# Looking for Subwoofer Recommendations



## rhinoamerican (Dec 30, 2015)

I am looking for advice on subwoofers for the home theater in my basement. 

Here is the background. The room is 22'x16'x8' (2816 cubic feet) and there are two listening positions (side by side recliners with one recliner against the side wall). I have an old set of Swan Diva 4.1 speakers and was looking to add a new receiver (going with a refurbished Denon AVR-x3200w) and subwoofer. Since I don't have any experience with home theater equipment or setup I consulted with a home theater installer. He recommended an Episode® Element 12" Ported, Powered Subwoofer (300 Watt | Matte Black) with an eye on installing a second subwoofer down the line. 

Since I like to do my due diligence I tried find out all I could on the Episode and didn't find much other than it's an installer only product. So, I continued my research and read a lot about subwoofers by HSU Research, SVS and Rhymik and the benefits of dual subs over single sub in a home theater setup. I've done so much research and with so many options its getting a little overwhelming and I've confused myself even more!

So, I'd like to reach out and see what other people would recommend for my space and my budget (Under $1,000 (single sub) or $1,500 (dual) if possible). Is it worth going with dual subs if I'm going to be the only one using the space? 

Thanks in advance.


----------



## ajinfla (May 10, 2009)

Welcome to HTS Rhino.



rhinoamerican said:


> Is it worth going with dual subs if I'm going to be the only one using the space?


Yes.
It is a near statistical impossibility to get smooth amplitude in real rooms using a single sub, the exception being placed nearfield, i.e. sitting very near it. While that works, it makes integration with the fronts/rest of system difficult, if not impossible.
When the sub excites all the room modes, there will inevitably be peaks and dips in the response at the listening spot. EQ can cut the peaks, but cannot fill the holes.
With 2 subs in different locations, say left and right on front wall, there will be "averaging", i.e., some of the holes from one will be filled in by the other, because it excites the modes from a different location. The result, at the LP, with EQ from your AVR, will be perceptually smoother, more satisfying bass...and over a wider area were you to ever have guests.
$1500 will buy you 2 very nice subs. A pair of Rythmik L12s would be <$1200 (or an L12 + LVX12 for <$1500) and should more than keep up with your mains. Plenty of other great choices/brands with that budget.

cheers


----------



## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

rhinoamerican said:


> Since I like to do my due diligence I tried find out all I could on the Episode and didn't find much other than it's an installer only product.


Episode is indeed an installer-only product, which is why you didn't find much; few people probably own them. There's also nothing to suggest they warrant the premium price either, so going that route is probably not be your best option.




rhinoamerican said:


> So, I'd like to reach out and see what other people would recommend for my space and my budget (Under $1,000 (single sub) or $1,500 (dual) if possible). Is it worth going with dual subs if I'm going to be the only one using the space?


AJ pretty much covered the pro's of multiple subwoofers, so you should be alright there. His suggestion for dual Rythmik LV12R's is a good one - definitely consider those. Another excellent choice would be a pair of HSU's ULS-15 MK2. While they are a few dollars over your budget I can attest to their quality; I just published a review on that very model, and was highly impressed with what I heard.


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

Agree with all the above comments, you would get a much bigger bang for buck going with two of the above mentioned subs or have a look at two SVS PB 2000. http://www.svsound.com/collections/ported-subwoofers/products/pb-2000


----------



## Talley (Dec 8, 2010)

We have the same cuft of space and I currently have a single HSU VTF-15 MK2 and typically run in sealed mode. That single sub has impressed me to no end and see extensions down to 16hz in my room. As mentioned the dual HSU ULS-15 MK2 which uses the same driver/amp as mine is a sealed 15" sub and can be had on their website for $1500 for dual.... with a shipping cost of $138 on top of that. Two of those subs would absolutely rock that room as a single one does mine.... albeit I have a larger box is all.

http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/uls-15mk2Dual.html

Cannot go wrong. and with movies you always should go as large of a driver/enclosure as you can afford for cost and space. The ULS's are basically a 18" cube.

Then ULS-15 Mk2 was not out when I purchased my sub otherwise I would of gone with two of them. I plan on adding a second VTF-15 but that total cost for me would be $2016 and not sure if it's worth $378 more since I run sealed mostly.


----------



## vidiot33 (Dec 12, 2013)

I would second the Rythmik and Hsu recommendations. From what I've learned, the Rythmik might be a bit more accurate, cleaner and more nuanced, while the Hsu (especially ported) might hit a bit harder. If you listen to a lot of music, a couple of sealed Rythmiks would do the job nicely. I would also advocate for two subs for best results, but you could get them one at time. SVS is also a very good value.

Sent from my iPhone using HTShack


----------



## chriscorv58 (Jan 29, 2014)

I would have to recommend going with dual svs pb2000 from the refurbished area on the svs site. Bang for the buck would be hard to beat.


----------



## rhinoamerican (Dec 30, 2015)

I'm just following up on my original post and I want to thank everyone for their suggestions. I ultimately went with dual HSU Research ULS-15 MK2 subwoofers. I am sure from everything I read that the SVS and Rhymiks would be just as pleasing but I really wanted dual 15 inch subs that would work in my space and the HSUs fit the bill. And I couldn't be happier!

Here are a couple of pictures of them.

Thanks


----------



## Talley (Dec 8, 2010)

Man... glad to see the choice 

How do they sound?


----------



## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

You chose wisely grasshopper. :T


----------



## rhinoamerican (Dec 30, 2015)

Talley said:


> Man... glad to see the choice
> 
> How do they sound?


I'm not an expert - I couldn't tell you if a sub is "boomy" or "accurate" or "nuanced" - but to me the ULS sound amazing! They bring a whole new life to my movie library. JMan's review (which really sold me on the subs) sums it up better than I could - "...the ULS spoke in a hushed manner, never raising its voice unless it needed to get a point across. You could almost forget it was there until the soundtrack got challenging, at which point the thing would rise up and announce its presence in no uncertain terms."

I've gone through almost all my movies and when I expected bass from the soundtracks the ULS did not disappoint! I also ran a few test videos from youtube and I could feel both my house and my insides shaking as the subs cycled through the frequencies. 

I was so thrilled that I took the week off to just enjoy them.


----------



## Talley (Dec 8, 2010)

rhinoamerican said:


> I'm not an expert - I couldn't tell you if a sub is "boomy" or "accurate" or "nuanced" - but to me the ULS sound amazing! They bring a whole new life to my movie library. JMan's review (which really sold me on the subs) sums it up better than I could - "...the ULS spoke in a hushed manner, never raising its voice unless it needed to get a point across. You could almost forget it was there until the soundtrack got challenging, at which point the thing would rise up and announce its presence in no uncertain terms."
> 
> I've gone through almost all my movies and when I expected bass from the soundtracks the ULS did not disappoint! I also ran a few test videos from youtube and I could feel both my house and my insides shaking as the subs cycled through the frequencies.
> 
> I was so thrilled that I took the week off to just enjoy them.


Kuddos to you and your :hsd:

I'd of done two of them but again bought mine before they were released. Stuck at this point.


----------



## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

rhinoamerican said:


> I'm not an expert - I couldn't tell you if a sub is "boomy" or "accurate" or "nuanced" - but to me the ULS sound amazing! They bring a whole new life to my movie library. JMan's review (which really sold me on the subs) sums it up better than I could - "...the ULS spoke in a hushed manner, never raising its voice unless it needed to get a point across. You could almost forget it was there until the soundtrack got challenging, at which point the thing would rise up and announce its presence in no uncertain terms."


I'm glad you were able to derive some benefit from my review. It's always gratifying to know one of my evaluations helped someone get a product they enjoy.


----------

