Subwoofer for NHT Superzeros

[Talley]

I have 5 white NHT superzero's all matching from 1996.  Still in great shape and sound really good too.  I used these speakers for a little while but now plan on putting them in our living room.  Our living room is open to the kitchen/foyer/dining etc so the cubic space is somewhere around 30,000+cuft..  

So one thing to keep in mind is I am not trying to recreate any kind of low end of any magnitude but these speakers only have a reasonable response down to ~90hz at normal listening levels.  maybe 85hz.  I'd have to throw the REW/Mic at them to really know for sure.  

I'm looking for a single subwoofer to provide some low end fill.  Only looking for the 35-90hz range.  I know one problem will be the crossover and the localization... I may have to crossover at 80 and do a -12db and see how it blends.  all of these speakers will be mounted basically 12-18" from the ceiling in a 5.1 configuration.

Any suggestions?

I was thinking this:  


hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-1mk3.html

or


www.amazon.com/SVS-SB12-NSD-400-watt-Controlled-Subwoofer/dp/B009F8Y7SO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513176066&sr=8-1&keywords=sb12-nsd


Any thoughts?

[simpleman68]

Both great subs but if you live anywhere nearby me (18017) I would sell you my HSU VTF 15 MK1 for $250.

My buddy lehighvalleyjeff also has a couple late 90s NHT Sub 2s with controllers that he may sell, if you're looking to stay NHT.
Scott

[gus4emo]

Jan 14, 2018 20:03:52 GMT -5 Talley said:

I have 5 white NHT superzero's all matching from 1996.  Still in great shape and sound really good too.  I used these speakers for a little while but now plan on putting them in our living room.  Our living room is open to the kitchen/foyer/dining etc so the cubic space is somewhere around 30,000+cuft..  

So one thing to keep in mind is I am not trying to recreate any kind of low end of any magnitude but these speakers only have a reasonable response down to ~90hz at normal listening levels.  maybe 85hz.  I'd have to throw the REW/Mic at them to really know for sure.  

I'm looking for a single subwoofer to provide some low end fill.  Only looking for the 35-90hz range.  I know one problem will be the crossover and the localization... I may have to crossover at 80 and do a -12db and see how it blends.  all of these speakers will be mounted basically 12-18" from the ceiling in a 5.1 configuration.

Any suggestions?

I was thinking this:  


hsuresearch.com/products/vtf-1mk3.html

or


www.amazon.com/SVS-SB12-NSD-400-watt-Controlled-Subwoofer/dp/B009F8Y7SO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513176066&sr=8-1&keywords=sb12-nsd


Any thoughts?

Had the SA3S for many years, loved it for music and movies.....

[Talley]

Great price but sorry the VTF would be too big for my downstairs. Need to keep this at around 18" cube or less. The ULS-15 would be a good choice but again I just need to fill in the low end not have reference levels. I doubt we would ever go above 80db on the downstairs TV system.

I forgot this option in my first post:

emotiva.com/product/basx-s12/

I guess I could go with 10" models as well. I want to buy something decent but was wanting to keep it around 400 max.

[DavidR]

<edit>
Oops, never mind. Had posted a Sunfire True subwoofer from ebay that said it had been reconed. After posting a link I took a good look at the pictures. It was a sloppy repair of the surrounds - NOT new cones. Sorry. However, it might be a good sub if you can find a good one.

[MusicHead]

Jan 14, 2018 21:14:47 GMT -5 Talley said:

Great price but sorry the VTF would be too big for my downstairs. Need to keep this at around 18" cube or less. The ULS-15 would be a good choice but again I just need to fill in the low end not have reference levels. I doubt we would ever go above 80db on the downstairs TV system.

I forgot this option in my first post:

emotiva.com/product/basx-s12/

I guess I could go with 10" models as well. I want to buy something decent but was wanting to keep it around 400 max.

Even the S8 might do. It is spec'd down to 28Hz @ +3/-3dB with a 150W amp. At $199 is a steal for a secondary system.

But of course the S12 offer more of everything and it is still within your budget 😁.

[Talley]

True... but would dual S8 be better performer than a single S12? Remember my speakers will be mounted about 7' off the floor all around for the 5 channel... the subs will sit on the ground.

I think I'll end up having localization problems really... but going with dual I could have a sub in each corner and then the localization would be tougher and the bass sound source would come from the entire front end of the room.

Something to think about I guess. One thing for sure is only needing some 40-100hz and not being critical really opens up options lol

[socketman]

Jan 14, 2018 21:23:17 GMT -5 DavidR said:

<edit>
Oops, never mind. Had posted a Sunfire True subwoofer from ebay that said it had been reconed. After posting a link I took a good look at the pictures. It was a sloppy repair of the surrounds - NOT new cones. Sorry. However, it might be a good sub if you can find a good one.

Get 2 10s if you can swing it, 2 subs are always better than one.

[novisnick]

Jan 14, 2018 21:59:30 GMT -5 socketman said:

Jan 14, 2018 21:23:17 GMT -5 DavidR said:

<edit>
Oops, never mind. Had posted a Sunfire True subwoofer from ebay that said it had been reconed. After posting a link I took a good look at the pictures. It was a sloppy repair of the surrounds - NOT new cones. Sorry. However, it might be a good sub if you can find a good one.

Get 2 10s if you can swing it, 2 subs are always better than one.

True, two is better then one IMHO.
I purchased a set of Klipsch 308’s that have done a great job all these years, they still sound great paired with my KEF LS50’s. They started life with me used and did HT work. 350 watts and two passive woofers along with the one 8” active woofer.

One cubic foot in size

[MusicHead]

Oh, yeah, two subs are always better than one if you have positioning freedom. That way you can place them in the best reciprocal position to tame room mode.

[Talley]

Not sure about room modes in such a huge space. Again this will be tv shows only but I do want more low end fill over what those little speakers can do.

I would want to do dual subs more only to keep the uniformity of the sound better. Again I just think this will be easy to localize but having two up front in the corners will help prevent this.

[socketman]

40hz wave is 28 ft long. them are the ones that come back on themselves but more around the 60hz in my limited experience which can cause nulls.

[Talley]

Maybe this would be my chance to DIY for the first time. I could put together a nice dual setup for 400-500 I would think.

I’m an electrician/Carpenter/remodeler so this would be right up my alley.

Anyone know of any good components or kits? Maybe a Dayton setup?

I like a dual 10” idea for this application really.

[socketman]

DIYSG - diy sound group has some subs you could check out or head over to AVS Forum lots of great sub options available. I built my own subs using sdx subs and passive radiators and built my own boxes. I use bass box 6 pro to find the best box size vs tradeoff. Creative sound solutions

I think you will be surprised what it costs to build a decent sub and the labor to build and the finishing can be daunting if you need a finish people will actually see think non mancave. If you dont have the equipment its a lot to take on, but if you love woodwork give er.

[knucklehead]

I considered DIY about a year ago when I decided to add a sub for everyday use where I could turn off the aging ED A5-350 sub. I went with factory built, and the SVS SB12-NSD was on sale at the right time and the right price. The ED sub a bit old but still pretty danged good for movies, and thats what I use it for. It's not bad for a 15" model. The SVS sounds pretty decent for music and general use like watching TV. It doesn't play "way down low" but it's good to 23hz down at -3db. Best of all it's quite small, a 14" cube. Smallest one I own. I have 5 subs. And I've never tried playing all of them at the same time. The easiest sub setup is one - two can complicate things a bit. Google 'sub crawl' for good instructions on how to locate a single sub. It works!