# What was the first subwoofer....



## ru4au (Dec 7, 2011)

You ever saw
Home?
Car?

You ever owned?
Home?
Car?

Mine
Saw
Home....M&K dual 12"
Car....M&M 15"

Owned
Home...Infinity 10"
Car....Pyle pro 12"


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## bribowsky (Dec 3, 2010)

Saw: Car- Kicker 10 or 12's, cant remember which. Home- Some Radio Shack brand unit. Wasn't bad at the time, but I couldn't imagine listening to it now. Owned: Car- None. Been close to pulling the trigger many times, but I would just rather put my money elsewhere. Home- Dual passive, ported, Jensen 15's. Great midbass, but not much below 35.


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## Mark Techer (Jan 17, 2008)

ru4au said:


> You ever saw
> Home?
> Car?


Home: It was an Energy 5.1 pack. The sub was a ported 12" in a compact box, and whilst it did have some rattles, it packed a mean punch for the day (1991?). 
Car: Some Kenwood and Pioneer gear. They moved allot of air.



> You ever owned?
> Home?
> Car?


Home: Various DIY and still am DIY to this day - currently using 12" Peerless XLS drivers.
Car: I ended up buying a pair of those Pioneers. I could only get a pair of the 8" at the time (I did want 12"), but once mounted in 3 layers of 16mm MDF, the system (I built a 3 way active system) was able to produce 121dB. I think it did 20Hz at about 110dB. Not bad for 8" woofers.


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## pc_light (Feb 22, 2012)

Never really paid attention to car subwoofers (although I've heard enough of them driving by me :sarcastic:.
Don't own one in car.

First subwoofer I saw was Bose Acoustimaster.
First I've owned Morduant-Short MS907 (10") that I picked up used just weeks ago. In fact looking for suggestions on how to properly setup it up was what got me to this Forum! Now I'm buying SPL and external sound card etc. to use REWS.

It was the excessives of some car subwoofers that colored my perception and acceptance of subs. And I thought only little satellite speakers like the Bose needed a separate subs. Since my speakers were 3-way and supposedly full range, I didn't need a sub right? WRONG. With the new subw I now see that I've been missing an entire layer of my music. Even my wife who professes not to notice these things, notices the difference.


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## nova (Apr 30, 2006)

Back in the '80's I had a pair of Pyle Drivers in the package tray of my '68 Chevy II. 
First HT sub I ever saw was a Velodyne, no idea what model.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

The first sub I ever saw was the one for our church electronic organ, Its driver measured 24" across and the box was 5'x7'x6' and weighed at least 800lbs. We had to place sandbags on top of it to keep it from moving around on the concrete floor it was on. This was back in the late 70s early 80s
If someone played the lower notes while we were up in the "organ loft" it was deafening.


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## Picture_Shooter (Dec 23, 2007)

..... and the servey says:

You ever saw
Home? Velodyne 
Car? Hollywood 

You ever owned?
Home? DCM 12"
Car? 4 - 12" Orion reds


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## jdent02 (Jan 13, 2012)

No sub in the car, but the first home sub was an old Optimus 12" passive sub hooked up through the main channels.


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## PT800 (Feb 19, 2008)

The first subs date back to the mid '70s, as far as I know. 
I had and still do, 1977 JBL L212 system with its B212 sub. Which was a 12", 75w. Those subs would easily hit 20 htz. I know of one installer who setup 4 of those B212s in one room, which broke a plate glass window.
Looking back, the designers have come to the conclusion they should have designed the sub amp at least twice the watts.
I bought that system, after I moved in the late '70s. The new LR had major standing wave problems due to its complex ceiling. Thus NO bass from my L55s. Install the L212, with the B212 in the front corner solved that problem.


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## lovinthehd (Mar 17, 2012)

You ever saw
Home? Infinity SSW 10 (when my buddy had it new)
Car? Not sure, some monster set up a friend had

You ever owned?
Home? Infinity SSW10 (given to me used and damaged but I replaced surround but cone is damaged still)
Car? Bose that came with my ML320 

Now I have a 10" sub in my van (Kicker Comp), an Energy ESW8 that came with a Take 5 set I got for the bedroom, and my pride and joy in my living room is an Epik Empire. 

I came to the forum looking for a download of REW for my first serious sub (well, an undamaged one), I signed up as a new member and started looking for a good first post to get to 5 with and saw this thread and voila first post! I started looking for some test tones below 20hz and found the REW link. I'm having some sub distortion events that I thought were hardware based at first but now it seems to be originating with the Audyssey EQ settings from my receiver...weird and disturbing at the same time (but happy I didn't damage the Empire).


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## tundraSQ (Mar 17, 2007)

you ever saw:

car was a pair of rockford punch 10's (around 1983)
home: my own DIY using audio concept 12's in 2 sealed boxes (around 1988)

ever owned: 

car: pair of kicker comps 10"...can you say BOOM

Home: see above.


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## GranteedEV (Aug 8, 2010)

ru4au said:


> You ever saw
> Home?
> Car?


It was the tiny sub that came with my THX Certified Klipsch Pro Media 2.1. 



> You ever owned?
> Home?
> Car?


'Tis the same. I've never owned a car sub.... I don't really care enough about deep bass in my tiny little civic to need one. I'd just love to get the midrange correct, though.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

Home, one of the early Velodynes or the ADS PB1500 in the early 1980s.
Car, a couple of 15s built into a Camaro, IIRC, by the Alpine rep at the time. Made me ill to sit in the car with it cranked up. Proof that more is not always better.


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## ru4au (Dec 7, 2011)

Well glad to have you here....I also own the epik and enjoy it very much....now i need a second one...lol


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## music4fun (Mar 23, 2012)

You ever saw
Home? Bose (don't remember the model)
Car? Sony Xplode 12"

You ever owned?
Home? Bose (sold) and Technics SB-W500 in a 5.1 system (I love it)
a new 18" MAG subwoofer
Car? soon

I just signed up to HTS for this 18" sub. A little late, I should have done this before ordering my uncalibrated Behringer ECM8000 (no calibration in the box). I will use, however, a generic correction file. I'm searching for one right now.


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## Oktyabr (Jan 31, 2012)

ru4au said:


> You ever saw
> Home?
> Car?
> 
> ...


First one I ever saw:
Home: A big Cerwin Vega, I think from their professional lineup.
Car: I'm not sure, I think one of those Bazooka tube things behind the seat of a friend's pickup truck.

First one I ever owned:
Home: M&K V75mkII I've owned lots of M&K since then, this is still my personal favorite model.
Car: A pair of Kenwood 12" in a sealed box I got with an old 3 series BMW.


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## J&D (Apr 11, 2008)

First car sub I ever owned was a Bazooka back in 86'. First sub was a Velodyne F1200 purchased in 92'. The velo hung with me until it finally gave up the ghost in 2006. Sold it to a gentlemen from Velo that repairs them and his plan was to gift it to his daughter.

JD


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## hjones4841 (Jan 21, 2009)

First Owned:
Home - Velodyne FSR-18 (still have it)
Car - Hsu 1201 in DYI 2 cu ft box (still have two of them)


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

First owned house sub was a Klipsch KSW-10 back around 1993. Really brought movies to life, though now it would never do. Never got into car audio that much, so I never had a sub for my car.


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## ozar (Feb 12, 2012)

ru4au said:


> You ever owned?
> Home?
> Car?


I've never been into car audio enough to purchase a sub, but for home use my first was a JBL PB10. It wasn't great, but it was good enough and is still in use today in a secondary home theater system in my home.


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## auge.dog (Feb 13, 2008)

I've never owned a car subwoofer, though I would like to. The first ones I ever saw installed were a pair of Infinity 10's in my nephew's car.

As for Subwoofers, the first one I owned was a Pinnacle 10". That was about 6-7 years ago. It worked just fine in our smaller house. Once we moved and had a finished basement, I knew it was time to step up. I now have 2 MFW-15s, which have worked since day one. I keep my fingers crossed, daily.


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## Zeitgeist (Apr 4, 2009)

Saw? no idea. Probably some disappointing sub at Best Buy.
Owned? HSU VTF-1, still a very nice sub. HSU's customer service is great too.
Now own? A pair of Seaton Submersive-HPs (sweeeet).

Never had a sub in a car...


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## diypartner (Jun 26, 2012)

First subwoofer I saw was Bose Acoustimaster.
First I've owned Morduant-Short MS907 (10") that I picked up used just weeks ago. In fact looking for suggestions on how to properly setup it up was what got me to this Forum! Now I'm buying SPL and external sound card etc. to use REWS.

Read more: What was the first subwoofer.... - Home Theater Forum and Systems - HomeTheaterShack.com


 DIY Pest Control


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## colin.p (Jul 5, 2006)

Back in the mid 70's, I went into Treble Clef in Ottawa that a buddy of mine was the store manager. He said he wanted to show me these wild sounding speakers (we both had large Advents, so they would have to be REALLY wild sounding). We went into the sound room and whatever speakers were playing, they had a small light indicating so.

Well, the speakers that were playing were some small bookshelf speakers, but there was alot of bass seemingly coming from them. I was pretty sceptical, so I said something else was on as well. It turned out that the "coffee table" was actually a subwoofer with an array of four 12 or 15 inch drivers powered by a Phase Linear amp (actually the same amp I had just bought). I had never heard of a subwoofer before than, but that pretty well made me pine for one, and my Advents suddenly didn't seem so great anymore.

Of course the stuff I have now is not even worth mentioning but it all works just fine for my humble standards.


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## leej (Jun 9, 2010)

Early 70's a salesman tried to convince me that the bass was coming from a pair of Little David’s, stating that you don't need big speakers to produce bass. Almost had me convinced until he showed me the Goliath hidden behind the bench. 
First I owned was a MK 125 that my nephew now owns.


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## ericzim (Jun 24, 2012)

First sub I ever saw/heard:
My bro played bass guitar in his younger years and the Ampeg bass amp had an 18 inch super woofer in a folded cabinet connected to it. Talk about bottom end.

First subs I ever owned:
2x15 inch passives in custom boxes made between 1988 1989. Before this I used 15" three ways.

Never had a true subwoofer in any of my cars.


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## jgourlie (Jun 16, 2012)

The first Sub I ever owned in my car:
12 inch MTX Terminator
Home:
Energy 8 inch that comes with the take classic 5.1 system

First sub I seen:
Home:
Bose Accoustimass system my friends dad had. It sounded pretty good!
Car:
JL Audio 15's I think they were....pounded


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

My first and only subwoofer that I have owned is my paradigm subwoofer. I bought it in 2000 and would you believe it is still up and running like the first day I bought it. Prior to that I didn't have money so could only window shop and see them at A/V specialty stores.


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## ru4au (Dec 7, 2011)

My obsession with subwoofers grew and grew to the point that I took the back seat out of my Acura Integra and put 6) Rockford Fosgate 15" pro series woofers in there...SPL was pretty intense for that day... I have hearing loss to prove it...I had a Punch 150 mono running to each one....wish I had pictures


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## yoda13 (Feb 14, 2012)

You ever saw
Home? Couldn't tell you the model no. but it was an old Pioneer.
Car? I can't say for sure but I think it may have been a Sparkomatic (Canadian Tire house brand)

You ever owned?
Home? Craig HTIB 6" monster. (pic in my sig)
Car? Whatever came with the car


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## pharoah (Jul 21, 2012)

first home subwoofer was defo a velodyne.the first car sub i saw was a bazooka.


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## orion (Sep 18, 2009)

First Home theater sub

Onkyo 8" with 8" passive. 
pd close to $400 for it around 2000 
couldn't even hear it in my new bigger living room

Now I have 2 MFW15 Fingers crossed

First car sub pair of 12"s from home stereo cabinet put in new box in dodge laser.

my first car subs. Used 12" kicker comps from 1990
no subs in car now.


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

The first subwoofer I ever saw was not home or car audio but pro-audio. Peavy FH-1 back in the 80's.


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## colin.p (Jul 5, 2006)

removed


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

A jury rigged Kustom 415b bass cabinet with tube head attached to my Akai integrated amp and reel to reel. Main spearks were Bose 901s. Frank Zappa sounded great


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## uinscript (Sep 29, 2012)

For my car, it was definitely a Kicker 15" I believe.


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## RTS100x5 (Sep 12, 2009)

Round about 1982, I went to an auto show in Dallas Tx... I saw a Z28 Camaro with 8 - 18" JBL's mounted in parallel walls in the back....I was immediately hooked on sub bass....being inspired I took my home speakers at the time (which ironically consisted of a 6x9 woofer with helical wound voice coils and a nice 1" silk dome tweeter ) and built a nice ported cabinet for them to fit in my Zephyr Station wagon.... Looking to power my new "car speakers" I went to the local car audio store....Kenwood had just come out with there first generation 100wpc stereo amp.... I was soon known to my friends as the Bass Freak...and I must say those 6x9's were actually putting out some very solid low end (for a car in 1983 !!) The response was always something like " DUDE TURN DOWN THE BASS YOU CRAZY SOB !! " LOL and now of coarse the subwoofer car audio market is like a billion dollar industry.... After that I always had some sort of Sub bass rigged in whatever car I was driving...
I finally wound up with my 1995 Subaru Legacy wagon in which I gutted the whole rear space and built a huge ported cabinet with 4- Rockford 15's which was basically a wall behind the front seats....powered by a 2400w Audiobauhn high current amp with 4 gel batteries in line.... That beast was puttin out 150+ db's at around 40hz which won me 1st place DB Drags in Colorado State competition 2001 in my class... Those were the days....:hsd: :bigsmile:


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