The best $1000. Subwoofer for music?

Just to update, I am still loving the pair of REL’s! I think running two really makes a big difference. They just merge seamlessly with my mains.

 

I've heard a few SVS subs and I think they give great bang for the buck - much more so than many other brands.

When I'm ready, I will be ordering a pair of SB 4000s and selling my Martin Logan Depth, which is an awesome sub but it's hard to find another used one at a reasonable price considering they are about 10 years old.

 

I auditioned both brands. What I decided ultimately was since I could go ahead an pay the extra, that the RDL’s were built much better, had a better high end look (not that anyone should necessarily care about that depending on where it is in the room) and it had a very nice, tight sounding bass. But, I bought two so it was close to $1000 more. Would I have purchased the SVS if I didn’t hear or see the RDL’s? Absolutely. If budget is a primary concern, I would recommend the SVS. If you can go up around $350 per sub, I highly recommend going to the RDL’s. By the way, the RDL’s were stupid easy to set up...another nicety for sure. I am not educated on what frequencies to adust to get a certain sound. These did all that automatically, listening to my Thiel’s. And I have been fine with the auto adjustments it made. I love these!

 

Owned one and sold it. It performed great but my room just didn’t need a sub.
Highly recommended though.

 

Really? I seem to prefer the rounded corners of the SVS SB-2000. If you like the "sub on stilts" look, SVS offers attractive isolation feet for a reasonable price (but comes with rubber feet).







"...the RDL’s were built much better."

Well, that is your opinion and you are welcome to it. I think the SVS subs are better crafted and sturdier. Finally,

• The REL T/7i employs a small 8" woofer vs the SB-2000 12" driver. The differences in output/extension/headroom are enormous. There is no truth to the myth that smaller sub cones are "more accurate."
• The REL T/7i is not really a sealed subwoofer because it has a down-firing passive radiator. This introduces problems that true sealed subwoofers are designed to minimize.

 

I had the svs isolation feet on my sb2000. The box was very well built and it was a nice looking sub. I wouldn’t hesitate buying one again.

 

A used Sunfire Eq

 

I have to agree those SVS photos look real nice. Whatever it was I looked at did not look nearly as nice as those. And those feet are ugly on the REL’s...mine don’t have those.

 

Loads of good recommends here. I paid $600 used for a Klipsch RSW-15 powered sub and it's a brown note mutha. It can also be versatile, musical and lovely.

Your "A" system is incomplete without a musical, dynamic & blood rushing subwoofer.

 

I have 3 subs in my setup and they definitely remove those peaks and dips and I did not need any additional room treatment.

 

Interesting. How did you integrate the 3rd sub? One on the L, one on the R, and 1 in the center? You said you have 2 SVS PB-2000 subs -- what is the 3rd sub? When the 3rd sub is turned off, can you tell a significant difference? Thx.

 

The 3rd sub is an older Polk 505. I have the PB2ks connected to one preamp via a y connector. I've got to get that other PB2k. There's a noticeable difference if I remove either one of those subs as far as holes in the bass levels. That's why I went that route. I was considering room treatment, but for the cost, I figured why not get more subs. I have one sub at the front, one sits to the right (midroom) of the sofa and one in the rear. Because of the basement configuration, I can not put 2 subs up front. My system serves dual purposes - music and movies.

 

Thanks. I'm in the market for a couple of subs (don't have any now) and the thought of getting 3 has crossed my mind several times. I was talking to a rep at SVS and asked if anybody ever orders 3. He said, yeah, sometimes, but more often 4 subs at a time are ordered. Unfortunately, SVS does not carry over their 2-sub discount ($699 + $600) to the 3rd sub, but they do offer a 5% discount, I believe. At this point, I think I'll start with 2 and see how it goes.

 

I can tell you, based on my experience, I would not be without at least 2 subs in my system. When you get 2, set them up and then shut off one of them to see what you get.

 

After months of thinking about adding subs to my setup, I finally pulled the trigger on a pair of SVS SB-2000. They are scheduled to arrive on Saturday. I'm going to see Pat Benatar in the evening so I'll be playing her music while I experiment with placement and settings.

 

You'll love them!

 

Counterpoint- one carefully selected subwoofer properly positioned and carefully tuned can be perfectly integrated without needing another.

 

Did you have two and prefer only one? I rarely if ever see anyone with a matching pair decide to go with only one sub.

 

I would agree, I went from one to two subs and wouldn't go back to a single. I don't doubt one perfect sub, positioned perfectly for the room could work wonders. However, depending on room/space/location limitations most people have with listening rooms, adding two subs to get one's desired results could be easier. Just a thought

 

No- I have heard two subwoofers many times in various systems and know what to expect. It can sound awesome and is much easier to get a smoother response depending on subwoofer used. I have also heard single sub systems sound just as good.
I started with one sub, carefully selected for my room size and with the necessary features and performance for integration- sealed, flat response, high level connections, continuous phase angle and polarity switch. I then integrated it (including position) using a microphone and RTA software and now have a flat response from 20 Hz and up at the listening position. Even though it is in the corner of the room, the bass is perfectly centered in the sound stage. I barely have the subwoofer level control turned up and it sounds great. Another sub would be overkill.

 

I could never live with one subwoofer in a corner of the room no matter how integrated it was. That is just my opinion and I am sincerely glad you only need one. Most of the people in this particular thread prefer two so your post seems to stick out. Hopefully you don't have the opinion that all the people in this thread don't know how to set up a sub and you are chalking up differing results to the other posters lack of knowledge. You would be wrong in that case.

 

Most of the people here don't care what is easier, they care what sounds better to their own ears.

 

I don't think @avanti1960 meant any offense. He was just contributing a bit of his own experience. "Every man is my master in that I may learn from him."

 

Of course not- each room and each person's preferences are different. However I do think that a single sub must be adequate for the room and system if not slightly bigger. Our church auditorium for example, ~ 1200 people- uses a single large sub just in front of the stage and it is often overbearing how powerful it sounds. On the other hand a medium to large sized room with two basic entry level subwoofers supporting a decently powered system could sound inadequate.