THX certification and subwoofer manufacturers

Quote:
I get 25 results from searching this forum for THX. Of those 25 there is only one big thread referenced. It's called "is my svs broken" and the only mention of THX is about speaker size settings.


You wouldn't happen to have a link about this would you?


I did read the 200+ post thread called "svs and high end..." or something like that and I recall that people were mentioning that SVS wasn't THX certified, but beyond that I’ve not seen this discussed much here.


-Nathan

There are more reasons why they wouldn't pay or bother with THX certification:


#3: Their demand outstrips their supply.


#4: The THX logo may not have a desired effect on demand.


If they're already putting out subs at capacity, then a THX selling point wouldn't sell more subs, as the limiting factor is their order-supply-manufacture-deliver chain. Rather, improving those items would sell more subs.


The THX logo may not help much. They are catering to a certain market segment, which differs from Velodyne or Revel or Klipsch. A reputation for high value is their selling point.


Here's why it could hurt sales. Marketing is about maximizing certain appearances to appeal to your desired market segment. That does not necessarily mean, "appeal more upscale, capable, and trendy."

Thus, a Honda brochure will look different from a Jaguar's. And even though Wal-Mart can afford whatever glitzy in-store displays it might want, rather they have a more "discount store" look, as opposed to Target. The latter's prices are similar, and many of the products are the same. Yet their target markets differ, and so does their marketing.


The THX logo might cost $50 more per item on average. That would force prices to rise or sales to increase enough to make up for the tighter margins (if that's even possible). Also, the expense of the actual certification process in terms of internal manhours could take a toll and be disruptive. In the end, the subs would improve in quality, as the features, enclosures, and amps would be changed. Yet, they would ask, "Did we need to improve those areas? We are already improving, on our own, in ways that are already selling more subs."

Quote:



I had not considered it from that point of view. As a consumer, who is about to spend another 1400 on a new subwoofer, I would feel better knowing that an outside body has measured the performance of the subwoofer and found it to be acceptable.


I don't have the listening experience to be able to tell you how an SVS PB12-plus/2 will compare to a DD-12 from Velodyne. I also don't have the cash available to order several subs for an in-home demo, so there is little chance that I’ll be able to "trust my ears" on this purchase.


I've listened to several subwoofers at in-store demos and been impressed with some and disappointed in others. It is very hard to get a proper demo away from home and I have a hard time comparing subwoofers that I’ve heard under wildly varying conditions.


What I have learned from my purchase of a PB10isd is that I require a bit more subwoofer then I first expected. The PB10 is a huge improvement over my old sub and sounds great, but I have decided I want more. My first inclination is to purchase a PB12-plus/2 since I am so happy with the sound and build quality of the PB10 and only want something to pressurize my room a bit better. The extra $1000 that I would spend on the PB12-plus/2 requires me to look at other options to ensure that I will not have buyer’s remorse. While I was looking at other options I started thinking about the THX logo and thus this post was made.


I feel like I am playing around in a no-mans-land in my home audio price point. I can not justify spending mega bucks on a system that would impress many of the posters on this board and I can’t properly audition all of the available subwoofers in my determined price range. For someone like me, the THX logo is comforting. The comments in the linked thread about the manufacturer getting a 300 page document back from THX on a subwoofer that failed certification lets me know there is a whole lot that goes into this process.


I will likely be ordering the PB12-plus/2 in the next day or so simply because it appears that there is very little in this price range that can compete with what SVS has put together. On the other hand, SVS’ website is full of comments about their lower priced subwoofers blowing the high priced “audiophile†subwoofers to the weeds. With comments like;


“ If you have a large room, or simply an insatiable appetite for powerful, deep and subtle bass for music and home theater… but prefer not to spend the $4K normally required to ante up to this world-class audiophile table … SVS has something new --- the PB12-Plus/2.â€


And


“Feel free to compare this SVS to $5,000 subwoofers you have lusted over for years. Then rest easy knowing the new PB12-Ultra/2 will blow them all into the weeds (in a subtle, deeply accurate and "musical" sort of way naturally)â€


I would feel better to see SVS listed right alongside the more expensive subwoofers on the THX page.


If this is a matter of something as simple as magnetic shielding then it’s a non-issue for me, but the THX logo can give a little extra peace of mind for someone who is in my situation.


-Nathan