.

I just got a call from eD. Those of us waiting for our stuff get a 25% off coupon to buy something else. I think she said it expires May 8th. Just passing the info along to anyone who cares.

I tried to play around w/ my coupon last night and it did not work... good thing it didn't... I probably would have made some stupid impulse buy :D

The Specs are the best I've ever seen in a <$300 sub, but you can't tell how good they are till you hear them.

I have no affiliation with Elemental Designs, but I thought any of you interested in <$300 subs should give these a look.


A2-250 (http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/product_info.php?cPath=2_41&products_id=406)

A2-300 (http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/product_info.php?cPath=2_41&products_id=407)

ah nice random reply to a post over 3 months old...

So, does anyone have a solution to making the auto-on a bit more sensitive on the a2-300, other than simply keeping the sub ON all the time? It just doesn't turn on at very low volumes. What is the difference between having the sub ON and OFF (I know, sounds comes out when it is ON.. haha). Even when off, there is still a light on all the time.

At the moment, this is my biggest issue with this sub. That and the size which is my fault for buying without thinking it thru. Its in my family room where it is used for background music and video games. My other sub in the other room always turns on when needed, even at low volume.

Due to bass management issues with my current receiver (old Marantz SR7000), I currently have the sub hooked up to the f/r pre-amp out. However, I had the same problem (I think even worse) when hooking up a single line from sub-pre-out to L or R in on the sub.

The only thing I can think of is to hook it back up to the sub-out, then crank the sub output on the receiver, and turn the sub way down, but that seems so wrong.

The only thing I can think of is to hook it back up to the sub-out, then crank the sub output on the receiver, and turn the sub way down, but that seems so wrong.

It's not the perfect solution but I would try that before switching the sub to always on. Try the receivers sub vol all the way up at first, if that works then back it down a notch at a time every few days untill you find the optimal setting and don't forget to adjust the subs vol accordingly.

Also, if you're not already you could try using a Y adapter or cable to send a signal to both L and R inputs of the sub. This will send a higher signal to the sub and should trip the auto on/off at lower volumes.

http://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express-15-1599-SUBWOOFER-CABLE/dp/B0002ZPIXM/sr=8-1/qid=1171250784/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-5342448-7487859?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

I just got a call from eD. Those of us waiting for our stuff get a 25% off coupon to buy something else. I think she said it expires May 8th. Just passing the info along to anyone who cares.

That's definitely nice to see!

Make sure ALL speakers are set to small (this is important). This has nothing to do with size of the speakers but rather the crossover frequency sent to the sub. I don't know if ED subs do this, but if you can disable the subs crossover and let the AVR do the work, that IS the better way to go. If your AVR has an adjustable crossover, set it to 80 or 90 Hz.

While I agree with most of your post, this statement is one I do have to take exception to. One thing that many people do not realize is that in a 5.1 or 7.1 system, all the channels are potentially full range. The LFE channel (.1 or subwoofer) channel is designed as an effects channel but this does NOT mean you can't have low frequency sounds in any of the other channels. With a larger, fuller range LCR setup, setting the crossover to 80 hz and bass limiting the fronts will lead to a drop in dynamic impact and a muddying of the midbass.
Most ported subs that get deep in frequency response do so at the expense of extension and cleanliness at the upper frequency ranges. Given that many receivers use a 12 db/oct slope, this means there will still be audible output from your sub at a full octave above the crossover point (often between 3-6 db down with room gain and the LFE level bump most people use). This is exactly the area where most subs are quite frankly pretty bad. If your LCR speakers are capable of fuller range sound and your receiver/pre has the capability of a lower crossover frequency for the LFE, then you should lower the crossover point. This will not only increase the dynamic impact of the system, it will also limit the impact of the sub at higher frequencies by shifting the audible output at higher frequencies downward which will clean up the midbass. If you are running an EQ like a BFD, it is also a good idea to put in some steep shelf filters to roll off the sub very rapidly.

In my system, we are reconfiguring it to run 3 identical large high output main speakers that are flat to 40hz up front. The front three channels will be set to run as nearly full range crossing the main LFE sub (Danley DTS-20) in at 35-40hz depending on where we end up when we run sweeps.

Most ported subs that get deep in frequency response do so at the expense of extension and cleanliness at the upper frequency ranges.

Wrong, and the ones that do, do so because of the poor drivers being used.

Wrong, and the ones that do, do so because of the poor drivers being used.

I 100% agree. 60-80hz should be fine for any good sub. but in that range bass starts to become directional (depending a bit on the person) Once my setup is complete, I'm probably going to setup my cross at 60.

Their blog is showing a bunch of new cabinets painted/shipping, anyone else received theirs? They claim to have greatly increased paint shop capacity, which was apparently the tightest bottleneck. The latest pictures seem to show a finish akin to their bookshelf/tower cabinets, anyone heard if this is going to be an option?

Their blog is showing a bunch of new cabinets painted/shipping, anyone else received theirs? They claim to have greatly increased paint shop capacity, which was apparently the tightest bottleneck. The latest pictures seem to show a finish akin to their bookshelf/tower cabinets, anyone heard if this is going to be an option?

The finish there is just primer, the boxes all get 2 coats before being painted.

Many more people are getting them, I believe we've shipped close to 20 just this week(compared to about 5/week previously) with more going out next Tuesday.

I would have considered one of thier HT subs if I had the room for them, eD is top notch when it comes to products and customer service. I have one of thier 15" car audio subs and it's extrememly hard to beat for the money.

This Friday will be 8 weeks from the time I ordered (12/29/06) the A2 300. How long has it taken everyone else? Any more reviews???

I ordered mine on 12.8.06, and it still shows box under construction. I am about to call again inless it changes this friday. I called about 2 1/2 weeks ago and they said from that date to expect it in 4-6 weeks. They also were trying to triple their paint booths to move things along faster, but it doesn't look like they have yet.

Ordered mine on 12/22 and knew that it woud take a while at that time. I wrote eD last week and asked for an update. Just got an email reply. Said that I was scheduled for 3/5 but now that the paint shop is up and running, tripleing painting I should have it a lot sooner.

Just called and was told a ship date of next wed. I ordered on 12-6-06. I guess I better hurry up and order some sub cable! :)

jontherev whats your update status on their website?

jontherev whats your update status on their website?
Box under construction still.

Hmm.. I was interested but it now looks like the price of the A2-300 is $350 instead of $270 shipped and these posts about how long production is taking have me worried.

I called to inquire on wait times for a A5 and was told 4-6 weeks. I mentioned how long lots of you have been waiting and got a response that more and more should be receiving your sub as this week they are shipping around 20 units. Once the wait times are more reasonable I may get myself that A5-300 and continue using my BIC H100 to tide me over.

Apparently they've recently started using in-house plate amps too, so the A3, A5, and A7 models get a bump in power for the same price. So if you're waiting on one of those, you might get an extra 50W for your troubles ;) And the A7 (dual driver) bump is pretty big, 1kw to 1.3kw.

Apparently they've recently started using in-house plate amps too, so the A3, A5, and A7 models get a bump in power for the same price. So if you're waiting on one of those, you might get an extra 50W for your troubles ;) And the A7 (dual driver) bump is pretty big, 1kw to 1.3kw.


Sounds great where did you get your info? What would that increase the A3 to? 250?

It actually looks like 350watts for both A3's......but maybe that's a typo?
http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/index.php?cPath=2_41

Sounds great where did you get your info? What would that increase the A3 to? 250?

On their left-hand menu, click on the "eD Blog". I believe the special that most people here purchased was on the "A2-300" which is a 200W amp and 12" driver. The 200W amp is still a 3rd party, and still the same power.

The A3's are higher cost and came with a 300W, now 350W, amplifier.

It took almost 12 weeks for my a2-300 to ship...but it's finally on it's way...I have a TRACKING NUMBER! Yay! I can't imagine it won't be a huge step up from the truly awful JBL psw-112d that it's replacing...the best thing I can say about that so-called "sub" is it didn't self-destruct like most of them apparently did....but I also had to suffer with it for the last 4 years because it just refused to die... I wanna sell it, but I would feel guilty taking hard-earned money from an innocent person. :)

Week 9...is this sub worth a 3 month wait?...more reviews would be appreciated. I've got plenty of time to kill.

I just got an update of in the woodshop which makes me happy. Order placed on 12/8/06 so hopefully it ships within 2 weeks. You should start to see updates changing soon for people ordering around or after that date.

I just got an update of in the woodshop which makes me happy. Order placed on 12/8/06 so hopefully it ships within 2 weeks. You should start to see updates changing soon for people ordering around or after that date.
Yes, I'm happy to report that I've been charged! Ordered on 12-6! I called yesterday and was told it is ready to ship, awaiting the delayed foam packaging. I should be receiving a tracking number within a day or two I hope. And now I have my own delay, since I waited to order my sub cable and monoprice is currently out of stock on the 50' sub cable. :mad: Oh well...I've learned patience throughout this ordeal. ;)

Yes, I'm happy to report that I've been charged! Ordered on 12-6! I called yesterday and was told it is ready to ship, awaiting the delayed foam packaging. I should be receiving a tracking number within a day or two I hope. And now I have my own delay, since I waited to order my sub cable and monoprice is currently out of stock on the 50' sub cable. :mad: Oh well...I've learned patience throughout this ordeal. ;)

Just use decent quality coax cable, no need to pay extra for so called dedicated cable.

Just use decent quality coax cable, no need to pay extra for so called dedicated cable.

That's why I might wait on monoprice. 12 bucks for a 50' sub cable seems pretty darn cheap to me, especially when I see how much other cables go for. My sub is slated to arrive on Saturday, so I might go see how much Radio Shack sells for. Thanks!

Mine was shipped on Feb. 28th which is weird because it just entered the woodshop on the 26th. FedEx says it should be here tomorrow. I'm pretty excited.

Is there not someone who has already received theirs and could give up some quick impressions???

rumonkey2
"Is there not someone who has already received theirs and could give up some quick impressions??? "

What would you like to know?
I don't have a SPL meter yet..., but I'll try to answer your questions.

One thing I don't really care for is that the amp on the sub requires a certain amount of line input for it to turn on automatically. It is not too high but when I have been listening to some music or watching a tv show at low volume levels it sometimes turns off. :( ...Some people have said to use a "y split" to get higher line input, I have done this and I still have this problem.

*Replacement*

===>
One thing I don't really care for is that the amp on the sub requires a certain amount of line input for it to turn on automatically. It is not too high but when I have been listening to some music or watching a tv show at low volume levels it sometimes turns off. :( ...Some people have said to use a "y split" to get higher line input, I have done this and I still have this problem.===>


Obviously you already tried.! But adding the Y-adaptor to feed both L&R-inputs on the ED's plate amp usual dose fix it "for most people". Not knowing what AVR you have, try (up-ing the sub level in your AVR) but don't exceed 85% of max. Then (lower the plate amps volume pot) & level match it to your other speakers.

Some Denon AVR's have lowish output on the sub line out. If you've had other subwoofers and they worked fine with (what ever AVR you have), than this likely is NOT the problem.

If after trying the above in red out, and it still causes premature shut off issues with the ED sub, you might give Elemental Designs a call and explain your situation along with what all you've already tried. You could have one with crappy input sensitivity.
I've had a couple (xxx) plate amps from Kiega that had terrible input sensitivity. While the other Kiega plate amps which were "exactly the same" worked fine. This same company now supplies ED's current plate amps.
This certainly is not meant to dish on Kiega or ED's new plate amps at all...!

Hope you can fix your problem, premature sub shut off would drive me wacko.:mad:
If you've tried all the above with your sub already, then sorry to bore you...:D

Cheers ¥

*Replacement*

===>
===>


Obviously you already tried.! But adding the Y-adaptor to feed both L&R-inputs on the ED's plate amp usual dose fix it "for most people". Not knowing what AVR you have, try (up-ing the sub level in your AVR) but don't exceed 85% of max. Then (lower the plate amps volume pot) & level match it to your other speakers.

Some Denon AVR's have lowish output on the sub line out. If you've had other subwoofers and they worked fine with (what ever AVR you have), than this likely is NOT the problem.

If after trying the above in red out, and it still causes premature shut off issues with the ED sub, you might give Elemental Designs a call and explain your situation along with what all you've already tried. You could have one with crappy input sensitivity.
I've had a couple (xxx) plate amps from Kiega that had terrible input sensitivity. While the other Kiega plate amps which were "exactly the same" worked fine. This same company now supplies ED's current plate amps.
This certainly is not meant to dish on Kiega or ED's new plate amps at all...!

Hope you can fix your problem, premature sub shut off would drive me wacko.:mad:
If you've tried all the above with your sub already, then sorry to bore you...:D

Cheers ¥

My AVR is an Onkyo 803, I have had another sub hooked up to it and it never had a problem turning on and staying on. I guess I'll have to contact ED again and see what they think.

Thanks!

I have no experience with the subs, but try to turn up the line level output on your receiver, then turn down the amp volume to compensate.

That should get more signal to the line level input and keep it on.

Just a suggestion.

Thanks I'll give it a try.

Geoff ¥
===>
Obviously you already tried.! But adding the Y-adaptor to feed both L&R inputs on the ED's plate amp usually dose fix it "for most people". Not knowing what AVR you have, try (up-ing the sub level in your AVR) but don't exceed 85% of max. Then (lower the plate amps volume pot) & level match it to your other speakers.
===>

If you read the above carefully, this is just what I suggested...! :)

Again, and maybe a bit clearer:
**************************************
1)-Use the Y-adaptor at the end of the sub cable to feed both L&R inputs on the sub.

2)-Now turn up the AVR=RECEIVERS sub line level output, but don't exceed 85% of the RECEIVERS max sub line level output.

3)-Then turn the "subwoofers volume pot down" to level match the output=volume of your other speakers.

4)-If your still having shut off issues with the sub contact ED if it bugs you enough.

Good Luck
Geoff ¥

Geoff ¥


If you read the above carefully, this is just what I suggested...! :)


Your right, I read your post too quickly :o .

So did I, Sorry! :-) The subs look interesting...

I just saw on a forum post over there that they are "100% caught up" on the A2-300, now I'm wondering just how many people on this forum actually bought one? Versus how many are just curious for a review :)

these guys sound promising, i hope they get their act together

Looks like they've caught up with the a2-300s and are shipping them same day.

http://edesignaudio.com/edv2/ednews/home/blog.php?id=82

Got mine friday. A little woman carried it from fedex. I dont know how she got it out of the truck. I hooked it up to my HTIB sony amp and that thing shook the foundation. It really sounds great. i couldnt be happier. except now i have to isolate all my rattles.
My theater room is roughly 18 x 30 but my screen is at one end
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o111/fordfisher/100_0087.jpg

I was worried about the size of the room but the sound is great. Fills the listening area more than adequetely. Ive read about guys having problems hooking it up but I just plugged my rca into one of the ins and waalaa.
Im not an audiophile and am not apologizing for my lack of knoledge but the sound to my untrained ears is jaw dropping. Deep and tight. My father was down for some Transporter 2 and became worried that with the deep shaking lows that the house might settle more and crack the sheetrock. Problems like that I dont mind. My only complaint would be the utilitarian finish. I have put it between the small couch on the right and the door leading into the equip. room. Kind of out of sight. I think a nice cherry finish might look better in some applications but for the price Im willing to be completely satisfied with the black finish. I think now that after I buy my Onkyo receiver I will opt for the eD speaker package. :D

I think now that after I buy my Onkyo receiver I will opt for the eD speaker package. :D

There is a ED 5.1 setup in the for sale section.

I glad you are enjoying you sub, I really like mine as well.

glad dat ppl are getting & enjoying their subs, I had originally ordered in mid-nov but cancelled my order to get a svs PB12-NSD subwoofer

If these subs are really class leaders they should ship a few to Craigsub, within a month
they'll have more orders than they can handle.

They didn't even have to do that! I've been waiting for my A5-300 since Dec. 27th. I think they got in over their heads before they knew it, but they did promise a lot for the price. They tell me they have been busting their a$$e$ when I contact them about my order and I hope it doesn't effect the QC. The good thing about this wait, though, is that I'm getting the 550 watt amp instead of the 500 for no extra cost.

I did buy 7 other speakers from them for my 7.1 system that were delivered in about a week. I have been pleased with them as far as sound quality and finish, especially after a break-in period. They warm up quite nicely and I hear things I didn't from my old speakers. They do need a sub for serious listening, though, in my opinion. From what I'm hearing from their 5T5's and 5TC's, I'll probably be sending everything below 150hz to the sub (A5-300).

I've had some issues with expected shipping dates coming and going more than once. Waiting is something that you better get used to if you want an A5-300. Shipping was free(as it was for the other 7 speakers) and that's a good thing since this thing weighs almost 130lbs. Has anyone had to deal with their customer service with issues such as defects or malfunctions? As far as returns, they told me that if I wanted to return an item all I had to do was pay the shipping back...an important question, I thought, since there really aren't any professional reviews, yet.

I'm not an expert on anything except knowing what I like and don't like but I'll let you know if I thought it was worth the wait.

I'm not an expert on anything except knowing what I like and don't like .

Ditto that :D
Ive had my a2-300 for about a week now and cant imagine wanting anything more. But I have had an issue that some of you might help me with. When I crank the volume and have the sub turned way up. (over bassing the room) I have gotten a LOUD pop. Sometimes it pops twice. It sounded like someone dropped a cannon ball upstairs. Do you have any ideas?
I havent called eD yet. But if need be ill email or call them this week. then ill let you know what their customer service is like.

Ditto that :D
Ive had my a2-300 for about a week now and cant imagine wanting anything more. But I have had an issue that some of you might help me with. When I crank the volume and have the sub turned way up. (over bassing the room) I have gotten a LOUD pop. Sometimes it pops twice. It sounded like someone dropped a cannon ball upstairs. Do you have any ideas?
I havent called eD yet. But if need be ill email or call them this week. then ill let you know what their customer service is like.You are bottoming the driver...a very bad thing. The gain on the sub is not a volume control, it's an attenuator. Set your speakers to small, crossover to 80 and the gain on the sub from 1/3 to 1/2...oh and -5 in your receiver channel trim. You should have plenty of bass. Then run to RS and get a meter, then calibrate. You're new sub will last longer.

I just wanted to say that I got mine set up and it sounds great. I have nothing to compare it to since it's my first sub, but after the LONG wait, I'm quite content. For those wanting an expert review...sorry! I just plugged it in and turned it up about halfway.

You are bottoming the driver...a very bad thing. The gain on the sub is not a volume control, it's an attenuator. Set your speakers to small, crossover to 80 and the gain on the sub from 1/3 to 1/2...oh and -5 in your receiver channel trim. You should have plenty of bass. Then run to RS and get a meter, then calibrate. You're new sub will last longer.


Thanx for the advice, working much better, feel a little stupid.

Thanx for the advice, working much better, feel a little stupid.No need to feel that way...looking back at my post, it sounds a bit harsh, didn't mean to be. The amplifier on your sub will deliver power to the driver based on the demand of the content. This can be up to 20db peaks over the rest of your speakers according to Dolby's reference formula. That's why it's important to calibrate. If you're already 10dbs higher than your other speakers, at loud volumes, a peak will come along that exceeds what the amp can give without clipping and possibly frying the amp, voicecoil, or, forcing the driver into xmax...clank. Most of us push it to that point once in a while. That's the signal to turn it down :)

Ordered a A3-300 the other day. I'll share my impressions.

From what I'm hearing from their 5T5's and 5TC's, I'll probably be sending everything below 150hz to the sub (A5-300).


Only do this if you are placing the sub between your front two speakers.

Otherwise you will notice the bass coming from a different location then the speakers.

This is why we recommend crossing the sub over to the speakers at 80hz or less.

At 80hz it is extremely difficult to localize the bass. It is just "there"

Ordered a A3-300 the other day. I'll share my impressions.
Did they give you an approximate date that it would ship? I ordered the Towers, center and the A3-300 on the 21st and they said about 3 weeks. The towers and center showed up 2 days after the order date and i am very impressed. Can't wait to go boom.

Did they give you an approximate date that it would ship? I ordered the Towers, center and the A3-300 on the 21st and they said about 3 weeks. The towers and center showed up 2 days after the order date and i am very impressed. Can't wait to go boom.

Can't wait for your review.

Any more reviews of these subs? Now that they are caught up, a bunch on here should have them in hand!

I received mine yesterday, i need to play with the placement still, however so far i am very happy. i need to find someone in the Twin Cities that is willing to drive out with some test equipment and give a real review with some frequency sweeps, i know there are some people out here that are mega HT freaks.

I received the A3-300, it seems to have no problem filling in the lows at low volume and when you turn it up a bit it sounds very clear and has some good bottom end, I played it at my seating position with the port pointed towards the opposite wall about 12 feet away, placement in my odd room is a challenge it seems though. I will have more once my wedding is over (10 days).

Those are sweet looking HT sub enclosures!!!! But anyone else have this vision of their wives bent over taking clothes out of one, and transferring into the other??? These should be dubbed, the Neptune Subs!!!

I didn't have a similar vision until I read your post, but oddly the wife isn't doing laundry in mine... :D

I initially called E.D. to order a A3-250, but by time I got off the phone I ordered a A3-300. Then a few weeks later, just as it was coming out of the paint booth I upgraded it to a A5-300. I couldn't be happier. It fills the low end and then some with distortion free clean bass. My poor neighbors... :D

OK, received my A5-300 a few weeks ago.

Bass sounds very clean and tight. I couldn't imagine needing anything more powerful.

wow, no idea how I missed talk on these subs! R they THAT good for the price???

I've owned a few eD car subs, and love them. Still have my original, and my son has his sub and eD amp, and loves it. I listen to DVD-Audio in my TL (5.1 surround) and it goes deep, and loud if you want it, yet never sounds muddy, or boomy at certain freq. Its just a GREAT SQ sub!
I just helped a friend order an HT A2-250 sub, so I will write up my thoughts on this sub once I get it installed in his living room. I expect the same SQ and build quality, and getting so much more for my money!!

any updates on the a2-250, a2-300, or a3-250?

Got mine friday. A little woman carried it from fedex. I dont know how she got it out of the truck. I hooked it up to my HTIB sony amp and that thing shook the foundation. It really sounds great. i couldnt be happier. except now i have to isolate all my rattles.
My theater room is roughly 18 x 30 but my screen is at one end
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o111/fordfisher/100_0087.jpg

I was worried about the size of the room but the sound is great. Fills the listening area more than adequetely. Ive read about guys having problems hooking it up but I just plugged my rca into one of the ins and waalaa.
Im not an audiophile and am not apologizing for my lack of knoledge but the sound to my untrained ears is jaw dropping. Deep and tight. My father was down for some Transporter 2 and became worried that with the deep shaking lows that the house might settle more and crack the sheetrock. Problems like that I dont mind. My only complaint would be the utilitarian finish. I have put it between the small couch on the right and the door leading into the equip. room. Kind of out of sight. I think a nice cherry finish might look better in some applications but for the price Im willing to be completely satisfied with the black finish. I think now that after I buy my Onkyo receiver I will opt for the eD speaker package. :D

That is a nice room. Wanna trade for my 1375 cu ft one? hehehe! :p

Yes, very nice large room and screen.

Like the ceiling from the old style rooms.

Glad you like your ED sub.

You could/should take some sub FR measurments to see just what it's doing. Well, then again if you like it as is NO need to know if it's got any room modes affecting the subs FR at your seating position. :p

Anyway, bottom line very nice..:)

Cheers
--------
Geoff

anyone else pick up any of these?

Also curious to hear from people about how these subs might compare to the SVS/HSUs of the world, especially the A5-300 that seems to be very competitive based on power and price.

Over on their forums (http://www.icixsound.com/vb/showthread.php?t=37350) they posted a FR graph of the A2-300 (12") vs the A2-250 (10"). It wasn't a max-output test, and the 12" shows a few Hz further extension, predictably. Just thought I'd pass it along to this thread.

http://www.icixsound.com/vb/icixnation/images/38_1299.jpg

Also curious to hear from people about how these subs might compare to the SVS/HSUs of the world, especially the A5-300 that seems to be very competitive based on power and price.

Over on their forums (http://www.icixsound.com/vb/showthread.php?t=37350) they posted a FR graph of the A2-300 (12") vs the A2-250 (10"). It wasn't a max-output test, and the 12" shows a few Hz further extension, predictably. Just thought I'd pass it along to this thread.

http://www.icixsound.com/vb/icixnation/images/38_1299.jpg


yes but you forgot to mention that is an IN ROOM response test @ 1M. They get to take advantage of the gain from a properly setup room.

Playing the devils advocate here.........when will your HT be outside?

just ordered my a5-300 today and im already dying in anticipation. i hope i dont have to wait months like some of you here

Playing the devils advocate here.........when will your HT be outside?


lol... i'm going to bite my tongue right now


it has nothing to do w/ outside... it has everything to do that everyone can't rely on room gain

Craigsub just received a A2-300 and will be testing it soon. Hopefully we will have a better idea how it performs in comparison to some of the less expensive offerings from HSU and SVS.

Ian

yes but you forgot to mention that is an IN ROOM response test @ 1M. They get to take advantage of the gain from a properly setup room.

Just to make it clear, it's not a properly set up room.

It's the office with the computers in it.

We don't have a place that would make for a suitable ground plane test. The rain/5~10 mile an hour winds outside make that a no go.

Our warehouse has so much stuff in it that there's no way to have a place to do the test that would have any less reflections than inside this office.

Will we eventually conduct a ground plane test? Yes.

Will it be soon? Depends on when it stops raining/being windy. I didn't realize we were running tests once and my starting to talk managed to create a bump at 10Hz. I can't imagine what a constant sound over the mic would end up doing.

There is nothing wrong with an "in room test". Tom Nousaine does one in his 7500^3 living room, corner loaded at @ 2 meters. He allows no more then 10% distortion, which I belive is paramount when doing a accurate comparison.

Ian

My current HT has approx 2500 cubic feet and my next HT will have over 4000 cu ft. Both are closed rooms. I assume that the A2-300 will be strong enough for now but will it end up being too small for my next HT?

My second question is if I will need the A5-300 later then can't I just change the amp? It seems that the only difference between the two is the amp and the bracing in the A5 that isn't in the A2.

I don't know much about subs but I think that I read somewhere on this site that the biggest differences between subs is the size of the driver and the volume of the box and that the wattage is a distant third. Does this mean that the A2 should be closer in performance to the A5 then the power difference might indicate to someone new to this? Another words, the A5 doesn't produce almost 3 times the amount of base that the A2 does simply because it's 550w compared to 200w.

BTW, I only use my system for movies, no music.

My second question is if I will need the A5-300 later then can't I just change the amp? It seems that the only difference between the two is the amp and the bracing in the A5 that isn't in the A2.



I don't think it will work at all. First, the amp is dimensionally different. Second, even if the amp was the same, the volume is different. The volume looks to be different between all the subs.

I don't think it will work at all. First, the amp is dimensionally different. Second, even if the amp was the same, the volume is different. The volume looks to be different between all the subs.

Well I was going on the information on the page that shows all the subs together. That page shows that they do have the same dimensions but when I just looked at the individual product pages they show different dimensions. So it looks like you can go from an A3-300 to an A5-300 just by changing the amp since that is the only difference between the two.

Now if that is the only difference then how much difference will that extra 200w make? Seems to me judging from what I've read on this forum it won't make all that much difference other then on graphs. Is this right? I'm still trying to get this stuff straight.

Well I was going on the information on the page that shows all the subs together. That page shows that they do have the same dimensions but when I just looked at the individual product pages they show different dimensions. So it looks like you can go from an A3-300 to an A5-300 just by changing the amp since that is the only difference between the two.

Now if that is the only difference then how much difference will that extra 200w make? Seems to me judging from what I've read on this forum it won't make all that much difference other then on graphs. Is this right? I'm still trying to get this stuff straight.


I'll jump in here to answer a couple questions about our product.

The A2-300 is totally different than the A3/5-300. The A2-300 uses a 200 watt amp with a 13kv.2. The A3-300 uses a 350 watt amp and a 13kv.2. The A5-300 uses a 550 watt amp and a 13ov.2.

The 350 and 550 watt amps are dimensionally the same, so that is correct. On the other hand, the 13kv.2 and the 13ov.2 are different.

The 13ov.2 has more motor force, more xmax, and makes more use of the higher power. It will have a tighter sound along with more extension.

Hopefully that answers a few of the question floating around. If there's any more feel free to PM me or call the shop.

The 350 and 550 watt amps are dimensionally the same


I've looked at the specs and on your page and it says that the A3 has 2.4cF of internal volume but it says that the A5 has 3.0cF of internal volume. The same performance may not be there if the amp is changed...

I'll jump in here to answer a couple questions about our product.

It will have a tighter sound along with more extension.

Hopefully that answers a few of the question floating around. If there's any more feel free to PM me or call the shop.

I'm still new to this but learning :) Most of what you said is greek to me. I think I know what you mean by tighter but not extension. If someone could take the time to write an explanation of that sentence I would appreciate it.

I went ahead and checked the website. It seems that some of the specs haven't been updated. I'll make sure that gets put high up on the "To Do List."

Thank you for seeing this. We'll get it fixed.

I'm still new to this but learning :) Most of what you said is greek to me. I think I know what you mean by tighter but not extension. If someone could take the time to write an explanation of that sentence I would appreciate it.


I sure can!

Tighter refers to the sharpness or impact of the sound waves. Extension is how low in the frequency range it can play while still maintaining quality sound.

I'm still new to this but learning :) Most of what you said is greek to me. I think I know what you mean by tighter but not extension. If someone could take the time to write an explanation of that sentence I would appreciate it.

Greg, it means the sub will be able to reproduce deeper, lower bass sounds.

Thank you guys. Well I guess I need to wait until I can get the A5-300. I got in on the pre-buy for the Onkyo 605 today (thought I had missed it) so the ED purchase will have to wait a little bit :( When I do purchase the sub I'll probably get a couple of speakers to go along with it. Missed out on the specials so I guess a combo purchase is the way to go to maximize the value :)

More box volume = deeper tune
1.5 more power = 4-5 dbs of output

1.5 more power = 4-5 dbs of outputIncorrect. 2x the power = 3dB. 1.5x the power is good for about 1.5-2dB (assuming you're not in thermal compression).

Incorrect. 2x the power = 3dB. 1.5x the power is good for about 1.5-2dB (assuming you're not in thermal compression).The 5-300 is 500 (or 550w RMS) vs 200 = at least 1.5 X more headroom...should be 4 or 5dbs. I should have been clearer.

For those who missed it craigsub reviewed the A2-300 very favorably over in the official cragsub rankings thread:

"For an update, the Elemental Designs sub has been hooked up for a week, and is a killer $350 subwoofer. It does quite well on the usual Bass CD's - Roger Water, Steely Dan, etc ...

And on WOTW, it was hard to believe this was a $350 sub."

"After looking at the notes, and the objective data, the Elemental Designs A2-300 gets a rating of 83 ... remarkable for a $350 product.

It is an exceptional performer ... not in the league as the best subs, but very good.

The BIC H-100's final score was a 78."


Hope this helps for all those considering eD. I will be purchasing my 5.1 system from eD with an A2-300 very soon.

The last 2 days I've had a couple of lengthy conversations with Chris at eD. He answered all of my questions and was very pleasant to deal with. I ordered an A2-300 and a couple of MTM's to replace my front speakers. I am looking forward to receiving them.

For those who missed it craigsub reviewed the A2-300 very favorably over in the official cragsub rankings thread:

"For an update, the Elemental Designs sub has been hooked up for a week, and is a killer $350 subwoofer. It does quite well on the usual Bass CD's - Roger Water, Steely Dan, etc ...

And on WOTW, it was hard to believe this was a $350 sub."

"After looking at the notes, and the objective data, the Elemental Designs A2-300 gets a rating of 83 ... remarkable for a $350 product.

It is an exceptional performer ... not in the league as the best subs, but very good.



For those who have a tighter budget or may not have the room for the 300, the 250 isn't too shabby either. Down to about 20hz it produces close to the same amount of output and is slightly more linear then the 300. Since it has a smaller driver, below 20hz it's slope is much steeper, giving up about another 5db at 18hz, compared with the 300. Considering Craig's numbers on the 300, for $300.00 with free shipping, the 250 should produce plenty of bass with authority just below 20hz, which is remarkable for a sub at that price. ;)


Ian

300:

http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/gallery/470_large.jpg :D

250:

http://www.edesignaudio.com/edv2/gallery/472_large.jpg :)

worth the Xtra $50 without a doubt!

only downside is the midbass dropoff for those who, like me, will need a higher crossover (80Hz).

Quick question here...

I'm sold on ED subs, and am ready to place an order, but I'd really like someones input on helping me decide between the A2-300 and the A3-300. Is the A3 really worth an extra $100? Total cost is not a big deal, but if I'm not going to get that much more performance for my extra $100, I'd rather sink it into video content (HD-DVD/Blu-Ray). My HT room is 10x20x8 with an opening to a small laundry room out the back (5x10x8). My current sub is an AR S12HO which I've had for about 8 years. It leaves me very underwhelmed and I'd love to add some controlled, deep bass to my HT setup. Any thoughts?

$100=2 db based on their stats.

I'd rather sink it into video content (HD-DVD/Blu-Ray)

I'd go with the A2 and get some HD,ersonally...my budget (if there ever is one) will be tight and more bang for the buck to allow me to go HDDVD wil be top priority. :o

I just heard about these subs. I have a Klipsch RW12. It is ok. I just bought a H/K AVR 745 that can be connected to two subs. It has two sub pre-outs. I also have a PS3 and listen to SACDs as well as Bluray. Are these subs good for music too or just HT? I think I might sell my Klipsch RW12 sub and get the A2-300. And may be get one more in a few months to get to a 2 sub configuration.

$100=2 db based on their stats.



I'd go with the A2 and get some HD,ersonally...my budget (if there ever is one) will be tight and more bang for the buck to allow me to go HDDVD wil be top priority. :o

I agree with Willie :thumbsup;

I agree with Willie :thumbsup:

I concur as well. If you're on a budget, the A2-300 is going to perform just fine. I like the A3 cabinet due to the insane overbuiltness of it, but the A2 is always surprising people when we have it playing in the demo room.

I concur as well. If you're on a budget, the A2-300 is going to perform just fine. I like the A3 cabinet due to the insane overbuiltness of it, but the A2 is always surprising people when we have it playing in the demo room.
Unless you have to carry that thing up the stairs, my achin' back! The A3-300 is heavy.

I'd buy one but don't have the patience for the wait - they need to build a small buffer stock and not make people wait for a custom build, IMO. It's not like they have 15 veneer options or anything - one finish inventory should be easily managed.

I ordered this week and mine should be here within 2 weeks. Sure I'd like it sooner but for the value that you're getting for your money I say it's worth the wait.

I'd buy one but don't have the patience for the wait - they need to build a small buffer stock and not make people wait for a custom build, IMO. It's not like they have 15 veneer options or anything - one finish inventory should be easily managed.

that's the one thing that drives me absolutely nuts about them. i don't get why they don't stock at least a few products. i mean i know they're limited on space in their warehouse...but heck they get all these 2-3 week waits for car amps to get shipped in from overseas, for non-custom boxes to be built (ones they mass produce, such as the Scion tC stealth boxes in the VS line), or for boxes for their subs to be built. i mean im not saying...hey...you shoud have the boxes pre-made for 30 a7-700's. but honestly....they sell enough a2-250's/300's/a3-250's/300s that they should have those things ready to go.

and the car amps? get yourself on a schedule.....order them in at a specific point, regardless of current inventory, so that you've got them in stock. sales will go up, and sales will go down...but in the end they average out and even though you might have a surplus of amps at one time...2 weeks later you might have only a limited supply. its like investing in a mutual fund. dont only put money in when you feel its low enough to buy or the market might be going up. put $100 a month in. cause in the long run, you'll return a much higher profit putting a certain amount in every month than waiting til a specific time to put a whole bunch in.

that's the one thing that drives me nuts about them. i'll admit i had one issue with a return that i wasn't too happy about...it actually drove me to cancel my order for the next $500 worth of car gear that i had placed, and probably will mean i won't purchase stuff from them unless i really need it from here on out. but the a2-300 is something that i do need...and its a great value. so ill be getting that and calling it a day.

they just have a few business practices they need to change and they'll be good to go. they could use some help with their pre-orders too though. april 1 - "you'll have it in 90 days!", may 1 - "you'll have it in 90 days!", may 13 - "you'll have it in 90 days!", may 14th - "uh, yeah, cancel that order for me"

that's the one thing that drives me absolutely nuts about them. i don't get why they don't stock at least a few products. i mean i know they're limited on space in their warehouse...but heck they get all these 2-3 week waits for car amps to get shipped in from overseas, for non-custom boxes to be built (ones they mass produce, such as the Scion tC stealth boxes in the VS line), or for boxes for their subs to be built. i mean im not saying...hey...you shoud have the boxes pre-made for 30 a7-700's. but honestly....they sell enough a2-250's/300's/a3-250's/300s that they should have those things ready to go.

We try...trust me, we try. We've always got stacks of boxes being built, we try to keep them inventoried. We have production orders for items set up to stock inventory when levels get low enough. I have spreadsheet upon spreadsheet for predictive inventory. Are they ever wrong? Occasionally, but never by more than a day or so.

The problem comes when you ask one person with a finite amount of time to build 20 A3/A5-300 cabinets, 10 A2-300 cabinets, 8 A2-250's, 5 A3-250's, 10 tC side mounts, and 12 xB underseat boxes. Oh, and also if he could do all custom boxes that are actually ordered/paid for as a priority over stocking inventory, that would be nice. We have people from the sales office back there all the time trying to help him catch up. Sometimes we stay late trying to get a stocked inventory of boxes. I've stayed until 11pm several nights just making boxes so this exact thing doesn't happen.

Just so you guys know, space is not an issue. It's just a matter of time. We're to the point now that it's not too difficult to build them as they're ordered instead of a month or two down the road, but we still haven't been able to stock inventory. Everytime we do, they're gone in a few days.

and the car amps? get yourself on a schedule.....order them in at a specific point, regardless of current inventory, so that you've got them in stock. sales will go up, and sales will go down...but in the end they average out and even though you might have a surplus of amps at one time...2 weeks later you might have only a limited supply. its like investing in a mutual fund. dont only put money in when you feel its low enough to buy or the market might be going up. put $100 a month in. cause in the long run, you'll return a much higher profit putting a certain amount in every month than waiting til a specific time to put a whole bunch in.

Trust me, I know we'd have more sales if we could sell amps that would ship right away. You don't think that drives the head salesman nuts when he loses sales because he doesn't have something? Ordering inventory on time is NOT a problem. There are things out of our control that cause a PO for amps entered in June to get here the following March. Normal lead time on amps, 60 days from the date a PO is entered, new PO's are entered with a 90 day inventory. As you can see, we don't TRY to run out of them.


that's the one thing that drives me nuts about them. i'll admit i had one issue with a return that i wasn't too happy about...it actually drove me to cancel my order for the next $500 worth of car gear that i had placed, and probably will mean i won't purchase stuff from them unless i really need it from here on out. but the a2-300 is something that i do need...and its a great value. so ill be getting that and calling it a day.

I won't speak publically about a specific issue between a customer and the company as that's private information and is in poor taste for a company representative to disclose.


they just have a few business practices they need to change and they'll be good to go. they could use some help with their pre-orders too though. april 1 - "you'll have it in 90 days!", may 1 - "you'll have it in 90 days!", may 13 - "you'll have it in 90 days!", may 14th - "uh, yeah, cancel that order for me"

For the 13Av.2 we've never said 90 days after April.

It has always been mid-June ~ early-July and we're still completely on that schedule. No one should have been saying 90 days 2 weeks ago.

The problem comes when you ask one person with a finite amount of time to build 20 A3/A5-300 cabinets, 10 A2-300 cabinets, 8 A2-250's, 5 A3-250's, 10 tC side mounts, and 12 xB underseat boxes. Oh, and also if he could do all custom boxes that are actually ordered/paid for as a priority over stocking inventory, that would be nice. We have people from the sales office back there all the time trying to help him catch up. Sometimes we stay late trying to get a stocked inventory of boxes. I've stayed until 11pm several nights just making boxes so this exact thing doesn't happen.

Hi Chris,

Why just one person? This seems to be a large contribution to the bottleneck that is affecting delivery times, moreso than inventory control or supply line management.

I ask because a good friend of mine is mid-process in building out a theater and has asked me for a good budget conscious alternative. The A5-300 looks like a good choice on paper at least, but I'd hate to make a recommendation and have him go thru heck just to get it delivered.

Thanks in advance.


Tim

Hi Chris,

Why just one person? This seems to be a large contribution to the bottleneck that is affecting delivery times, moreso than inventory control or supply line management.

I ask because a good friend of mine is mid-process in building out a theater and has asked me for a good budget conscious alternative. The A5-300 looks like a good choice on paper at least, but I'd hate to make a recommendation and have him go thru heck just to get it delivered.

Thanks in advance.


Tim

Their is such a thing as a business expanding too fast. I think they are handling it properly. They need to ensure that the demand they are seeing is sustainable over a period of time before expanding. What would happen if they expanded right now to meet the surge in orders and then found out that the surge wasn't sustainable? Expanding too fast has put many small business out of business.

Tim,

Greg pretty much nailed it.

The original sale of A2-300's killed us. We sold more than 100 of the things in 3 days. That had us backed up for months. At that point in time we could only paint 4 things every 4 days. Now we can get somewhere around 16 things out every 2 days. Works out to about 8x faster in paint which is a good thing.

Now we're to the point that it's very possible we could get ahead of the game with only JJ in the back and occasional help from up front, but hiring a second person back there just wouldn't make sense yet.

We're constantly investing in better hardware for the back. We now have a giant compressor anchored to the concrete, we've run 3 separate lines from the circuit box to the back so that the CNC doesn't bog down when you turn on the router, and we have a new dust collection system. Purchasing items to make the woodshop more efficient comes before we hire additional people.

We really are efficient enough now that we can catch up, it's just a matter of nothing breaking or buying something new that needs to be installed to work again. Right now, I'm pretty sure we're at that point. In 2 weeks time we should have a stocked inventory of everything that we're shipping on a regular basis.

The A7 series subs will still be a built to order kind of thing, but that's just because they take up soooo much space and are quite a bit more time consuming to build. If we can inventory enough of the smaller ones though, we could probably start keeping a couple of them on hand as well.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know.

Oh, A5-300's there are a few built right now, just need to get rounded over and painted. Should have a couple in inventory mid/late next week.

Thanks Chris for the reasoned reply. I'm glad you took my comments in the right light, not meant to be derogatory.

I'll be in touch if he wants to go with you guys. (I kinda hope so, because I'd love to hear/measure one of your products installed.)


Tim

Hopefully by summer's end I will be added to the number of A2-300 owners so stock up CHRIS! :D

I've done plenty of work for manufacturing,etc companies and the layman consumer has no clue how companies work..many expect,"POOF HERE IT IS!" And just can't understand why you have to wait on a truck to arrive for new inventory... :rolleyes:

For the 13Av.2 we've never said 90 days after April.

It has always been mid-June ~ early-July and we're still completely on that schedule. No one should have been saying 90 days 2 weeks ago.


got that from alex. i was never told a specific month or period of time listed by months...always was told in days.

Im sorry for any confusion.

I think I should have worded it differently.

When I gave days. It was days from the original estimate of 90 days.

Which should still be around end of June.

I have had a cerwin vega 10inch powered sub for over 10 years and searching for a new sub. I will use this sub for mid bass.

BETWEEN the A2,A3 AND A5 which subwoofer has the better quality jump. noticeable to the human ear and not going on numbers. Since i can't hear them, is the difference between the A2 and A3 more noticeable than the A3 and A5?

I have read the stats of each on your web site and understand them. I just don't know how those numbers relate to hearing them. I really think any of the 3 would be an improvement.

price of course is better with the A2. size is better for my application with the a3 and a5.
room size is 14.5ft. x 21.5ft. x 9ft.

any witnessed opinions of these subs would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

I received my A2 yesterday. What an upgrade from what I had. It's nice to "feel" the movie now as well as having much cleaner bass. I put on Reign of Fire a little bit ago and my wife came in and said that stuff is rattling in the house :)

BTW, I also bought 3 of their MTM speakers to replace my front and center speakers. They don't have a Bi-pole surround speaker so I got a couple of Polk FXi3's. I am very pleased with the sub and speakers that I bought from eD.

I just ordered an a3-300.

I'm curious as to how this thing is going to take to get to me, hopefully not too long as I'm lacking a sub since my HSU died a couple of weeks ago.

I just ordered an a3-300.

I'm curious as to how this thing is going to take to get to me, hopefully not too long as I'm lacking a sub since my HSU died a couple of weeks ago.
I ordered one Sunday June17, it's been in the wood shop since Monday.

I sent them an email tonight after work to try and get an estimated arrival time.

I'll post back tomorrow if I get a reply.

These estimates from eD's site are for after the unit has been built.

eD to California : 4-5 Business Days for Ground Shipping
eD to Michigan : 2-3 Business Days for Ground Shipping
eD to Florida : 4-5 Business Days for Ground Shipping
eD to Texas : 3-4 Business Days for Ground Shipping

eD to California : 4-5 Business Days for Ground Shipping
eD to Michigan : 2-3 Business Days for Ground Shipping
eD to Florida : 4-5 Business Days for Ground Shipping
eD to Texas : 3-4 Business Days for Ground ShippingWow...after it goes all those places, it'll eventually showup at your door about 25 days later :p

I ordered one towards the end of May and it took 15 or 16 days from the day it was ordered to show up at my door. It was worth the wait.

Darn, I guess I'm getting the shaft. I ordered an A3-300 on 4/27. They said 2 weeks, I'm still waiting.

Mine was an A2-300. I don't know if that makes a difference.

Darn, I guess I'm getting the shaft. I ordered an A3-300 on 4/27. They said 2 weeks, I'm still waiting.

That worries me a bit, but I guess I can wait.

Darn, I guess I'm getting the shaft. I ordered an A3-300 on 4/27. They said 2 weeks, I'm still waiting.
I'd give them a call if I were you, something seems amiss with having to wait that long.

I thought they were caught up for the most part on the backorders.

Darn, I guess I'm getting the shaft. I ordered an A3-300 on 4/27. They said 2 weeks, I'm still waiting.


Hello Sir,

Give me a call at 641.792.2501. I will be more than happy to look into the situation and make sure we can get it remedied for you.

Thank you.

Alex Lindeman
Elemental Designs
alexl@edesignaudio.com

Darn, I guess I'm getting the shaft. I ordered an A3-300 on 4/27. They said 2 weeks, I'm still waiting.

Nah, like I mentioned yesterday, it was a bit of a mixup in the shipping dept. where your order was moved to shipped after being set to our Box Under Construction status, so in our system it was simply marked as shipped.

Your sub will actually be going out later today as it came out of the paint booth yesterday.

As for anyone wondering if this could happen in the future, it won't. I've made sure that the shipping software gives warnings if everything on an order isn't shipped. I've also gone through all old orders to make sure all boxes were shipped out.

I just received an email stating that my a3-300 will go out in 1-2 weeks. It sounds like the backup has been resolved and hopefully I'll have it in hand by early July.

I thought it was resolved months ago...??

I thought it was resolved last months ago...??

Super huge delays were resolved.

Right now, we're able to build them as they're ordered. Everytime we finish a production run of them, they're all sold.

We had a single extra A2-300 this morning and out the door it went within about 5 seconds of assembly.

Received a reply today from Chris;

"We have a batch of those going into paint in the next couple days. Yours should ship out in about a week."

It would be nice to have it before the 4th of July, then I'd have all of the 4th to play with it.

oops sorry for my bad english in the last post..eek!

Nah, like I mentioned yesterday, it was a bit of a mixup in the shipping dept. where your order was moved to shipped after being set to our Box Under Construction status, so in our system it was simply marked as shipped.

Your sub will actually be going out later today as it came out of the paint booth yesterday.

As for anyone wondering if this could happen in the future, it won't. I've made sure that the shipping software gives warnings if everything on an order isn't shipped. I've also gone through all old orders to make sure all boxes were shipped out.

Thanks for looking into it. I got the tracking number today. I was warned up front that I would have to wait for an A3, but the A2's were ready to ship. I was waiting for a receiver anyways, so I didn't think it would be a big deal. Then the receiver arrived... I was just surprised when others were getting theirs while I was still waiting.

Once again sir.

We are sorry for the delay, and got yours out right away.

In all about 15 HT cabinets shipped yesterday. It was fun packaging those in 90+ degree weather and 159% humidity. :)

maybe the others ordered before you,igo...hmmm. :rolleyes:

Does Elemental Designs have "B-Stock" or outlet for Home Audio subwoofers? I could not find one on their website.

Once again sir.

We are sorry for the delay, and got yours out right away.

In all about 15 HT cabinets shipped yesterday. It was fun packaging those in 90+ degree weather and 159% humidity. :)

Are A3's taking 1-2 weeks to build?

I want to upgrade my 10" STF-2 HSU sub to a 12" sub. How much is the difference in sound/bass quality between A5-300, A3-300 and A2-300? I don't need max output but need lower extension. How much would the difference be from the HSU I currently own? How do these sub compare to 12" HSU and SVS subs? Are these subs good for muisc ? My HT room is 20 *11*8 with an opening that leads to a small foyer.

I want to upgrade my 10" STF-2 HSU sub to a 12" sub. How much is the difference in sound/bass quality between A5-300, A3-300 and A2-300? I don't need max output but need lower extension. How much would the difference be from the HSU I currently own? How do these sub compare to 12" HSU and SVS subs? Are these subs good for muisc ? My HT room is 20 *11*8 with an opening that leads to a small foyer.


I'll let you know how the A3 compares when I get it in a week or two. I'm also upgrading from an stf-2.

Are A3's taking 1-2 weeks to build?

Right now they're about that. We have a full production run ordered that will be coming out of the paint room tomorrow, but they've all been purchased.

I think we'll be temporarily caught up after that but I haven't checked orders over the weekend :)

Which edesign sub is on par in terms of performance in both music and movies to the HSU VTF-3 MK3? How someone compared any of the edesign subs to the HSU VTF-3 subs?

Right now they're about that. We have a full production run ordered that will be coming out of the paint room tomorrow, but they've all been purchased.

I think we'll be temporarily caught up after that but I haven't checked orders over the weekend :)

Personally I think y'all need some surplus inventory. :D

For those of you considering ordering an ED sub, this is my turnaround time for an A2-300 sub:

Order date: June 6 2007
Box under construction date: June 7 2007
In woodshop date: June 7 2007
Sub shipped: June 21 2007
Little slow for my tastes, but it may be worth this wait once I get the sub. :)

I have not received my sub yet. No FedEx update since June 22. Estimated delivery date is June 26.

Issues handled very well with the real-time online support. This function is very helpful, and I used it on multiple occasions for updates on the sub. We'll see how the tech support is once I get my sub and try to calibrate for my listening area.

Looking forward to testing out this sub.

Personally I think y'all need some surplus inventory. :D


That is the thing, if we go into a surplus inventory of 40 HT cabinets, by the time they come out of paint, 99% of them sold during the production time. :)

That is the thing, if we go into a surplus inventory of 40 HT cabinets, by the time they come out of paint, 99% of them sold during the production time. :)


Then make more :D

Just giving you a hard time.

JP

right now I'm simply debating whether to keep my JVC towers;do some research and find similar timbred center towers and get a higher dollar sub w/ QS8 surrounds or spend that cash to get all new fronts with a `budget' sub and QS8 surrounds...too much thinking!! :o

My A3-300 arrived today 6/28, was shipped yesterday.

My wife hates the finish, good thing its' going in a corner. :)

So far I've only hooked it up to verify that it's working.

I am selling my pretty looking Klipsch RW-12 front firing sub this weekend for $290. It is in excellent shape but I wanted more bass. I have ordered the A3-300 for $450. I hope the extra $160 expense is worth it. And, my wife is out of town for a while - so I hope she does not mind the finish ;-)

My A3-300 arrived a couple days ago. It make my previous 8" look sad(which it is). Taller than I was expecting. I don't mind the finish, though I can understand how some would. Wife actually likes the finish as well. Bass is deep and tight, and sounds wonderful.

I have an A3-300 on order also. how long have you guys waited from order to delivered?

I have an A3-300 on order also. how long have you guys waited from order to delivered?

Mine arrived 11 days after I placed the order.

I'd say expect at least a 2 week wait, unless you get lucky and there were a few left over from the last production run when you order.

There are a few going in to paint today I believe. Like brijenjas said though, about a 2 week wait from ordering at the longest.

There are a few going in to paint today I believe. Like brijenjas said though, about a 2 week wait from ordering at the longest.

With any luck one of those is mine :)

Cool!!
hopefully mine too.

Cool!!
hopefully mine too.

When did you place your order? I put my order in on the 20th, so I'm at 13 days counting today. Two weeks!

June 23 is when i placed my order.

Ordered my A5 - 300 on the 22nd. I hope it will be here later this week. =)

Ordered my A5 - 300 on the 22nd. I hope it will be here later this week. =)

I doubt you will get it this week if it hasn't shipped yet, given the holiday.

Is there a way to determine which Ed sub will work for a particular room? i.e. A2-250, A2-300, A3-250 etc? Thanks.

I ordered my 5.1 system including an A2-300 on 06/28/07. My sub shipped yesterday - 07/05/07.

Is there a way to determine which Ed sub will work for a particular room? i.e. A2-250, A2-300, A3-250 etc? Thanks.


Feel free to give us a call at 641.792.2501.

We would be more than happy to discuss options for your room.

Thank you.

Feel free to give us a call at 641.792.2501.

We would be more than happy to discuss options for your room.

Thank you.

He means that. They stayed on the phone and patiently answered all of my questions spread out over 2 calls. I have been very happy with my purchase.

I ordered my A3-300 on 6/28. The status still says - In Woodshop. It said that starting from 6/28. Anybody else that ordered around that time, have a different status? I am without a sub now since I already sold my Klipsch RW12. The movies don't sound the same!!

I ordered my A3-300 on 6/28. The status still says - In Woodshop. It said that starting from 6/28. Anybody else that ordered around that time, have a different status? I am without a sub now since I already sold my Klipsch RW12. The movies don't sound the same!!
I'm sure you've got about another weeks wait. Good things come to those who wait, ask the people i demo'd my eD sub for over the 4th, Star Wars I Pod race scene, it rocked!!!

What would you recomand me as sub for listening music (mainly) and sometimes DVD in a large room (30*18*10) ?
3 models (at affodable price) are well considered in AVS forum, I suppose they are very good (the owners are telling goods in the audioreview site) but I didnot found any comparative review :
HSU VTF-3MK3
SVS 12 NSD
ED A5 300
I am too far from the factories (Paris) to envisage a return.
Have you already compared them ?
Many thanks.

Received my A2-300 over the weekend. Bulid quality is excellent. I don't mind the finish, some will not like it I imagine. It appears very similiar to truckbed liner finish. Very impressed with bass from the unit. So far, I've only listened to music in 2.1 mode with eD's A6-6T6 towers crossed around 55-60. Clean crisp sound not at all muddy. I'm quite pleased. Solid value for the money.

Need I say more? These subs are no longer <$300...too bad!

I don't know how much the a3-300 was before the price increase (I'm guessing 349ish?) but at $450 with free delivery and no tax, I think I got a good deal.

I know it's actually the 500's review but with all the `word-of-mouth- ED needs to expand it's crew and get ready for a ton of orders!

http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/elemental_designs_a5300.htm

I might have to go for the 500 myself!

Alex ,

any chance we'll se a freq. resp. chart for the 500 on the site soon?? :confused: :D

Is there a way to determine which Ed sub will work for a particular room? i.e. A2-250, A2-300, A3-250 etc? Thanks.

I think it's depend on much bass you want to have in your setup. I would say A2-250=small, A2-300=medium-large, A3-250=medium-large (same as A2-250, but more amp juice), and any eD above that is best with large theater room I would say. I got the A2-300 in my ~2800 cubic feet living room with connected kitchens and laundry room and it fills it up quite nice. Also, it can handles that PULSE scene (down to 16 Hz) quite good. What i can say, i love that beast :D ! Now, you guys go order those beasts :p.

thanks skool, this is exactly the informative and comparative information I needed.

Ya, when the initial pricing on the A2-300 was out, I also bought a 5.1 setup which dropped another 15% off on my total. So price wise, my A2-300 was 200.00 haha.

I think those who are starting out with HT setup should definitely consider their custom HT build discount where you can save 15% on the whole 5.1 setup, which imo is an excellent deal considering everything listed include shipping.

I know it's actually the 500's review but with all the `word-of-mouth- ED needs to expand it's crew and get ready for a ton of orders!

http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/elemental_designs_a5300.htm

I might have to go for the 500 myself!

Alex ,

any chance we'll se a freq. resp. chart for the 500 on the site soon?? :confused: :D

I'm not Alex, he's somewhere in Wisconsin right now.

I didn't realize that one didn't make it up. I'll see that we can get one up as soon as we can catch up on everything else around the office.

sweet, not to bug ya but I'm sure everyone would love to see one on ALL of the HT subs. :D

not tryin' ta hassle ye! :p

sweet, not to bug ya but I'm sure everyone would love to see one on ALL of the HT subs. :D

not tryin' ta hassle ye! :p

We did them all...I remember how annoying it was, just didn't realize that not all of them made it to the site.

lol... i'm going to bite my tongue right now


it has nothing to do w/ outside... it has everything to do that everyone can't rely on room gain

Yes....and I don't have your room or his room or their room or Jack's room or Jill's room. I wish I had a acoustically neutral room...That would be great.

Hmmm did I miss a sale or something? I don't see any subs for under $300. I was looking at the A2 - 250 as an alternative to the X-sub.

Hmmm did I miss a sale or something? I don't see any subs for under $300. I was looking at the A2 - 250 as an alternative to the X-sub.

this thread is over a year old, the last post was almost 5 months ago...

this thread is over a year old, the last post was almost 5 months ago...

Yep. At the time the thread began, there were subs available under $300, but there was extremely high demand and very low supply. Therefore, the prices rose.

The Elemental Designs subs are still a bargain IMHO. The A2-250 @ $300 shipped and A2-300 @ $350 shipped is hard to beat IMHO.

i am a sub noob. i basically just know i need one. what the heck are the main differences between the a2-300 and the a3-300? much thanks. later.

i am a sub noob. i basically just know i need one. what the heck are the main differences between the a2-300 and the a3-300? much thanks. later.

The A3 300 has a 350watt amp whereas the A2 300 has a 200watt amp.

I got the A2-300 and it shakes the house.

Yep. At the time the thread began, there were subs available under $300, but there was extremely high demand and very low supply. Therefore, the prices rose.

HAHA...not much has changed in a year :)

The A5-350 is the A2-300 of 2007 for us. Except we've got about 3x the orders for them as we did A2-300's and we won't be backordered until May this year ;)

The A3 300 has a 350watt amp whereas the A2 300 has a 200watt amp.


thanks. they appear to be different shapes/sizes too. is that correct?

so the question is which one do i get. the room is 2000 cubic feet with primary use being movies.

later.

thanks. they appear to be different shapes/sizes too. is that correct?

so the question is which one do i get. the room is 2000 cubic feet with primary use being movies.

later.

I've been told that if you have the room then get the A2 because the 12" in it can go lower than the 10" in the A3.

I've been told that if you have the room then get the A2 because the 12" in it can go lower than the 10" in the A3.

yep, that is my understanding as well.

thanks. they appear to be different shapes/sizes too. is that correct?

so the question is which one do i get. the room is 2000 cubic feet with primary use being movies.

later.

I would give them a call, but I suspect either model would suffice. Both have 12" drivers and have about the same size box (the A2 is slightly deeper, whereas the A3 is slightly taller). Your room is decent size, but not ridiculous.

Based on the tests done by Craigsub for home theater usage, I suspect you would be very happy with the A2-300. That is the model I selected (my room is slightly smaller than yours). I will let you know in about a week when it arrives :)

I've been told that if you have the room then get the A2 because the 12" in it can go lower than the 10" in the A3.

The A2-300 and the A3-300 both have 12" drivers. The A2-250 and the A3-250 both have 10" drivers. It comes down to whether or not you have the space to support a 12" driver (size of box) vs a 10" driver and whether or not you want the extra wattage from the amp.

The A2-300 and the A3-300 both have 12" drivers. The A2-250 and the A3-250 both have 10" drivers. It comes down to whether or not you have the space to support a 12" driver (size of box) vs a 10" driver and whether or not you want the extra wattage from the amp.

Oops, my bad. I thought he was comparing the 2 at the same price point.

I got the A2-300 and it shakes the house.


nice. that sounds like what i need. thanks for the tips everyone. later.

aham23, better order it by year end. prices go up on the 1st of jan.

i will. maybe today. my HT basement finishing project has not even started, but i have equipment rolling in left and right. buying stuff is fun :). later.

aham23, better order it by year end. prices go up on the 1st of jan.

How do you know for sure prices go up next year?
Thx

How do you know for sure prices go up next year?
Thx

Because it says so on their blog...

http://blog.edesignaudio.com/?p=197

Drama

now it's $375! :mad:

The A2-300 is on sale now for $315. Since I have a Crown XLS-402 amp with one channel free (300 watts) I ordered a custom A2-300 without the amp. I also upgraded the sub from a K-series to an O-series and the total came out to $300 with shipping. They have also improved their finish. The new finish is supposed to be much "finer" than the previous, so hopefully it won't look so truckbed liner-esque. Placed the order May 12 and when I called today they claimed it should be very close to shipping. These past two weeks have been very trying!

Is it worth it to get the A2-300 over the H-100? I mean, $75 bucks is a lot of money.

I can't speak for the H-100, I did consider buying that over my A3-250. I had my A3-250 for about a year now, I have no complaints....The quality of the bass this sub pumps out is great. The ED subs are solidly built, some people don't like the black brick look....but these things are built to last. My A3-250 is a 10" sub, and it has no problem getting down. The ED subs are beasts, you wont be disappointed if you get one.

Jeff-

Anybody else? It's just so hard to decide...:(

Anybody else? It's just so hard to decide...:(

whats so hard about it?

Anybody else? It's just so hard to decide...:(

I think you'll hear a universal "yes, the extra $75 is worth it" in this case. It's probably not a fair fight between the two subs. If you're hoping to hear "no, stick with the cheaper, inferior sub" I doubt you'll get that.

This is as much about sub performance as it is your budget, though. So if you're sweating the $75 extra I think you know your answer. There's always a bigger, better sub out there for more money.

Is it worth it to get the A2-300 over the H-100? I mean, $75 bucks is a lot of money.

Yes, it is.

What makes it so much better though?

Pretty much everything..

Only downside for the ed is the finish and extra price.

So when does the sale on this sub end? I really hope it is still the same price tomorrow.

ah man, couple months into my onkyo sr800 sub its starting to sound all the same, ...
...
need better bass... ugh, i think wife would notice the shape change tho... ah...

So when does the sale on this sub end? I really hope it is still the same price tomorrow.

I spoke with a member of the chat team on Friday. He did not know any exact date but he thought 2 more weeks give or take.

I'm waiting to sell my old Elemental Designs E12A for an A2-300. I decided to spend my money more on the amplifier and speakers than the sub due to the fact I still like my neighbors.

eD just shipped my sub today! I ordered on 5/12. They claim the extra time was due to the two custom adjustments I made (no amp and an upgraded O-series driver).

Next thing I have to decide is how to power the sucker. I've got a Crown XLS-402 amp that's 300w x 2 or... 900 freaking watts bridged!! The original plan was to use the amp to power my sub and center channel @ 300w (I've got another 402 powering my PSB Goldi towers) but I'm thinking that I might bridge the amp and give all that power to the sub because my center is small (it has 4" drivers or so) and my receiver is decent at 130w (Onkyo 805). What do y'all think? Equal 300w across the entire front soundstage or 900w going to the sub? For the record, the sub is rated at 400w, but using the 2.5x rule I think it'll manage just fine.

Well, I just placed an order for one. Thanks for the help guys!

For people that ordered an A2-300, how long did it take to get it?

Mine took about 2 weeks from order to sitting at my door. I love it. It's such a big step up from what I had before. Mind you, it's huge, but it will go low with authority.

Just buy it.

Mine took about 2 weeks from order to sitting at my door. I love it. It's such a big step up from what I had before. Mind you, it's huge, but it will go low with authority.

Just buy it.

Awesome, I thought it was going to take longer.

I bet a lot of people have recently clicked on this thread when they saw the title, expecting to see new subs.

I got my A2-300 1.5 yrs ago and it is still kicking ass. The tuff finish comes in handy with the kids ;). One thing that I did notice was when I was moving, I placed the sub on its side for an extended amount of time and it "flattened" the finish if you will.

I don't need a real powerful amp to power this thing do I? It's only going to be a 2.1 system, probably with Polk Monitor 50's.

I don't need a real powerful amp to power this thing do I? It's only going to be a 2.1 system, probably with Polk Monitor 50's.

To power the subwoofer? No. This is an "active" subwoofer; it has its own amp, you'll use the AVR's subwoofer pre-out - no power there, just signal.

I got my custom A2-300 yesterday. They're putting a new, "smoother" finish on their subs now, and it really doesn't look bad at all. Not even close to "truckbed liner" as some have likened it. A very smart move on eD's part.

can't wait to get my pair. nice to hear the "revised" finish looks better and is well received.

new,smoother finish, slightly more powerful amp...awesome deal!

can't wait to get my pair. nice to hear the "revised" finish looks better and is well received.

new,smoother finish, slightly more powerful amp...awesome deal!

Me too. Hopefully Paypal with finally send the money to eD so they can get started.

So how is the A2-300 with music? I see Craigsub didn't give it all that high a rating, 39 points for music, vs. 44 for the X-sub, which I guess works out to about a 25% difference according to his 3 points = 15%. What does everybody think, is it at least pretty good?

I got my custom A2-300 yesterday. They're putting a new, "smoother" finish on their subs now, and it really doesn't look bad at all. Not even close to "truckbed liner" as some have likened it. A very smart move on eD's part.

i have 2 of the a2-300s
got last summer. one has a glossy finish the other is flat.
didnt really notice until i moved 2 mnts ago.
they definately dont match in my new house
need to figure out a way to cover them up, cant change placement
any ideas?

i have 2 of the a2-300s
got last summer. one has a glossy finish the other is flat.
didnt really notice until i moved 2 mnts ago.
they definately dont match in my new house
need to figure out a way to cover them up, cant change placement
any ideas?

What do you mean by cover them up? Paint them?

any pics of the new finish from an owner?

My A2-300 is pending shipment, i'll take pics when I get it.

Just ordered an A2 - 300 Subwoofer myself. I decided on a $500 HSU (VTF-2 MK3) a while back but after checking the reviews here and the little comparison by craigsub I decided to save a couple of hundred dollars. I still hate the look but if it performs as well as all of you say then I guess I can live with a little ugliness. We will see in 3 or 4 weeks!

just throw a table cloth or something over it if you truly don't like the finish/doesn't match decor. Put a plant or picture frames on top and you're good to go! Or use it as an ottoman!

any pics of the new finish from an owner?
I'll take plenty of pics tonight when I get home.

I am on the verge of ordering one of these for my 13 ft 10 in by 12 ft 4 in with a angled ceiling starting at 8ft to 12 ft... I would appreciate some pics of the new finish bc that is my only real hang out...

I could cover it with some cloth... hmmm :rolleyes:

I am on the verge of ordering one of these for my 13 ft 10 in by 12 ft 4 in with a angled ceiling starting at 8ft to 12 ft... I would appreciate some pics of the new finish bc that is my only real hang out...

I could cover it with some cloth... hmmm :rolleyes:

heres the finish of my eD A5-350

I've read that ED switched to a finer texture paint so their new subs should look better if thats the case.

Didn't change the finish...just got a guy in there who is insanely good at being perfectly consistent :)

I am a week away from ordering my A2-300 to match with B&W 685 bookshelf speakers and am wondering if anyone has any opinions on pairing these together? Will I have enough highs and mids to go with the low rumble of the A2-300 monster?..... My AVR is yamaha HTR-5650 which auto crosses at 90 Hz..... and should I go with the line level crossing at AVR or speaker level? If I go speaker level I can put the A2-300 on my fronts set to large and put my B&W 685 on rear channels set to small even though i would be using them as fronts of course. This unit has a 6 channel stereo mode which i use now instead of 2 channel stereo because the sound is better IMO. The B&W 685 would then play down to 90 Hz and i could adjust crossover at A2-300 instead of at AVR. So to line level or not to line level........

Oh ya and many thanks to the guys at Ed for answering all my questions too....

Didn't change the finish...just got a guy in there who is insanely good at being perfectly consistent :)

Hi All, I just received my A2-300 yesterday, and I Think it is a very good product as a whole, I haven't played to much with it yet. It will definitely shake my condo with ease! Packaging was good, except they don't provide any paperwork at all with the sub woofer. No receipt of purchase, no manual, no warning material, nothing. Seems like a professional product would have some of this. Here is mine.
http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q431/Damarcman/1.jpg

Also I quoted Chris above because I have a problem which I haven't yet brought to their attention (even though I'm sure they could see it before they shipped it to me) Their perfectly consistent finish isn't so perfect. It's hard to get a good shot because of the flash, but the front right top corner instead of being the consistent tiny bumpy texture, looks as if someone rubbed the texture while it was still wet. This smoothed it out, almost like it was sanded down. (probably in the worst spot possible cause it will always be seen)
http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q431/Damarcman/3.jpg
http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q431/Damarcman/4.jpg
http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q431/Damarcman/5.jpg
Also on left side, another what looks like scuff marks...
http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q431/Damarcman/6.jpg

I'm not disappointed that I purchased the A2-300 in the least, for $315 shipped you do get one hell of a Sub. And I knew it wasn't the prettiest sub out there by any means. But I am disappointed that they would allow such an obvious blemish get shipped.

And one question that I think I already know the answer of... Plugging one RCA wire from receiver pre-out Sub to either of the Right or left "line-in" on the sub is sufficient right? No type of splitter needed? (that's something a manual could say if it had one)

Packaging was good, except they don't provide any paperwork at all with the sub woofer. No receipt of purchase, no manual, no warning material, nothing.

Yeah, that's kind of a drag I think. They have some information on their site, and some at ICIX, but it's not easily collected in one place online. On the plus side, you can call them and they'll walk you through anything you need.

I'm not disappointed that I purchased the A2-300 in the least, for $315 shipped you do get one hell of a Sub. And I knew it wasn't the prettiest sub out there by any means. But I am disappointed that they would allow such an obvious blemish get shipped.

I have to say that might be the first pic I've seen of a blemished sub on here, non-shipping related. I know they do QC the finish, because i bought a B-Stock sub from them. Not sure what happened with yours.

And one question that I think I already know the answer of... Plugging one RCA wire from receiver pre-out Sub to either of the Right or left "line-in" on the sub is sufficient right? No type of splitter needed? (that's something a manual could say if it had one)

Should be sufficient, yes. Once it's calibrated, if you run into any oddities, like the AUTO/ON not kicking on, or a bit low on SPL, try a splitter.

I have had mine a couple of weeks now and performance wise I love it. It makes my entire set up sound ridiculously better and the next time I buy a sub eD is definitely at the top of my list.

That said, the finish on mine is fairly poor. It looks like the substance was put on too thick in some parts, and it looks pretty bad on some of the edges. That said, I don't really care. The finish, even if done perfect, is ugly. I knew that going in.

But as I said, I will probably still go eD in the future. Even if things change and I don't want an ugly sub I will stick with them as the price to performance ratio is ridiculous.

And oh, I too had trouble with the auto on feature. I went with a 'Y' splitter and turned down the volume on the sub while jacking it up on the receiver. Worked like a charm. Thanks again to whomever recommended the volume thing to me. So simple and obvious but people don't seem to think about it.

I've pretty much decided on an A2-300 as the sub for my HT setup, because the thing is just clearly the best option for the price range. How much does shipping run? Just trying to budget.

I've pretty much decided on an A2-300 as the sub for my HT setup, because the thing is just clearly the best option for the price range. How much does shipping run? Just trying to budget.

Shipping is included in the price in the US 48 states. Outside that, give them a call to get a quote.