Subwoofer recommendations

Looking at new (used) subwoofers and looking for recs. Budget is under $1k cad, used or new. Strictly for 2 channel. Must have speaker inputs. I don't listen loud, not interested in something that goes boom or shakes my chair! Tight tuneful bass that will integrate well with my Dynaudio speakers. Room is small/medium; it's long and fairly narrow. I sit in an 8' triangle with the speakers. Thanks!
Ps: not willing to "stretch my budget"! It is what it is!

 

Used (or even new) Rel T7i (lookup the Rel appreciation thread here). Just what the doctor ordered for you !

 

Rel's are great. I've owned several. But, you might have an easier time integrating the sub with the Emotiva SE8 ($289) with its built in High Pass Filter. The Rel's don't have High Pass Filter (only high level connections i.e. speaker). You might watch my video that talks about this.

 

For $1K? REL or SVS. Done.

 

I was looking with same intention and paid for a ATC sub.
It was great but well over budget actually, tbh I didn't need the remote and kind of regretted purchase as I realized I could never afford the matching ATC floor standers.
later on I sold off again, looking for a cheaper solution.

Found BK subs handmade in UK.
These ticked all my boxes and extremely fair priced.
No cheap class D, but proper amps build-in.
I use it below 40-45hz only and with little volume, hate hearing rumble and boom, I managed to adjust well, its just add satisfying and a peach with large orchestral music.
No idea if available to your destination.

 

REL!

 

I just got a REL 9T/i.
They are designed for speaker inputs. They are designed for easy integration (which really impacts performance) and music.
Highly recommended.

 

REL and SVS are the go to brands for most audiophiles AND cinephiles. However, maybe wait and see if Kef's new subs are in the price range. They have some new technology that's supposed to get better, lower sounds with less distortion, in a fraction of the space. I think it's voodoo magic that they're trying to break the laws of physics, but then again, look at what they did with their "Meta absorption technology" or MAT, and that has been hugely popular and successful.

I just bought an SVS-PB1000 for $500US. I absolutely love it. Though mine is more for cinema. The SB-2000 Pro or PC-2000 Pro are both highly rated for music. The PC is cylindrical and has a much smaller footprint.

You might also consider, for 1k, going with two subwoofers. In fact, most experts will say that two smaller subs are often better than one larger one. In this price range you could get two SVS SB-1000's or two REL Serie T-Zero MKIIIs. The Rel T-Zeros don't have the largest low end extension, but you'd have two of them and even if they are REL's "budget" line, they're still REL and they're still fantastic.

Then there's also the case for stereo subwoofers: Stereo Subwoofers: Why Every Man Needs Two

Another thing to consider: REL with their speaker level inputs are more designed to enhance the speakers you already have. Instead of crossing over to the subwoofer, they're designed to be run right along side your speakers and both reproduce the same notes, and the lower ones your speakers might not be able to as well.

SVS and most other companies are more traditional, their goal is to reduce the range of frequencies your speakers have to reproduce, while extending your bass frequency response.

This is actually kind of why I'm considering going to 4 total subwoofers, eventually. Two of the REL T-Zero, one for each of my front speakers, primarily for music, then another PB-1000 and use both for the notes lower than ~40hz, the more traditional way. But then again, I really really like bass heavy setups, partially because I have hearing loss in low frequencies in one of my ears. But also, it lets me feel the music, or movies. And right now my listening room is dual purpose with my home theater for practical/space reasons (and surround music), and the PB series from SVS (ported) are less musical than REL or sealed (SB series SVS) subwoofers. And REL and sealed subwoofers are less than ideal for home theater. So the idea is to run the front and subwoofer pre-outs on my HT receiver into a preamp with HT passthrough (probably going to be a Parasound Halo P6 or New Classic 200), with the subwoofer outs on those going to the LFE inputs on my SVS subs, and both the receiver and preamp crossing over at the low end of my front speakers range (~40 hz), and then the front channels into my Adcom amp, which will then have outputs going to both the RELs and my ELACS.

Complicated? Yes, rambling? Without a doubt. Off topic? Partially. Do you care about my plans? Probably not. Why did I include them? Not totally sure, maybe to kind of show how you'd use them differently... or more probably because I just tend to let my ADHD run away with my brain which actually a lot of times causes hyper focus, not just loss of attention, and sometimes it causes hyper focus on the WRONG THING, leading to tangents and rambling, and here I go again.

 

yes

 

Well that sums it all up perfectly! Case closed

 

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/krk-v12sii-v-series-2-powered-subwoofer
Ive been living with one of these for nearly 2 decades. Its was Very expensive when new.
Its built for Mixing and matching to their V8S2 monitors off a board.
Home use has always been a struggle. It wants to be out in the room, like under a mixing console.
But its qualities are Very good.
Im only showing this because its like the Anti-REL!
Pro Subs can still work but its a struggle at home.
This style ended up being mainstream in HT Subs today.
For 2 channel Audio they're not friendly.

This is what I'll be replacing it with. Or better.
S/510 10 Inch Home Subwoofer | REL Acoustics

Id Seriously recommend the T/7i. or 2 of the smaller T/5i.
T/7i - 8 Inch Home Subwoofer | REL Acoustics

 

Have you looked at the second hand market? Paradigm and their Canadian cousins should be common on the Canuck Audio Mart, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Kijiji.

I just bought a used MB Quart DS1200si for $80.

Late 90s early 2000s
Made In Germany
speaker & line lever crossovers
12” bass woofer
Front flared port
185 watt amplifier

I’m pretty broke so my main speakers are $100 Craigslist Polk floor standing speakers with built in low frequency amplifiers. I wanted more oomph with streaming movies and TV like Mandolorian, so off to the classifieds within a 90 drive.

 

PS, they lack a speaker level crossover for you but for anyone reading this far, I specified some Rogersound RSL Speedwoofers for a friends basement home theater. He has two of them and the sound is great. Quick, musical and boomy only when the content calls for it. Amazing stuff for $400. In Steve's basement I ordered them with the BUILT IN wireless receiver and ordered the external wireless transmitter. This gave us plenty of flexibility in placement. The wireless option bumped the pair price to $1,000 shipped. That's hefty but so is the performance.

The Speedwoofer 10S Subwoofer - RSL Speakers

 

I can't agree with that. Velodyne and Rythmik servo subs are the better choice.

 

Clearly Dynaudio BM9s (that’s from the Pro line)
Or a normal Dynaudio sub
Will integrate best with your speakers
Had them, so I know well what I am speaking about

 

SVS