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How would the Klipsch KPT684 be as a home sub


m00n

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No m00n, that's a "unit only" - a passive subwoofer.

I use similar JBL woofer cabinets - 2 cabs with 2 15" woofers per cab. Such units have pros and cons.

The pro is they are "pro" - heavy duty, more than enough woof-age for the job, and very quick. Very high SPL capability - they shake the foundations, that's for sure, but without lingering boom. I cannot and do not use these to the fullest capability, since I do have neighbors, and local law enforcement offices nearby6.gif

The con is they are not "subwoofers" in the true sense. By the standard set by "the ear", subwoofers are judged by output at 20 hz, which my JBL's roll off steeply below 25 hz. In fact, I use a slight boost at 30 hz, and cut off all input below 20 hz, to avoid damaging the woofers from subsonic signals they are not designed to handle.

One more con - they are ugly. They won't get any WAF points (unless you hide 'em with Cornwalls).

From 25 hz and above, though, they are da bomb. Upgrading (or down-grading, hehe) to subs capable of similar performance at 20 hz and below is VERY expensive. For 10-20% of what such subs cost (thanks to the JBL tent sale), I'm 5 hz away from ultimate LFE performance.

The Klipsch 18's would be fun to audition (as would 18" JBL)3.gif

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dndphishin said it well

mOOn why would you waste time with some bass bins(not real subwoofers)????

Your RSW's with the RF7's provide all the quality punch,now what you need is a true deep bass beast.

This spot would be filled with...

1. A pair of SVS Ultra with a Samson 1000 amp plus crossover

2. One Revel B15(yes this sub is damn capable,doubters never heard it)

3. One B2 or better yet the B4-Plus with a K2 amp plus crossover

4. Earthquake 15inch woofer cube monsters(think of it as a BIG Sunfire Sig.)

Any in my list will shake N bake,I have the Revel and its shake factor is double that of a Sunfire Signature(trounces the RSW15 in the shake departament).

I tell ya,when I listen to a movie I like,its tremor time.I dont use whimpy weak subs.My current weakest sub the Sunfire Super Junior whips any KSW and the RSW10 but I purchased the SJ because its an amazing ultra compact cube,you have to see this thing and wonder how did Bob Carver manage to squeeze all this sub bass in a matchbox!Per cubic inch the SJ is a wonder sub.

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If you really gotta have the bottom bottom, try out Velodyne HGS series. I sampled one today - the 10" model. This is refined/defined bottom. It is small and can hide under an end table. I had to take off the cover to see the diaphragm moving because the sound was so dispersed. I had an idea for a coffee table subwoofer. That way you can put you feet on it and have a little sensearound. And wouldn't you know it, it has already been done.

Especially check out http://www.decware.com/whorn.htm . Groovy!

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On 5/13/2003 7:55:51 PM dndphishin wrote:

No m00n, that's a "unit only" - a passive subwoofer.

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Why do I get this image in my head of you pointing your finger at me with your eyes glaring and saying.... No m000n bad, bad m000n. You can't have that... Nooooo, all the while shaking your finger at me? 9.gif

Ok so now I need to know since you brought it, I don't fully understand the difference between what this beast is, and what my RSW-15 is exactly.

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For shake factor any of my listed subs takes the HGS10,12 and 15 to school.I know,I tried them and have the HGS18.I am no stranger to Velodyne or the HGS series. 1.gif

Clean and defined they are,some of the very fines music subs made at any price.As for shake factor,they do well.

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m00n, with your RSW, it has the amp, crossover, phase, etc. in the unit - the pro subs are speakers/cabinet only (passive). So, you must address amplification (not too tough - pro amps work well here and can be had cheap), crossover (in the pre/pro), and mandatory for proper response - an EQ. About the time I got the cabinets, I found someone selling a crown pro amp and Behringer Feedback Destroyer as a cheap package, so I ended up with the whole kit for under 8 bills - both cabs, amp, and EQ - about half the typical street price of an RSW 15.

The EQ presents an inherent problem in that it delays the signal a few milliseconds (meaning the subs would play a bit behind), but fortunately my prepro will let me cheat by telling it the subs are closer to the seat than they really are, so trial and error on those adjustments got them in sync with the rest of my system.

Also of note is how well the pre/pro's crossover allows the speakers and sub to integrate. I was counting on that crossover to work well, since I had no other option. Mine fortunately works very well, but I was concerned about this as I was assembling the kit.

Getting the most out of these certainly required lots of reading on my part. These were anything but an easy solution to good LFE, but the cheap cost was worth the trouble. I did learn a great deal about how to use test tones and the SPL meter though - a few days of practice! Learning the BFD was another week's worth of study. When I first got these JBL's it was like having two large beasts running amok in my living room, me spending days taming and tweaking them for optimum performance and integration into the theater. It took awhile, but I am now quite pleased with the results.

Not for the novice (although I was certainly no expert), and certainly not for the impatient.

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dndphishin,

I agree with just about everything you said in your two well-constructed posts. Our JBL boxes dont quite dig as deep as some of the equipment that is discussed here but they hit pretty hard >30. I am a little embarrassed to admit it but I have never hooked up any equalizer nor have I calibrated the system. It Still sounds great. I keep toying with the idea of replacing it with something that is physically smaller And goes deeper but for <$350 its hard to part with. Just some thoughts.

Dan

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  • 8 years later...

I want this sub too. Right now I am running the Klipsch Chorus IIs with the Forte IIs on top of them. My room, being a basement with brick walls needs alot more bass reinforcement. The Velodyne HGS 18 will NOT cut it (a beastly sub it is). Plus I want to feel the bass big time when playing concert dvd's.

What all do I need to hook up to my Harman Kardon receiver?

Pro amp. Pre amp? Crossover? Can I not go from the receivers subwoofer out to the pro amp's input? What type of EQ? An EQ just for bass? I like to leave it all flat and not add anything to the signal if possible. Crazy?

Ideas? thanks!

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It's the three dimensions of the room that'll kill your bass faster than anything. [8]

Having brick walls actually helps subwoofer radiation. Don't know why you think otherwise.

What are the length, width, and height for starters?...and how loud is loud-enough, for you?

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Well theres an alcove at the front of my room.

So basically you have about 22ft front to back. 20 ft wide in the alcove. 15 ft wide at the listening position. 8 ft ceiling which is exposed painted floor joistes (basement). Concrete slap, cinder brick walls except the wall i built to the left of the listening position.

I have given up on really "good" quality bass. The room is quite boomy and there is a large null area. I am using bass traps in the rear corners (not sure they even helped).

I want strong punchy bass alot like what you might hear from a good band. I was at my brothers wedding in charleston this last weekend and the band was phenominal. I want my music to be that punchy, that lively. They had two jbl double 18"s. I was thinking just one of the similar klipsches.

I know they dont go to 20hz, you cant hear that in my room anyway. Just something fun that will bring my concert dvds to life again.

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Nope:

Front: Chorus II and Forte II (Forte sets on top of chorus II)

Center: Forte I

Rear: Quartet II

Sub: Velo HGS18

Receiver: Harman Kardon ARV6000

I will tell you this..... a monster sub is not the solution.

Where is everything placed in relation to the room? Could you post a sketch? Something with dimensions would be worth a thousand words.

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I want strong punchy bass alot like what you might hear from a good band.

I'd wouldn't recommend the 684 or the 884, if this is what you desire to achieve. The 684 and 884 are direct radiators, and they tend to present a muddier bass to my ears. I'd instead recommend a large horn-loaded subwoofer--it sounds like you've got the room for one...

"djk" (Dennis) doesn't recommend the smaller Fitzmaurice Tuba series, but there are tapped horn subs from Danley and conventional horn-loaded subs from JBL, BASSMAXX, EAW, and others. I'm told that the larger Fitzmaurice THT (too big to get through a standard doorway) has a lot of authority, but its downside is size.

In particular, I'd recommend the Danley TH series because they're relatively small and they usually have a very low -3 dB cutoff frequency (something that the KPT-684 doesn't have). They don't take very much power to drive, and they will really put the punch back into your system. The DTS-10 is one that is cited most often, but there are also other Danley tapped-horn sub models that put out even more than the DTS-10. You'l have your best results if you do not try to crossover the Danley TH subs above ~50-60 Hz.

There are also DIY kits at DIYAudio.org that are very inexpensive.

Chris

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