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SVS, SVS, or Martin Logan sub?

K

k-car

Junior Member
I'm in the process of completing my first "real" home theater (one that isn't an HTiB). Just need a sub that will work well with my main speakers, which are:

Front, bi-amped towers: Klipsch RF-62
Center: Klipsch RC-62
Surrounds: Klipsch RB-61

65% music, 35% movies. All of the speakers can go lower than 60Hz, so I'll probably have the sub start filling in at around 60Hz. I've narrowed it down to these three:

SVS PC12-NSD DSP (a 12" vented cylinder design)
SVS SB12-NSD (a 12" compact sealed design)
Martin Logan Dynamo 1000 (also a sealed 12")

Does anyone here use the SVS cylinder for music? I'd like to have chest pounding bass for movies, which I'm sure the cylinder would have no problem producing, but I'm a little concerned that it would be too slow for music.

Thanks!
 
Out of the 3, the PC12 for sure. The other 2 are weak unless your theater room is tiny. Look at other brand too, like Hsu, Epik, Rythmik.
 
calvie said:
Out of the 3, the PC12 for sure. The other 2 are weak unless your theater room is tiny. Look at other brand too, like Hsu, Epik, Rythmik.
Click to expand...

The other three brands you mention are all very nice. I have a Hsu VTF-15h, which is awesome. I use it for both movies and music. I was on the fence between this and the SVS PC12. I had actually ordered the SVS but then they started screwing around with the estimated shipping dates (kept getting pushed out farther and farther). Then I saw they sold the entire company (which may have played a role in the shipping delays). It seems they have worked past those problems in the past couple of months. There is a big <$1,000 sub shootout over at avsforum.com that includes a lot of these subs that's well worth reading.
 
I hate to bring more subs in but i'd check out these threads. First is a nice "shootout" mentions before. All 1k or less subs. Some ported some sealed. but most of the major brands are covered. Second is a bit more of perosnal impressions from a meeting of sorts. but some of the bigger named ones (HSU for example) are covered. And you can see hwo they compare to much more expensive models (the captivator for example)
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1313176
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1335139

or go DIY and blow them out of the water 🙂
 
Patrick Wolf said:
Hope you got a good deal on those Klipschs cause there are much better choices.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying you are incorrect but that's pretty subjective.


Between the subs mentioned I'd say either SVS sub would be fine though the tube looks like the better deal.

I'd also give another nod to the Epik Empire if you can swing it.
 
That Epik sub looks epic, but it's a little more than I'd like to spend, and I'm in Canada.

So the SVS cylinder is definitely a better sub than the ML, even for music?
Thanks for the AVS links. Will read them on my Monday off.

Patrick Wolf said:
Hope you got a good deal on those Klipschs cause there are much better choices.
Click to expand...

I probably would've "upgraded" to another HTiB had I not gotten such an awesome deal on the Klipschs and receiver. 🙂
 
Single Epik Emp is only 799 which is cheaper then the ML and only 50$ more then the more expensive SVS

the HSU VTF-3 and VTF-15H are worth looking at as well
 
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The more I think about it, the more I want that Epik sub. It's sealed and can go below 20Hz. Having a bit of trouble finding a Canadian e-tailer, though.
 
k-car said:
The more I think about it, the more I want that Epik sub. It's sealed and can go below 20Hz. Having a bit of trouble finding a Canadian e-tailer, though.
Click to expand...

Epik sells direct to customer so you won't find an E-tailer for them. Give them a call and I'm sure they'd work something out.
 
Yeah, you can't really look in that class of sub without checking out Hsu. They're an amazing value in the <$1000 bracket.
 
First, you should look at Funky Waves. He's based in Canada and has plenty of excellent subs available and also does custom work:
http://funkywaves.net/
http://www.funkaudio.ca/Hi-fi_glory.html

SVS does have a canadian retailer: http://sonicboomaudio.com/

I would definitely choose either SVS option over the ML, but I would just get whatever provides you the most bang for your buck. Definitely look at HSU, Elemental Designs, Rythmik, Epik, and Outlaw Audio. Shipping to Canada can get very expensive though.

k-car said:
Does anyone here use the SVS cylinder for music? I'd like to have chest pounding bass for movies, which I'm sure the cylinder would have no problem producing, but I'm a little concerned that it would be too slow for music.
Click to expand...

Don't worry about that. A good subwoofer is a good subwoofer, and the PC-12 is a good sub.
 
Another issue to consider is footprint. One reason I was interested in the PC12 was its relatively small footprint. I also liked the downfiring aspect because my home theater doubles as a rec room where small kids play and I figured a downfiring driver was less likely to be punctured by some wayward toy.

The Hsu, while an excellent sub, is absolutely massive. You can get a better feel for how big it is by taking a look at the avsforum subwoofer shootout (I'm pretty sure it was the largest sub tested). If WAF is a consideration, you'll need to address this issue (thankfully, my wife didn't give it a second glance). Additionally, its shipping weight is something like 125lbs so doing a sub crawl to find the optimum position can be a bit of a challenge.
 
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I didn't even know there was a 3.4. Looks like they added some features from the VTF-15 🙂
 
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