Picking a Subwoofer

[STEvil]

honestly I think velodyne is overpriced.. the svs unit would do better.

[BlackUp]

If you want more opinions you should post at an audio enthusiast forum like audioholics.com or avsforum.com
I'm quite sure they will steer you well. Also, has you budget increased to $1000? It looks like that is what the DEQ-15r runs.

Here is a review: http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/s...lodyne-deq-15r

By the time you pay shipping on that bad boy you could just get 2 15"s http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_...bab57cd40f0cdd
or one 18": http://www.edesignaudio.com/product_...roducts_id=656
eD does free shipping.


See this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1246684

[jason str]

There's a fancy Polk Audio sub with features galore at Newegg, if that amp is 1200 continuous watts the amp itself is worth the price.

Specs say almost 12" x 12" x 12" in size and the amp takes up the whole back.
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/dsw/#dswmicropro2000

Polk Audio 1200 watt sub
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16882290134

[STEvil]

http://altechsecurity.com/dsw2k.htm

1200w continuous? MY ASS.

6.3A @ 120v. Thats 756w at maximum, not even calculating efficiencies.



Its probably not a bad driver or amp, and the passive radiator looks ok (not sure why they fluid-coupled it).. but i'd say SVS is better.

[jason str]

Good catch, figured it was too good to be true.

[Bobsama]

(not sure why they fluid-coupled it)..

That's effectively Polk's way. Their SDA series (mid-80s to about '91) uses entirely (or almost entirely) fluid-coupled passive radiators. I have a pair of Polk SDA-1's out in the living room with a 12" fluid-coupled passive radiator driven by a pair of 6.5" woofers. Bass extension is surprising, to say the least. Taking a look at the DSW Micro Pro, if it can reach 27hz, it's probably pretty decent. It's very tough to find full-range loudspeakers or subwoofers that extend to or below 20hz (@ -3dB).

Is a Velodyne DEQ-15R out of budget for you? I think they're about $700-800 new (lists on Amazon for $750 or so).

[Nanometer]

That is a good catch. Sending 1200 to a single 8 inch speaker sounds like a joke anyways. And if that was 1200 watts, I could only imagine the distortion it would bring with it at those levels. A lot of the manufactures fud up the ratings. I usually like to base the power from the amplifier draw. Saw the power supply eat 1000 watts, I assume 75 percent efficiency and call it a 700 to 750 watt efficient amp. If their rating is at or far from that, I know they are mistaken and quite honest, misleading.

The velodyne isn't really out of the budget, it's just what I think I should be spending on a subwoofer. I'm definitely not shelling out a grand on a single sub, when the rest of my combined sound system cost less then 2 grand. Looks and build quality is important to me. If the subwoofer looks like it was designed in someone's garage, then I'm not paying 700 for it. If it looks like the subwoofer was rendered first and pride was taken into building the unit, then I believe it's worth it. It's like buying an ugly fast car, and we already have a manufacturer for that(Chrysler XLR).

[Bobsama]

1200W to an 8" speaker? Yeah a bit of a joke. However, it depends on the woofer's efficiency and sensitivity. That Polk DSW sub has an active driver and a passive radiator. As you probably already know, a passive radiator system is sometimes known as "2.5"-way speakers. It's a variation of bass reflex, using the passive radiator to block any backtones and reproduce the vibrations in the air. Net effect of this should be more bass extension, though cabinet properties are modified. The passive radiator will resonate; weighting it differently may change the resonance frequency to a point that won't hinder or cause any undue spikes in frequency response.

If you can find a used Velodyne sub with a digital servo, jump on it. You may need two to fill a large room or if you want bass balanced left to right.

Velodyne's finest current units are the Digital Drive series. I've heard an older Velodyne sub with the digital servo and they are fantastic for movies. The issue I've found is that bass quality is usually the most expensive and difficult bit of any sub-sat system. If your system is more towards music, Velodyne subs are less musical than some alternatives. You may be more interested in a pair of vintage loudspeakers if your system is more based towards music. Most vintage loudspeakers end up being better for the money than a brand new setup. However, you may need to repair them and may want to upgrade them. Something like a venerable pair of Polk SDA-1B's or SDA-1C's often come in good-excellent condition. Still, four replacement tweeters from Polk cost ~$200 and rebuilding the crossover can be expensive as well. The most popular SDA tweeters; the SL2000 tweeters, have a problem with a ~14kHz; they hit +7dB at about that point iirc. Replacing them is a night-and-day difference, as the replacement tweeters are much newer and more refined. Then if you want a better look, you could spend a LOT of time and money replacing the solid wood veneer and speaker cloth.

[STEvil]

What part of the passive radiator is fluid-coupled is what I want to know.. there's no coil in a passive radiator so the only thing they could have done is weighted the diaphram with some kind of fluid really.. which is pointless and just goes to show they're marketing to audiophools.. I hate that word btw.

[Bobsama]

What part of the passive radiator is fluid-coupled is what I want to know.. there's no coil in a passive radiator so the only thing they could have done is weighted the diaphram with some kind of fluid really.. which is pointless and just goes to show they're marketing to audiophools.. I hate that word btw.

It's weighting and balancing the passive radiator. Resonance by mass and material is well-known. I've got to make some small changes to my SDA-1's and I'll take a picture then. I don't know about the DSW's, though. You are partially right though; higher-end products mean higher prices, regardless of the material cost. Polk sells to the downmarket and midmarket "audiophiles". They always have.

[STEvil]

You dont need fluid to weight a passive diaphram..

[Donnie27]

If the correct phase on the Sub and Crossover used, your sounds will come from where the sound track places it. THX calls for 80Hz but that's just a baseline. Mine is set to 70Hz and folks think my mains are making low notes because bass seems to still originate from them. I had to switch off the Sub to convince them otherwise.

You dont need fluid to weight a passive diaphram..

Agreed!

It's a variation of bass reflex, using the passive radiator to block any backtones and reproduce the vibrations in the air. Net effect of this should be more bass extension, though cabinet properties are modified. The passive radiator will resonate; weighting it differently may change the resonance frequency to a point that won't hinder or cause any undue spikes in frequency response.

That's why I'd give up or trade SPL/Volume for accuracy with Sealed enclosures. Though I have both ported and vented Subs. My favorite
Mains Fisher 9v and Optimus Mach 1's are sealed for Stereo music playback.

""It's very tough to find full-range loudspeakers or subwoofers that extend to or below 20hz (@ -3dB)."

Full range yes probably impossible, Subs? Not really! The problem ain't reaching 20Hz or lower, it's at what Volume level or SPL you want with that low freq. One of the guys here posted Pipe Organs playing notes as low as 10Hz, it will give the biggest and best Subs a work-out. It showed a friend just how much Snake-oil he bought! A guy at Best Buy showing of Klipsch Subs quickly removed the disk I'd made. Both my JBL and my DIYer can play it a moderate levels, the BB guys couldn't play it above normal voice levels.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iJIN...eature=related

That said. Polk does make good stuff. They used to make even better products in the past. I got two Polk Woofers from a clearance place on EBay.
They sounded so good, I went back for more. The other 48 sold in 48 hrs.
These babies are 8" Woofers that hold a nice volume level at even 26Hz while the 1970's version of the Bose Tweeter Mid-range Plays from about 4500Hz to 25Khz crossed-over with an Optimus Two-Way crossover. Of all the speakers, these impressed folks the most!

Cabinet software is free at Madisound and they helped me with Speaker specs. The guy there also said, "I have similar ones from Polk"!

[AmiJIm]

I would buy a second klipsch .I have a set up with two subwoofers and feels great!