Is a Polk ES15 and HTS10 Setup with a Fosi 2.1 Amp Powerful Enough?

[cat]

I'm not an audiophile, but I do enjoy a lot of bass, so my primary goal is to have a system with deep, powerful bass. and I’m torn between building my own setup or going with an HTIB. I've read that the Logitech z623/z906 is powerful enough to shake windows and picture frames, which sounds amazing. But spending 200/400$ on a system with known issues feels like a gamble.

I also went down the rabbit hole researching more serious setups and found that I'd probably need around 1000$ just to start with a decent 2.1 system. Bass is my top priority, so investing in a powerful subwoofer is a must, but that eats up most of my budget. With what's left, I can't really afford an AVR, but I could probably get an amp for around 100$ and front speakers for 250$. That's my plan for now.

Since I mostly watch movies and some shows, an AVR would be great, but it's just not affordable for me right now, let alone a subwoofer. Plus, since I’m in India, buying used gear isn’t really an option for me.

 

[tw 2022]

wiim amp, svs entry level sub and pick out some cheap bookshelf speakers.... or go htib/ sound bar+sub... sound bar + sub is probably the most realistic bet given your situation....

 

[cat]

wiim amp, svs entry level sub and pick out some cheap bookshelf speakers.... or go htib/ sound bar+sub... sound bar + sub is probably the most realistic bet given your situation....

what about the Logitech ones? its popular for bass

 

[tw 2022]

what about the Logitech ones? its popular for bass

I' m not familiar with those.... But I'll bet someone here will....

 

[kemmler3D]

I'm not an audiophile, but I do enjoy a lot of bass, so my primary goal is to have a system with deep, powerful bass. and I’m torn between building my own setup or going with an HTIB. I've read that the Logitech z623/z906 is powerful enough to shake windows and picture frames, which sounds amazing. But spending 200/400$ on a system with known issues feels like a gamble.

I also went down the rabbit hole researching more serious setups and found that I'd probably need around 1000$ just to start with a decent 2.1 system. Bass is my top priority, so investing in a powerful subwoofer is a must, but that eats up most of my budget. With what's left, I can't really afford an AVR, but I could probably get an amp for around 100$ and front speakers for 250$. That's my plan for now.

Since I mostly watch movies and some shows, an AVR would be great, but it's just not affordable for me right now, let alone a subwoofer. Plus, since I’m in India, buying used gear isn’t really an option for me.

You've run up against a pretty real problem, which is that true deep bass requires a certain strength of magnet / cabinet / amp, and that simply costs more money.

You mention that used gear is not an option, but if at all possible I would encourage you to look for some. I got 2x Bic F12 subs for $250... not the most serious equipment, but definitely a lot of bang for buck.

 

[kyuu]

There's no world where one of those Logitech systems is better in terms of bass or overall sound quality than what you could get with even entry-level audio gear. However, given your price constraints and location it may be the only real option you have. And it will make noise.

Can you get Monoprice and Topping gear there? My super-budget 2.1 system (without shopping around on the used market, which can always get you great stuff for cheap if you know where to look in your local market) would be something like: 2x Monoprice Audition 5, 1x Monoprice Premium Select 8" Subwoofer, 1x Topping PA5 II. Gets you there for under $500 and should blow that Logitech away no problem... for a bit over double the price.

Edit: Could bring it to under $400 using a cheaper Fosi amp.

 

[cat]

Monoprice Premium Select 8" Subwoofer

can a subwoofer that cheap really outperform the logitech models? i saw a video where a logitech z623 made a door rattle, and so many reviews say they're super powerful like that

 

[kyuu]

can a subwoofer that cheap really outperform the logitech models? i saw a video where a logitech z623 made a door rattle, and so many reviews say they're super powerful like that

Well considering the Monoprice subwoofer by itself is the same price as the entire Logitech system...

And regardless, the Logitech doubtlessly has some built-in DSP to boost the bass, but you can't cheat the physics (and cheapness of the driver, enclosure, and amp to fit that low price point). Unless some voodoo is going on, I am quite certain the Monoprice sub is capable of at least as much output as the Logitech. Probably more. If you want it to rattle a door, just play a bass heavy track and turn up the volume knob on the sub until you get the results you want. I doubt very much it'll be balanced with the rest of the music at that point, but if that's what you want...

 

[cat]

Well considering the Monoprice subwoofer by itself is the same price as the entire Logitech system...

And regardless, the Logitech doubtlessly has some built-in DSP to boost the bass, but you can't cheat the physics (and cheapness of the driver, enclosure, and amp to fit that low price point). Unless some voodoo is going on, I am quite certain the Monoprice sub is capable of at least as much output as the Logitech. Probably more. If you want it to rattle a door, just play a bass heavy track and turn up the volume knob on the sub until you get the results you want. I doubt very much it'll be balanced with the rest of the music at that point, but if that's what you want...

makes sense

shopping around on the used market, which can always get you great stuff for cheap

im getting a used Polk HTS12 for 420$ do u think its better than these?

 

[kyuu]

im getting a used Polk HTS12 for 420$ do u think its better than these?

Oh certainly. I was just trying to keep things as cheap as possible. If you're willing to spend $420 on the sub alone then yes that Polk will make you happy.

 

[cat]

Oh certainly. I was just trying to keep things as cheap as possible. If you're willing to spend $420 on the sub alone then yes that Polk will make you happy.

i heard that the amp or avr will affect the bass. is it true? if so how and would suggest budget 2.1 amps in this case?

 

[kyuu]

i heard that the amp or avr will affect the bass. is it true? if so how and would suggest budget 2.1 amps in this case?

It will only affect it if it's doing bass management. This is typically something you want, as otherwise you're just relying on sub's built-in crossover to handle filtering. However amps with that feature typically cost more. If you have access to Wiim products in your area then the Wiim Amp has bass management (and other DSP features) for a quite reasonable price.

 

[ThatM1key]

Polk subs are overpriced not as bad as Sony speaker pricing though (At least in my country). I've owned the Logitech Z623 for a couple of years and there good. Not audiophile clear but not piezo-tweeter birthday card screechy either. The bass is super solid, my favorite part about them. Logitech claims the sub is 130w RMS and the speakers 35wpc RMS, and I believe that. I consider them "Rock Party", "Movie", "Gaming" speakers. The main difference between the Z623 and Z625, is that Z625 had a optical input. The Z623 are usually cheaper because of the lack of optical.

As a kid, I owned a Z506 and it was just fine. The sub was very small and only was 27w RMS, yuck. Although the Z506 was a upgrade compared to my Z313. Would've loved to own a Z906 or even just the Z623/Z625 back then.

If you want a reference, in my country, a open-box Z623 always sells for between $80 USD to $100 USD.

 

[cat]

do you think its worth spending the extra for polk HTS12 over the Logitech ones?

 

[cat]

It will only affect it if it's doing bass management. This is typically something you want, as otherwise you're just relying on sub's built-in crossover to handle filtering. However amps with that feature typically cost more. If you have access to Wiim products in your area then the Wiim Amp has bass management (and other DSP features) for a quite reasonable price.

do amps without bass management produce less bass compared to those with bass management?

does the bass management system determine how much power and lfe should be sent to the subwoofer? if so how does this vary between different amplifiers?

do all avr have bass management?

 

[kyuu]

do amps without bass management produce less bass compared to those with bass management?

does the bass management system determine how much power and lfe should be sent to the subwoofer? if so how does this vary between different amplifiers?

do all avr have bass management?

AVRs commonly have at least basic bass management, consisting of crossing over between the subwoofer and the other speakers and being able to direct a dedicated LFE channel to the sub. There can be more or less sophisticated ways of going about this, with more sophisticated methods generally being the purview of dedicated room correction systems (e.g. Audyssymey, Dirac, ARC, etc.). It's not really about the quantity of bass so much as the quality. If all you care about is big door rattling bass, bass management isn't really going to help or hinder that.

Well, I take that back. It might hinder it if the door rattling is caused by a room mode that the bass management system helps tame.

 

[ThatM1key]

do you think its worth spending the extra for polk HTS12 over the Logitech ones?

Hell no. 200 watts RMS for 12 inch subwoofer, that's not that great. The most bang for your buck, is car subwoofers. Plenty of home subwoofer amps that can be used with car subwoofers.

 

[cat]

200 watts RMS for 12 inch subwoofer, that's not that great.

Why's it popular then? I've seen a lot of people use the polk HTS sub in their HT setup

 

[Penelinfi]

The Logitech subs can "rattle windows" I'm sure. From memory, the bass wasn't very clear, but it does make a lot of it in the region that can be felt. I don't think it goes particularly deep. But then again many people may not actually appreciate properly deep bass until it's played on really big drivers. Two subs would help create more even bass if it fits budget.
With the Logitech, you are stuck with it.
If you get something like a wiim or other dedicated amp, separate speakers and subs, it leaves room for upgrade or additions.

An amp with DSP like the wiim won't make your system "more powerful", but it will allow you to tune the level of bass relative to other frequencies. Maximum volume, like the maximum speed on a car, will not increase.
IMO if you're at 100% all the time, then your system is not powerful enough, or you need to change your listening habits

 

[ThatM1key]

Why's it popular then? I've seen a lot of people use the polk HTS sub in their HT setup

Polk subwoofers are just bad value (Especially these days, lowest to highest). For the price for a "Polk Signature Elite ES10", you can get a "SVS SB-1000 Pro". Heck, even right now you can get a "SVS SB-2000 Pro" for the same price.