Is the PB13-Ultra overkill for my application?

This should be in the 13 Ultra thread.

Your neighbours will despise you and your 13 Ultra

My neighbors house is literally 3-4 feet from mine and they heard me playing the Kanye West CD with my PB13 and complained... I am still getting a PC13 to go with it and my room is about 2000 sq/feet. Overkill is relative.

If I had it to do all over I would have gone for something smaller like the PC13 because of the smaller footprint then I would not need another sub to cancel out room modes from hell.

Fortunately, I have not had any real complaints, only some minor observations made by my neighbor. I have gone out in my back yard and could hear the subs pumping pretty well, but no major issues yet.

I don't think the answer to that question could ever be yes. :P

Stay away from the Kanye west cd... Love Lockdown has a bass line that kills.

I see you have 2 PB13's. I am considering adding a PC13 but I would not co-locate, I would use it to fix my in room response. Was the second one a big inprovement? I am deciding between a second Ultra or a new recliner, love seat and Buttkickers.

we should get a sticky up ... or at least a message that pops up before you start a thread:

"NO, there's no such thing as overkill"

I would recommend two cheaper subs than one expensive.

A few universal rules when reading/posting on this thread:

1. There is no such thing as overkill. Everyone who regulars this forum is such an audiophile the concept of audio moderation is foreign to them.

Normal answer: The PB-13 ultra is going to be very very nice, but you could probably get away with something like the epik Knight, Tower, or Av123's MFW 15 and still feel very very good.

AVS answer: WTF get two of them, or two Epik conquests!

2. If you have a question, the answer has probably already been posted elsewhere unless you have a degree in Subwooferology with a minor in Home Theatre.

I cant say it's what I would do in the end, but in your situation I might go for the PB12+. The case could be made regarding SQ, but I'm sure the 12+ has plenty to offer. Unless your unit/condo is sound proofed very well, your apt to get into trouble regardless which one you go with if MV is to high. The + will be well beyond what you have been running. None the same, the 13Ultra would be sweet choice and a choice you wouldn't regret if you stayed in the MV safe zone.

HUH? I am no expert but I always have heard 1 better one is best because then you can always get a second one but you can never improve the extension or SQ of the lesser ones if you went that route.

I tend to agree with this philosophy. You rarely hear anyone regretting that they bought too good of a sub. You do see some regretting that they didn't buy a better one.

You do, however, hear of people regretting that they bought too big of a sub (physically). An issue I am currently debating myself.

That is another issue altogether and is usually a WAF issue.

Seriously you will never be able to use that sub in a townhouse or an apartment. If you are on the bottom floor, and can invite your neighbors over for a "movie night" occasionally then maybe. Otherwise I wouldn't advise getting something even half its size. Be respectful of your apartment dwelling neighbors. People don't live next to others by "choice" but most of the time out of necessity.

-Chad

FWIW I have an Epik Tower which offers comparable performance. My house is on a concrete slab, and I am in a single family detached home. My neighbor who lives about 60 feet away said that in his driveway he could "feel" the earth moving when I was playing 300 at reference levels. You seriously think in an apartment you could use even 1/4 of the performance of a PB13? Save your money

In an apartment, an SB12+ is fine. A killer sub is nothing but frustration with neighbors close by.

I do agree that you can't have too much sub, but I do think that you can have overkill, and the additional money can be spent elswhere, or saved. I was all set to buy the PB13 Ultra, but came to the realization with my room size (small) and my listening habbits (generally -15 sometimes -10 below reference), the PB12+ was enough for my room. Sure enough, it is perfect for my situation, and I saved $400.

Either the Ultra or the PB-12 + (among others), can bring complaints from your neighbors. You have to exercise control in your situation.

You decided a week ago that you wanted the Ultra. Then you got sidetracked with the Outlaw EX sale. What happened to that?

There is also an intangible, known as pride of ownership. Virtually every PB-13 Ultra owner seems to exhibit pride of ownership.

Since there are a handful of models that can get you into trouble with your neighbors, you ought to let your fiance buy you the Ultra and be done with it. SVS may still have free shipping.

Does your townhouse have a basement (that you can finish)?

I am THE POSTER BOY for not making a subwoofer decision to the point that I was basically bared from asking anymore questions. I ended up going with the PB13 Ultra because you literally cant find ONE owner who is unhappy. Some decide they want another but no one ever says they are not confident that they got all the bass they NEED and the customer service they deserve.