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$900 sub, 60/40 HT/music mix?

post #1 of 12
1/7/08 at 11:14am
Thread Starter 
Well, I thought I had it all figured out...but then the sub question has come up again.

I am looking for suggestions for a sub in the $900 range (with shipping), NO HIGHER. As much as I would love to get a more expensive sub, $900 with shipping is my absolute ceiling. Thanks for respecting that.

My use for this sub is going to be 60% HT, 40% music. On HT, I watch a lot of bass heavy, low-extension things like Finding Nemo, Lord of the Rings, War of the Worlds. So, low extension (20Hz and below) is very important.

However...then there's the music factor. I will be doing a lot more music on this system than I previously imagined, so that creates the desire for a sub that can dig deep and yet be musical and accurate. I can't really classify all of my listening habits, but it centers around a lot of hard rock/alternative, classical, and jazz.

So, some specifics...
- Room is about 3000ft^3, and is open to other areas as well (floorplan is attached to this post)
- Budget: $900 with shipping, but if it would be 925, 950 with shipping I suppose I could eat ramen a few more nights...
- No WAF, no size limitations.
- 60% HT, 40% music
- Need extension to 20Hz and lower
- Used with Focal bookshelves and Yamaha RX-V1800.

Up to this point, the frontrunner is the SVS PB12-Plus, but I am open to some suggestions and why you think it would be better than the SVS or why it fits the qualifications I've listed.

Thanks in advance,
Tyler
LL
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post #2 of 12
1/7/08 at 12:06pm
eD a5-350 $650+shipping
or if you can spend just a tad bit more (ducks) Epik Castle $999+shipping

I *strongly* recommend you read this post and pay attention to the subjective impressions and db levels:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...36#post9164136
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post #3 of 12
1/7/08 at 12:20pm
How about the Hsu VTF-3 HO? It on sale right now for $920 shipped.
http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-3-ho.html

Based on what I've read, and craigsub's rankings, the Hsu and the SVS should be pretty close to equal for HT. However, the Hsu is also highly regarded for its musicality.
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post #4 of 12
1/7/08 at 12:24pm
The eD A7S-450 with 1300 watt amp still fits under your $900 to your door requirement and if you'll read MJG100's impressions he'll confirm that this sub produces a very powerful HT atmosphere while maintaining a musical response.

michael
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post #5 of 12
1/7/08 at 12:55pm
Hmmmmmm....well Tyler...

sounds like a tricky situation to me and it seems that you are still a bit wary of the customer service from lesser names such as HSU, eD, and Epik. Also, not having the ability to demo these highly reputed products before hand hurts your situation even more, but if I were you, i'd look into getting something along the lines of JL Audio's new 6" woofers that can play down to 19Hz and still have musicality intact...

jk
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post #6 of 12
1/7/08 at 1:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelTS View Post

The eD A7S-450 with 1300 watt amp still fits under your $900 to your door requirement and if you'll read MJG100's impressions he'll confirm that this sub produces a very powerful HT atmosphere while maintaining a musical response.

michael

yeah thats what I ordered..another option would be a Caliber from epik I think..Neither of the two are owned by many or tested by Craig yet but based on available data I believe they're both better choices than SVS PB12-Plus or Hsu VTF-3 HO..I hope nobody is offended, and I can't wait for craig to test more subs.
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post #7 of 12
1/7/08 at 2:35pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Digidesign View Post

Hmmmmmm....well Tyler...

sounds like a tricky situation to me and it seems that you are still a bit wary of the customer service from lesser names such as HSU, eD, and Epik. Also, not having the ability to demo these highly reputed products before hand hurts your situation even more, but if I were you, i'd look into getting something along the lines of JL Audio's new 6" woofers that can play down to 19Hz and still have musicality intact...

jk

I will admit, some of the aspects of the internet-direct brands have been unsettling (for lack of a better word), although that won't prevent me from keeping them in consideration. In the eD thread in particular, seeing some reports of fried amps and some damage during transport is a concern. With SVS I can at least drive to their factory since I am from Ohio and pick it up and eliminate one of those variables. The eD A7S-450 is extremely tempting though...

Thanks for your responses so far, everyone.
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post #8 of 12
1/7/08 at 4:20pm
I'm going to go against the grain a bit and recommend this: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=300-742

Mainly because of three reasons:
1) The driver in this setup is known for it's sound quality
2) The amp has built in parametric EQ. If you identify your room's peak in the bass frequencies (trust me, there's a peak somewhere) and use the parametric EQ to flatten that out, the impact on sound quality will astound you.
3) Cheap enough that you can use the rest of your budget on room treatments, or save up another 100 or so and get another identical sub.

I believe Parts Express is also based in Ohio, though I've ordered stuff from them several times (including an amp) and never had an issue.

Edit: Parts Express' retail store is in Springboro, OH http://www.partsexpress.com/locations.cfm
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post #9 of 12
1/7/08 at 8:07pm
That's interesting .. does anyone owning any of the svs/hsu/ed/epik/etc subs have any experience with dayton kits and can tell how they measure up?
And Thrand, if you feel insecure buying from ED - which I doubt is really justified - Epik Caliber should be a great choice, Epik builds them fast and there was no issues reported so far.
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post #10 of 12
1/7/08 at 10:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by CADOBHuK View Post

That's interesting .. does anyone owning any of the svs/hsu/ed/epik/etc subs have any experience with dayton kits and can tell how they measure up?
And Thrand, if you feel insecure buying from ED - which I doubt is really justified - Epik Caliber should be a great choice, Epik builds them fast and there was no issues reported so far.

Did you happen to receive your eD yet? If you wouldn't mind posting some pics over in the official eD thread when you get a chance, I'd like to see how the finished product looks...but if you're "in the queue" so to speak, that's fine too...I wouldn't mind waiting a few weeks if it meant a quality product on the other end.
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post #11 of 12
1/7/08 at 10:09pm
Nah mine went into "box under construction" state 2 days ago..I wonder how long there is left to wait now..but here's some finished pics (with grille )
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post12524906
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post #12 of 12
1/8/08 at 8:59am
thrand1, i noticed your floor plan, lots of open space. im looking at houses now due to an upgrade of the wife. most houses dont take into consideration ht. im waiting now for an ed. am now wondering about that choice, but into 5th week! most people say they dont mind waiting, but i think they are lying. both ed, an epik make nice subs, ranked well by craig sub. i have 2 of the ed a2-300s waiting for a a5-350. i dont like to wait, do you? might be your answer! dont want to bash anybody, so i wont say more. but it does look like you will need decent sub for such a open plan. id call epik, and or ed and get their input. they wont steer you wrong, and you will have a better idea of what you need, lead times etc. i will say to get the most sub you can afford, then there will be no regrets> good luck!
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