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Repair JL Audio F112 or buy new Rhythmic, SVS, or ??

In October, 2007, I bought two JL Audio F112 subs, which I've enjoyed since. There have been at least two trips back to JL for service, and now one of the subs won't turn on. The repair fee is $450 + one-way shipping, for a total of $600 or so.

Which leads me to consider -- would I be better off buying something new?

A brand-new SVS SB-3000 is $1000, an SB-2000 Pro is $800, a Rhythmik F12SE is $1100. JL has lower-priced lines, though I've not examined them. There are many others, of course. I would use line-level inputs, as my preamp can do crossovers and phase adjustments. The mains are Janszen Valentina P8.


Who has compared some of these? Any thoughts?  Thanks!

mike_in_nc
auxinput
2,921 posts
 
An example of what this port chuffing sounds like is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLVlAm_ZpeA


Here's the same demo sound with a Rythmik sub.  It's using a Rythmik LV12R, which is a rear ported sub, so the audio may not be picking up any chuffing that the sub may be producing, but the video shows what this should sound like without the port chuffing resonance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4mc4CxPiak

thanks.

erik_squires
16,766 posts
 
The Hsu subs come with port foam to seal them, and I've never heard any chuffing at all. 

Chuffing happens when air velocity is too high, which is reduced with bigger ports.  The ports on the HSU 15" subs are gigantic.

Having said this, in a modest living room, sealing them often results in smoother low end (16-32 Hz) response.
mike_in_nc OP
1,186 posts
 
Thanks again, guys, for the comments. A lot to mull over.

musicaddict
382 posts
 
It's a shame that JL Audio quality is not better. Tough call on repairing but if you're stereo subbing your mains, the repair may make the most sense as two F-112s are nothing to sniff at performance-wise.
I just acquired an SB-3000 (sealed) for my main audio only system and it is competing very favorably against an old $3200 R.E.L. Britannia B1 (which is ported).  It's blended with rather quick Raidho D2s and is pulling off the job very well. The SB-3000 is easily in-room flat to 31hz, the B1 will hit 25 with its port but I have no music that low. (Both are audibly invisible, thankfully crossed low.) And, I tried an SB-2000 (one of two for home theater, also just received) with the D2s and was really surprised.

Hsu Research, imo, has been manufacturing high value subwoofers for a long, long time. They seem to be one of the originators of that lower end market. Now we have other good brands like SVS, Rhythmic, and others.
Good luck figuring it out. A local repair might be most cost effective and preserve a nice system.
auxinput
2,921 posts
 
Guys, that first youtube link shows port chuffing on a Hsu subwoofer with those triangle ports.  Granted, this is an extreme example with very low bass that you would not normally get (probably in the 20-35 hz range).  Nothing against Hsu in general, but it does show what happens when air movement becomes too much for a certain port design.
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