Subwoofer Recommendations 50k Budget

[Michelangalo]

I have both BIC PL 200 ii and Polk HTS12. I wouldn't recommend BIC subs. They are powerful but have terrible build quality. I bought two BIC subs, both have terrible port noise and one of them failed within 6 months. I couldn't even get it fixed as I have to send the Amp module to Mumbai, but couldn't do so due to Covid restrictions. Also they don't play low down the frequency.

I would instead suggest Polk HTS12. I am quite happy with it for both Music and Movies though it doesn't have the brute power of BIC subs. But it sounds more nuanced and plays quite low. It looks nice and well built too. It's actually quite good for music. I bought it for around Rs.30k two years back but price seem to have increased by almost 50% now. It may still be worth the price. Try to source it directly from one of the ProFx stores. Online prices are high including those from ProFx.

The other option I would recommend purely based on reviews is Yamaha NS-SW300. It seems like a good unit for the price. I am considering one for myself to replace my failed BIC unit.

I have Bic PL 200 II and I haven't faced any problem that you stated till now. I read articles regarding port noise on few subs and it comes when the port gets loose which can be glued again easily. For BIC it's recommended to use a online UPS if there is lot of power fluctuations in the are else not needed. I am using it without a UPS and touchwood it's working fine. Also for the amp, try to contact your dealer and they will ship the amp to you and guide you on how to fix it.

 

[sujithblaze]

I couldn't demo the XTZ 10.17 and the QB12 side by side as they were no in the same room. I'm waiting to demo it at home and will update this thread.

Please update once you get a demo of qb12

 

[DB1989]

When it comes to movies Q acc is no comparison to the xtz. Music QA may perform better due to being sealed.

Could be. Have you auditioned both?

 

[DB1989]

I have both BIC PL 200 ii and Polk HTS12. I wouldn't recommend BIC subs. They are powerful but have terrible build quality. I bought two BIC subs, both have terrible port noise and one of them failed within 6 months. I couldn't even get it fixed as I have to send the Amp module to Mumbai, but couldn't do so due to Covid restrictions. Also they don't play low down the frequency.

I would instead suggest Polk HTS12. I am quite happy with it for both Music and Movies though it doesn't have the brute power of BIC subs. But it sounds more nuanced and plays quite low. It looks nice and well built too. It's actually quite good for music. I bought it for around Rs.30k two years back but price seem to have increased by almost 50% now. It may still be worth the price. Try to source it directly from one of the ProFx stores. Online prices are high including those from ProFx.

The other option I would recommend purely based on reviews is Yamaha NS-SW300. It seems like a good unit for the price. I am considering one for myself to replace my failed BIC unit.

The NS-SW300 is a very good sub for the price but be aware that they suffer from port noise at high SPLs during high intensity scenes in movies. Barring this one niggle (it may be a major niggle in some books), the quantity of bass that they produce is going to be sufficient for most rooms unless you are an extreme bass head but what stands out is the quality of bass. When i switched back from a NS SW300 to a REL T9i, the improvements in the bass produced by a REL were immediately visible. However, what really stood out was that on switching back from the REL to the Yamma, i wasn't disappointed in the slightest and was actually surprised at how well it compares with the REL at 1/3rd the price.

p.s. - the above said testing was while listening to music.

 

[pkhammu2005]

Could be. Have you auditioned both?

i have owned the xtz before.

 

[DB1989]

i have owned the xtz before.

Thats nice. What about the qb12?

 

[pkhammu2005]

no but purely luking at the specs it plays till 28hz only,must b +-3db.
so wd b gud with mid bass and music with tight base.
xtz wd give u more punch for the movies

 

[DB1989]

no but purely luking at the specs it plays till 28hz only,must b +-3db.
so wd b gud with mid bass and music with tight base.
xtz wd give u more punch for the movies

Possible. I heard them both at my dealer earlier this year. I was only playing music and for that particular application, i did prefer the qb12. Did not try movies with either of them.

 

[Love4sound]

Well the demo was taken at max home theatre Chennai upon my recommendations. Max is dealing both q acoustics and xtz. I checked with max and their feed back is xtz 10.17 is way better for movies and over all a better sub. Xtz is a 500 watts rms sub woofer with 3 equalisers and 4 port tuning options. There is no comparison here IMO. I haven’t heard the q b12 but it’s just a 220 watts rms sub that’s rated only till 28hz. I will audition it soon and give real World feed back.

 

[Prodigy]

I have Bic PL 200 II and I haven't faced any problem that you stated till now. I read articles regarding port noise on few subs and it comes when the port gets loose which can be glued again easily. For BIC it's recommended to use a online UPS if there is lot of power fluctuations in the are else not needed. I am using it without a UPS and touchwood it's working fine. Also for the amp, try to contact your dealer and they will ship the amp to you and guide you on how to fix it.

Same here. I have been using the sub for quite a long time and never came across the issues described. The Bass was a bit boomy and after following certain guidelines suggested by some of the FM’s in various threads and the bass is quite tight now + it’s a VFM.

 

[DB1989]

Well the demo was taken at max home theatre Chennai upon my recommendations. Max is dealing both q acoustics and xtz. I checked with max and their feed back is xtz 10.17 is way better for movies and over all a better sub. Xtz is a 500 watts rms sub woofer with 3 equalisers and 4 port tuning options. There is no comparison here IMO. I haven’t heard the q b12 but it’s just a 220 watts rms sub that’s rated only till 28hz. I will audition it soon and give real World feed back.

It could be that the tracks i tried did not explore the xtz’s capabilities or played to the strengths of the qb12. I didn’t pump up the volume to very high levels so perhaps it didn’t use all the watts at its disposal either. The tracks were played at identical volumes which was reasonably loud. The fact that they were much cheaper than the xtzs really impressed me.

 

[Love4sound]

It could be that the tracks i tried did not explore the xtz’s capabilities or played to the strengths of the qb12. I didn’t pump up the volume to very high levels so perhaps it didn’t use all the watts at its disposal either. The tracks were played at identical volumes which was reasonably loud. The fact that they were much cheaper than the xtzs really impressed me.

It’s very hard to judge a sub performance especially in a demo room. Only a few dealers calibrate the subs well and most of them are just rough measurements. Some don’t even use audyssey or any rook corrections. Can’t blame them cause they keep changing their gears and settings based on customer visits and demand . I never play music to test subs in any demo. I totally have no idea how the q acoustics sub wil sound cause I haven’t even had a rough demo. But on paper specs it’s no way near the xtz.

 

[DB1989]

It’s very hard to judge a sub performance especially in a demo room. Only a few dealers calibrate the subs well and most of them are just rough measurements. Some don’t even use audyssey or any rook corrections. Can’t blame them cause they keep changing their gears and settings based on customer visits and demand . I never play music to test subs in any demo. I totally have no idea how the q acoustics sub wil sound cause I haven’t even had a rough demo. But on paper specs it’s no way near the xtz.

Its possible. I’ll try and strong arm my dealer to get a home trial.

 

[jarneevan]

Same here. I have been using the sub for quite a long time and never came across the issues described. The Bass was a bit boomy and after following certain guidelines suggested by some of the FM’s in various threads and the bass is quite tight now + it’s a VFM.

I don't think BIC subs are VFM even if I brush aside one sub failing in few months and both exhibiting terrible port noise/chuffing.

BIC PL200ii are powerful but the response is not very linear across the frequency range and they don't play low down the frequency. I too initially thought PL200 is a real VFM until I heard Polk HTS12. BICs may be ok for movies but a complete no-no for music listening.

 

[alphacentury100]

My recommendation is, Go for the XTZ. They are much cleaner than BIC and can dig very deep 19h +3-db i believe. They are beautiful and well built. XTZ is never boomy. They have multiple port tuning and equalizer options using which you can make them play like a Midbass module or also play flat to 19hz for movies.
(note: The XTZ will require a bit more effort to get the best out of them compared to the BIC, and so do all the great subs which play flat to below 20hz.)

 

[shuv]

Don't the Klipsch subs measure up? The 10s and 12s seem well priced vis a vis the other contenders here.

 

[DB1989]

I have both BIC PL 200 ii and Polk HTS12. I wouldn't recommend BIC subs. They are powerful but have terrible build quality. I bought two BIC subs, both have terrible port noise and one of them failed within 6 months. I couldn't even get it fixed as I have to send the Amp module to Mumbai, but couldn't do so due to Covid restrictions. Also they don't play low down the frequency.



I would instead suggest Polk HTS12. I am quite happy with it for both Music and Movies though it doesn't have the brute power of BIC subs. But it sounds more nuanced and plays quite low. It looks nice and well built too. It's actually quite good for music. I bought it for around Rs.30k two years back but price seem to have increased by almost 50% now. It may still be worth the price. Try to source it directly from one of the ProFx stores. Online prices are high including those from ProFx.



The other option I would recommend purely based on reviews is Yamaha NS-SW300. It seems like a good unit for the price. I am considering one for myself to replace my failed BIC unit.

The NS-SW300 is a very good sub for the price but be aware that they suffer from port noise at high SPLs during high intensity scenes in movies. Barring this one niggle (it may be a major niggle in some books), the quantity of bass that they produce is going to be sufficient for most rooms unless you are an extreme bass head but what stands out is the quality of bass. When i switched back from a NS SW300 to a REL T9i, the improvements in the bass produced by a REL were immediately visible. However, what really stood out was that on switching back from the REL to the Yamma, i wasn't disappointed in the slightest and was actually surprised at how well it compares with the REL at 1/3rd the price.

p.s. - the above said testing was while listening to music.

With respect to the above-said, I think @harryneopotter will testify

 

[shrayv]

Long due update. I ended upgrading my receiver to the Marrantz 6014 and picked up the XTZ 10.17 from @Love4sound. I am now on the lookout for a center channel speaker with a budget of about 25k give or take. Based on inputs from @Love4sound and reading the forum, I have shortlisted the below:

• Wharfedale diamond 220c
• Emotiva C1
• Q-Acoustics 3090Ci
• Klipsch R-52

I did get a chance to briefly demo the Q-Acoustics 3090Ci. Appreciate your inputs.

Cheers

 

[Love4sound]

Long due update. I ended upgrading my receiver to the Marrantz 6014 and picked up the XTZ 10.17 from @Love4sound. I am now on the lookout for a center channel speaker with a budget of about 25k give or take. Based on inputs from @Love4sound and reading the forum, I have shortlisted the below:

• Wharfedale diamond 220c
• Emotiva C1
• Q-Acoustics 3090Ci
• Klipsch R-52

I did get a chance to briefly demo the Q-Acoustics 3090Ci. Appreciate your inputs.

Cheers

The c1 is a 4ohm speaker. 6014 should be able to drive it. So later when u get the LR from same emotiva series which are also rated at 4ohm the load on avr will be more. Not to say that 6014 won’t drive them but just keep in mind that 4ohm speakers are power hungry.

 

[SiddharthY]

Long due update. I ended upgrading my receiver to the Marrantz 6014 and picked up the XTZ 10.17 from @Love4sound. I am now on the lookout for a center channel speaker with a budget of about 25k give or take. Based on inputs from @Love4sound and reading the forum, I have shortlisted the below:

• Wharfedale diamond 220c
• Emotiva C1
• Q-Acoustics 3090Ci
• Klipsch R-52

I did get a chance to briefly demo the Q-Acoustics 3090Ci. Appreciate your inputs.

Cheers

Check with IndiqAudio for their center channel, its rated at ~95dB. I got my FLCR from them and i am happy with my decision. https://www.hifivision.com/threads/...-peek-into-their-custom-l-r.81701/post-906542