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If you HAD to downgrade from a Fathom f113...

post #1 of 33
8/19/11 at 12:04pm
Thread Starter 
Here is my predicament. We just had a baby which I am now realizing comes into play for a couple reasons:

1. Movie watching time (especially at loud volumes) has been cut dramatically and probably will be for the next few years as this is the first kid and a couple more will follow.

2. In about a year he will be walking around pushing every button in sight, touching and sucking on everything, and of course all with dirty snack and slobber covered fingers.

I currently have a Fathom f113 in my living room. It isn't a dedicated theater- just a living room with in-walls and a center channel with decent acoustics. I am realizing now for the next couple years my beautiful f113 will be under-used and under-appreciated. I am not the kind to let is just sit around and depreciate. I would rather sell it (I got a killer deal on it) and use the cash to downgrade to something cheaper and then have some extra cash leftover. In a couple years I can always buy a fathom back for less than the 2k I know I can get out of this beast (Satin in MINT condition with box and accessories).

So I finally get to the point of this thread:
If you HAD to downgrade from an f113 to something in the 1k or less range and no bigger than an f110, WHAT WOULD YOU GET??

I get sad just thinking about it , but the kid is definitely worth it

Here is my living room:

Sub has to go left of the entertainment center.

This was a couple months ago I had two for a couple weeks while I was reselling one of them. Never had time to fully dial them in to compare against a single setup. Bummer.


Let's hear your thoughts!
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post #2 of 33
8/19/11 at 1:06pm
The kid will fetch you more money on the used market than the sub. ;p

First off DANG those subs are sexy -- they are the sexiest subs in the industry...I'm surprised your wife isn't jealous of your affections...are you sure your getting rid of them for the kid?

Personally I wouldn't sell it. My daughter is now 2.5 years old. She never broke anything in my house that's worth fussing over. She enjoys listening to my music and asks me nearly daily to dance with her - which is just turning on the music and running around. She grew up laying on my subwoofer ottoman with four 15 inch woofers playing at reasonable volumes. she'd smile big when we laid her down on it! Your kid might like it and there will be times were you can certainly still listen to loud music or movies after you have a kid! After my kid goes to sleep we can watch a movie at -15 without waking her up. My wife and I do that regularly! If I want to listen to something really loud I just wait until my wife and daughter go shopping or visit my wife's mom or something. The only way I'd sell it is if you need the money ---- or make sure and sell it if you get a kitten. (I will vouch for kittens tearing up subwoofers -something about their claws and subwoofer surrounds --- they are like rare earth magnets when in the same space!)

Here's an old video of my daughter laying on my ottoman subwoofer when she was only a couple months old.

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post #3 of 33
8/19/11 at 1:08pm
SVS SB-12 NSD:

http://www.svsound.com/products-sub-box-sb12nsd.cfm

Should be back in stock in a month. $679 delivered.
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post #4 of 33
8/19/11 at 1:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vanvalks View Post

Here is my predicament. We just had a baby which I am now realizing comes into play for a couple reasons:

1. Movie watching time (especially at loud volumes) has been cut dramatically and probably will be for the next few years as this is the first kid and a couple more will follow.

2. In about a year he will be walking around pushing every button in sight, touching and sucking on everything, and of course all with dirty snack and slobber covered fingers.

Let's hear your thoughts!

Don't sell anything....Pixar has some amazing kids movies that will make use of that sub. My kids are 6 and 3 and don't go anywhere near the electronics or the sub. If you train them "not to touch" as they grow you won't have any problems. Mine get excited watching their movies and the like the way the sub shakes the floor. Every 6 weeks or so they go to grandmas so my wife and I can have a date and movie night where we enjoy watching a movie at very loud levels. Keep that sub !!
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post #5 of 33
8/19/11 at 1:33pm
kids adapt to their environment. If you always play loud movies and music....they'll be able to sleep peacefully in the 'noise'.

So I say don't sell it....
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post #6 of 33
8/19/11 at 3:14pm
+1
don't sell it
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post #7 of 33
8/19/11 at 3:31pm
I've been through it too, and I totally agree with what others have said. Children don't just automatically wreck stuff. If they are given simple limits (don't stick finger in outlet, don't wipe diaper on sub, etc.) they'll adapt.

However, if you want to go with something different, more child-proof, and still nice looking, I wouldn't go smaller. I'd go with a Rythmik D15 SE and use it as a table next to that chair on the right.

If I were just going to go with temporary and sort of F110 size, I'd probably just drop down to the Emotiva Ultra Sub 12 and "suffer".
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post #8 of 33
8/19/11 at 3:39pm
The latest SVS SB12 is great. I got one a while back. Really clean sounding.

What kind of mains did you use with the JLs? That's a heck of a lot of sub for those inwalls...
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post #9 of 33
8/19/11 at 3:45pm
+2, If you sell, you will regret it later. I try to never downgrade. But it was easy for me, I started with a Bose system.
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post #10 of 33
8/19/11 at 3:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vanvalks View Post

So I finally get to the point of this thread:
If you HAD to downgrade from an f113 to something in the 1k or less range and no bigger than an f110, WHAT WOULD YOU GET??

You would get disappointment
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post #11 of 33
8/19/11 at 4:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Avgass View Post

You would get disappointment

well said...
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post #12 of 33
8/19/11 at 4:15pm
^^^^Not to mention he has two F113's!

Don't sell.
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post #13 of 33
8/19/11 at 4:44pm
I agree completely with the "don't sell" crowd.

You'll still utilize the sub, maybe not quite to the extent you did before if you really ran the sub hot, but it'll still be used. And as your kid(s) get older, they'll appreciate the subwoofer(s) as much as you do. My kids sometimes get a little freaked out with my six 15" sub drivers in the theater in a loud Pixar or Disney movie, but the grins on their faces while they're freaking out are worth it. My wife, on the other hand, could do without so much low end, but she puts up with it. And, when my girls are away for a couple of hours, I can run my entire system at more reference levels and sit there with a grin on MY face.
If your system is properly integrated, even at lower volume levels you'll be using the sub, so, again, keep the sub you've got unless you need the cash.
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post #14 of 33
8/19/11 at 4:59pm
I would move to a down-firing sub, maybe an Outlaw Audio LFM-1 EX. That way the kid can't puncture the cone.The cone will be tempting touch to a child- believe me on this! They are easily destroyed.
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post #15 of 33
8/19/11 at 5:10pm
I agree with the consensus of keeping it but if it's gotta go shadyj has a point about downfiring subs with kids and pets. They can destroy a driver. It's much less likely in a downfiring sub. Keep the amp controls facing the back and take a photo of your settings after you spend time dialing it in. This way you can "reset" back to your settings if knobs and switches are moved.
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post #16 of 33
8/19/11 at 5:17pm
I'd keep it. It's right in the midst of electrical cords, so whatever you devise to keep the baby safe from shock keeps the sub safe, too. You can't let babies crawl in fireplaces or bite electrical cords, or climb stairs unsupervised, same thing applies here, high level of supervision, and the first line of safety is, it becomes a gated area.
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post #17 of 33
8/19/11 at 5:32pm
My kids are 5 and 2 now, and both of them were trained at a very young age to not go near the electronics and speakers. I found a toy in a sub port once but other than that I never had any problems.

I agree with the don't sell crowd.
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post #18 of 33
8/19/11 at 6:12pm
I love this thread. The replies have been spot on regarding kids. It is so much fun to sit down and watch a movie with your kid/s and still have your subs/system. My two never touched my system and they are teenagers now.I have to also warn you again you will regret selling anything. I did what you did and later had to buy again.
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post #19 of 33
8/19/11 at 7:10pm
Get a Bose system. That way you have nothing to lose...

Seriously though, I have 4 year old twin boys and I haven't had any trouble with them touching any of my speakers except by accident... and my boys are as ornery as they get.
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post #20 of 33
8/19/11 at 7:15pm
I agree with everyone else as well. Keep it! I have a single f113 and keep the grill on which has hard plastic underneath, preventing actually being able to easily touch the cone. My 2 1/2 year old daughter has been great about leaving it alone and it does add much ooomph to a lot of kids movies! She often asks to watch "boom-boom." That's the scene in finding nemo where Darla is banging on the fish tank glass (chapter 24 or 25 i think).

I will admit the volume has gone down the majority of the time since the kiddo, but that goes for the whole system and the sub still adds an overall better sound and experience.

Good luck and congrats on the kid! They are absolutely the best thing ever!
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post #21 of 33
8/19/11 at 7:30pm
I had. 2 f112s as I thought I would have to sell them as my son was on the way. Turned out that since we sat and watched movies so much while he still in mommys tummy it is now the only thing that will get Him to sit still ( He is two now). The more the room shakes the happier he is! He also is very well behaved at the movie theaters as well
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post #22 of 33
8/19/11 at 8:11pm
I don't like the word "trained" so much. I like to call it "parenting"....a lost art.

I had a family member once say that they weren't going to paint their walls until the kids quit coloring on them. I got news for them....the coloring won't stop until you decide to PARENT!

Anyway, definetely don't sell. My boys are 6 and 6 now and they love reference level movies! They're boys...toys last all of 5 min with them, yet they've never touched a single thing in the theater. All together now...P A R E N T I N G.

Oh, and they sleep through any noise as well. We never tip toed around them, and now don't have to.
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post #23 of 33
8/19/11 at 8:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tony123 View Post
I don't like the word "trained" so much. I like to call it "parenting"....a lost art.

I had a family member once say that they weren't going to paint their walls until the kids quit coloring on them. I got news for them....the coloring won't stop until you decide to PARENT!

Anyway, definetely don't sell. My boys are 6 and 6 now and they love reference level movies! They're boys...toys last all of 5 min with them, yet they've never touched a single thing in the theater. All together now...P A R E N T I N G.

Oh, and they sleep through any noise as well. We never tip toed around them, and now don't have to.
Yep. Do that when they're born so they become tolerant to it. Soon enough they can sleep through the LOTR trilogy.

Don't have kids but have a million nieces and nephews.
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post #24 of 33
8/19/11 at 10:03pm
Thread Starter 
Wow talk about a great community here! I did not expect to see 20+ posts to my thread when I logged in! So it sounds like the major consensus (19 votes for don't sell) is NOT to sell. You all argue some very strong points. I do like the thought of watching movies with my kids and having them love the bass as much as I do. That way I'll have an excuse to turn it up loud and mom won't be able to say anything about it . We are still in the newborn stage right now (4 weeks) and I have watched one movie since he was born and I think I was up every 15 minutes to help with the baby, but I hear it gets easier! I guess I am being a little short sighted. Those Disney and Pixar movies do have some great bass scenes. We are trying not to be quiet around him so that he is able to sleep through anything. Well I think you all have me pretty convinced to keep it!
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post #25 of 33
8/19/11 at 10:50pm
Another successful AVS subwoofer forum intervention
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post #26 of 33
8/20/11 at 3:36am
van, I didn't realize you were in infancy. I remember it all too well. You're doing good right now if you can just SURVIVE!

Hang in there. All will change so fast that its senseless to make kneejerk reactions. By 8 months, mine could get enough of the Pixars and Disneys. I've watched "Monsters, Inc." and "Cars" more than anyone on the planet.
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post #27 of 33
8/24/11 at 1:52pm
Thread Starter 
Surviving thanks to Red Bull and Rockstar . Oh also FYI the TV on the wall will be replaced this week by this one http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+...mise&lp=1&cp=1

This is a genuinely good deal at bestbuy this week. After I sell the Galaxy tab and 3d starter kit I'll be into the TV about 1k. Just a little FYI if anyone is looking for a new TV.
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post #28 of 33
8/24/11 at 3:56pm
I think the responses here are pretty well spot on, but I think his original idea has some merit too.

He can sell those two F113s, pick up a black oak Submersive HP, I'd doubt take much if any noticeable performance hit for his use, not have to worry about fingerprints on the gloss, and still pocket $1K in the bank, which I'm sure will come in handy.
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post #29 of 33
8/24/11 at 4:12pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BiGBADDABOOM View Post

I think the responses here are pretty well spot on, but I think his original idea has some merit too.

He can sell those two F113s, pick up a black oak Submersive HP, I'd doubt take much if any noticeable performance hit for his use, not have to worry about fingerprints on the gloss, and still pocket $1K in the bank, which I'm sure will come in handy.

This might be an option if I had a jumbo theater room, but the f113s are oversized for my room as is (I only have 1 now). I absolutely couldn't put anything in even an inch larger than the f113 or my wife would pack up her stuff, take the kiddo and run!

Also I picked up this f113 used for about $1500 on ebay and it was a killer deal. When I was in the market I was monitoring f113 listings on the bay almost hourly and I snatched this one up about 15 minutes after it was listed. Satin finish, but very good condition will all original accessories and box. I'm a buy used and save the difference kind of guy. Hope she never breaks down on me!
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post #30 of 33
8/24/11 at 4:24pm
Thread Starter 
See this guy hanging out over here?


Here is a better picture of the behemoth (best description I can think of).


That is a Def. Tech Trinity that I auditioned for a few weeks just for fun. It could play as loud as the f113, but was NOWHERE near as refined and tunable as the f113. I love how the f113 fades into the background until a good bass scene and then just hits you in the face. Gotta love it! Just to give some props to the Fathoms!
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