# Subwoofer question/suggestions



## bluenotefan (Aug 5, 2011)

Hello everyone,

I'm working on a modest HT build and was interested in your suggestions and input about my subwoofer. My theater area is somewhat long and narrow with dimensions of 15x30. 

My question is whether an old car audio woofer would work for this environment. It is a Kenwood KFC-WS252. It's a 10" sub designed to use a smaller than normal enclosure, and provide tighter, cleaner bass than it's counterparts at that time (1997). 

Any input or suggestions on other subs (if the Kenwood is a bad idea) for this room size are greatly appreciated!


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## tesseract (Aug 9, 2010)

Chances are, you wouldn't even notice it is playing in a room that size. Believe me, I've tried it. Best to look to powered subwoofers built for this purpose.

How much you would like to budget for subs? I would suggest at least two 12" subs, larger would be even better.


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## bluenotefan (Aug 5, 2011)

Doh, sorry for posting this in the speaker thread. I didn't notice until a minute ago that there's a dedicated subwoofer category. Please move this to the appropriate section if you like.


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## bluenotefan (Aug 5, 2011)

tesseract said:


> Chances are, you wouldn't even notice it is playing in a room that size. Believe me, I've tried it. Best to look to powered subwoofers built for this purpose.
> 
> How much you would like to budget for subs? I would suggest at least two 12" subs, larger would be even better.


Thanks for the reply. I am planning on spending somewhere in the $300-$500 range, but will probably fall somewhere in between.


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## drdoan (Aug 30, 2006)

Welcome to the Forum. Have fun. Dennis


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## tesseract (Aug 9, 2010)

bluenotefan said:


> Thanks for the reply. I am planning on spending somewhere in the $300-$500 range, but will probably fall somewhere in between.


In that range I would suggest two BIC America F-12's. That is a lot of room to fill, honestly $500 won't get you far. Have you considered DIY subs? That would allow you a bigger bang for your buck.


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## I=V/R (May 25, 2011)

For about $400 to $450 you could get two Polk psw505's I just bought one from newegg on sale for $199! I went with it over the bic because it's specs were a little better and it's more powerful. Also, the user reviews were more commonly good reviews on the Polk. I am very pleased with mine and will probably get another once I have the spare money!


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I think your biggest challenge is going to be filling a room with that size on a budget of only $500. You would need to spend about twice that much to get something that will play loud enough to be felt. I would not go with anything less than a SVS SB12 NSD for $680


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

He8llo,
I would also consider the HSU Research VTF-2 MKIII that last I looked was On Sale for $509 plus $63 Dollars for Shipping. Really a fantastic Subwoofer and value.
Cheers,
JJ


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## bluenotefan (Aug 5, 2011)

Tesseract: I have considered DIY, as I was hoping to scrape by with building my own enclosure for the Kenwood, and push it to it's limits as it was designed for car audio. Granted when I was thinking about that I wasn't taking into consideration the difference in air space between my car, and my movie room. :duh:
The DIY concept intrigues me, and I'll definitely weigh it heavily before making up my mind. I also like the DIY option as I was hoping to build a down-firing enclosure that doesn't "look" like an enclosure. I'd like to embrace a hiding-in-plain-sight concept for as much of my HT equipment as possible.

I=V/R: That sounds like a nice alternative, as it fits my budget, and would give me an affordable .2 solution. I'll see if I can find a local dealer, and take a listen to the Polk's.

Tonyvdb: Hrm, unfortunately that's not what I was hoping to hear, hehe. I am glad to have that input though, as I'm still very early in the design stage, and can plan to save accordingly if I go that route. 

Jungle Jack: The VTF-2 MKIII looks like a nice unit, and has a better warranty than I expected.

Dennis: Thanks for the greets!


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

If you don't fear DIY, have a go at it- you'll likely fill that space better, for less: an added plus is you may be able to 'hide' it. That HSU looks like a solid sub for the price, and you could add a matching one if you deemed it desirable at a later time. 

How high are your ceilings? Is it flat or vaulted? 15x30 IS a big room, vaulted or not.


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## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

bluenotefan said:


> Tesseract: I have considered DIY, as I was hoping to scrape by with building my own enclosure for the Kenwood, and push it to it's limits as it was designed for car audio. Granted when I was thinking about that I wasn't taking into consideration the difference in air space between my car, and my movie room. :duh:
> The DIY concept intrigues me, and I'll definitely weigh it heavily before making up my mind. I also like the DIY option as I was hoping to build a down-firing enclosure that doesn't "look" like an enclosure. I'd like to embrace a hiding-in-plain-sight concept for as much of my HT equipment as possible.


Do it!!! You will make a BEAST!!


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## bluenotefan (Aug 5, 2011)

ironglen said:


> If you don't fear DIY, have a go at it- you'll likely fill that space better, for less: an added plus is you may be able to 'hide' it. That HSU looks like a solid sub for the price, and you could add a matching one if you deemed it desirable at a later time.
> 
> How high are your ceilings? Is it flat or vaulted? 15x30 IS a big room, vaulted or not.


The ceiling is 8ft high and flat. I feel some further clarification may be necessary, as the entirety of the 15x30 can not be used. My HT area is essentially my living room, and kitchen which are only separated by a 3.5ft high by 7ft long wall. The amount of open air and the design of the living room/kitchen is what lead me to quote the 15x30 measurement, as that is roughly the amount of air-space I have to contend with. 

I have a feeling that the fact this space isn't a dedicated HT "room" is going to make having a good audio setup kind of a pain. Although to be quite honest, I don't have enough experience to know for sure. If I can I'll try to work up a diagram of my floor plan, because a picture is literally worth a thousand words.


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