To buy good subwoofer

[periyar]

I initially thought of setting up my full HT system at my home and even created a thread requesting inputs from our members. But it didn't go through somehow and now I thought of starting with Subwoofer first.

I have checked out (only online.. yet to visit any showroom) a couple of subwoofers and impressed by Klipsch RT-12d but it seems to be very expensive I would still like to know its best price available in India. Please let me know the price of it if anyone knows.

I live in Bangalore and my room (living) size -15 x 13 feet with ceiling height 10 feet . I will use this subwoofer with my existing Sony DVD mini system (comes with two bookshelf speakers) as of now. Also, if possible, I would like to use this subwoofer with my Home PC which has got on-board 7.1 channel and HD capable with BenQ 22" Full HD monitor

I am requesting your valuable input/direction to choose one good subwoofer now. And later, I am planning to buy a good AV receiver then slowly add front towers and center speakers.

My budget would be around 50K INR and I don't mind stretch a bit if I get a good deal for a good subwoofer.

It would be great if you could suggest me what to look for and where (in Bangalore) to look with price details (if possible). I'd appreciate all your help.

Thanks and Regards,
Periyar

 

[GeorgeO]

Is the budget 50K for the sub?

 

[periyar]

Yes. Its only for the sub woofer.

I am planning to add front towers and center later along with proper AV receiver. Please note that I don't have any AV receiver right now.

 

[GeorgeO]

Why not study some of the threads that have been posted in the recent past-a diy sub will likely cost you much less and give you a better bang for you buck than a ready made one-that is if you have the appetite for it. At least 2-3 diy subs have been done or are in the process of being done, and you may want to check one of them out.

 

[periyar]

George - Thanks for your suggestion.

But I am not technically sound in electronics and not very confident / comfortable to go with DIY mode. I'd appreciate if I can get some pointers to find a good if not best subwoofer. Thanks again.

 

[skumar]

What is your overall budget and the time lines?

Start with AVR and front 2.0 first...

 

[periyar]

I am really not looking for AV receiver as of now. I am planning to use the new subwoofer with my existing SONY mini DVD system which came with two bookshelf speakers.

I thought at least if I get the subwoofer first, I will use it with existing system to get the extra punch for time being. Maybe within 4-6 months I can go for Front towers and AV receiver then the center and surrounds later.

 

[Ajay Kamath]

Take a look at Def Tech's Supercube III. About 45k.

 

[SAMUEL]

I initially thought of setting up my full HT system at my home and even created a thread requesting inputs from our members. But it didn't go through somehow and now I thought of starting with Subwoofer first.

I have checked out (only online.. yet to visit any showroom) a couple of subwoofers and impressed by Klipsch RT-12d but it seems to be very expensive I would still like to know its best price available in India. Please let me know the price of it if anyone knows.

I live in Bangalore and my room (living) size -15 x 13 feet with ceiling height 10 feet . I will use this subwoofer with my existing Sony DVD mini system (comes with two bookshelf speakers) as of now. Also, if possible, I would like to use this subwoofer with my Home PC which has got on-board 7.1 channel and HD capable with BenQ 22" Full HD monitor

I am requesting your valuable input/direction to choose one good subwoofer now. And later, I am planning to buy a good AV receiver then slowly add front towers and center speakers.

My budget would be around 50K INR and I don't mind stretch a bit if I get a good deal for a good subwoofer.

It would be great if you could suggest me what to look for and where (in Bangalore) to look with price details (if possible). I'd appreciate all your help.

Thanks and Regards,
Periyar

The klipsch RT 12d:licklips: is one of the elite subwoofers & would be too extremely powerful for your room size.
More over it'll be a total mismatch with your existing sony and simply be too over powering as it's amp is a massive 2400w rms continous.I would just not recommend it if you live in an apartment, cause you just can't enjoy it's true potential.
I don't know the exact price but it cost more than 1.4 lacs here in India.

Ok now subwoofers apart your quest for setting up a hometheatre is completely wrong.What you should do first is to get a good AV receiver and a pair of speakers as mentioned by skumar.You can even go the whole hog and get a complete speaker package and later on add subwoofer of your choice or as per requirement.
There are lot of threads here covering HT setup.

If you still want to add subwoofer I'll suggest a Wharfedale SW-150 or Polk audio PSW-125/Pro 500(visit Profx - Advanced Audio Solutions) for your requirement but I'm not very sure whether it'll match with the sony mini hifi.
But don't lose heart,stick around, go through the forum & I'm sure you'll find many alternative options.

All the best
Cheers,
Samuel

 

[micjak77]

George - Thanks for your suggestion.

But I am not technically sound in electronics and not very confident / comfortable to go with DIY mode. I'd appreciate if I can get some pointers to find a good if not best subwoofer. Thanks again.

I consider the following to be good

1. Paradigm New DSP Range, they have entry level PDR and higher end as well which are really good.

2. Velodyne - Impact series and other models like CHT series

3. Sunfire True EQ super Junior (hope I have got name right)

 

[sud98]

I am not sure how will you connect the active subs that you are planning to buy withour an AVR. Is there a LFE output in the Sony system?

Even if you are able to connect, it would be a mismatch to your existing system. However, if its only a matter of buying now and using it later there would be many that would fit this range.

The popular brands are Velodyne, HSU, Polk and Wharfedale.

There are other risks of buying the sub first as it should typically match the other equipment too else you would never be able to understand whether your sub is working well.

Do note that there are many speakers who may be able to handle the lower frequencies very well so you can do without the sub too.

 

[periyar]

Take a look at Def Tech's Supercube III. About 45k.

Could you please tell me where I can audition/buy it in Bangalore? Thanks.

 

[periyar]

First of all Thanks to you all for your valuable responses.

From the responses of skumar, Samuel, sud98, it seems that I am going in the wrong path to setup my HT.

I have one quick question before proceed, Should I choose my speakers first or AVR first?

I would like to go in a proper way to setup my HT and your help/guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Periyar

 

[cmsajith]

You need to have a clear idea about your usage\requirement and based on that you need to make your budget for each component (keep a small buffer for each). Choosing an AVR is the first thing. If you are planning to use it for both movies and music you need to consider AVRs from Marantz,Denon etc. If you are looking for a very powerful setup then an avr may not be sufficient for you, in that case you can go for an decent quality AVR with pre outs and a power amp. Else you need to go with processor-pre-power separates or a combo (an expensive path). I have seen a lot of people repending after they do a wrong choice. Then you need to choose the best matching speakers for the amp (if you are going for a poweramp or a separate stereo amp then you need to cosider that also). Start with front L/R/C. Then you can think about the sub (either DIY or a commercial one). For DIY no electronics background is required, there a lot of forums from where you can get the best design for the sub, it will give you the same or a better performance than a commercial sub. So first start with your requirement and budget allocation.

 

[periyar]

I infer from the previous responses (and as Sajith mentioned above) that I should go for AVR first. Thanks.

I would like to mainly use this AVR to watch movies (75%-85%) and listen to music sometimes. I thought that I will buy a subwoofer first with around 50K budget. Now since I need to buy the AVR first (along with Front Towers if possible), what budget I should be ready with, to buy a good AVR and speakers?

I have checked out our forum about good AVRs. Denon 1910 seems to be quite popular here but a few expressed concerns about its harshness. Also, I remember reading one of the post says that, any good AVR should provide at least 100w/ch for all the channels (either 5.1 or 7.1) but Denon 1910 provides only 90w/ch. Please let me know your suggestions on the AVRs.

Also please let me know which speakers will go well with Denon 1910.

Please note that my current room (living) size is, 15 x 13 feet and 10 ft height. So, please suggest what would it required to setup a good HT at this room size.

Thanks and Regards,
Periyar

 

[skumar]

Budget is something that you need to tell us, not the other way :lol:.

Anyways, there are a couple of recent threads on HT setup in ~1.5L budget, please go thru them and other threads also.

 

[periyar]

Budget is something that you need to tell us, not the other way :lol:.

Anyways, there are a couple of recent threads on HT setup in ~1.5L budget, please go thru them and other threads also.

Sorry I missed that. I can stretch upto 1.5 L initially.

May be I can settle down with AVR + Front Towers + Sub (or) AVR + Front Towers + Center

 

[SAMUEL]

Sorry I missed that. I can stretch upto 1.5 L initiallyhyeah:.

May be I can settle down with AVR + Front Towers + Sub (or) AVR + Front Towers + Center

You're on trackhyeah:. For AVR you can look at models from Denon 2310 ,Onkyo 706/707,Yamaha 665/863,Marantz SR-6004 etc.The Onkyo performs very well for Movies and Denon is an allrounder.Many users in our forum have very good reviews with Yamaha Avr's .The Marantz is more musical.Please audition and decide.Also note some higher end models have better video upscaling feature like for ex.Onkyo 876 has HQV Reon video processing.This feature will be qiute useful if you have plans to build a dedicated HT room with HD projectors.Sadly the 876 is discontinued abroad but a higher 007 series model is lined up but may take some time to be available officially here in India.May be you can push for discounts.Other than this the fore mentioned receivers are more than capable of stellar job in most rooms.If you want more power you can always add a power amp anytime.

Speakers are very important as they usually last very long (until the upgrade bug bites). So go for the best that sounds good and affordable to you.
Your fronts (L+C+R) should ideally be of the same brand & series as a mismatch here could sound very bad.Surrounds & Sub can follow later.
Lots of speaker options are there,brands to look out for are Dali Ikon,PSB, Monitor Audio bronze(Br)/Silver(Rs/Rx) series, Wharfedale Diamond 10 series, Mordaunt Short aviano series ,Polk Audio RTi series,Klipsch , and many more.
Please go thru this thread to find some nice speaker options and their prices
http://www.hifivision.com/speakers/3918-pricelist-speakers.html

Also please use the search function here to find similar threads.
All the best,
Regards,
Sam

 

[periyar]

You're on trackhyeah:. For AVR you can look at models from Denon 2310 ,Onkyo 706/707,Yamaha 665/863,Marantz SR-6004 etc.The Onkyo performs very well for Movies and Denon is an allrounder.Many users in our forum have very good reviews with Yamaha Avr's .The Marantz is more musical.Please audition and decide.Also note some higher end models have better video upscaling feature like for ex.Onkyo 876 has HQV Reon video processing.This feature will be qiute useful if you have plans to build a dedicated HT room with HD projectors.Sadly the 876 is discontinued abroad but a higher 007 series model is lined up but may take some time to be available officially here in India.May be you can push for discounts.Other than this the fore mentioned receivers are more than capable of stellar job in most rooms.If you want more power you can always add a power amp anytime.

Speakers are very important as they usually last very long (until the upgrade bug bites). So go for the best that sounds good and affordable to you.
Your fronts (L+C+R) should ideally be of the same brand & series as a mismatch here could sound very bad.Surrounds & Sub can follow later.
Lots of speaker options are there,brands to look out for are Dali Ikon,PSB, Monitor Audio bronze(Br)/Silver(Rs/Rx) series, Wharfedale Diamond 10 series, Mordaunt Short aviano series ,Polk Audio RTi series,Klipsch , and many more.
Please go thru this thread to find some nice speaker options and their prices
http://www.hifivision.com/speakers/3918-pricelist-speakers.html

Also please use the search function here to find similar threads.
All the best,
Regards,
Sam

Thanks Sam. Let me go through the link and also I am browsing through similiar threads in our forum.

 

[periyar]

Today I have visited Modern World (Airport Road) for audition to check out what are the subwoofer option available. The floor guys couldn't even understand what I'm asking for. After 30 mins wait, they took me to demo room in the 4th floor.

I requested audition for Klipsch RW10d. Sales person connected with RW 5.1 speaker system with Onkyo receiver. The Bass was ok but it was little bit distorted when he adjusted the volume to full. He insisted me to go for speaker package as they don't sell subwoofer separately and quoted around one 1 Lakh.

I inquired about Synergy series subwoofers Sub-12, sub-10. He mentioned that its not available. I would like to know where its available in Bangalore and price if possible. Thanks in advance.