How much would a decent sub cost?

[Froody129]

Hi all,

 

I'm looking for a half-decent sub on a budget. It doesn't have to be all that big since I have a small room and the cheaper the better without having it break in 6 months.

 

Setup:

• Amp- Sony de497 (70w per channel)
• Random Sony center and matching satellites for front
• JBL satellites for back ( I can find specific models of speakers if needed)

I would be willing to build my own if the cost savings are anything significant (also building is fun). Any suggestions for price range to look at or specific models would be greatly appreciated

[Glennieboyyy007]

jamo has some pretty decent stuff these days. it has a great price/performance ratio

[Dackzy]

If you ask me then first decent subs start at 500$, since it is first there you start to see them go down to about 20Hz. So a SVS PB1000, below this price point and you get subs that might only do down to 35Hz

[Froody129]

39 minutes ago, Dackzy said:

If you ask me then first decent subs start at 500$, since it is first there you start to see them go down to about 20Hz. So a SVS PB1000, below this price point and you get subs that might only do down to 35Hz

Hmm, So if my budget is roughly $100-$150 then I should just skip out having a sub altogether? Or are there any decent options in that range?

[SSL]

41 minutes ago, Froody129 said:

Hmm, So if my budget is roughly $100-$150 then I should just skip out having a sub altogether? Or are there any decent options in that range?

 

Depends what kind of bass you want out of the system. If you want a little better than your typical boxed home-theater noise-maker, you can get one of the Dayton SUB line. If you want more, save your pennies. $500 new would be considered the absolute minimum entry-level to real sub-bass reproduction.

 

Note that there is more to the story than simple low-end extension. Cheaper subs will not only fail to play as low, but they will have higher distortion. This distortion can rise to as much as 10%, if not more in the worst cases - certainly audible.

[Dackzy]

1 hour ago, Froody129 said:

Hmm, So if my budget is roughly $100-$150 then I should just skip out having a sub altogether? Or are there any decent options in that range?

well if you just want some 40 to 150Hz bass boost then you can probably find something in that budget, but they will have quite a bit of distortion.

I would recommend that you save up for a SVS PB1000, since it is first there you start to get a decent sub, both in terms of bass extension and distortion 

[johnt]

I wouldn't bother with a dedicated sub for 40+ Hz. Just get bigger speakers like towers or cabinets with 8" and larger woofers. Look for ported models.

 

of course a sub will offer more slam, but ehhhh... not for $150. That's going to be pure distortion and chuffing/boominess. 

[Ahoy Hoy]

Double your top budget would probably get you a decent passive sub. If you want really low frequencies avoid ports, since they reduce the lowest frequency produce to increase the volume of slightly higher frequencies (still below 100Hz)

[Froody129]

On 30/06/2017 at 4:31 PM, JohnT said:

I wouldn't bother with a dedicated sub for 40+ Hz. Just get bigger speakers like towers or cabinets with 8" and larger woofers. Look for ported models.

 

of course a sub will offer more slam, but ehhhh... not for $150. That's going to be pure distortion and chuffing/boominess. 

Well I'm not looking for an earthquake machine, just something that'll give me some low range since I currently have zero, zip, nada, zilch low end. Do you get dedicated woofers? I already have 5 speakers and I don't really want to buy new towers for more bass unless I have to

[johnt]

37 minutes ago, Froody129 said:

Well I'm not looking for an earthquake machine, just something that'll give me some low range since I currently have zero, zip, nada, zilch low end. Do you get dedicated woofers? I already have 5 speakers and I don't really want to buy new towers for more bass unless I have to

Yeah but in your budget, it's like adding a rear spoiler to a stock civic. It's just looks. 

 

What speakers are you using up front?

[Froody129]

5 hours ago, JohnT said:

Yeah but in your budget, it's like adding a rear spoiler to a stock civic. It's just looks. 

 

What speakers are you using up front?

I don't have the exact model but they're tiny Sony satellites and a pretty decent matching Sony center, I could probably find exact models or take pictures if it's really necessary. As I said, the rears are JBL satellite speakers. I "borrowed" a sub from my dad's dual sub setup and it's definitely what I need, the sound is infinitely more rich. 

 

Edit: Also any information you have on building one would be helpful, if there are cost savings to be had of course.

[johnt]

5 hours ago, Froody129 said:

I don't have the exact model but they're tiny Sony satellites and a pretty decent matching Sony center, I could probably find exact models or take pictures if it's really necessary. As I said, the rears are JBL satellite speakers. I "borrowed" a sub from my dad's dual sub setup and it's definitely what I need, the sound is infinitely more rich. 

 

Edit: Also any information you have on building one would be helpful, if there are cost savings to be had of course.

It's just helpful because we can look up specs. If they are small speakers though, then yeah you're probably rolling off around 120 Hz or more. In that case any subwoofer can be helpful. 

 

Are you local to any Fry's stores? Sometimes they get Polk Audio or Klipsch subwoofers in the $150 range. About once a month. 

 

I would avoid trying to DIY. The tools and components will probably cost more.

[johnt]

@Froody129

 

This is nothing particularly special but it is in your price range. 

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=86-200-085

 

It it goes on sale tomorrow for $149 plus tax. It will get you down to about 40 Hz. You'll need a bigger budget to dig deeper. 

[Froody129]

3 hours ago, JohnT said:

It's just helpful because we can look up specs. If they are small speakers though, then yeah you're probably rolling off around 120 Hz or more. In that case any subwoofer can be helpful. 

 

Are you local to any Fry's stores? Sometimes they get Polk Audio or Klipsch subwoofers in the $150 range. About once a month. 

 

I would avoid trying to DIY. The tools and components will probably cost more.

 

59 minutes ago, JohnT said:

@Froody129

 

This is nothing particularly special but it is in your price range. 

 

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=86-200-085

 

It it goes on sale tomorrow for $149 plus tax. It will get you down to about 40 Hz. You'll need a bigger budget to dig deeper. 

Unfortunately I'm not in the US so I can't buy from those shops. Many thanks for the information you've given. 

[johnt]

9 hours ago, Froody129 said:

 

Unfortunately I'm not in the US so I can't buy from those shops. Many thanks for the information you've given. 

What country are you in?

[Froody129]

1 hour ago, JohnT said:

What country are you in?

South Africa, I just converted roughly to $ because I know that's what most of the forum uses

[Marshnt]

 

On 6/30/2017 at 1:04 AM, Froody129 said:

Hi all,

 

I'm looking for a half-decent sub on a budget. It doesn't have to be all that big since I have a small room and the cheaper the better without having it break in 6 months.

 

Setup:

• Amp- Sony de497 (70w per channel)
• Random Sony center and matching satellites for front
• JBL satellites for back ( I can find specific models of speakers if needed)

I would be willing to build my own if the cost savings are anything significant (also building is fun). Any suggestions for price range to look at or specific models would be greatly appreciated

With your budget the two best option are Pioneer SW‑8MK2 and ELAC S10 Debut Series. Both are designed by Andrew Jones, he is well know and very well respected. Check out the reviews on these products.

[rhyseyness]

On ‎01‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 10:02 PM, Froody129 said:

I don't have the exact model but they're tiny Sony satellites and a pretty decent matching Sony center, I could probably find exact models or take pictures if it's really necessary. As I said, the rears are JBL satellite speakers. I "borrowed" a sub from my dad's dual sub setup and it's definitely what I need, the sound is infinitely more rich. 

 

Edit: Also any information you have on building one would be helpful, if there are cost savings to be had of course.

DIY is definitely an option, but it's likely to end up being as expensive unless you already have the woodworking tools required.

Router, F-clamps, various saws, biscuit cutter, soldering iron.... a tonne of sandpaper if you're painting + all the paint.

If you've already got all this and the skills to do it, you'd probably save a bit of money, but the drivers are still gonna be $200+.

[Froody129]

2 hours ago, rhyseyness said:

DIY is definitely an option, but it's likely to end up being as expensive unless you already have the woodworking tools required.

Router, F-clamps, various saws, biscuit cutter, soldering iron.... a tonne of sandpaper if you're painting + all the paint.

If you've already got all this and the skills to do it, you'd probably save a bit of money, but the drivers are still gonna be $200+.

I have access to all of the tools and I'm willing to put some work into it since I enjoy tinkering with this stuff. The room I'm putting it in really isn't big so would it be worth it to get something smaller like an 8"? The sub i tried was a 12" 300w and that was more than enough, I had to turn the level pretty low or things would begin shaking  

[rhyseyness]

10 minutes ago, Froody129 said:

I have access to all of the tools and I'm willing to put some work into it since I enjoy tinkering with this stuff. The room I'm putting it in really isn't big so would it be worth it to get something smaller like an 8"? The sub i tried was a 12" 300w and that was more than enough, I had to turn the level pretty low or things would begin shaking  

I'm not that well versed in subwoofer design, but I have built my own speakers (build log linked in signature).

I'd have a look through my build log before you underestimate the job

As I understand for a sub you want as big and stiff of a box as possible, and a big, high quality driver.

300W is probably a bit much to be honest, unless your room is huge, lol.

I find I get plenty of bass from my speakers with 6" woofers, but it depends on the size of your room and how low you wanna go.

My speakers cut off (-3dB) at about 70Hz in a 20L (ish) cabinet.

I'd have thought you could build something decent with an 8" driver, but like I say, not well versed in subwoofer design.

This looks like a thread which might help you out: https://www.avforums.com/threads/diy-subwoofer-newbie.1931825/

Hope this helps, let us know if you have any more questions.