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Subwoofer recommendations for mostly music

I don't know anything about subwoofers, so be kind to me! I currently have some sort of Velodyne hooked up to my system. It doesn't seem to add a thing to my system - possibly because it's crap, or possibly because I don't have it set up correctly! I would like to get another subwoofer anyway, so would like some recommendations. It will be part of my HT system, but I really want one that is good for music. I listen to classical, classical rock, jazz and World Music for the most part.

I will be pairing it with bi-wired B&W CM4 speakers (center is a B&W CMC) and I use a Rotel RSX1055 receiver. (I know a lot of people here don't like B&W speakers or Rotel components, but please don't suggest that I upgrade this stuff first - I can't afford to and don't want to!)

Budget wise, I would prefer <$500, if possible - used is fine.
oakiris
newbie13
242 posts
 
"Hsu Research, a highly-regarded subwoofer researcher/manufacturer, claims its 1220HO (ported) subs are better for music than their sealed models."

Hsu has no sealed models. Their tubes and boxes are all ported.
oakiris OP
206 posts
 
I obviously don't have the experience to answer this, Aggielaw. All I can say is that my new, sealed, 10" sub is great for 2-channel music. It probably won't be perfect for HT, but I think it will be O.K.. I suppose if I find it unsatisfactory, I can add another HT-only sub to my system, but this one is a keeper for music!
aggielaw
267 posts
 
Newbie,

Right you are - I didn't realize the internally-powered boxes were ported, but looking at the website, they are!

Hsu was a bad example. Rather than hijack this thread with a protracted digression, I'll look for a thread on best subs for 2-channel above $500.

Thanks for keeping me straight, Newbie! :)
quadophile's avatar
quadophile
418 posts
 
I own the REL Strata III which I had also reviewed here at A'gon. During my research while shopping for the sub here at A'gon, AA and other places I came across following comments on many occasions

1)Sealead subs are easy to integrate on both counts room as well as main speakers
2)Sealed subs are faster
3)Rel subs are by far the most musical

With the information I gathered it was a no brainer going for the REL Strata III.
meters
3 posts
 
Hi everyone. Well having been a live sound engineer I have bit of a background in sound design and the major obtacle in subs is that what you really want out of them is the lowest octaves but if you seal the box it wont naturally occur without some eletronics because it does not naturally resonate so low, the responce naturally rolls off there unless its huge. The flip side is if you vent or band pass is that your responce is not so smooth and your driver has a tendency to over exert it self on the tuned frequency, making uneven playback. Obviously this effect has been mitigated by crafty designers. The only end around I have heard to this problem, though I havent demo them is by a company called baggend who designed a patented processor to allow for natural effiecient and smooth extension, unfortunately it is a very expensive set up. All in all it is hard to have your cake and eat it too. Maybe some of these passive radiater designs or push pull drivers make most sense?
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