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Best Powered Subwoofer in the $1,000 Range

Too Loud said:
So, if I were to go with 2 smaller subs, what does that mean? Can I do to smaller ones for $1,000? If I go with 2 SVS 12" SB-1000 I see they have two choices, both Pro models and they seem identical, sealed for $500 and ported for $600. What are the pros and cons of ported vs. sealed?
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For music only, sealed tends to be much better than ported. Ported will go deeper and louder than sealed given comparable sub drivers and sub amps, but the group delay is typically larger (making "time alignment" with the mains more difficult). The port makes the sub driver "loose", allowing it to flap with less resistance and produce more output for the same power level, but it's response is not as "tight" as sealed for music reproduction. For theater, ported are typically better because they will perform better with deep movie effects (it would take more investment to get sealed sub(s) to reproduce those effects to the same level).

You don't have any DSP for bass tuning in your system, so any benefit of asymmetrical sub placement might be difficult to realize. Having one sub, or two subs collocated with the mains, should be fine. I'm pretty thrilled with my single sub centered between the mains for my 2-channel system, but I have not tried the same system with two subs to see how that compares (WAF prevents addition of second sub) so I can't provide feedback on 1 vs 2 subs. Maybe pick up an SB-1000 and run standalone (I'm pretty sure the SVS SB subs will bury the Klipsch sub), then decide if you need another. I had a 12" version (R-120SW) of your 10" Klipsch sub briefly and was not impressed with it to be honest.
 
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After a little more than a week after getting the HSU VTF-15H, I wanted to post my thoughts. I love the woofer, I placed it on a dolly (it weighs 110#) and got some 15' long RCA cables so I could try different locations. After playing with all of the many settings, I have settled on having one port open and 1 closed and all of the other settings are here and there. It sits to the left of my listening recliner.

I love it, it seems perfect to me. I never knew how bad my Klipsch R100-SW sounded until I hooked up the HSU. I get where Wyn said above that it has a home theater sound, on certain songs. Since I only hear it how and then, I am assuming that is the sound that the producer was going for. I can't imagine having two of these. Hopefully my next house is going to have a larger listening room, some maybe then I'll buy another. There are a lot of great subs out there in the $1,000 price range. I'm very happy with the one I chose.
 
Too Loud said:
Hopefully my next house is going to have a larger listening room,
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Not to leave this point hanging, the size of the room is not a defining reason for more than 1 sub as in a distributed
bass configuration. My room is app 11' 6" x 17 with 2 12" and 1 10" subs in use.
 
totem said:
Not to leave this point hanging, the size of the room is not a defining reason for more than 1 sub as in a distributed
bass configuration. My room is app 11' 6" x 17 with 2 12" and 1 10" subs in use.
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Well for right now, I am going to say I am done buying the hardware for now. I just need to figure out a Hi-def streaming service to try. When I move in two years, I'll look at adding more subs. But for now, I am very happy with what I have.
 
I am more than satisfied with SB 2000 pros. I went dual for 1500. The app is great and helpful and SVS customer service is awesome. It's almost like they WANT to talk to you. I've had more than a few questions. Via phone or email they are there to help. If I email them at 2 am they email back by 9 or 10 am the same morning. There are subs from other companies that will give you slightly larger drivers and more watts, but you are paying for customer service. If something is wrong with the sub on arrival the will guide you through a check up and if determined it's messed up (this didn't happen to me, but to someone else) they will overnight a replacement. Try that with Monoprice. If you got a UMIK 1 and REW the onboard DSP is awesome, but don't mess with it if you don't.
 
Too Loud said:
So, if I were to go with 2 smaller subs, what does that mean? Can I do to smaller ones for $1,000? If I go with 2 SVS 12" SB-1000 I see they have two choices, both Pro models and they seem identical, sealed for $500 and ported for $600. What are the pros and cons of ported vs. sealed?
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If you want sealed go dual, if you want one sub go ported. If you can only afford one, but are going to buy another down the road go sealed buying one sealed is fine. The wattage depends on the room. I have a medium room at best with a couple of door opening to other rooms and the 2000's are more than fine. SVS ported subs are far more linear when run in sealed mode. I only use mine for music (2.2 channel) and am glad I went sealed. Dual SB 2000 pros. They say sealed for music since they are faster and ported for movies since they push so much air pressure, but if you got dual or more and enough wattage the sealed are more linear. If you broke and need bang for buck with one sub, ported.
 
mebluegrass said:
SVS. Best bang for the buck I'm aware of, especially in your budget range.
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You can actually get more wattage and larger drivers for less money with other companies, but it's all about customer service. If your Monoprice craps the bed or comes messed up out of the box vs the same happening with SVS you will know where your money went. SVS' guarantees just make people without stacks of cash that want to make a large purchase more comfortable that if something goes wrong they got you covered. I can personally attest to their customer service. An AMERICAN answer the phone and email and CARES about the problem. I drew up diagrams of the three ways I could hook up my 2.2 channel system (vintage SA 9800 amp) and sent the picture in. They explained the best route. All sorts of stuff. I doubt I'll ever need to upgrade from my dual SB 2000 pros, but if I do it'll be with SB 3000 pros.
 
Placing a bookshelf sized speaker on a subwoofer is IMO not speaker stacking.

PROJECT 2501 said:
Using subwoofers as speaker stands will place the subs symmetrically in the room, wouldnt it?
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That's only if the room is symmetrical and the mains are symmetrically placed. Some don't have a room that allows symmetrical speaker placement. Rooms that aren't symmetrical, actually all rooms, can greatly benefit from a DSP adjusted using measurements.

Although my mains are symmetrically placed my subs are not. One sub is directly behind my left speaker on the front wall. The other is behind and on the wall to the right of my right speaker. Measurements show each needs a different Eq curve. That's what they get.

@Grenadeslio uses subs as stands and seems to get excellent results.
 
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Pre owned M&K. Double 8 inch, double 10 inch, or double 12 inch. The the double 12" were good enough for Sky Walker Sound in Marin County they were good enough for me. Top Gunn Maverick was done by Skywalker sound as were all the Star War movies using M&K monitors and Subs.
 
totem said:
Not to leave this point hanging, the size of the room is not a defining reason for more than 1 sub as in a distributed
bass configuration. My room is app 11' 6" x 17 with 2 12" and 1 10" subs in use.
Click to expand...

That's a lot of sub in a small space! My real limitation right now is physical space, the HSU sub is huge! I recently picked up a Parasound P6 and I am thrilled with the sound from it. I have finally gotten over the home theater sound and I have moved to a musical sound now.
 
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