Budget subwoofers discussions, opinions and questions thread - Page 4

What would you say if I had only $300 to work with? Just trying to look at all the possibilities.

my AVR is a Denon AVR590 with a Boston Acoustic kit, MCS90, my sub just died, which sub is a little better/upgrade that my AVR supports?

it's a 3x5m; budget 200-250 USD, mostly used for movies (80), games (20).

the BA is a 8" 100w.

In such a situation one option is to delay the purchase, save up a bit more and then get the better sub.

Jim,
I need an advice. I live in an apartment. The living room is 15*10 feet and I am looking for a sub to play quiet music, so I am set on getting 8" sub. My budget is $300. I don't think I can go for a down firing sub (see HSU-sf1) because I don't want to disturb neighbors downstairs. The floor is very thin and to put a rag under it is not an option in a living room. I am listening 75% music and 25% movies, with the music being the more important of the two.
At the moment I am debating between Polk PSW111 (recently on sale for $125) and Mirage Omni S8 (at $250). What do you think about them and is there anything better that I am missing.

^^
I am not Jim but I suggest you look at this and get it by tomorrow for $200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...energy%20s10.3

Very tempting, but it is 10" and therefore it is bigger (17.33" x 14.14" x 18.31") than I can put in the living without it being obtrusive. But it is an exceptional deal, I agree.

Classic rock, 60th, 70th music

If you must have an 8", look at the Outlaw Audio M8. Good review at CNET http://m.cnet.com/news/20042164

Can't have down firing. I live on the 3d floor of an apartment with a very poor sound proof.
That's why I am contemplating Mirage Omni S8. Is it not good?

Bass is omnidirectional, it wont matter which way the woofer is facing, it's going to bother your neighbors no matter what. These small ported subs usually have a peaky response to make them seem more powerful, which is going to be even worse for your neighbors. What you need is a small sealed sub, with a natural shallow roll off, like this one

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=300-760

It's only a 14" cube, and will have a smooth shallow roll off, so it shouldn't over power your apartment (or your neighbors).

The Mirage Sub S8 I've heard at Best Buy...sounded ok.

Also check out Pinnicle....http://www.amazon.com/Pinnacle-Speak.../dp/B0021AERB0

Vardo

Edit: I have had the sub kit from Parts Express in the post above mine. It's excellent, and very
easy to put together.

I agree, small sealed sub is what I need. Just can't find one below $300
Sigh.

If you're willing to do a little bit of DIY you could make this happen. All you would need is a cheap jig saw and drill (or just grab the cheapest one at walmart).

Assembled and finished sub cabinet

10" sub driver

100 watt plate amp

All you need is a pencil compass, and a ruler. Place a 9" circle on the front baffle, and a 6.5"x7.5" square on the rear baffle. Drill a hole big enough for the jig saw blade, and cut the material out. Now all you need is gasket foam found at any home improvement store to go around the driver, and screws to install it (and the amp). Grab a cheap poly-filled pillow from walmart/target and throw it in the box, connect regular wire from the amp to the woofer and you're done.


-3db is 40hz anechoic, shown with 100 watts input and 80hz high pass filter. If the room is small the low end will be lifted flat.

How can you possibly know this without seeing the FR for the sub? The M8 is 29Hz-250Hz +/-3dB, and Outlaw is known for being fairly reliable on their specs. There's no reason to believe that sub is "peaky."

I wasnt talking about the outlaw, or most ID subs, I know they design good subs. That was a general comment for cheap ported subs.

Even so, flat to 30hz anechoic in a small room will create a very strong response when room gain elevates the response. A small sealed sub is still best for OPs situation.

Or he could simply avoid placing it in the corner or other places in the room that might excite the sub response.

How much could you get it for, the price in the review says $400? That Dayton 10" kit is $400 and would be far superior.

The PA-150 is $299 delivered right now. I think the best price recently has been $350.

I too am in the market for a budget sub with a relatively small footprint. Using it for both music and movies in a 10x16' room. Wouldn't the Hsu Research STF-1 and STF-2 be a strong candidate in the $250-$350 range? The reviews suggest they compete well with subs costing double or triple their price.

That's what I thought, and it makes it the $300 and under output king.

It seems cheap for a 15 incher, but i am supprise to see it only goes down to 25hz.