Subwoofer upgrade

[Dan]

Thanks for any attention to this,

So I currently have a dual sub setup with svs sb13 ultra and their micro sub. These are crossed with Kef R3 meta with an Anthem 1140. Source is mac mini with roon and Bacch4mac. Room is not large, With measurements I'm flat essentially below 20hz and subjectively it sounds great.

Of course being the OCD audiophile I'm wondering if "upgrading" the SB13, which is 13 years old, is worth it ? I'm willing to spend several thousand on, let's say, the SVS sb17 or even another brand.

Thanks

 

[staticV3]

In this detailed test, SVS models didn't do so well WRT step response and decay:

I measured 10 subwoofers.

Hi, it's been a while! I would like to thank the people who made this project possible on a scale never before imagined in South Korea. I measured a total of 10 subwoofers, including my own DIY subwoofer(L26RO4Y), and measured them to the CEA-2010 standard using a Klippel TBM module. Below are...

www.audiosciencereview.com

I'm not sure how relevant this really is considering room acoustics, but there may be a point in considering other manufacturers.

 

[alex-z]

If you have good bass extension then upgrading the SB13 would be silly. Changing the Micro sub would at least improve maximum dynamic range.

How does the decay rate in your room look? Generally you want to balance that out with tuned bass traps, lingering mid-bass is common residential rooms.

 

[voodooless]

SVS models didn't do so well WRT step response and decay:

I'd be careful with that. All of these have quite different frequency responses and filter properties. This has a massive impact on the step response.

 

[staticV3]

I'd be careful with that. All of these have quite different frequency responses and filter properties. This has a massive impact on the step response.

I'm well aware that an extended BW will naturally improve step response, but consider these two:




The SVS has much higher BW, yet appears to have poor woofer damping or some other quirk that makes the woofer resonate well past the requested output.

Differences in filter properties may well exist, but in the end all that we care about is the sound output.

And the same behavior can be seen from the SB-2000 Pro, SB-3000, and SVS 3000 Micro, so it's not like this is a trade-off to hit a budget price point.

 

[voodooless]

I'm well aware that an extended BW will naturally improve step response, but consider these two:
View attachment 526699 View attachment 526700
View attachment 526697 View attachment 526698
View attachment 526702 View attachment 526701

The SVS has much higher BW, yet appears to have poor woofer damping or some other quirk that makes the woofer resonate well past the requested output.

Differences in filter properties may well exist, but in the end all that we care about is the sound output.

And the same behavior can be seen from the SB-2000 Pro, SB-3000, and SVS 3000 Micro, so it's not like this is a trade-off to hit a budget price point.

Yes, they all have a steep high-pass. The arendall above does not.

 

[Dan]

Decided to try a rhythmic sub. The f12. I figured why not ?

I use the svs micro to fill a particular null in my room and it does a nice job with that