subwoofer question


hi everyone, i have a chance to buy 2 m&k mx-150thx(mark I) subs for $900 shipped.
first off is this a good deal or am i over paying.
next, because these subs are old (10-15 years), can they compete with the new subs which use better technology.
i only use my system for home theater.
my room is 14x12.
will these subs be great for my room or should i get one really great "USED" sub like a jl fathom, or velodyne dd series, svs, etc.

thanks so much
nineballg
Perrew,

I've done a/b comparisons with my old Velodyne subs wired for stereo then re-wired for mono. At 100hz, I wasn't sure that I could tell the difference between mono and stereo. At 80hz, I was sure that I could not tell the difference. At 125hz, I thought that I could and at 150hz, I was sure that I could hear a difference.

FWIW and, as always, YMMV.

Marty
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Perrew,

These comments are for HT only, as per your description of your system.

Does your HTR have DRC (Audyssey or similar)?

If so, the DRC will both optimize the x-over function and provide smooth FR over the entire audible range (which obviously includes all the room induced nastiness in the bass). Therefore, the "smoothing effect" of properly positioned mulitple subwoofers is much less important.

Once you're at this point, forget about smooth FR.

What's (mainly) left is clean output capability. Since I use Rythmik subs, I'll use them as an example. A pair of 12" Rythmik subs provide roughly similar clean output capability as a single 15" Rythmik sub. The 12 inchers are $749 per unit and the 15 inchers are $899 per. If your main focus is clean SPL capability (as, IMHO, it should be in your circumstance), the single 15" unit is a better value. As Bob noted, you could always add a second unit later - for any reason.

This isn't the most sophisticated analysis, but IMHO, it doesn't need to be.

BTW, from my previous post, you should note that, at 150hz, it was easy to localize the source of the signal. If you want to x-over somewhere near this high in frequency (and there are several reasons that you might, given specific equipment in a specific room), then 2 subs wired in stereo is important.

Also, please note my caveat. Under reasonably controlled conditions, I could not hear signal localization once I got a bit under 100hz. Other people may be more sensitive to this. It's easy to extrapolate from our own experience and assume that it's universal, but this may not be so. Hence my ever present YMMV.

Good Luck.

Marty
Marty,

I have a Onkyo 905 for HT duty so it has Audyssey.
For HT I have the sub connected from the sub out on the Reciever, but for 2ch I have it from the speaker so the reciever is not involved.

I guess for HT the Audyssey will be used but I still think the Room corrector in the JL sub might be superior to the Onkyo?

I use a 10" sub because I want the speed in the base to match the speakers however Im still contemplating adding a second sub....
Perrew,

I'd advise you to sift through the subwoofer threads on this forum. There's a boatload of info that might (or might not) change your mind about a lot of things (including the relative speed of smaller subwoofer drivers). In particular, Bob Reynolds, Shadorne, Drew Eckhard and KR4 (Kal) have offered good insights.

As to Audyssey style DRC for 2 channel music reproduction, that's a bit controversial. Some love it - some hate it - and some (me, for instance) love it with certain reservations. In your shoes, I'd try it both ways to see which sounds better. I'm pretty certain the bass will sound better with Audyssey, but only you can decide whether the price you pay higher up in frequency is acceptable - or even if there's any price at all. See if it's really audible to you, then decide.

Marty