K5SS Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 I have been fortunate enough to own some pretty awesome home theater subwoofers over the years but today I finally came to a major revelation, I prefer passive radiator subwoofers. I love just about every aspect these “little” subwoofers present. Everything from the compact enclosures all the way to the performance on “loud” action scenes. I think it’s the mid-bass that the last sealed or vented subwoofers I have recently owned, were all lacking. Whatever frequency range/sound this type of subwoofer produces, just is my cup of tea. I picked up a pair of Definitive Technology Supercubes and I am sitting here grinning ear to ear, watching Driver. I have owned about 7 Definitive Technology Supercubes over the years, everything from the tiny III all the way up to the Reference and have loved all of them. I also loved the RSW-15 I owned and the Sunfire True subs that I used to run. I think passive radiator subwoofers don’t get the respect they deserve. If I go the DIY route down the road, which I think I am, I am definitely going with a passive radiator project. I would love to hear your thoughts? And yes, I know, horn subwoofers would “destroy” my little Supercubes in terms of output and that you could build a pair of $25 DIY subwoofers that would “mop the floor” with this pair but I can tell you, ignorance is bliss in my particular situation. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babadono Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 I think Parts Express is showing some love for the same with their relatively new passive radiator kits https://www.parts-express.com/passive-dayton-audio-reference-15-with-dual-passive-radiator-subwoofer-kit--300-7156 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 Good to know that size may not matter in all situation...thanks for that. sure there are other compacts yet thanks some more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K5SS Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 57 minutes ago, babadono said: I think Parts Express is showing some love for the same with their relatively new passive radiator kits https://www.parts-express.com/passive-dayton-audio-reference-15-with-dual-passive-radiator-subwoofer-kit--300-7156 I didn’t even know there was a 15” version available. Well, that decides my next project, one I have moved. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter P. Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a passive radiator sub just a different flavor of a ported sub? I was under the impression that the benefit of the former over the latter was the lack of potential port noise due to the lack of a port. Someone educate me on passive radiators vs. ports and vents. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 Yes, a sub with a passive radiator is considered ported. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K5SS Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 2 hours ago, Peter P. said: Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a passive radiator sub just a different flavor of a ported sub? I was under the impression that the benefit of the former over the latter was the lack of potential port noise due to the lack of a port. Someone educate me on passive radiators vs. ports and vents. Yes, passive radiator subwoofers are characterized as ported subwoofers but there is definitely more to it. The sound radiator subs produce is definitely different than ported subs and the form factor of being able to shrink the box down by using a passive radiators, in place of ports is hugely beneficial for people like me, who have limited space. I have also loved the large ported subs I have owned but if you aren’t trying to achieve movie theater levels in your home, passive radiator subs seem to be the best overall style subwoofer for my applications. I know some people here have enjoyed this style sub so I figured I would get the opinions of my go-to audio forum friends here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter P. Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 I was also under the impression that ported subs require a larger cabinet than an equivalent sized driver in a sealed cabinet. I come to this conclusion from the SVS web site where there offer your choice of an "SB" (sealed") or "PB" (ported) model for several of their lines using the same driver such as a "12". So I would expect a passive radiator version of a sealed sub to have a larger cabinet, yet it sounds like you claim passive radiator subs are merely sealed cabinets with a passive radiator added. I wonder if there's more going on in the cabinet design that gives the designer the option of varying the cabinet size when going to a passive radiator vs. a sealed sibling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Works like a port, just a tuning device. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K5SS Posted February 8, 2019 Author Share Posted February 8, 2019 3 hours ago, jason str said: Works like a port, just a tuning device. Agree but if the passives work like a port, shouldn’t they perform similarly in a smaller enclosure, or do the enclosures need to also be large? I understand the purpose of large vented subs, but if you can shrink a subwoofer down to 1/2 or even 1/4 of the size, wouldn’t most people opt for the smaller subs? I would love to see what companies like SVS, HSU, Rthymik, PSA and Seaton could do with passive radiator subwoofers. I will assume that there must be a reason for these companies have not release passive subwoofers but my simpleton mind, can’t figure it out. I am currently living in 750 SF so my Rythmik FV15HP looks like a small refrigerator in my living room, which doesn’t fly with my modern/minimalist taste. With that said, I also love me some bass which is the reason I started this thread. This forum is filled with great people, who are also much more knowledgeable than I, so I wanted to hear some thoughts. I would jump all over a SVS with 12” woofer, 2 12” passive radiators in a 14” x 14” cabinet with a front LED display for the controls, if it could compete with the PB or PC 4000 subs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason str Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Cabinet size depends on driver T/S parameters. You can't just shrink a cabinet without consequences. Most blow so much money on speakers and amps that subs are an afterthought or have only this >[]< small space left for a sub and wonder why it does not sound that great in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptorman Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 56 minutes ago, K5SS said: Agree but if the passives work like a port, shouldn’t they perform similarly in a smaller enclosure, or do the enclosures need to also be large? I understand the purpose of large vented subs, but if you can shrink a subwoofer down to 1/2 or even 1/4 of the size, wouldn’t most people opt for the smaller subs? I would love to see what companies like SVS, HSU, Rthymik, PSA and Seaton could do with passive subwoofers. I will assume that there must be a reason for these companies have not release passive subwoofers but my simpleton mind, can’t figure it out. I am currently living in 750 SF so my Rythmik FV15HP looks like a small refrigerator in my living room, which doesn’t fly with my modern/minimalist taste. With that said, I also love me some bass which is the reason I started this thread. This forum is filled with great people, who are also much more knowledgeable than I, so I wanted to hear some thoughts. I would jump all over a SVS with 12” woofer, 2 12” passive radiators in a 14” x 14” cabinet with a front LED display for the controls, if it could compete with the PB or PC 4000 subs. Have you heard the Palladium P-312? Because that meets a lot of your criteria, but a little larger cabinet than 14"x14". It would play well with your P17Bs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K5SS Posted February 8, 2019 Author Share Posted February 8, 2019 Have you heard the Palladium P-312? Because that meets a lot of your criteria, but a little larger cabinet than 14"x14". It would play well with your P17Bs. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity but that sub always intrigued me, especially when they were on close-out. Also, I made a mistake and sold off my Palladium speakers. I only say mistake because I should have A/B’s them vs my Ultra2 650’s. Love the looks of the Palladium’s but curiosity got the best of me when a good deal popped up on a set of Ultra2’s. Hereis is another wonderful passive radiator sub that I owned. GoldenEar ForceField 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiva Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 This one from Totem has been up for sale for awhile on my local craigslist. 8" with 2 passives. https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/ele/d/fountain-valley-totem-acoustic-storm/6802225027.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K5SS Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 3 hours ago, Shiva said: This one from Totem has been up for sale for awhile on my local craigslist. 8" with 2 passives. https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/ele/d/fountain-valley-totem-acoustic-storm/6802225027.html Totem makes some nice stuff. I had a pair of their towers a while back. If that sub was closer, I’d probably go check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 I like the passive radiator subs too, really like the Klipsch RSW line for music I once ran a pair of RSW-10's in stereo with some Sunfire CRM-2's for awhile and wow did they sound good together, they blended seamlessly like one giant set of tower speakers honestly gave my Crites modded Chorus II's a run for their money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 10 hours ago, jjptkd said: RSW-10's in stereo with some Sunfire CRM-2's for awhile and wow did they sound good together, they blended seamlessly like one giant set of tower speakers Until my RSW-10d took a dump a little over two weeks ago, my RB-75s gave me the same thrill, like full range 3-way towers. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 3 hours ago, willland said: Until my RSW-10d took a dump a little over two weeks ago Bill Oh man that bites! You plan on getting it fixed? Those are nice subs not sure a new one would give you the same level of performance unless you went with the Palladium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 20 minutes ago, jjptkd said: Oh man that bites! You plan on getting it fixed? Those are nice subs not sure a new one would give you the same level of performance unless you went with the Palladium. Yeah, I will send it in to Edward's Electronics sometime in the near future. As much as I love the RB-75s/RSW-10d combo, I have three other systems that sound pretty good. As you may have heard, the RB-75s do pretty darn well on their own for "bookshelf" speakers. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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