I do not know if reference to another forum discussion is accepted, I would have referenced a link to this discussion, in Audioholics that has some answers.
From that discussion: SVS, Revel, Velodyne.
One interesting choice is the JBL LSR310S 10 inch Powered Studio Subwoofer.. It has an internal crossover, balanced inputs and outputs. It cost $400... I have no experience with it.
P.S. Ryhtmik has that as an option. It replaces the PEQ board though or so I read
Can't find Revel or Velodyne here, and the prices are probably very high. SVS can be found, but only the 4000 model has balanced IN/OUT, which is quite big and pricy; and it's just me, but while I have nothing against Chinese companies, I do smell corner cutting when you have outsourcing in China by US/European companies.
Velodyne being absent is strange, must be related to its buyout.
Would be nice if we had something like Rythmik or HSU, here.
Even SVS is a bit overpriced relative to Rythmik.
Subwoofers are a simple technology, so the Neumann/Genelec R&D is somewhat meaningless here, but there are still other differences, the biggest of which is connections. Studio subs are designed to be connected in a studio environment.
I'd say it depends. Sealed subwoofers are a simple equation, but good bass reflex isn't easy to do well. Actually, my opinion is that bass reflex is one of the hardest thing to perfect; which may have created the half-true "sealed superiority" myth.
I also don't see the QC issue as a huge deal here, as SVS is just as known for there quality control and customer service as Genelec.
I never said I had a particular issue with SVS, but I know no brand can reach Genelec here, this is literally why people pay that much. My logic is that outsourcing to China is made to save money, and extensive QC by trained staff is very expensive, so I expect the corner cutting to hit here first, even if that means using a good warranty like SVS to offset that.
Looking at any photo of their Sledge amp, you see low quality caps, crowded PCBs and a massive amount of gunk to drown everything together. The 8351B (admittedly a way more expensive product) dissassembled here showed something more reassuring: WIMA, Rubycon and Samwha.
Similarly, I see "Made in China" as an advantage. It allows them to charge the consumer less, and I don't see the Chinese as less capable than the Finns
See above, and about the inherent differences (ot lack of) between nations, this isn't really the thread. Let's say that I'd like to see Chinese companies doing pro speakers with high standards, it'd be interesting.
Another big difference is GLM, though for the up charge you pay for studio subs, you can usually buy the HT sub + Dirac Live and a have a better sub, and equivalent room correction(or better, at least sonically, and non proprietary). The non-proprietary aspect of Dirac vs Genelec is a big one for me.
I'm a UNIX user, all of this is proprietary anyway. Even if Dirac is as good, I really like knowing that a company that is very unlikely to go bust is behind its own system.
But I understand what you mean, and not being vendor locked is an advantage, of course.
Mostly, you're paying more because of the Genelec name, and the R&D they've done for their loudspeakers. People assume that their R&D will magically make their subs sound better than other companies subs, but it really won't. Subs are a much more simple and solved technology.
Sound Quality is all about driver size, box size, and amplifier power.
As I said, it's completely wrong with stuff like bass reflex, where Genelec purposedly went beyond "simple" with LSE (whose main advantage is enclosure size/port volume ratio and reduced turbulences). In the end, we would need for a good Genelec sub to be analyzed by data-bass to see if the equation is that simple.
Also people will often pay more to buy everything from the same company.
That's true, the vendor lock-in is put to use.
My opinion, go with SVS(or Rythmik if it's in your country).
Sadly, that's the problem, no Rythmik here. In the end, the SVS SB-4000 is the same price as a Genelec 7360A, and while its performance should be a lot better (I say should be, because sealed vs ported isn't easy to predict), I'm not sure it's worth it. The PB-4000 is almost the same price as a 7370A, too.
Not to mention that you can't use SVS' DSP without a smartphone.