Decent subwoofer needed

StonedWheat · 02-25-2005, 05:09 PM

Does anybody know about cadence subs? I haven't heard too much about them. Couldn't find many reviews online. They seem like a pretty good deal for the money.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=3275

Chinpoko_Mon · 03-03-2005, 01:12 PM

Never heard of them either.

I was just about start a similar thread, since my subwoofer finally died on mea fter a solid 5 yrs of use.

Suggestions from anyone would be appreciated.

-L

thekidrocks · 03-03-2005, 10:08 PM

I'm betting they are a "house brand", something that was very common back in the 1970s with stereo shops. Made by some company who builds for whoever wants to order enough and have their brand name placed on them. BUT that doesn't make them bad - heck as cheap as that subwoofer is, it's worth a gamble.

Keep in mind that as "we speak" Audio Advisor still has stock on their half-price clearance of Wharfedale subwoofers. You can get into a beefy one at the $300 point with discounted shipping. I snagged one in real rosewood for that price. The amp is an honest 150 watts, which is enough. Keep in mind that I've seen some waaay inflated sub amp power ratings. Nice product.

Houdini · 03-03-2005, 10:56 PM

Ebay seems to have removed the link.

The Dayton subs at Parts Express (featured in a few deals over the years, I believe) have a pretty good following and sound very, very good for the money.

zzyzx · 03-09-2005, 10:37 AM

I have the same question. My receiver is Denon AVR-1905, what kind of caliber subwoofer should I get, my budget is $300, or lower :-).
Thanks,

zzyzx

thekidrocks · 03-10-2005, 01:54 PM

This isn't a definite reply, as there are a lot of subwoofers out there for a lot of room sized and demands. One aspect of a subwoofer that you REALLY pay a lot for is premium quality musical output.

A cheap subwoofer with a big cone can belt out a lot of boom for the LFE channel - a high-end subwoofer usually gains quality. Not everybody needs that sort of quality, and that's what a key difference is between a $300 subwoofer and a $1000+ subwoofer. For that matter, not everyone needs bass down to 16Hz when decent output at 30Hz is good enough... heck if you are just adding bass to a pair of bookshelf speakers, and honest 40Hz bottom end is good enough.

Some places to look for decent subs at a decent price are...

hifi.com - they are the on-line store for Cambridge SoundWorks, which was the last company founded by the late Henry Kloss. Since they are on-line, they have a great return policy, and sell the customer returns cheap. Their best deals are actually on eBay! Their basic 8" model is under $100 as a B stock, but limited in extended bass. Anything above that will rock the house - just buy as you really need for the size of your room.

Audio Advisor has some hot deals from time to time. Recently they made a hot purchase of discontinued Warfedale subs, which they still have as I type this. Nice real-wood finishes and decent build.

Audio Advisor and maybe Best Buy (on-line) have had a good deal on a Athena Technologies subwoofer that is a killer unit for a "small" 10" model. Darned good deeeeeeep bass and good output. I bought a pair (yes, a pair) for $225 each at Best Buy once during a hot sale. I didn't expect it to belt out the thunderous bass it does, or I would have bought just one.

That eBay deal on the off-brand sub (link at the top) looks decent at least for the price. Even if it's a dog, it isn't a lot of loot. I can say that the same money will buy a shockingly good B stock Cambridge SoundWorks.

What I would avoid is the glitzy models from JBL, Polk and the like. Good basic brands, but their subs come across as not really up to the competition. Lots of boom and bang, but you can do better with other brands.

BTW if you can find a good used M&K - buy it. Toss driver size and watts out the window - just buy it.

zippyjuan · 03-10-2005, 07:05 PM

IF you do (or might) use your sub with bookshelf or satellite speakers, you will want a sub that is fairly accurate so that music does not get distorted on the low end. I have bookshelf speakers and use my sub to help fill in the lows that the other speakers cannot make. Such a sub will still be able to make the walls shake on movies too so do not think you are giving that up by looking for a more "musical" sub. I got mine from HSU Research http://www.hsustore.com/stf1.html which like HiFi.com is an online retailer and has a generous exchange or return program if you do not like it. I replaced a 12" Cambridge Soundworks 100w sub and this one is lots better. Try looking at www.audioreview.com forums or AVS Forums ( http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forum...hp?forumid=113 ) for more input. Velodyne are also frequently mentioned, but I think may be slightly outside your budget for their lowest model.

StonedWheat · 03-24-2005, 05:16 PM

Woah I thought this thread was dead after not getting any responses for a few days after I started it. Thanks for all the suggestions guys...I just looked at them just now though, after I already bought that velodyne VX10 from onecall (from the deals page). I think it will hold me for a while. I was actually thinking about not subbing at all, since I recently bought a pair of nht 2.5 tower speakers in front. They both have 8" woofers, so they're slightly boomy already. I just want to add a little shake to the room for movies...hope they work.

thekidrocks · 03-25-2005, 07:09 AM

That Velodyne was one heck of a deal!

StonedWheat · 03-25-2005, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thekidrocks

That Velodyne was one heck of a deal!

Sho was! It was an even better deal before I bought it. I think on the first day, onecall had free shipping on that thing.

Houdini · 03-25-2005, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StonedWheat

Sho was! It was an even better deal before I bought it. I think on the first day, onecall had free shipping on that thing.

How does it sound?

StonedWheat · 03-25-2005, 05:44 PM

Let you know when I get it. I think it's coming on Monday.

StonedWheat · 03-26-2005, 06:17 PM

It came yesterday, 3 days early! It's definitely a good value. It makes music sound fuller, and it adds a new experience to watching movies. It shakes the windows and floor, which I didn't expect it to do. I don't really have any other subs to compare it too because this is my first one, but I'm very happy with it for now.

My friend who's really into home and car audio says that it's definitely worth it, but he says his 15" velodyne is on a whole different level.

zippyjuan · 03-27-2005, 01:50 AM

Placement will effect how your sub sounds too. The closer to the corner you are, the louder and boomier it will sound. I am in a condo so I put mine on a padded board to cut down on the noise going downstairs from it. For music, it is worth it to have a quality sub and you certianly got one! Enjoy!

StonedWheat · 04-20-2005, 09:57 PM

OK so my friend is trying to sell me his Velodyne CHT-15 (the one that I posted about above). I have it in my living room right now, and it is a MONSTER...both physical dimensions and in sound performance. The thing is so big that I put my 27" TV on it.

I think it is way too much sub for my system. He was trying to convince me to just have it turned down, but even at half volume it rattles the windows violently (they are rather old single pane windows). IMO a big loud sub just forces you to turn the overall volume down lower. I'd rather have nice clear and loud mids and highs than feel my spine and butt tingle.

zippyjuan · 04-21-2005, 03:34 PM

I have close neighbors so I put mine on a board with padding under it to decouple the bass from the floor and in turn the walls. I set the volume to balance with music then it does not overpower my space. My sub is also much smaller than the one you have too.

02-25-2005, 05:09 PM	#1
StonedWheat Commander Join Date: May 2000 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 1,268	Decent subwoofer needed Does anybody know about cadence subs? I haven't heard too much about them. Couldn't find many reviews online. They seem like a pretty good deal for the money. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...&category=3275 __________________ "Cynicism is knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing." -Oscar Wilde

03-10-2005, 07:05 PM	#7
zippyjuan Picture of the Day Guru Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Sunny San Diego Posts: 8,756	IF you do (or might) use your sub with bookshelf or satellite speakers, you will want a sub that is fairly accurate so that music does not get distorted on the low end. I have bookshelf speakers and use my sub to help fill in the lows that the other speakers cannot make. Such a sub will still be able to make the walls shake on movies too so do not think you are giving that up by looking for a more "musical" sub. I got mine from HSU Research http://www.hsustore.com/stf1.html which like HiFi.com is an online retailer and has a generous exchange or return program if you do not like it. I replaced a 12" Cambridge Soundworks 100w sub and this one is lots better. Try looking at www.audioreview.com forums or AVS Forums ( http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forum...hp?forumid=113 ) for more input. Velodyne are also frequently mentioned, but I think may be slightly outside your budget for their lowest model. __________________ I add new pictures to my photo gallery pretty regularly. You can see them here if you are interested: http://www.pbase.com/jeffryz

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03-03-2005, 01:12 PM	#2
Chinpoko_Mon Commander Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 1,142	Never heard of them either. I was just about start a similar thread, since my subwoofer finally died on mea fter a solid 5 yrs of use. Suggestions from anyone would be appreciated. -L

03-03-2005, 10:08 PM	#3
thekidrocks Lieutenant Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Northen Indiana Posts: 357	I'm betting they are a "house brand", something that was very common back in the 1970s with stereo shops. Made by some company who builds for whoever wants to order enough and have their brand name placed on them. BUT that doesn't make them bad - heck as cheap as that subwoofer is, it's worth a gamble. Keep in mind that as "we speak" Audio Advisor still has stock on their half-price clearance of Wharfedale subwoofers. You can get into a beefy one at the $300 point with discounted shipping. I snagged one in real rosewood for that price. The amp is an honest 150 watts, which is enough. Keep in mind that I've seen some waaay inflated sub amp power ratings. Nice product.

03-03-2005, 10:56 PM	#4
Houdini Admiral Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: New Orleans Posts: 5,054	Ebay seems to have removed the link. The Dayton subs at Parts Express (featured in a few deals over the years, I believe) have a pretty good following and sound very, very good for the money.

03-09-2005, 10:37 AM	#5
zzyzx Ensign Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 15	I have the same question. My receiver is Denon AVR-1905, what kind of caliber subwoofer should I get, my budget is $300, or lower :-). Thanks, zzyzx

03-10-2005, 01:54 PM	#6
thekidrocks Lieutenant Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Northen Indiana Posts: 357	This isn't a definite reply, as there are a lot of subwoofers out there for a lot of room sized and demands. One aspect of a subwoofer that you REALLY pay a lot for is premium quality musical output. A cheap subwoofer with a big cone can belt out a lot of boom for the LFE channel - a high-end subwoofer usually gains quality. Not everybody needs that sort of quality, and that's what a key difference is between a $300 subwoofer and a $1000+ subwoofer. For that matter, not everyone needs bass down to 16Hz when decent output at 30Hz is good enough... heck if you are just adding bass to a pair of bookshelf speakers, and honest 40Hz bottom end is good enough. Some places to look for decent subs at a decent price are... hifi.com - they are the on-line store for Cambridge SoundWorks, which was the last company founded by the late Henry Kloss. Since they are on-line, they have a great return policy, and sell the customer returns cheap. Their best deals are actually on eBay! Their basic 8" model is under $100 as a B stock, but limited in extended bass. Anything above that will rock the house - just buy as you really need for the size of your room. Audio Advisor has some hot deals from time to time. Recently they made a hot purchase of discontinued Warfedale subs, which they still have as I type this. Nice real-wood finishes and decent build. Audio Advisor and maybe Best Buy (on-line) have had a good deal on a Athena Technologies subwoofer that is a killer unit for a "small" 10" model. Darned good deeeeeeep bass and good output. I bought a pair (yes, a pair) for $225 each at Best Buy once during a hot sale. I didn't expect it to belt out the thunderous bass it does, or I would have bought just one. That eBay deal on the off-brand sub (link at the top) looks decent at least for the price. Even if it's a dog, it isn't a lot of loot. I can say that the same money will buy a shockingly good B stock Cambridge SoundWorks. What I would avoid is the glitzy models from JBL, Polk and the like. Good basic brands, but their subs come across as not really up to the competition. Lots of boom and bang, but you can do better with other brands. BTW if you can find a good used M&K - buy it. Toss driver size and watts out the window - just buy it.

03-24-2005, 05:16 PM	#8
StonedWheat Commander Join Date: May 2000 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 1,268	Woah I thought this thread was dead after not getting any responses for a few days after I started it. Thanks for all the suggestions guys...I just looked at them just now though, after I already bought that velodyne VX10 from onecall (from the deals page). I think it will hold me for a while. I was actually thinking about not subbing at all, since I recently bought a pair of nht 2.5 tower speakers in front. They both have 8" woofers, so they're slightly boomy already. I just want to add a little shake to the room for movies...hope they work.

03-25-2005, 07:09 AM	#9
thekidrocks Lieutenant Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Northen Indiana Posts: 357	That Velodyne was one heck of a deal!

03-25-2005, 05:44 PM	#12
StonedWheat Commander Join Date: May 2000 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 1,268	Let you know when I get it. I think it's coming on Monday.

03-26-2005, 06:17 PM	#13
StonedWheat Commander Join Date: May 2000 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 1,268	It came yesterday, 3 days early! It's definitely a good value. It makes music sound fuller, and it adds a new experience to watching movies. It shakes the windows and floor, which I didn't expect it to do. I don't really have any other subs to compare it too because this is my first one, but I'm very happy with it for now. My friend who's really into home and car audio says that it's definitely worth it, but he says his 15" velodyne is on a whole different level.

03-27-2005, 01:50 AM	#14
zippyjuan Picture of the Day Guru Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Sunny San Diego Posts: 8,756	Placement will effect how your sub sounds too. The closer to the corner you are, the louder and boomier it will sound. I am in a condo so I put mine on a padded board to cut down on the noise going downstairs from it. For music, it is worth it to have a quality sub and you certianly got one! Enjoy!

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04-20-2005, 09:57 PM	#15
StonedWheat Commander Join Date: May 2000 Location: Bay Area, Ca Posts: 1,268	OK so my friend is trying to sell me his Velodyne CHT-15 (the one that I posted about above). I have it in my living room right now, and it is a MONSTER...both physical dimensions and in sound performance. The thing is so big that I put my 27" TV on it. I think it is way too much sub for my system. He was trying to convince me to just have it turned down, but even at half volume it rattles the windows violently (they are rather old single pane windows). IMO a big loud sub just forces you to turn the overall volume down lower. I'd rather have nice clear and loud mids and highs than feel my spine and butt tingle.

04-21-2005, 03:34 PM	#16
zippyjuan Picture of the Day Guru Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Sunny San Diego Posts: 8,756	I have close neighbors so I put mine on a board with padding under it to decouple the bass from the floor and in turn the walls. I set the volume to balance with music then it does not overpower my space. My sub is also much smaller than the one you have too.