Advice for Sub choice please!!
I'm looking for a sub for my living room surround sound system (Pioneer 1020 receiver and 5 Polk speakers - Fronts: Monitor 70s, Center: CS2, Rears: Monitor 50s).
I'm having a hard time working out what will be enough to "fill my space" as you'll see below at "3". Also i am confused as to what frequency response the sub should have, as when i get the sub, i will set the AV receiver setup so that the fronts and rears are all "small", as i'm told this will get more out of them as the sub will handle the bass. If this is the case, then i've no idea where the speakers will "stop" and therefore where the sub would need to "begin". Any advice on this will also help!
1. Budget: $500 - $800.
2. Size requirements/limits: Not really an issue apart from WAF could come into play if it's too big (although if small enough i could place the sub in a front corner underneath a small table with a space underneath it measuring 18" x 21" x 18" High. So ideally the sub would be less than 18" tall, and within 18" by 21". If it was long and has to stick out from under the table, then the max width would be 14" due to the legs - there are two of these tables in each corner as pics will show).
3. Room dimensions: My living room is 23 feet long by 13 feet wide, with main couch 13 feet from TV and front speakers. The house is a "double-wide", and the long left side of the living room is essentially open (very small walls at each end), to a kitchen and dining room/morning room area. So the entire open space is about 23 feet long, by 26 feet wide. Ceiling height varies but is approx 8 feet. So the living room is approx: 300 square feet, 2400 cubic feet. Entire space is approx 600 square feet, 4800 cubic feet.
**Please check out the pictures at the end of this post**
4. Primary uses: My wife and I watch a lot of TV, and when we (or I) get the chance, we like to watch Movies (Blu-Ray, DVD, Cable) and play video games (PS3, Wii). Every now and then we play music if having a party but not often. So approx: 70% Cable TV, 20% Movies, 9% Video games, 1% Music.
5. Listening Habits: Most of the time (70%?) we listen at a "regular" level, but we also like to enjoy a movie or video game "properly" once in a while (i.e. pretty loud!), which is why i decided to invest some money in the whole 5.1 surround system in the first place. We don't usually "crank it" while watching cable but sometimes we do, and we don't always "crank it" when watching movies or playing games, but most of the time we do!
6. Appearance requirements: Not that important - i have a feeling it will be big, so ideally it won't be big AND ugly as the all important wife factor (WAF) could come into play!
7. Timeframe: I can wait for the right sub - taking my time to work out what sub will actually make a difference to my setup, and for what cost.
8. My setup:
TV: SAMSUNG LN52A630
A/V RECEIVER: PIONEER VSX-1020-K
SPEAKERS:
FRONTS: 2 x POLK MONITOR 70 SERIES II
CENTER: POLK CS2 SERIES II
REARS: 2 x POLK MONITOR 50 SERIES II
COMPONENTS:
SONY PS3 FAT 80GB
NINTENDO WII
TIME WARNER CABLE HD-DVR: SCIENTIFIC ATLANTA EXPLORER 8300HDC
PHILIPS DVR/DVD-R: DVDR3575H
PHILIPS DVD PLAYER: DVP5982
SANYO VCR: VWM-950
So that's all my info. Please let me know what you think would work well in this setup, and also why perhaps some subs won't. Any and all help will be appreciated! And yes, this is a living room and not a home theater, but the surround sound has added so much already and with a good sub i feel it will be even better!
Here's my living room from 2 angles:
I'm having a hard time working out what will be enough to "fill my space" as you'll see below at "3". Also i am confused as to what frequency response the sub should have, as when i get the sub, i will set the AV receiver setup so that the fronts and rears are all "small", as i'm told this will get more out of them as the sub will handle the bass. If this is the case, then i've no idea where the speakers will "stop" and therefore where the sub would need to "begin". Any advice on this will also help!
1. Budget: $500 - $800.
2. Size requirements/limits: Not really an issue apart from WAF could come into play if it's too big (although if small enough i could place the sub in a front corner underneath a small table with a space underneath it measuring 18" x 21" x 18" High. So ideally the sub would be less than 18" tall, and within 18" by 21". If it was long and has to stick out from under the table, then the max width would be 14" due to the legs - there are two of these tables in each corner as pics will show).
3. Room dimensions: My living room is 23 feet long by 13 feet wide, with main couch 13 feet from TV and front speakers. The house is a "double-wide", and the long left side of the living room is essentially open (very small walls at each end), to a kitchen and dining room/morning room area. So the entire open space is about 23 feet long, by 26 feet wide. Ceiling height varies but is approx 8 feet. So the living room is approx: 300 square feet, 2400 cubic feet. Entire space is approx 600 square feet, 4800 cubic feet.
**Please check out the pictures at the end of this post**
4. Primary uses: My wife and I watch a lot of TV, and when we (or I) get the chance, we like to watch Movies (Blu-Ray, DVD, Cable) and play video games (PS3, Wii). Every now and then we play music if having a party but not often. So approx: 70% Cable TV, 20% Movies, 9% Video games, 1% Music.
5. Listening Habits: Most of the time (70%?) we listen at a "regular" level, but we also like to enjoy a movie or video game "properly" once in a while (i.e. pretty loud!), which is why i decided to invest some money in the whole 5.1 surround system in the first place. We don't usually "crank it" while watching cable but sometimes we do, and we don't always "crank it" when watching movies or playing games, but most of the time we do!
6. Appearance requirements: Not that important - i have a feeling it will be big, so ideally it won't be big AND ugly as the all important wife factor (WAF) could come into play!
7. Timeframe: I can wait for the right sub - taking my time to work out what sub will actually make a difference to my setup, and for what cost.
8. My setup:
TV: SAMSUNG LN52A630
A/V RECEIVER: PIONEER VSX-1020-K
SPEAKERS:
FRONTS: 2 x POLK MONITOR 70 SERIES II
CENTER: POLK CS2 SERIES II
REARS: 2 x POLK MONITOR 50 SERIES II
COMPONENTS:
SONY PS3 FAT 80GB
NINTENDO WII
TIME WARNER CABLE HD-DVR: SCIENTIFIC ATLANTA EXPLORER 8300HDC
PHILIPS DVR/DVD-R: DVDR3575H
PHILIPS DVD PLAYER: DVP5982
SANYO VCR: VWM-950
So that's all my info. Please let me know what you think would work well in this setup, and also why perhaps some subs won't. Any and all help will be appreciated! And yes, this is a living room and not a home theater, but the surround sound has added so much already and with a good sub i feel it will be even better!
Here's my living room from 2 angles:
SPEAKERS:
FRONTS: 2 x POLK MONITOR 70 SERIES II
CENTER: POLK CS2 SERIES II
REARS: 2 x POLK MONITOR 50 SERIES II
A/V RECEIVER: PIONEER VSX-1020-K
TV: SAMSUNG LN52A630
SONY PS3 FAT 80GB
NINTENDO WII
TIME WARNER CABLE HD-DVR: SCIENTIFIC ATLANTA EXPLORER 8300HDC
PHILIPS DVR/DVD-R: DVDR3575H
PHILIPS DVD PLAYER: DVP5982
SANYO VCR: VWM-950
FRONTS: 2 x POLK MONITOR 70 SERIES II
CENTER: POLK CS2 SERIES II
REARS: 2 x POLK MONITOR 50 SERIES II
A/V RECEIVER: PIONEER VSX-1020-K
TV: SAMSUNG LN52A630
SONY PS3 FAT 80GB
NINTENDO WII
TIME WARNER CABLE HD-DVR: SCIENTIFIC ATLANTA EXPLORER 8300HDC
PHILIPS DVR/DVD-R: DVDR3575H
PHILIPS DVD PLAYER: DVP5982
SANYO VCR: VWM-950