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Are SVS subs over-rated?

tw 2022

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This made me chuckle; when I was a kid, I remember driving with my uncle as he stopped and reversed to grab a pair of Infinity's someone was throwing out. Turns out, they were really nice (at least what I understood as a kid). A quick search just revealed they were Infinity Monitor II's with the Walsh tweeter. He was in the industry way back when so probably knew what he saw. Anyway, cleaned them up and replaced some parts and I think still has them.
The crescendo's are still residing in my bedroom set up..they are better to my ears than the jbl 530s they replaced, those are nice low budget speakers in their own right...
 

pablolie

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My thought on this -and I don't claim to have the measurable proof- is that any sub will do the job if you match it to standmount speaker performance. Our human hearing stops being discerning at under 80Hz. Match the levels and you're in business. :)
 

Doodski

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My thought on this -and I don't claim to have the measurable proof- is that any sub will do the job if you match it to standmount speaker performance. Our human hearing stops being discerning at under 80Hz. Match the levels and you're in business. :)
I've heard inexpensive active subs and inexpensive passive subs and they definitely don't sound as good as the better subs out there do.
 

3125b

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Subs aren’t too complicated, but group delay, uneven FR and noise (mechanical, resonances, distortion etc.) are potential issues.
Between well engineered, modern DSP controlled subs though I struggle to see the differences that are supposed to make some worth multiple times the price of comparably powerful options.

SVS seems a little overpriced in Germany compared to other companies, but they offer a variety of flavors and are widely available, I guess it‘s almost always a fine option.
 

tw 2022

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My thought on this -and I don't claim to have the measurable proof- is that any sub will do the job if you match it to standmount speaker performance. Our human hearing stops being discerning at under 80Hz. Match the levels and you're in business. :)
I've heard inexpensive active subs and inexpensive passive subs and they definitely don't sound as good as the better subs out there do.
i think that ultra budget mid bass boxes (port tuned to above 35 hz) aren't nearly as clean sounding as better options , but once a sub is properly designed there's not much difference, say between a hsu ,rel, rythmik or svs at basically the same price point , almost forgot: rsl's as well ...feature sets and room size dictate a bunch of the choice beyond that...
 
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I bought a used SB-2000 a couple of years ago. Very hard to blend in my room with my two ported speakers (which go low as well) without dspeaker or minidsp.
Using the in-built high-pass via. line level out (fixed 80 Hz) it solves all the phase issues and sounds very good in the room, the adjacent rooms and outside in the garden and in the garage..

Seriously though, I love it. Incredible what this tiny cube is capable of.
Oh. And the metal grille is glorious for protecting against childrens feet and toys.
 

fpitas

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I seldom recommend that people make their own speakers, but subs are an exception. If you get a kit from, say, Parts Express then you have real value, admittedly with a bit of effort gluing the box together etc.
 

Adi777

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I seldom recommend that people make their own speakers, but subs are an exception. If you get a kit from, say, Parts Express then you have real value, admittedly with a bit of effort gluing the box together etc.
I think that should be cheaper, and maybe even better?
 

fpitas

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ryanosaur

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I think that should be cheaper, and maybe even better?
Not necessarily less expensive, especially for just building a single. If you build multiples and can get a good multi-channel amp to power the Subs appropriately, then it starts to save money.

Better, you have a good shot. ;) Especially if you understand what needs to be done to assemble the cabinets properly.

I would argue the true savings will come if you can get your own sheet stock and process it yourself, building multiple Subs with a good quality DSP Amp shared across the Subs.

I seldom recommend that people make their own speakers, but subs are an exception. If you get a kit from, say, Parts Express then you have real value, admittedly with a bit of effort gluing the box together etc.
FWIW, I think what GSG is doing now is pretty stunning. Granted their gear is leaning toward large HT projects in some ways, but getting they are offerering a 1-stop shop for the DIY/AIY person, but also no selling complete builds. For the DIY/AIY-er, if you can find the right box for your needs, their systems are looking to be quite potent.

~//~

Investing in clean and linear Bass is not something one should take lightly. I wish Subwoofers weren't considered the bastard stepchild of the audio world. Bass is not a mystery... It's not a dark art or sorcery. But is is exactly where many breakdown and fail in their system builds.
 

fpitas

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Investing in clean and linear Bass is not something one should take lightly. I wish Subwoofers weren't considered the bastard stepchild of the audio world. Bass is not a mystery... It's not a dark art or sorcery. But is is exactly where many breakdown and fail in their system builds.
Yes, and for some reason there are a million expensive yet shoddy subs out there.
 

ryanosaur

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Yes, and for some reason there are a million expensive yet shoddy subs out there.
Yup.
Consumer education isn't that hard.
Unfortunately, consumer mis-education is far easier. Depending on the perpetrator, the mis-education can also be far more profitable.
*sighs
 

3125b

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Getting a finished sub isn't always more expensive.
I paid 585€ (before tax to make it comparable to US pricing) for my Monopice 12". It's a 500Wrms DSP plate amp, a 12" (18mm xMax, >500W power handling) driver, a whole bunch of HDF for the cabinet, vinyl wrap, some feet etc. for the finish - probably not possible for that kind of money, would probably be 700-800€ in parts. Setting up the DSP you'd also need to measure the thing, building something like that is not as trivial as just sticking a driver in a box like a low-end sub.
Granted, a sub like that from SVS (PB-2000 Pro) costs 1349€ over here normally. Compared to that you could save some money by DIYing.
 

pablolie

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I've heard inexpensive active subs and inexpensive passive subs and they definitely don't sound as good as the better subs out there do. ...

My point is that a competently designed sub will fill things up nicely.

I am not into silly FX so that roomshaking stuff is lost on me but feel the power f that's a preference and you'll get zero pushback from me.

"sound good" is a measure I respect, but personally distrust. I like to see what Dirac tells me and combine it with my preference in a data driven way.
 

Peterinvan

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I have a small listening room with an 8’ triangle from my La-z-boy to the LS50W speakers. Listening to music only. No EQ because I am streaming from Tidal (other than boosting the treble to the max in the LS50W).

I added an SVS SB1000 sub crossed over at 80Hz, and it fills out the sub bass nicely. My belief (from reading reviews and my audiophile friend) is that SVS subs are good value for this application.
 

Phoney

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Funny how SVS is bumping up the prices right at this time every year. Just happens to be right before black friday, how convenient for them! Atleast it seems like we can expect some new BF deals coming from them:D
 

slacki

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here are some measurements of the micro 3000
vs the kef kc62. if the micro 3000 would go a bit deeper, it would be awesome. i guess for music they are perfect, but maybe not for HT
 
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