Advice on new sub(s) kindly requested

After spending countless hours reading through the wealth of information on this site, I think I have narrowed down my choices for a new sub(s) but I thought I would seek advice to try steer me towards a final decision.

My circumstances / requirements are:

Budget: Up to $8k

Room size: 22 x 18 x 10 (sealed room)

Primary uses: 70/30 HT/music

Listening habits: Would like to be able to listen at high levels

Appearance/size: Aesthetics are important (I think all the options below are acceptable, although some are clearly more attractive than others)

Sound preferences: Emphasis on tight, articulate, accurate (mid-upper) bass rather than room shaking/room rattling infrasonic sub 20hz bass (although that's not to say there is anything wrong with that ). For this reason I'm leaning towards a sealed design, although I have included a ported sub as well in my options below.

Here is my shortlist (with comments):

- Paradigm Sub 15 (expensive for a pair, may be overpriced compared to ID subs, looks superb)
- Paradigm Sub 1 (pair would exceed budget, excellent reviews, looks stunning, a single may be sufficient, but would a pair of Sub 15s be better if I went with Paradigm)
- SVS SB13 Ultra (relatively inexpensive, looks nice in piano black, small(ish) size, excellent reviews, some have suggested these maybe better for music than HT)
- Rythmik FV15HP (excellent pricing, good reviews praising high SQ, not as nice looking as Paradigms or Funk Audio, ported but reviews suggest bass is very tight and similar to sealed subs, not the top of the food chain - will I be looking to upgrade sooner than might otherwise be the case?)
- Seaton Submersive HP or F2 (consistently exellent reviews, good bang-for-buck, more output than Paradigms/Rythmik - but do I need it in my size room, maybe I wouldn't need a pair of these?, not as nice looking as Paradigms/Funk Audio)
-Funk Audio 18.0 (expensive for a pair compared to Seaton, best looking together with the Paradigms, no formal reviews but user reviews are positive and they use some of the best drivers etc, beautiful craftsmanship, like the Seaton is this overkill for my room size? maybe a single would be sufficient?, top of the food chain so unlikely to feel the need to upgrade)

I am leaning towards a pair of Funk Audio 18.0s, but perhaps the difference, in my room, between those and a pair of Rythmik FV15HPs or SVS SB13 Ultras would not be noticeable enough to justify the additional cost (double the cost).

I am open to consider other options as well. Note that I discounted the JTR subs on the basis of their looks and after reading the comparisons to the Seaton Submersive HP, I decided that the Seaton sound characteristics may be better suited. I also discounted the JL Audio offerings.

Please assume that I cannot audition any of these subs.

Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the responses. Much appreciated.

I should also add my current sub is a Focal Electra sw1000 Be II, which I bought as part of a full Focal Electra Be II 5.1 set-up. I am not particularly happy with this sub. To me it sounds boomy (it's placed in the front corner of the room as per the Focal recommendation and calibrated using XT32) and lacks punch. Now, by all accounts Focal make great subwoofers, and you'd expect the Electra subs to be excellent, so it may be that I simply do not have it set up properly. On the other hand, perhaps the Focal sub is not sufficiently powerful for a room that size (it's 600watt max 750watt, bass reflex ported design) which would explain the lack of punch, so adding another Focal sw1000 might also be an option to add punch and reduce the boominess?

Thanks ack-bk. I took your advice and ordered an OmniMic. seems like worthwhile investment. Just hope it is as simple to use as you suggest !

Assuming I need dual subs and aesthetics is the deciding factor, it would probably come down to either dual Paradigm Sub 15s or dual Funk Audio 18.0s.

Is there likely to be a big difference in sound quality /output, in my room, between those two subs?

FYI, the Sub 15s would cost me less than the Funk Audio 18.0s and are available now whereas the Funk Audio 18.0s would take 7-9 weeks to get to me, which is also a factor.

Thanks for all the feedback so far

Are there any published reviews of the Funk Audio 18.0s ? I've read alot of positive feedback on the forums but I can't find any full reviews/tests/comparisons with competing subs.

The Ken Kreisal DXD12012s were on my radar but I can't get past the industrial appearance. By all accounts though a great subwoofer.

Thanks. The DXD12012s actually look quite good in your photos. The gloss black accents are quite classy. Maybe i was a bit harsh describing the looks as industrial...

Wht other subwoofers have you compared KKs too?

The Cap S2 looks like an absolute beast! Would two of those be overkill in my room?

In terms of SQ, I wonder how an S2 would compare to a Funk Audio 18.0 or Paradigm Sub 15?

Thanks for your detailed response audiofan1 I've been doing some research on the DXD12012 and it gets a lot of high praise, similar to your views. Might have to give it further consideration possibly with JTR Cap S1 / S2 - my shortlist is supposed to be getting shorter !

Thanks for all the helpful advice and suggestions

After weeks of deliberation and research (half the fun!), I've ordered a pair of gloss black Funk Audio 18.0s

The decision came down to a pair of Rythmik FV15HP / F15HP or a pair FA 18.0s. In the end, the FA 18.0s combination of looks, quality of build, size and (hopefully!) exceptional sound quality won the day. The Rythmiks were a close second, based on the value and top reviews. But I kept coming back to the FA 18.0s and I knew if I got the Rythmiks or any of the other shortlisted options for that matter, I would no doubt keep wondering what all the fuss is about with the Funk Audio offerings and want to upgrade in the not too distant future.

The other options on my shortlist - Submersives, JTR S1/S2, Ken Kreisals, Paradigms - were too close price wise to the FA 18.0s and, for the reasons stated, the FA ticks all the boxes for me. I briefly considered the new FA 18.2, dual opposed 18s, but a pair of them would be way beyond my budget.

Of course it is very difficult to make a decision without an audition , so I have to be guided by the feedback I can find, mainly here and on other forums.

Now the wait begins... up to 3 months with the gloss black option, but I'm hoping Nathan will be able to get them to me sooner!

Good advice, thanks. I've purchased an OmniMic for this purpose. I'm also installing some room treatments, bass traps etc.


Thanks dstew100!


Thanks shadyJ. Initially, I was going to go for the walnut wood finish, but the finish gloss black is just stunning. It's done by an auto shop so I expect the finish to be top notch.

I will post lots of photos when they arrive


Thanks again audiofan1. I hope I enjoy them as much as you are enjoying your DXD12012!