Picking a new sub

DiverseInterest
DiverseInterest Posts: 2
edited May 2012 in Speakers
So last year I started my HT and decided to get an entry level polk system and was happy with everything except my sub. Looking back I'm not surprised but now its time to upgrade.

A little bit of background on me and my uses of this system. I live with 4 other college students and we have parties most weekends, watch movies on the xbox or ps3 every other day, and listen to music ~4 hours each day ranging from symphonic to dubstep to trance to rap and r&b (not super high quality but pandora and some mp3s). I started with a PSW10 which was alright with movies on the TV or netflix but left a lot to be desired when we plugged in Dark Knight on blue ray. Over to music it was good until some dubstep and rap went to 38Hz at which point it was nonfunctional. That being said I did enjoy how the bass filled our 12x15 room

I have been looking around and trying to figure out what a reasonable budget is and I've come up with ~800$ This is not set in stone but if I end up spending 600 I wont be mad, 1200 might be pushing it though.
Some of my concerns are: 2 vs 1? Wired vs Wireless? 8" vs 10" vs 12"?

2 vs 1:
I will be moving this system to our main room which is 15x15 ish and has a set of stairs / alot of air space behind it.
With this I was worried that a single 10" or 12" sub might be too small to fill the room. Or if that is enough it wont be similar to what I had with the 10" in our old room.
Wireless:
I only bring up wireless because I like the sound of the 440/550/660 line but wanted to know if wiring them would be alright or if for some reason they preform best wirelessly.
8" vs 10" vs 12":
Lastly Size of the subwoofer, I've read some reviews/post warning against going down in size as it might be underwhelming even though the watts and quality may increase. Also I'm worried about going with a 12" and having some of the same issues with poor performance at low Hz.

Thoughts?
Current Setup
Receiver: Onkyo TX-NR509
Center: CS20
Front: (2) M40 II
Surround: (2) M40 II
Sub: PSW10

In the market for
Onkyo TX-NR809
(2) M70 II
Post edited by DiverseInterest on
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Comments

  • codyc1ark
    codyc1ark Posts: 2,532
    edited May 2012
    HSU VTF-15H. PLENTY of headroom to spare when/if you move into a bigger room.

    Oh, and BTW, welcome to CP.
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  • vcwatkins
    vcwatkins Posts: 1,993
    edited May 2012
    Love my new Hsu. It's the VTF3.4. It's on the large size, but is just a pleasure to use. No need for me to get a second for this 20'x30'x15' room, but I do have big Polks for mains and surrounds. Looks like the black one is on sale right now.

    http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-3mk4.html

    Craig
    b]Beach Audio[/b]: Rega RP6 (mods) - AT33PTG/II - Parks Budgie SUT - PSAudio NPC * Eversolo DMP-A6 * Topping D90iii * Joule-Electra LA-100 mkIII * Pass Aleph 30 * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 2.3tl (mods) * PSAudio PPP3
    Beach Study: Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra & Pre Box S2 * Pass ACA * DH Labs SS Q10 * Brines Folded ML-TQWT RS 40-1354 * PSA Dectet
    Beach Master: WiiM Pro * Dayens Menuetto * Zu Libtec * Dynaudio Audience 50
    Beach Den: Bluesound Powernode 2i * DH Labs SS Q10 * Zu Omen DWII * Richard Gray RGPC
    Town Study: WiiM Pro * Chord Qute (Pardo) * Elekit TU-8600 * MIT S3 * Revel M22 * Beyer DT-990 * Shunyata Hydra 2
    Town Den: Music Hall mm5.1se - Denon DL-103r - Jolida JD9ii (mods) * WiiM Pro * Cary xCiter * Rogue 99 Magnum * Schiit Aegir * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 1.2tl (mods) * Dectet * Bottlehead Crack - Senn 600
    Town Porch: WiiM Pro Plus * Sunfire Sig II * Canare 4S11 * Magnepan 1.6 * Dectet
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  • codyc1ark
    codyc1ark Posts: 2,532
    edited May 2012
    vcwatkins wrote: »
    Love my new Hsu. It's the VTF3.4. It's on the large size, but is just a pleasure to use. No need for me to get a second for this 20'x30'x15' room, but I do have big Polks for mains and surrounds. Looks like the black one is on sale right now.

    http://www.hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-3mk4.html

    Craig

    Nice pick as well.
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  • DiverseInterest
    DiverseInterest Posts: 2
    edited May 2012
    Thanks for the input.
    After looking up HSU it does look like the 15H would be a good choice but how does it handle fast pace baselines?
    I see its 15" with 350 RMS? That's the lower then the 660wi which has 400 RMS and a much smaller surface area.
    Just wondering as I have only heard 15" subs in cars which are unable to play at high tempo.
    Thanks
    Current Setup
    Receiver: Onkyo TX-NR509
    Center: CS20
    Front: (2) M40 II
    Surround: (2) M40 II
    Sub: PSW10

    In the market for
    Onkyo TX-NR809
    (2) M70 II
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  • Geoff4rfc
    Geoff4rfc Posts: 2,474
    edited May 2012
    Welcome aboard!

    I've got an Epik Empire, dual 15" sealed sub. Very responsive, very fast, very tight, tons of LFE.

    My area is 26x15.5x7.5, I have a second one on the way.

    Even though it rocks for music, I generally just do 2ch, but always for H.T.
    Source: BRP Panasonic UB9000, CDP Emotiva ERC3 - Display: LG OLED EVO 83 C3 - Pre/Pro: Marantz 8802A - Amplification: Emotiva XPA-DR3, XPA-2 x 2, XPA-6, Speakers, Mains/2ch-Focal Kanta No2's, C-LSiM706, S-702F/X, RS-RTiA9's, WS-RTiA9's, FH-RTiA3's, Subs - Epik Empire x 2

    Cables: AudioQuest McKenzie XLR's/CDP/Amp, Carbon 48/BRP, Forest 48/Display, 2 channel speaker cable: Furutech FS Alpha 36 12AWG PCOCC Single Crystal (Douglas Connection)

    EXPERIENCE: next to nothing, but I sure enjoy audio and video MY OPINION OF THIS HOBBY: I may not be a smart man, but I know what quicksand is.
    When I was young, I was Superman but now that old age has gotten the best of me I'm only Batman
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