SVS SB-3000 vs. KEF KC62...which would you choose for same price?

[Tokyo_John]

SVS SB-3000 vs. KEF KC62...which would you choose for same price?

EDIT (more details): Not the Micro...the full SB-3000. Space isn't an issue. Mixture of music and movies. Will use a miniDSP. I want fast and accurate bass. Main listening area is 4m wide x 7m long x 2.2m ceiling.

 

[Matias]

They are vastly different sizes. If space is no problem, SB-3000, else the KC62 imo.

 

[FrantzM]

They are vastly different sizes. If space is no problem, SB-3000, else the KC62 imo.

I would think the OP was thinking about the SVS micro3000.

 

[Matias]

I would think the OP was thinking about the SVS micro3000.

If so then this post sums it imo.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...0-micro-subwoofer-announced.21504/post-829827

 

[Koeitje]

If you are talking about the SB3000 Micro, then I would always pick that over the Kef.

 

[Tokyo_John]

Not the Micro...the SB-3000. Space isn't an issue. Mixture of music and movies. Will use a miniDSP. I want fast and accurate bass.

 

[PierreV]

Not the Micro...the SB-3000. Space isn't an issue. Mixture of music and movies. Will use a miniDSP. I want fast and accurate bass.

You need to consider your room as well. While it feels good to go big, especially with subs, it is quite easy to literally overload the room with big subs.

 

[Tokyo_John]

You need to consider your room as well....

Main listening area is 4m wide x 7m long x 2.2m ceiling.

 

[FrantzM]

Main listening area is 4m wide x 7m long x 2.2m ceiling.

I'd suggest you go with 2 smaller SB-2000

@PierreV Not sure that I agree with the "overload the room" notion. It is a matter of integration in any case and room size..

 

[Matias]

If it is a dedicated listening room, I agree, probably 2x SB-2000 Pro makes more sense.

 

[Trouble Maker]

I'm just sitting here wondering if you're in Tokyo how you have a listening space that big.

We lived in Japan in Utsunomiya for a little over a year and our whole 2 bedroom apartment was only about twice that size. At least in that area, I don't think we could have spent our way into a place with much bigger rooms, just more of them in an overall larger space. But, Tokyo and a few of the other bigger cities are almost a whole different place than where we were.

I want and will probably order soon the SVS-3000 micro, which would point me towards the KEF out of the two you listed... but if space were no object, than bigger is always better right? Or if you can do two, dual SV-2000s like others said. I might do dual SVS-3000 micros but finding space to hide two might be difficult.

 

[FrantzM]

Not the Micro...the SB-3000. Space isn't an issue. Mixture of music and movies. Will use a miniDSP. I want fast and accurate bass.

If space not an issue then Kef KC62 and SVS micro 3000 should be out of consideration.

Stay in the forum , read and learn. "Fast" bass is a misnomer. Integration is key and often requires work. You are on the right path with miniDSP; care to tell us which model you plan on, or are using?
Two (or more subs) are always better than one.

 

[PierreV]

I'd suggest you go with 2 smaller SB-2000

@PierreV Not sure that I agree with the "overload the room" notion. It is a matter of integration in any case and room size..

Yes, I have a SB 4000 Ultra in my office. I am running it 23 to 26 dB lower than in my large room. It can be integrated, and integration gives you 90% of the result. And I also totally agree that 2 smaller subs, if one has a way to position them without disrupting the function of the room is almost always better than 1 bigger one.

Overloading the room, as far as I am concerned and maybe subjectively, is when the whole room becomes muddy and echoic. It's a bit different from 1st order room modes, which one clearly hear at even a reasonable level afaic. It when reflections of reflections (eventually of reflections) start to interact in a random way.

 

[BrokenEnglishGuy]

What sound like overload the room? I have a floorstander speaker in 2.8x3.3 m room, I need to use the foam plugs but with the hole inside, i need to use them like this, with the foam the bass sounds more tight

 

[Tokyo_John]

I'm just sitting here wondering if you're in Tokyo how you have a listening space that big.

We lived in Japan in Utsunomiya for a little over a year and our whole 2 bedroom apartment was only about twice that size. At least in that area, I don't think we could have spent our way into a place with much bigger rooms, just more of them in an overall larger space. But, Tokyo and a few of the other bigger cities are almost a whole different place than where we were.

Moving to a house that is far enough from a station (13 minutes walk) that it moderates the price a bit (within 5 minutes is 2-3X more expensive), and getting a slightly older (but solid) house in a country where people don’t typically like to buy anything used (it was built by Asahi Kasei). We scored the perfect balance, and the extremely low mortgage rates in Japan are quite helpful. The listening space is actually our living and dining area, and there is an adjoining open kitchen on one end and another tatami room off to the side…a patio is on the other side with two separate sliding doors, and another patio and door behind where the speakers will be situated (heavy curtains will be installed). I may do a back corner large bookshelf that also serves partial duty as a bass trap. With kids around, higher volumes (>90 dB-SPL) will usually be avoided.

I want and will probably order soon the SVS-3000 micro, which would point me towards the KEF out of the two you listed... but if space were no object, than bigger is always better right? Or if you can do two, dual SV-2000s like others said. I might do dual SVS-3000 micros but finding space to hide two might be difficult.

I would love to get 2, but that is probably pushing space a bit. I can easily integrate just about any single sub into the room since I will also make the furniture. Sure, a KC62 is easier but a SB-3000 (roughly 15 inches on a side) is definitely doable. I like the idea of having a sub that doesn’t have to work hard, but I realize that small subs are getting much better these days, and probably fine below 90 dB-SPL for small to medium size rooms.

If space not an issue then Kef KC62 and SVS micro 3000 should be out of consideration. Stay in the forum , read and learn. "Fast" bass is a misnomer. Integration is key and often requires work. You are on the right pth with miniDSP care to tell us which model you plan or are using? Two (or more subs) are always better than one.

By “fast bass” I mean that I want as little transient on the sub bass end of the waterfall as permitted by my room and Dirac fine-tuning. I will also employ room treatments to a reasonable extent, in addition to experimenting with position before finalizing my furniture plans. For miniDSP I was thinking about splitting the digital signal with a SHD Studio to mains and sub, but I might instead go for the full SHD and sell my present mains DAC…this latter option would simplify the setup.

 

[Tokyo_John]

Yes, I have a SB 4000 Ultra in my office. I am running it 23 to 26 dB lower than in my large room. It can be integrated, and integration gives you 90% of the result. And I also totally agree that 2 smaller subs, if one has a way to position them without disrupting the function of the room is almost always better than 1 bigger one.

Overloading the room, as far as I am concerned and maybe subjectively, is when the whole room becomes muddy and echoic. It's a bit different from 1st order room modes, which one clearly hear at even a reasonable level afaic. It when reflections of reflections (eventually of reflections) start to interact in a random way.

Just curious…Would a small enough room effectively damp sub-bass echo? I’m thinking that if the space is too small to support long standing waves, then resonance is not possible. Instead it becomes more like having total pressure fluctuations in the entire room (instead of spatially propagating waves) and one becomes more concerned with the rigidity and thickness of the walls, floor, and ceiling. It seems to be analogous to the situation inside a subwoofer cabinet itself, where one thinks about porting, etc..

 

[stevenswall]

You need to consider your room as well. While it feels good to go big, especially with subs, it is quite easy to literally overload the room with big subs.

With room correction as I understand it, this no longer applies unless the room correction can't turn down the bass peaks enough. How does overloading a room happen when the user can adjust volume and remove peaks in the bass with room correction? (Sure you will have nulls, but this is better than having nothing in the bottom octaves at all.)

 

[PierreV]

With room correction as I understand it, this no longer applies unless the room correction can't turn down the bass peaks enough.

I agree, hence the -23/-26 dB vs the standard level in my office (on top of other PEQ and phase adjustment). But that simply means the big sub is not cost-effective. Two smaller subs that you can crawl around would also probably do a better job with room modes (but are a no-go in my already too crowded office).

I brought the point because that's a mistake I made: my line of thought was "let's get subs, the biggest ones readily available while I am at it" - the mistake doesn't have consequences other than my wallet being lighter, but the SB16Ultra subs were overkill. I actually bought two SB2000 for another room (different shape, but similar volume).

Edit: wrongly said "SB4000" for some reason in the above posts, just double checked and it's SB16Ultra. I am a bit confused about which subs are in which room

 

[PierreV]

Just curious…Would a small enough room effectively damp sub-bass echo? I’m thinking that if the space is too small to support long standing waves, then resonance is not possible. Instead it becomes more like having total pressure fluctuations in the entire room (instead of spatially propagating waves) and one becomes more concerned with the rigidity and thickness of the walls, floor, and ceiling. It seems to be analogous to the situation inside a subwoofer cabinet itself, where one thinks about porting, etc..

Very possible. My house is concrete blocks covered by bricks, including the inner walls of the office. It could be different in a wooden house or with drywalls.

 

[richard12511]

You need to consider your room as well. While it feels good to go big, especially with subs, it is quite easy to literally overload the room with big subs.

Disagree. You can always cut the bass to be exactly equal to a smaller sub if you want less bass. You can't do the opposite, though. What you say might be true without room correction, though.

I had 8 18"(4 subs with 2 18" drivers each) subs in a small(10.5' x 12.5') room at one time and the room wasn't overloaded at all after EQ. Bass was ridiculously clean and tight.