Sunfire HRS12 - Rel T9 or SVS SB-12 NSD?

The SVS SB-12 NSD has a very good reputation. I really like the full 5 year warranty.

I myself would go with the sunfire subwoofer.
Drops low to 16 hz 1000 watts of power. And a very good quality subwoofer.
And its also very tight because its sealed.
And i forgot to add, it looks great

Looks to me like the Sunfire HRS series only offfers a ONE YEAR WARRANTY on the driver, and 5 years on the amp, unlike the 5 year bumper to bumper warranty on the SVS SB-12 NSD. IIRC, Sunfire had a fixed repair charge of about $400. Of course this is for older models. Finally, the SVS SB 12 NSD is sealed and pretty much bullet proof so far. SVS customer service and support are also considered top notch. People from SVS post here frequently; such as Ed Mullen. Ed is fair and doesn't knock other brands. Still, when was the last time you saw anyone from Sunfire post here

In the below link test of the MSRP $900 HRS 12 the reviewer says subs similar in performance to the HRS 12 can be had for 20% less.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/subwoofer-reviews/46691-sunfire-hrs-12-subwoofer-review.html

OP didn't put the room height, but if we assume 9ft then the volume is roughly 3500. Is the SB12-NSD still good to go in a room that large?

I'm basically asking the same thing here: http://www.avsforum.com/t/1421944/advice-sb12-nsd-vs-vtf-2-mk4/30#post_22462826

While you have some great advice, vented subs like the vtf-2 don't fit in.

If the OP was interested in vented he could get 3 Energy S10.3 for $600. Frequency smoothing gets a big push from 3 subs

Oops. I wasn't trying to give advice. I was really just asking if the SB12 is powerful enough for 3500 cu ft.... because I actually really want to get one!

Don't be bashful, Just contact Ed Mullen at SVS. He posts here fairly often.

Want to buy my dead Sunfire?

IMHO, Sunfire subs have a market niche consisting of upper middle class folk who can both afford the better TS - EQ 12, and afford the repairs if/when necessary.

The Sunfire power amps, the 7 X 200 watt TGA 7201 and the 7 X 400 watt TGA 7401 are both immensely powerful and pretty reliable. I know for a fact that Dr. HSU has used one of the Carver/Sunfire power amps at Audio shows.

Bob Carver pioneered the tracking down converter technology which is the basis for most of the digital switching amps that power many of todays subwoofer amps.

If I was in the market for an HT amp the TGA 7201 would be most attractive. Alas, I don't have the funds, but member bsoko seems pretty happy with his Sunfire amp(s).

This is in response to OP's post.

I still own the Sunfire True Sub Junior which I bought way back in 2002! it is still working great. I have tried SVS SB12 (last year model), HSU STF-2, Emotiva Ultra 10 and 12 and I was not impressed by any of them as they just did not dig deeper than my tiny Sunfire. The only plus side was that those subs came with a 2 prong plug so they did not have the constant hum I get with my Sunfire. It is not audible to me away from the sub but the ground loop is going to be a potential problem when you have a 3-prong plug. May be that is one reason why the current subs dont use a 3-prong plug? I did get a very loud hum with my Boston Acoustic Duo (clock radio) and it only had a 2 prong plug! I wont pretend like I am an expert in electrical stuff. So I am not sure if only a 3-prong plug can cause the ground loop hum. If so then the hum I heard on my Boston Duo was something else? It does seem to go down to 60Hz considering the amount of bass I got from those tiny speakers.

But the general opinion here is that the Sunfire subs have amp issues. Note that back in 2002, outsourcing was not the norm. Now pretty much anything is made in China and so reliability is of great concern. Other brands like Epik and ED are/were facing amp issues and that is probably reason for a company to go out of business.

So given the reliability issues associated with anything made in China, I would take the 5 yr warranty to 1yr limited warranty and extra repair cost. if you really want low end extension and dont mind the weight, try ported models by Outlaw or HSU as they are very reasonably priced. It is a lot easier to deal with small companies when there is an issue but that may not always be the trend given the customer support by ED. I have not heard about bad customer support by companies like SVS, HSU, Outlaw etc.

I bought my Sunfire True Subwoofer in 1997, not recently. It's an MK II. It has been dead for years.

Regarging the humming elminated by going to a two prong plug, that's a common issue too. There are prong eliminators available for about $2 if you are shy about removing the prong from the factory wire.

My Outlaw LFM-1 EX digs much lower and has a much flatter frequency curve than my Sunfire. But, the Outlaw is a WHOLE lot bigger (see picture below)

I still have it, I run it off an external amplifier. But it's not used in my home theater anymore.

You should put it on Ebay or Craiglist and sell it for parts.