Looking for Subwoofer recommendation - under $500 CAD

[dalekphalm]

Hey guy,

 

My fiancee and I are getting married soon, so we're in the process of getting a Wedding Registry made up. One item I'd like to include is a new Subwoofer for my Home Theatre setup.

 

Here's the basics:

I originally had a Logitech Z-5300 Surround Sound in a Box kit. To hook it up with somewhat modern equipment, I ended up purchasing a cheap no-name 5.1 TOSLINK to 3.5mm breakout DAC (1x TOSLINK to 3x 3.5mm for 6 discrete channels). Needless to say, this device didn't last all that long, and eventually died.

 

I bit the bullet and replaced it with the following:

Yamaha RX-V385B

 

It's certainly not the highest end AV Receiver, but it had great reviews and it had enough features to satisfy me.

 

So then what I did was bypass the Amp built into the Logitech speaker kit, and wired the Speakers directly into the AV Receiver (The speakers already had RCA style Phono plugs, so I ordered some RCA to Banana Plug adapters). The sub was a bit of a conundrum though - the Sub has to be connected through the integrated control unit for the Speaker Kit (which is all built into the back of the Sub), and this is a pain in the ass, and adds unnecessarily to the wire mess. Plus the sub was always kind of muddy anyway.

 

So, I'd like to upgrade my Home Theatre setup by replacing the sub first - the Satellites actually sound Kickass through the RX-V385, so I'll be replacing the Satellites way down the line.

 

Any recommendations for a Sub that will nicely match the speakers from the Z-5300, but also be good enough that when I eventually upgrade my speakers, I won't need to buy another sub?

 

Looking for pricing under $500 CAD. If you're going to recommend something, please ensure it's actually available through a Canadian Retailer (Amazon.ca is acceptable). I looked at a bunch of different places, including Crutchfield, and I picked out this unit:

https://www.2001audiovideo.com/en/product/235290-klipsch-r-12sw

Kilpsch R-12SW

 

It's a 200W RMS (400W peak) front firing sub. It doesn't say whether it's sealed or ported, but there's a large hole on the back of the unit, so I assume it's ported.

 

To be honest, I have no idea whether this is a good choice or not. Amazon and Best Buy have tons of cheaper options, but it's really hard to tell if they're comparable, so I would appreciate any suggestions you guys can give, or confirm whether my "slap my forehead and guess" choice is a good option.

[Guest]

That's actually a good choice imo. I like the sound of Bose myself.

 

https://www.amazon.ca/BOSE-796145-1100-Bose-Bass-Module/dp/B07F3BBXJ6/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=Bose+subwoofer&qid=1628887137&sr=8-5

[dalekphalm]

4 hours ago, ShrimpBrime said:

That's actually a good choice imo. I like the sound of Bose myself.

 

https://www.amazon.ca/BOSE-796145-1100-Bose-Bass-Module/dp/B07F3BBXJ6/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=Bose+subwoofer&qid=1628887137&sr=8-5

Interesting - unfortunately it seems like that unit connects to another Bose soundbar via wifi. 
 

It does look pretty crazy though. 

[Ramon Triton]

I own this exact klipsch sub since 6 years ago or so. I say exact but maybe I have an older revision of it because the power cord is removable on mine. I love it. Highly recommended. The only thing that bugs me is the bright blue LED a the front. I've just put some electrical tape on it and placed the cover back on, fixed !

[dalekphalm]

3 hours ago, Ramon Triton said:

I own this exact klipsch sub since 6 years ago or so. I say exact but maybe I have an older revision of it because the power cord is removable on mine. I love it. Highly recommended. The only thing that bugs me is the bright blue LED a the front. I've just put some electrical tape on it and placed the cover back on, fixed !

Thanks dude - this is great to hear.

 

I've found subs are hard to shop for because there are too many variations and brands to thoroughly sort through, and manufacturers and retails tend not to list all of the relevant specifications that might help in making a decision.