Thoughts from the masses, keep the PSW125 or sell

EndersShadow
EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
edited October 2012 in Speakers
I currently have a offer on my PSW125 sub for a decent price. I am curious how much you guys think I will miss the sub given that I am running my LSi 15's as full range to begin with and they go down just as low as the sub itself.

Do you think I can get by with just the 15's running my bass (and maybe knock my center down from 60hz) and fill in the void, or even notice its gone? I dont get to really crank it much right now regardless (neighbors and paranoid wife) but I also dont want to lose a bunch of bass if the PSW125 is helping the LSi 15's out a bunch either.

The lower -3db limit on the LSi's (which might be fudged a bit who knows) is listed at 30 hz. The lower -3db limit on the sub is 34 hz. According to spec's the LSi 15's have a bigger frequency range and go lower, but I dont know how much I trust that.

My options right now are this:

1. Keep PSW125

2. Sell PSW125, replace with nothing

3. Sell PSW125, use cash to buy better DIY sub

Thoughts?
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
Post edited by EndersShadow on

Comments

  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,811
    edited October 2012
    Unplug the sub and see what you think....
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited October 2012
    VR3 wrote: »
    Unplug the sub and see what you think....

    Was going to try that, but wont have tons of time to really test things out before the sub either stays or goes :smile:. I will be unplugging it tonight but since we dont do tons of movies (which is where you need the sub the most) its hard to see.

    I might just make my wife rent Prometheus since I have wanted to see that and it comes out today......

    Also you have PM
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited October 2012
    What VR3 said. But if you're talking about HT, also see if your receiver has a "double bass" option (or something along those lines). What it does is send the subwoofer channel to your mains.
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited October 2012
    unc2701 wrote: »
    What VR3 said. But if you're talking about HT, also see if your receiver has a "double bass" option (or something along those lines). What it does is send the subwoofer channel to your mains.

    It does have that option I know for a fact, but it can only be on when your using both mains + sub. Also that feature is actually sending both the LFE to your sub and also your main, hence being called "double bass" since your getting the LFE from both. With just mains your going to set em to full range, no on the sub and the option goes away, but your mains are getting the LFE channel due to being full range anyway....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,020
    edited October 2012
    Just unplug it like Trey suggested and run any dd movie you have to see if you noticed a big difference. Personally, I would sell it and save that coin for a better sub.....xmass is around the corner bro.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited October 2012
    tonyb wrote: »
    Just unplug it like Trey suggested and run any dd movie you have to see if you noticed a big difference. Personally, I would sell it and save that coin for a better sub.....xmass is around the corner bro.

    Thats kinda my thought too, but xmas may be coming early for me.

    If I sell it I doubt I will replace it right away as the subs I have my eye on are a nice piece of coin and really I need a house to enjoy more bass without my wife getting scared about a noise complaint from our neighbors....

    I more than likely use it to buy a better sub for my car, sell my current car sub and then finish getting my HT outfitted with Kimber Kable SC's (need 1 4ft 8VS internal bi-wire) and Kimber Kable PBJ's (need 3 16" ones for Center, SR, SL and 2 1m ones for my L,R)
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
    edited October 2012
    You probably know my thoughts. I like running a sub with the 15's...for music and movies. So I would probably keep it.

    I think I remember you saying, though, that you don't necessarily like the sub for music...and since you can't really take full advantage anyway because of neighbors...and you have a good offer...I would say sell it.

    That way you can upgrade the other things that you can use now...and get a monster sub for your house when you can really utilize it.

    Just my thoughts from somewhere in the masses :cheesygrin:
    2 ChannelTurntable - VPI Classic 2/Ortofon 2M BlueAmplification - Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II, Parks Audio Budgie PhonoSpeakers - GoldenEar Triton 17.2 Home TheaterDenon AVR-X3300W; Rotel RMB-1066; Klipsch RP-280F's, Klipsch RP-450C, Polk FXi3's, Polk RC60i; Dual SVS PB 2000's; BenQ HT2050; Elite Screens 120"Man CaveTurntable - Pro-Ject 2.9 Wood/Grado GoldAmplification - Dared SL2000a, McCormack DNA 0.5 DeluxeCD: Cambridge AudioSpeakers - Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary; LSiM 703; SDA 2A
  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited October 2012
    It does have that option I know for a fact, but it can only be on when your using both mains + sub. Also that feature is actually sending both the LFE to your sub and also your main, hence being called "double bass" since your getting the LFE from both. With just mains your going to set em to full range, no on the sub and the option goes away, but your mains are getting the LFE channel due to being full range anyway....

    Yeah, you're right- I had that backwards. Double bass sends the L+R bass to both the sub and the mains, not the other way around. And now that I think about it, I seem to remember being pissed off with my onkyo awhile back since I couldn't send the LFE to the mains... Anyhow. Point is, take it for a quick whirl and see what you think.

    To your original question, the LSi25's and the LSiW were somewhat the same. Their -3db point was pretty much identical, but when the LSiW got recalled, I did miss it. Two reasons: 1) If you've got a standing wave (and just about every one does at some freq) the additional bass driver is going to give you more uniform coverage and break that wave up some. 2)If you want your bass a little "hotter" it's really easy to just go kick up the volume on the sub and get a little extra bump for a song or movie that it works for.

    So, I think you're going to find that you miss it, but as others have pointed out, there's a lot better out there, so if you're looking at a good sale on it, dump it and start thinking about bigger, better, deeper.
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
    Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
    Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited October 2012
    Sell the psw125 and get a TC sounds lms-12. You can use that in your car until you get a box and amp for the home.
  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited October 2012
    hochpt21 wrote: »
    You probably know my thoughts. I like running a sub with the 15's...for music and movies. So I would probably keep it.

    I think I remember you saying, though, that you don't necessarily like the sub for music...and since you can't really take full advantage anyway because of neighbors...and you have a good offer...I would say sell it.

    That way you can upgrade the other things that you can use now...and get a monster sub for your house when you can really utilize it.

    Just my thoughts from somewhere in the masses :cheesygrin:

    Appreciate it. You are correct in when listening to music I prefer to do it in Direct mode rather than stereo. Direct mode bypasses any EQ and sends the signal directly to the Mains. I have found not too much difference in music between Direct and Stereo but for a bit more bass with Stereo (since it adds in the sub). This however doesnt mean its any better since I think its probably overemphasising the bass.

    I am kinda in the same thought, I sell it and then wait to get something massive when I get a house. Right not my wife has me cutting the bass in the AVR by a bunch anyway so if I get rid of the sub I can probably raise it from -4 to maybe 0 or even a bit hotter if needed.
    unc2701 wrote: »
    To your original question, the LSi25's and the LSiW were somewhat the same. Their -3db point was pretty much identical, but when the LSiW got recalled, I did miss it. Two reasons: 1) If you've got a standing wave (and just about every one does at some freq) the additional bass driver is going to give you more uniform coverage and break that wave up some. 2)If you want your bass a little "hotter" it's really easy to just go kick up the volume on the sub and get a little extra bump for a song or movie that it works for.

    So, I think you're going to find that you miss it, but as others have pointed out, there's a lot better out there, so if you're looking at a good sale on it, dump it and start thinking about bigger, better, deeper.

    You bring up a very good point about standing waves which is one of my concerns. I might just tell the wife to deal with it tonight and try to run/learn REW in one night to do some frequency graphs with and without the sub to see what it looks like at the LP.......

    Probably the best way to see how things will change with and without the sub.....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)