# Please Evaluate my Subwoofer Choice



## punman (Feb 21, 2009)

I have been looking for a moderately priced subwoofer to go with my KEF iQ5s, iQ1s, and iQ2 home theatre system. My room is 17 ft by 10 ft and used mostly for TV and movies, not much for music. It doesn’t have to be a KEF subwoofer but I just discovered they are on sale half price. Regular $640 U.S. for $320 U.S. for the KEF PSW2500. I reproduce below a paragraph of description for those not familiar with this model.

As the lower frequencies play such an integral part in recreating the 3-D soundscape encoded in digital formats, your choice of subwoofer is critical -- especially if you want to enjoy the level of sonic immersion you experience in a modern cinema. And really, who doesn't? With a high efficiency 250W on-board amplifier driving a 10" down-firing woofer, the KEF PSW2500 has the power to deliver heavyweight bass effects without sacrificing clarity, and, perhaps more importantly, without lurking in the corner of your living room like a mini-fridge with intent to kill. 33 – 150 Hz. With ground lift switching and movie/music modes, output is easily adjustable to match the main speakers and room acoustics. The attractively-styled, elliptical-section cabinet is massively internally braced to eliminate unwanted internal resonance, and finished in gloss black, matte black, dark apple, maple, and silver to complement the rest of your KEF iQ Series system.

So, my question is, does this sound like a good deal for $320 or are there better subs in that price range? And sorry, I don’t want to spend more.
A couple of related questions: Is “down firing” a good thing, and do I need a subwoofer cable or will any RCA connector do?


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## bobgpsr (Apr 20, 2006)

Acoustech H-100 Cinema Series 500-Watt Front-Firing Subwoofer for sale price of $259 is a much better choice. IIRC it was designed by Hsu, a very respected subwoofer source.

Product Features 

150 watts RMS continuous power output and 500 watts peak output 

Heavy-duty 12-inch long-throw woofer

24 to 200 Hz frequency response; 40 to 150 Hz crossover frequency range 

high-gloss black finish; 15 by 17 by 18.25 inches (W x H x D); 2-year warranty 

Brand Name: Acoustech by BIC 

Model: H-100 BIC 

Weight: 42 pounds


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## bobgpsr (Apr 20, 2006)

punman said:


> A couple of related questions: Is “down firing” a good thing, and do I need a subwoofer cable or will any RCA connector do?


I don't know of any real advantage to downfiring other than that the driver is normally better protected from damage (children, pets, etc) in that orientation. 

Most any good quality (Belkin, Monoprice, AR, etc.) RCA interconnect cable , in the $8 for 25 ft price range, should work fine. Some more exotic "subwoofer" RCA cables try to do "ground lift" tricks with the cable shield on one end to avoid ground loop hum. Most people do not need this.


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## punman (Feb 21, 2009)

I just picked up the KEF PSW2500 ten inch subwoofer. They had it hooked up to a system with other KEFs and it sound decent enough to my ears. A Soundstage 12 inch and a JBL 10 inch in the same price range were options too, but did not blow me away.
If the KEF subwoofer was not on sale (reg. $800 Canadian or $640 U.S.) I would not have bought it as there are better $800 subs out there; plus $800 was out of my price range. For the $400 I spent ($320 U.S.) I feel I should be happy. The store is good too, as they have a decent "try it and return" policy so I can give a few good days of testing.


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