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Subwoofer Selection For My HT.


JerolW

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I currently have a 5.0 HT using 4 Heresys and a KG2,2V. My 2-channel is a pair of Cornwalls.

There are subs aplenty on my local craigslist.

Choices include KSW10, KSW12 and a KSW15.

Would any of these match? Or is there a better match?

How important is a sub anyway? Wouldn't any sub that issues those low

frequencies work?

jerol

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I'm not a big fan of using a subwoofer that has a smaller woofer than your main speakers, so if I were you I'd look into something that had at least a 12" woofer.

The KSW are alright, but if you can find a decent price on a Sub-12 Synergy sub you won't regret it.

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You'd think that all subs are pretty much equal, but sadly, it's not the case at all, and cost does NOT equal performance.

Do you have a good amount of room, or are you willing to cut into a wall?

I'm not a fan of small box subwoofers. The best sound comes from a driver that is not beating against a tight air-spring, and only large boxes or infinite baffles (which is really just a VERY large sealed box) can accomplish this.

I'm talking about about smooth, accurate, DEEP reproduction below 20hz.

It's an addiction.. fortunately, if you're willing to put in a little elbow grease, it's not a terribly expensive one.

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Thanks for the responses.

I'm just looking for a box that will sit under a side table.

I've seen posts regarding Velodyne as a nice unit, but currently Klipsch units

are available at reasonable prices. That's why I asked about these models.

jerol

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Well, I run Cornwall IIIs and Heresy IIIs. My sub is a Velodyne DD-18. The guy I bought the DD-18 from runs La Scalas. He went and ordered 2 x KSW12s to replace the DD-18. A few days after they arrived and were installed I got an email pleading for me to sell the DD-18 back to him.....

As has been stated, not all subs are equal; and I'd suggest aiming for a sub made by a specialist sub manufacturer. Klipsch make nice speakers but their subs don't really compete with specialist sub manufacturer offerings.

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Those Velos are very pricey for something that's only going to rumble the house.



Not that I'm trying to push Velos, but I think you would be surprised what all proper subwoofage brings to the table...



Even
though the subs I'm interested in might be perceived as overkill, it's
never been with the intent of rumbling the house. Low distortion bass
is hard to do (especially in a small package), but when you get it
right, I've found that it
dramatically improves the overall performance. I've found that
listening to music without the full
spectrum being reproduced sounds stale and harsh. I say this, however,
knowing full well that not all music requires a subwoofer to cover the
spectrum - so really it's a subset condition for the recordings that
have lower frequencies that need to be reproduced. I don't think a
Heresy cuts it for any of the music I listen to and I'm not a huge fan
of the bass boost built into the Cornwall.



Anyways, if your goal is only to rumble the
floor a bit, then a KSW-15 should be more than adequate. If you're
interested in subwoofers for music playback, then I would recommend an
alternate solution.



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Those Velos are very pricey for something that's only going to rumble the house.

They sure are. Now, consider this: I purchased mine for rumble. I got it in spades. However, its performance with music is phenomenal and I was not expecting this. Yes, you have to pay to get that combination but I think it was worth it. My response to the chap wanting it sold back to him was a friendly 'after you pry it from my cold, dead fingers'.

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Those Velos are very pricey for something that's only going to rumble the house.

Once you have a quality sub or two, you will not make that statement. Adds a total new dimension to HT and 2ch when you have a quality sub properly dialed in. If you just want to shake the house, buy some buttkickers. [:D]

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I've always been happy with the bass from the the cornwalls. Over the 32 years that

I've owned them (original owner) i'm used to the sound and know what to expect from them.

I do not intend to use the sub for 2-channel, just HT.

So, I'm still confused as to what sub to get. My 57 year old ears, and many GD shows in the Phil zone

probably would not be able to differenciate a very good sub vs, an OK sub.

thanks,

jerol

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Low frequency hearing is one of the last to be damaged by your typical rock concert.. the ear can take a much higher amount of low-freq vs. high freq..

But your don't have to timbre-match the sub.. I'd recommend looking at epiksubwoofers.com, or elementaldesigns.com, and choose the biggest one that fits your space needs and budget.

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