Subwoofer dilemma...one or two and how big?

 

Scott
I am finishing my basement and I have a room that is 16'x27' for the home theater. Should I get one sub say 15" and 250-300 watts or should I get two subs around 8"-10" 150 watts each? I am going to have enough speakers for the 7.1 setup, but I only have $250-$350 to spend on the sub.

Is there any one good sub that will work for that price or would two smaller ones work?

Are there any you can recommend in either case? I have heard conflicting reports on this. Thanks.
 

timn8ter
Why not build your own? Go for a Stryke AV15 or Adire Tempest based sub. You'll get more performance than anything selling for $250-$300 retail for the same price. Check this site.
http://www.diysubwoofers.org
To answer your other question; Two subs located in the same corner of the room will result in a 6 db increase in SPL over one sub and have flatter frequency response assuming we're talking about the same sub. As for two small ones outperforming on big one, there are too many variables involved to say. A 3 db increase is equivilant to doubling the perceived volume.
 

Anonymous
If you can stretch your budget to $499 you can get the best subwoofer that costs under $1,000. The HSU Research VTF-2 is $499 and shipping is free. The speaker warranty is 5 yrs and amp warranty 2 yrs. I doubt you will find anything close to that at this price range. You buy this item direct from their website, which is easily found on a browser search. It is all you will need for your room. One great subwoofer beats 1 or 2 cheaper crappy ones anyday. Stereophile, Sound & Vision, and just about any reputable professional magazine raves about the HSU subs. To be able to get one at $499 is a great deal. If money is that tight, try getting a used one online.
 

timn8ter
Or you can stay within your budget, build a Tempest Sonosub and perform as well or better than the HSU. I'm not trying to be provacative. It's just that the T/S parameters on the Tempest are slightly better than the HSU driver.
 

I bought a Gale 3080W recently for $250 equivalant and it's great. I tried that and an Audio Pro and there was no contest. I was surprised that two sub the same size, price and spec on paper sound so different.
http://www.gale.co.uk/3080.html
 

anonymous
I have never seen a review or heard the Gales and I don't know how many people are actually interested in building their own speakers--particularly if something goes wrong and you are disappointed in the looks, sound, or anything else. Also depends on how much you value your spare time and what you want to do with it. I don't know if the original questioner is in the US or the UK and if the Gales have a US sales point. Shipping from the UK to the US would be very high. Plus the HSU's undoubtedly have a better warranty and a bigger amp and have pretty much universal acclaim as being about the best sub under $500. For whatever it is worth, try going to the Hsustore.com and you can read multiple reviews and notice they have besides free shipping a 30 day trial period.
 

Scott
Thanks for the input. I am leaning towards the HSU mainly because it looks like it will do everything I need and it is a good price (especially based on the reviews). I am going to begin finishing my basement for Home Theater, so I really did not want to spend too much time making my own sub (plus I am not that handy).

Thanks for the info and so far the HSU looks to be the best.
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