Thoughts on how these two ported subs stack up against each other? After factoring in shipping and extended warranty from Hsu, the price of these two subs is almost the same--especially if Monoprice has any kind of sale, which apparently is common whereas Hsu never does. Curious what you guys think of this match-up. Thanks!
Monolith 13in THX Ultra Certified 2000 Watt Powered Subwoofer
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=41496
Hsu VTF-15H MK2
https://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-15hmk2.html
The price of admission has gone up dramatically for subs. I bought two VTF-3 MK5 HP Subs in June 2020 for $769 each plus $96 shipping. Now the same model is $909 and on back order plus $104 shipping. And if you compare the HSU VTF-15H MK2 the main difference appears to be XLR connectors and 25 pounds heavier. Shipping increases to $188 (almost double) and price jumps from $769 to $1019. Inflation is making its mark on this hobby.
The Monolith 13in THX Ultra is almost 2" wider/deeper and
43 lbs heavier than the HSU VTF-15H MK2 with a $1600 shipped price tag. That's almost $400 more than the HSU. Plus, Monoprice charges state tax while HSU may not if you ship outside CA.
Performance
Both of these monster subs reach 16Hz. The Monolith adds a bit more heft in the 16-25Hz range but I'm not sure the difference is worth the extra $400 plus extra 43 lbs of aching back. Both of these subs will sound great, but given a choice I would rather have two 15" subs strategically placed than one. This would lead me to choose two HSU. Two subs offer better dispersion and work together to reinforce each other in ways a single sub can only dream of.
HSU
Reference
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Today we review Monoprice's Monolith 13" THX Ultra Sub. The latest addition to the Monolith THX family raises the bar on Monolith subs in every respect with just a slight price increase. Read on.
www.audioholics.com
Preview: Hsu Research has released two new subwoofers, the $899 VTF-15H MK2 and the $799 VTF-3 MK5 HP. Both models feature 15" drivers and 600W RMS amplifiers, but differ in enclosure volume.
www.audioholics.com