mcad64 said:
Ok, so saying for a minute let's say that a dual 12" design is no better or no worse than a single. Some of the next things that pop in my head are amp size and pure heft. I can"t speak for cones and magnets and such as I don't know beyond that the cones are fiberglass what the rest of the components are made of.
I do know that the amp is a continuous 500W BASH (yea Canada!!) Class H amp and that the amp weighs in at a hefty 110 lbs. I know weight is not everything but I see these SVS's and HSU's that weigh a goodly amount so I assume that most play some small part. Same with the amp (more being better of course), though I am guessing Flint will say "All depends on the quality of the amp!".
My point is, when you aren't hearing a particular sound like you do with any given speaker, how does one evaluate a good sub? How often do people go out to an AV place to audition subs? Really???
Thanks,
Mike
The performance of a subwoofer is a combination of the Woofer Driver, the Enclosure, and the Amplifier. The amp plays a part, but it isn't alone all that important considering that most sub amps are very, very good for the job and relatively affordable. The woofer driver and enclosure are what provide the most variation between subwooders.
You can take a dozen 15" subwoofer drivers and based on their design performance parameters calculate the given acoustic power output at the resonant frequency and power input assuming the enclosure is absolutely ideal. When you run those calculations you'll discover there is a HUGE difference between drivers, even at an identical given price point. Some woofers can operate to a much lower frequency for a given peak SPL, some can play much louder at higher frequencies for a given input power, and others can generate more output because they handle more power.
What I look for in a subwoofer is a very decent peak output to at least 25Hz (preferably lower), low THD at standard operating levels, fast & accurate transient response, and a rapid decay plot. These are often measured and tested on some DIY & enthusiast sites.
How can the average listener tell by going into a store and listening? He can't. Stores generally cannot setup a listening session with accurate settings and reasonable performance. They generally cannot provide a side by side comparison of a three or four subs - all setup perfectly. They cannot reproduce how the sub might perform in your room (acoustics play a massive role in how a sub performs in any given room). They cannot predict how loud the sub will have to play in your room, paired with your speakers, and so on.
What to listen for? Well, I've spent years writing guides, FAQs, providing test tracks, training people how to listen to those test tracks, tuning articles, testing articles, and so on and would hope that those are sufficient to help one learn how to judge a subwoofer's performance. The real problem with subs, in my opinion, is that until you have a very experienced trained ear and exposure to dozens of good subwoofers in ideal scenarios, then it should take several weeks to really know what you've got in your room.
As such, advice, esperience of others, test reports (comparing various subs using the same test procedures) and so on are your only reliable guides to picking subs.
