[porksoda]

Hiya,


I currently have a HSU VTF3 MK2 I have been very happy with the unit until i was at a friend's house and i heard his sub. His sub was quick punchy and not boomy at all.


I spent the next week and a bit carrying my vtf3 around the room trying different locations, xover fidling recalibrating everything but no go.


I found the vtf3 very boomy in my room.


I was going to write this off as a bad room need treatment but before i went ahead i brought in a psb sub 5i which is also ported and not big enough for my room but alas i put it in the same location and the boom is gone... the sub is punchy and not boomy.


This got me thinking that maybe i should upgrade my sub to a different model...


I know this is a bad time to purchase a sub as lot of companies are releasing new subs... but i narrowed it down to the following:


- PSB 6i

- PSB HD10

- SVS SB12 Plus

- Paradigm sub 12


I have spent a few days reading and i know my choices are all over but here is my logic.


I found the 5i to be not bad but i would need probably 4 of them to fit my room (20x25). Running with Arcam receiver.. mostly for movies but i occasionally listen to music there as well.


I was thinking of overlooking the 6i mostly because it is ported and i think maybe the cause of the boominess in my current sub. I do live in a condo so i don't want earth shattering bass.. just accurate enough to enjoy the movies and music and it has to be accurate, fast and not boomy.


My friend whose sub i liked i did borrow it and it turns out to be a svs sb12 plus in rosenut which is a fantastic sub initially i put it in the same spot as my hsu and it has been great... not boomy at all.



Any comments and suggestions for me on the sub? Also note i don't want to shake the building just accurate quick non boomy bass.


thanks

 

[dookie1]

i replaced my outlaw lfm-1ex (which is essentially a vtf3 clone) with an epik empire (in a 3300ft^3 room) and i am quite pleased. i won't drone on here...just check out the empire thread.

 

[jpmst3]

From those options, SVS.

 

[porksoda]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dookie1 /forum/post/18196042


i replaced my outlaw lfm-1ex (which is essentially a vtf3 clone) with an epik empire (in a 3300ft^3 room) and i am quite pleased. i won't drone on here...just check out the empire thread.

thanks i will

Quote:
Originally Posted by jpmst3 /forum/post/18196136


From those options, SVS.

any other sub opinions are also welcome i am looking for something it doesn't have to be from that list...

 

[PD50U]



Quote:
Originally Posted by porksoda /forum/post/18196000



- SVS SB12 Plus

Discontinued - will be replaced with a new model but not available, yet; check the SVS web pages.


The sealed Rythmik servo subs are well regarded around here.

 

[hikinokie]

I'm replacing my HSU VTF3 with a Epik Empire too. Should be here Friday.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the HSU is boomy.

 

[gravi]



Quote:
Originally Posted by hikinokie /forum/post/18196690


I'm replacing my HSU VTF3 with a Epik Empire too. Should be here Friday.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the HSU is boomy.

Hmm, from the extensive reading I have done on this forum over several months, the general consensus has always been that HSU subs are somewhat more "musical" than the competition. If anything, the slight knock against them has been that they have a little less raw output for HT use. This should imply that HSUs favor more towards a "tighter" sound, but then again this is based on the overall flavor of the posts here. Just found the obeservation a bit strange.

 

[shadyJ]

Hsu's aren't boomy, in fact, you will be hard-pressed to find a tighter sound from ported subs. I think what is happening is corner loading a rear-ported sub is producing a bloated acoustical effect with his room. Front porting might relieve that problem, as would a sealed sub. But front ported subs and sealed have drawbacks of their own.


I think the poster should look into Rythmik's subs as well as Elemental Design's sealed subs. The Empire's driver orientation may still cause boominess for his situation, and it doesn't sound like he needs the extra SPL anyway.

 

[porksoda]



Quote:
Originally Posted by shadyJ /forum/post/18198421


Hsu's aren't boomy, in fact, you will be hard-pressed to find a tighter sound from ported subs. I think what is happening is corner loading a rear-ported sub is producing a bloated acoustical effect with his room. Front porting might relieve that problem, as would a sealed sub. But front ported subs and sealed have drawbacks of their own.


I think the poster should look into Rythmik's subs as well as Elemental Design's sealed subs. The Empire's driver orientation may still cause boominess for his situation, and it doesn't sound like he needs the extra SPL anyway.

I have moved the sub around the room the ports facing forward and sideways and against the wall... i find the sub to be not very tight accurate either.


I will point out mine is vtf3 mk2 and not the newer ones with the side firing sub. Mine fires down... i even tried slab underneath the sub... the only thing i have not tried is put it on its side to see if the boom goes away.


Just for the hell of it i removed the vtf3 and put a sb12 (borrowed) in its place and the result was day an night... it was much tighter bass and much controlled at the same time.


I even tried a psb 5i which is ported and i had very good results.


Seems like i will be for sure looking into a new sub that fits my taste.


SVS has a canadian supplier in ontario...


I will look into the rhthmik and elemental subs.


So no one here recommends a paradigm sub 12 or 15? A friend who works at a stereo shop recommended i buy that.

 

[Jesse S]

The vtf3 is a pretty good sub. I would look at your room or placement more thoroughly before buying something else.

 

[porksoda]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesse S /forum/post/18199212


The vtf3 is a pretty good sub. I would look at your room or placement more thoroughly before buying something else.

i have exhausted placement and any other issues like xover and phase. and since if i move the sub out and put another brand in the exact same place i get much much better response i have decided to get something else.

 

[Bunga99]

You are aware that you MAY loose some SPL down in the lower Hz going from the ported 3.2 to sb12. See the graph below.

http://www.svsound.com/products/subs..._popup_307.jpg


I have the VTF3 MK2 as well (had it for almost 5 years) and ran a test earlier last week in Max Output mode and in my room it was flat all the way down to 20Hz and roll off did not start until about 18hz. In Max Ext mode, it was strong down to 16hz but did have some port noise. I keep mine in Max output mode.


Before you decide on replacing that sub, I would suggest you play some low hz content on both subs and see if you still like the sb overall.


Back when I originally was going to purchase my Vtf 3.2, I was also considering some SVS products of the same price range. Some folks that auditioned both said the SVS had more SPL and was great for HT but were less musical and or more boomy than the HSU subs but these were all ported subs designs I was looking at. Sealed is of course different with its own pros and cons.

 

[darkhorror]

Have you tried running REW to see what the freq response of your sub looks like?

 

[head_unit]

Seems kinda simple to me-if you like how your friend's SVS sounds, buy that one. Either call the company and ask what current sub of theirs has the most similar response, or buy his exact model used.

 

[porksoda]



Quote:
Originally Posted by darkhorror /forum/post/18200253


Have you tried running REW to see what the freq response of your sub looks like?

No i havn't yet.. even setup the software on my new computer yet. But my logic is same place if i replaced the sub with another brand and no boom and bass is very punchy then it must be the sub?

Quote:
Originally Posted by head_unit /forum/post/18201164


Seems kinda simple to me-if you like how your friend's SVS sounds, buy that one. Either call the company and ask what current sub of theirs has the most similar response, or buy his exact model used.

True but i want to make sure when i get one i don't rush it and i try to ask for others experience here.


e.g as i spent most of the day reading here i found the EPIK subs and RYTHMIC subs maybe something that i may want to get.


Rythmic f12 & f15 are at the top of my list tomorrow i will read about epik empire and such...


I was kind of stuck thinking the paradigm sub 12 or sub 15 is as good as it gets for me to shell out 2-3k.


But epik and rythmic have opened up new doors for me.


Any comments on that... so far what i read about rythmic is exaclty what i was looking for... tight/punchy/accurate... and lack of ports would take care of boominess if it has any.

 

[mziegler]

I have the same Hsu sub, which I directly compared to the Rythmik 15". The Rythmik was a significant improvement. My room is not that big.

 

[gotchaforce]

no way in hell id get an svs sb12plus when you could get the empire or rythmik for a little more

 

[cschang]

You should take some FR measurements in your room to see what is going on.


My guess is that you have a good amount of room gain below 25-30hz, causing the Hsu to sound boomy. The SB12 begins its rolloff in that same region, and does not play as deep as the Hsu....thus, not sounding boomy.

 

[shadyJ]



Quote:
Originally Posted by cschang /forum/post/18201475


You should take some FR measurements in your room to see what is going on.


My guess is that you have a good amount of room gain below 25-30hz, causing the Hsu to sound boomy. The SB12 begins its rolloff in that same region, and does not play as deep as the Hsu....thus, not sounding boomy.

This is why I don't think he will really see an improvement with the Empire. Porksoda, have you tried trimming some of the low frequencies through an equalizer? If you are able to, try to gradually roll off the sound below 45 hertz and see what that does to the sound.

 

[cschang]



Quote:
Originally Posted by shadyJ /forum/post/18201874


This is why I don't think he will really see an improvement with the Empire. Porksoda, have you tried trimming some of the low frequencies through an equalizer? If you are able to, try to gradually roll off the sound below 45 hertz and see what that does to the sound.

He might perceive an improvement because, from what I can tell, the Empire does not dig very deep. The in-room measurements that have been posted show a rolloff that begins above 20hz, It may very well have better sound quality though.