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best budget sub for room size

1804 Views 26 Replies 8 Participants Last post by basshead81, Feb 20, 2014

reverb it

Discussion Starter · Feb 19, 2014

I have read a few sub reviews and being a newbie to the whole audiophile thing I am having difficulty determining the best budget sub for my room. Perhaps budget and audiophile is a oxymoron. It is a basement room 18x25x7 about 3,200 cu ft. and the flooring is carbonized stranded bamboo.. I will be using a Yamaha RX-V675 receiver if that matters.

I have found favorable reviews for the following Emptek ES10i, HSU STF-2 and BIC Accoustech, but am not able to figure out how to determine which may be the better choice for my room.

Any insight on choosing or recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you

1 - 20 of 27 Posts

basshead81

· #2 · Feb 19, 2014

The STF-2 would probably be the best option among those you listed.

That being said for that size room I would be looking at the PSA XV15, SVS PB-2000, or HSU VTF-3. Those options should handle that room size fairly well.

flickhtguru

· #3 · Feb 19, 2014

I agree with basshead........ Now if price is a huge factor and for most ppl it is, I would look at the SVS PB1000. That is the best sub @ $500 and under; its $499 shipped.

FWIW I have a room that is 20' X 15' X 8' so 2400 cubic feet, but with a 4' wide floor to ceiling opening to rest of house and I have 2 Outlaw Audio LFM-1 Plus subs and I love them and they do great in that room but I would never want less.

shadyJ

· #4 · Feb 19, 2014

The new Reaction subs look like they could be very good for budget subs. From the $400 to $500 mark I would be a lot more interested in those sub than the usual BIC, SVS, or Hsu subs.

flickhtguru

· #5 · Feb 19, 2014

I agree with the Reaction Audio subs the only reason I didn't mention it was cuz of it being so new and not many reviews out their yet. But some ppl will just have to buy them and test them out like guinea pigs.

shadyJ

· #6 · Feb 19, 2014

If the base response is halfway decent, they could have a killer sub there. It could possibly blow away the usual candidates at four and five hundred. I wouldn't put much stock in new reviews though, unless they have something known to directly compare the sub against. EVERYONE who gets one of these big subs for the first time praises them to the heavens. "Amazing quality, like a concert!", "super deep bass, it was like an earthquake in my living room!", and so on. None of that means anything. I want hard data.

reverb it

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 19, 2014

I appreciate the response. A few more details in my consideration. Price is a large consideration so the $400 and under is preferred a couple bucks more if it makes a big difference can be considered.

Also I am looking for something that win perform well for both movies and music.

For the room if I am filling up the main 2/3 to 3/4 with good sound that works well. The TV is located in a side 3rd of the room with the opposite side open with a couple of zone 2 small speakers.

Not sure if any of this is a factor? ?

Thanks again for all responses and feedback

BeeMan458

· #8 · Feb 19, 2014

What ever you choose, be prepared to place the sub directly to your side or directly behind your main seating position to get the most out of what ever sub you choose to buy.

Another suggestion would be to check out the budget minded thread. There's a boatload of excellent information, tests and recommendations to be found there.

Another thread that you'll find budget minded insight, "best home theater subwoofer on market for under $500."

Hope the above helps move you forward.

flickhtguru

· #9 · Feb 19, 2014

If $400 is the most you can go I would try the Reaction Audio BPS 212 and place it as close to the seating area as possible.

One thing to keep in mind a sub doesn't care what part of the room you use. It will try to fill the entire open area with bass, so that is why ppl with really large rooms or open concept homes have to buy big powerful expensive subs. 2 subs is always preferred over 1, 2 subs helps to even the frequency response across the entire listening area. You have a pretty big area so the only way you will get decent bass with 1 $400 sub is to place it nearfield (within 4ft of main listening position (MLP)). I would suggest either right beside or behind the couch and if that's out of the question put the sub in a corner.

basshead81

· #10 · Feb 20, 2014

I think a BPS12 would come up short in the deep bass due to lack of room gain. However there is not much in that price range that will have a ton of deep bass output

shadyJ

· #11 · Feb 20, 2014

I don't think its like the Legend. The Legend and Empire used relatively low xmax but high sensitivity drivers. They could get really loud in mid and especially upper bass, but they couldn't dig deep very easily. The driver Reaction is using do not quite resemble that kind of driver, they look to be more in line with conventional subwoofer drivers. Of course, we can't know for sure until they get tested.

basshead81

· #12 · Feb 20, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by shadyJ /t/1518646/best-budget-sub-for-room-size#post_24382695

Of course, we can't know for sure until they get tested.

Exactly...which suprises me that you of all people would recomend a sub that has not been tested. Lol

cel4145

· #13 · Feb 20, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by flickhtguru /t/1518646/best-budget-sub-for-room-size#post_24379737

I agree with the Reaction Audio subs the only reason I didn't mention it was cuz of it being so new and not many reviews out their yet. But some ppl will just have to buy them and test them out like guinea pigs.

Not many? Are their any user testimonials out yet? I haven't been able to find any.

The Reaction Audio subs certainly sound good on paper, reverb it. But realize you'll be taking one for the team in trying it out for everyone else

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cel4145

· #14 · Feb 20, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by basshead81 /t/1518646/best-budget-sub-for-room-size#post_24382669

I think a BPS12 would come up short in the deep bass due to lack of room gain.

I agree. There's a reason why the BPS 212 is rated "24-200 Hz +/-3.5 dB" instead of the more standard +/-3db among ID sub vendors (or better, if you look at how HSU likes to rate stuff). Something there about the frequency response is being made to look better.

Quote:
Originally Posted by basshead81 /t/1518646/best-budget-sub-for-room-size#post_24383018

Exactly...which suprises me that you of all people would recomend a sub that has not been tested. Lol

They just want someone else to buy it. LOL

shadyJ

· #15 · Feb 20, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by basshead81 /t/1518646/best-budget-sub-for-room-size#post_24383018

Exactly...which suprises me that you of all people would recomend a sub that has not been tested. Lol

I haven't wholly recommended it without any reservations. I have always put that caveat that it might not pan out as well as it looks on paper.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cel4145 /t/1518646/best-budget-sub-for-room-size#post_24384145

I agree. There's a reason why the BPS 212 is rated "24-200 Hz +/-3.5 dB" instead of the more standard +/-3db among ID sub vendors (or better, if you look at how HSU likes to rate stuff). Something there about the frequency response is being made to look better.

They just want someone else to buy it. LOL

A .5 dB difference is hardly anything. Anyway, it should act like a typical sealed sub for the most part:

Quote:
Originally Posted by edgebsl /t/1512281/reaction-audio-subs/150#post_24381063

Our measurements state on the website 24-200 HZ +/- 3.5 db. The response is fairly flat to about 30 hz with a nice taper down to about the 20 hz area that works well with room gain.

We went with a pretty standard sealed sub response profile using a little eq to get deep response, but not excessively so.

I don't like posting response graphs until some of the third party measurements come in. The reason being, I have seen folks that have posted outdoor graphs, close mic'd graphs and even in room graphs of their own only to see 3rd party reviews come in with measurements that vary. And even if those graphs vary a small amount, even a few db there seems to end up being confusion over "which graph is the right one"?

Sure, I could post more graphs and even provide 1/8 space SPL predicted numbers on the site and I may sell more subs.

But I know that I will build a better reputation rating things conservatively. And that is what we are attempting to do.

flickhtguru

· #16 · Feb 20, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by cel4145 /t/1518646/best-budget-sub-for-room-size#post_24384113

Not many? Are their any user testimonials out yet? I haven't been able to find any.

The Reaction Audio subs certainly sound good on paper, reverb it. But realize you'll be taking one for the team in trying it out for everyone else

I hear ya BUT there was a time when someone had to take one for the team and purchase the first subs from SVS, Hsu, and Rythmik. Someone has to be the first buyer. And I know the +/- 3.5 db thing is a little weird. But after Jim Wilson and Josh Ricci test and review these subs we will have a much better idea on how these subs hang with the BIG ID brands.

basshead81

· #17 · Feb 20, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by flickhtguru /t/1518646/best-budget-sub-for-room-size#post_24384324

I hear ya BUT there was a time when someone had to take one for the team and purchase the first subs from SVS, Hsu, and Rythmik. Someone has to be the first buyer. And I know the +/- 3.5 db thing is a little weird. But after Jim Wilson and Josh Ricci test and review these subs we will have a much better idea on how these subs hang with the BIG ID brands.

There is a reason why Reaction already improved the BPS12 with the turbo model. From what I see is the base BPS has fairly low xmax 12" drivers with only 200watts in a smallish sealed enclosure. I would not expect huge output from that sub. The turbo looks to be much better but I would think 300watts is still not enough power to dish out stellar low bass out of a sealed sub. If it had 20mm xmax one way drivers with 600watts on tap I could see it being a winner, but then the price goes up. No sub company is going to magically pop up and star pumping out at high performing subs at substantially lower prices then the rest of the ID companies.

Price

Performance

Quality

Pick 2!!

.

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kesando

· #18 · Feb 20, 2014

Another option from a pure output standpoint is the Premier Acoustics PA 150. Plenty of clean mid and upper bass output though output under 25-30hz falls off a bit

basshead81

· #19 · Feb 20, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by kesando /t/1518646/best-budget-sub-for-room-size#post_24384347

Another option from a pure output standpoint is the Premier Acoustics PA 150. Plenty of clean mid and upper bass output though output under 25-30hz falls off a bit

A bit is a understatement. The PA 150 drops 25db from 20-80hz.

cel4145

· #20 · Feb 20, 2014

Quote:
Originally Posted by flickhtguru /t/1518646/best-budget-sub-for-room-size#post_24384324

I hear ya BUT there was a time when someone had to take one for the team and purchase the first subs from SVS, Hsu, and Rythmik.

I think that should be one of the sub enthusiasts that are strongly recommending the Reaction Audio subs to new site members without "telling" them they will be taking one for the team (lol).

Meanwhile, this has nothing to do with SVS, HSU, or Rythmik. There have been plenty of instances in home audio equipment where some new manufacturer's products didn't end up as good as expected, and even with new models in existing product lines. So there is always risk involved in a situation like this. Some people don't mind purchasing new, untested products from new manufacturers, and that's fine. It's just the right thing to do to make people aware and then let them make their own decision.

BTW: I have told a couple of people to "look into" the new Reaction Audio subs. But's that different from encouraging them to buy without letting them know that the subs are untested.

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