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Klipsch Sub-Woofers are they Sealed or Ported ? (help picking speakers)


augustya30

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I am looking out for a Sub-Woofer to fit into a room of 10x15 approximately 150 square feet area, I am mostly gonna use if for some very heavy BASS Music like Electronic Dance Music and Progressive House so I really want that BASS coming out of the Sub-Woofer, I want that hard hitting BASS. I really want that dance club kind of listening experience with the Sub, having said that I may occasionally watch a movie also in that. so I would say my requirement is 75% Music and 25% Movies. Which one should I go for Ported or Sealed Sub-Woofers ?

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9 hours ago, Youthman said:

If you are looking at Klipsch subs, see if you can find and demo the older RSW-15.  It definitely hits pretty hard.  Ported though would give you much more slam.

 

 

So If I am looking to listen to this kind of Music

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v5poby0ca7pzwdh/Guy J_2026_Original.mp3?dl=0

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4kr98oaka4o2q4t/Guy J_7_11_Original.mp3?dl=0

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1v9adcszs1ixzc5/Guy J_Diaspora_Original_Mix.mp3?dl=0

 

If I want a Dance Club kind of BASS and atmosphere should I be looking at Ported Subs or Sealed Subs ?

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This is getting very confusing, confusing Ported vs Sealed. I happened to have a discussion on this with the Ed Mullen the Head of Technology the leading name in making quality Sub-Woofers and this is what he had to say..

 

"If anyone has ever been to a commercial club where EDM, hip-hop, dub-step, etc. is being played - it's very loud and the subwoofers are deliberately running way hot and the entire atmosphere is literally throbbing with chest slamming bass. 

The only reason I would suggest a sealed sub-woofer is because that size room will have lots of room gain, which will lift and flatten the low-end response and add considerable output capability in the 18-36 Hz octave. 

Subjectively a sealed sub in that size space will sound more balanced with more emphasis in the mid/upper bass where it counts for EDM and similar music genres. And the footprint is much smaller - which tends to be a lifestyle priority in bedroom audio systems. 

The SB-1000 has higher mid/upper bass output capability and is subjectively punchier and tighter. This makes it a good choice for music applications. The SB-1000 is also quite small and integrates into bedroom systems more easily. And in smaller rooms it will sound more balanced than a ported sub if there is no equalization of the subwoofer channel. 

The PB-1000 extends deeper and has a significant max output advantage <35 Hz, and would be a better choice for a mostly movie application since the LFE channel has so much content in the 18-36 Hz octave. And an AVR which EQs the subwoofer channel will lop-off excessive room gain and restore a balanced sound to the subwoofer.    
 
the SB-1000 with its light weight 12" driver has considerably higher mid/upper bass output and is subjectively punchier and tighter than the PB-1000 - which again favors EDM. Of course <35 Hz the PB-1000 turns the tables...."
 
he he has been consistently telling me to go for sealed, now I do like Klipsch Sub-Woofers and Klipsch only makes Ported Sub-Woofers so even Ported sub-woofers is not a bummer whe it comes to listening to and playing hard hitting BASS music ! Now how do I decide ? Can anyone advise me ? I am helluva a lot confused !!
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There is another kind of sub from Klipsch, a vented horn, Ed Mullen doesn't know about these yet. Because it's was the first ever and is patented, a completely new  design.

But it's not for a bedroom unless you have a big bedroom.

 

You should go listen to a few subs, explain what your looking for. Just to help you decide what direction to go as far as what they will do in a room. In a 10 x 15 room there are many subs that could do what you want.

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I mean I respect Ed Mullen's Opinion but I am getting really confused between this Ported versus Sealed Subs this is getting into fine nuances, and a layman like who wants to enjoy the Hard Hitting BASS to the Best. These Technical Concepts are all going over the head !!

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3 hours ago, augustya30 said:

I mean I respect Ed Mullen's Opinion but I am getting really confused between this Ported versus Sealed Subs this is getting into fine nuances, and a layman like who wants to enjoy the Hard Hitting BASS to the Best. These Technical Concepts are all going over the head !!

 

Have you ever blown across a Coke bottle and it made a low whistling sound?  That's what is called a Hemholtz resonator.  Ported boxes work the same way.  The size of the enclosure and port determines the frequency that this is maximized at which is called the tuning frequency, you get a 6 db gain from the port there, it's literally like doubling the amount of subwoofer drivers and amps that you have if you were to compare it to a sealed box. 

 

For home theater subs this is typically below 25 hz, the best ones are 20 or below.  This helps with the room shaking thuds and whatnot, think about a stampede or dinosaur steps.  This doesn't always equate to the super hard hitting electronic music though.  

 

Car audio is tuned a little higher, typically 33-38 hz.  This is what most people expect when they think about teeth rattling bass in rap music.  

 

Pro audio is often even higher, where kick drums and bass guitar are emphasized but not much else.  

 

The extra output from the port comes at a cost though.  The enclosure is bigger, there's what's called group delay around the tuning frequency which can muddy things up, some midrange distortion artifacts can come out of the ports, and below the tuning frequency the driver flops around like a fish out of water uncontrolled.  

 

Sealed doesn't have these problems, which often leads to tighter more defined sounding bass, and ultra-low extension is typically better, not rolling off as fast and less susceptible to damage.  But, it doesn't have nearly as much output either, you really need multiple sealed subs in order to keep up.  

 

So it's all a trade-off really.  Like the old engineering adage:  good, fast, cheap... pick two.  If you want to rattle your teeth out with electronic music get something like a KPT-684, or two.  You probably don't want to pay for it though.  

 

Based on what I'm hearing from you, I'd get a ported one, multiples if possible.  If you want to maximize the boom to cost ratio, just get a couple of R-12SW's.  I wouldn't recommend it for home theater or an expensive build but if you want to thump on a budget it's a good choice.  

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Hmm.  Well there are lot of ways to go with this topic.  Ported/sealed can both give you your desired results depending on the sub, depending on your room.

 

What is your ceiling height and is the room closed? (looking for cubic feet to determine total volume the sub(s) will need to pressurize)  

What is your desired budget?

Placement issues?  Multiple subs an option?

Do you really want club level output?  (and sheesh, clubs are all a bit different so...that is hard to define)  

If you have a specific goal - define it clearly, then it's easier to figure how to achieve it.  

For example... "I want 120dB average/minimum/flat/etc from 35-80Hz measured at my listening position"

 

There are so many choices out there these days for amazing subs that we can't just point to one and say, "this is it"   Something like a JTR captivator with 2x 18" drivers would probably make you more than happy, and lots of other subs would as well...

 

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I will summarize it this way I want a Dance Club kind of feel. I do not want to literally convert my room into a Dance Club nor will I be able to even if I wished so :D With home audio and personal audio how can I achieve pro audio level output which one gets in Tommorow Land (Europe) and Miami Dance Festival !! I do know that, but I am trying to replicate a miniature version of it ! My room size is 10x15 approximately 150 Squate Feets.  

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1 hour ago, augustya30 said:

With home audio and personal audio how can I achieve pro audio level output which one gets in Tommorow Land (Europe) and Miami Dance Festival !!

Ported, sealed, forget those other guys, listen to me, I can help you sort this out, fast!  :lol:

 

Do you want home audio or pro audio?  (if you don't know the difference, ask, or go back and re-read Met Lake Outfiters directly upstream ^^^) Will you consider new only, or used?  Are you open to DIY solutions?  And MOST importantly:

 

What's your budget?  B)

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