Are subwoofers pretty much the same?

[Erici]

Brent Butterworth has done a lot of testing of subs and has a listing on his website of test results. He's reviewed audio products as a freelancer for Wirecutter, Home Theater Review, SoundStage!, Sound & Vision, JazzTimes, About.com and others since 2008. Seems to be measurement oriented, so he would fit in well here!
Here is a link to his sub measurement data:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KjlXBWMPAHgU_V9DAHSdIZ_ke0MxwH6ekt3vTIlYOJU/edit#gid=0

 

[krizvi786]

Buy local, encourage local businesses.

but local is usually more expensive with worse return policy.

i would love to buy local, if they price match

 

[North_Sky]

I'm just saying...with the pandemic it's good to take care of business in the community.
That's all.

 

[Astrozombie]

That's what i'm curious about, the point of diminishing returns. I know Rhythmik makes great subs but they do seem to be at a premium compared to the other ID brands.

 

[waynel]

That's what i'm curious about, the point of diminishing returns. I know Rhythmik makes great subs but they do seem to be at a premium compared to the other ID brands.

Depends how big your room is but the point of diminishing returns for most average sized rooms should be between 2 and 4 15” or 18” rythmiks

 

[timg]

Data-Bass is awesome.

JTR and Rythmik make very good pre-packaged subwoofers in compact sizes.

Most people who want really good bass go DIY, lose their heads a bit, and wind up with multiple 18's, 21's, 24's, or even 32's. These are normally passive and powered by rack amps. The FP20k and FP14k clone amps from China are popular because they're insanely powerful for the money and most are very reliable (the OEM matters). There are some very good Chinese subwoofers (SAB 32), but infinitely more which are garbage.

I went with 6x Peerless STW-350 15" subwoofers. Each will be in a small 2 cubic foot sealed box directly behind the front row of my theater. These are driven by a single XBS FP20k on a dedicated 30 amp 240 volt circuit. I left room in the front behind the screen for 24's if necessary, but these 6x 15's near field model better than 2x 24's 3 meters away.

Tim

 

[theory]

But also depends on how much bass will satisfy you as well. Most would probably go with 2-4 12” or 15” and would be reasonably satisfied. I would think for larger rooms/spaces you’re looking for subs with a bit more power but a lot of it has to do with your room the subs will be in.

 

[Bear123]

Dual subs properly placed offer substantial benefits over a single sub, and certainly much higher fidelity and sound quality than not having subs. Integration is actually quite easy....just use any Denon X3 series or higher AVR. Sonically transparent SINAD, wether using internal amps or pre-outs, excellent dual subwoofer setup and eq, and very good speaker eq that can be limited to below Schroeder.

If you don't have a Denon AVR with Audysey and Sub Eq HT, and don't want the improved sound quality built in with these features, a miniDSP HD 2x4 along with a $100 Umik-1 microphone and a free download of REW will do the tricks for subs.

Overseas makes thing a little tougher with choices, but SVS is probably a good option for many overseas customers due to their distribution. I would prefer Rythmik, SVS, or Hsu if in the US.

 

[waynel]

I am in the market for subwoofer. The price difference of some of them is vast and spec wise seems similar.

My question is, are they pretty much the same? What makes a subwoofer "good"?

What are your main speakers? Is this for music only or also movies?

 

[Chrispy]

What are your main speakers? Is this for music only or also movies?

I'd also add what gear do you have to integrate the sub with?

 

[momo7G]

Wow, heaps of useful info. Thanks for everyone's input.

I am using Topping MX3 to push pioneer sp bs22. Cheapo setup.

Last week before the lockdown, I got a chance to listen to my friend's 5.1 setup with a Jamo speakers system. He then play something I familiar with sub on and off. The low frequency kick from a sub is very addicting.

That's makes me want to look at some subs then...

 

[waynel]

Wow, heaps of useful info. Thanks for everyone's input.

I am using Topping MX3 to push pioneer sp bs22. Cheapo setup.

Last week before the lockdown, I got a chance to listen to my friend's 5.1 setup with a Jamo speakers system. He then play something I familiar with sub on and off. The low frequency kick from a sub is very addicting.

That's makes me want to look at some subs then...

With those speakers I’d recommend a pair of rythmik L12s as a starting point . Did a little reading on your amp and although there is a output labeled SW, there is no bass management . To do this right you would need to upgrade your amp ,perhaps to a receiver or at least a Sonos amp.

 

[shellback]

I've owned Epik (no longer in business) and SVS prior to my JTR.

The JTR far surpasses the others in sound quality and output.

 

[waynel]

I've owned Epik (no longer in business) and SVS prior to my JTR.

The JTR far surpasses the others in sound quality and output.

The OP is using $130/pair speakers with a $140 amp, I think entry level rhythmik , SVS, or HSU are already a stretch.

 

[Adam Bernau]

Yes, in generall, all subwoofers are the same. Just boxes with mostly circular moving pistons connected to amp. The main differences are the piston size (driver diameter) the ability to move the piston as far as possible and back ( Xmax-max. excursion) and to maintain that it stays under perfect controll (distortion).

 

[shellback]

The OP is using $130/pair speakers with a $140 amp, I think entry level rhythmik , SVS, or HSU are already a stretch.

Gotcha.

 

[momo7G]

It looks like I am up for a major upgrade if I put the sub in the mix

 

[Newman]

I am in the market for subwoofer. The price difference of some of them is vast and spec wise seems similar.

My question is, are they pretty much the same? What makes a subwoofer "good"?

IMHO two things:

• sufficient output at low enough frequencies
• DSP equalization

I know 'sufficient' is in the ear of the beholder, but what I mean is that you see a lot of subs around AU$500-800 that are 6" to 8" drivers and only go down into the 30's Hz. At that level it barely qualifies as a subwoofer at all. A good example of entry level 'real' subs is the SVS 1000 range. Start looking around there.

I also suggest a sub with DSP, so it can equalize out the bumpy room response. The Elac Debut S12EQ is a good example at around AU$1300, and simple to equalize using Elac's app on your phone (and the phone's microphone, which may not be great, but it's a good start). In theory, a receiver with good subwoofer EQ makes it unnecessary to have EQ built into the sub, but not all receivers are great at that.

cheers

 

[lmaobrah]

Here is a link to his sub measurement data:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KjlXBWMPAHgU_V9DAHSdIZ_ke0MxwH6ekt3vTIlYOJU/edit#gid=0

Thanks for the link.
Looks like SVS is making really good subwoofers compared to others.

 

[Willem]

With the rest of your gear, adding a subwoofer should probably come after upgrading the rest. As for subwoofers, what makes a good buy depends heavily on the country you are in. In the USA, dual SVS SB1000 would be a good idea, but they are relatively more expensive in Europe. On the other hand, here we have the BK gemini ii as the probably best buy for a good entry level sub. It is cheaper and less powerful than the SB1000, but European rooms are typically quite a bit smaller than those in the US.
Sound quality with subs depends heavily if not primarily on proper room integration. The best results come from having two subs combined with dsp room eq. For the latter, I have been very pleased with the DSpeaker Antimode 8033.