Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo The Age Old Subwoofer Question

I have owned a pair of M22ti's for six months now, and I still get a grin from ear to ear everytime I sit down to listen to them (which is usually nightly). I knew when I bought the speakers, however, that I would want a subwoofer at some point, and now I am now making a final decision on what to buy.

My system includes a Denon AVR-1804 receiver, and a Sony DVP-NC665P 5 disc DVD player.

I have generally narrowed down the subwoofer search to two models: the Axiom EP175 and the HSU STF-2. I have a smaller living room 14'x12'x8' and will very likely be forced to place the sub towards the front of the room instead of beside the sofa on the back wall. I am mostly a music listener, and so good punch from a bass drum is more important than dinosaur footsteps, but I don't mind the deep bass either.

Now for the question... Is the HSU actually better, and if so will it work placed at the front of my room instead of to the side of the couch as Dr. HSU recommends? For those who have heard either product, are you satisfied? Any comments are appreciated.

sub placement can be tricky, but there is really no problem with it being in the front.

as far as your sub choice, the axiom subs are good, fine subs.. the SVS and HSU's are considered to be a little better.. on specs alone, the STF-2 should perform better than the EP125. if you have the budget, i would say get the STF-2, and dont look back.

you should be more than pleased with that decision!

bigjohn

I have never heard any of the Axiom subs so I cannot make a comparison. I do, however own the HSU STF-2, and my room is 11.5x18x8. The STF-2 does a fantastic job for me. I don't think it's actually happened, but a number of times it's felt like my pant legs are blowing in the wind.

You can buy a HSU direct from them, or, if you have a CompUSA store near you that stocks them, you can pick one up $50 cheaper than you can get it from HSU. Check here to see if there is a store near you that stocks them.

One thing. CompUSA is new to carrying electronics. They do NOT do a good job of demonstrating this subwoofer. People have complained that they usually have them badly placed, on one shelf, under another, and if you listen to the STF-2 in the store, under those conditions, you probably will not be impressed.

I have my STF-2 in the corner at the front of my room. One of the things you should try, in addition to the sub crawl, is placing the sub in the corner up close to the side wall, port facing toward the front wall, and experiment with moving the sub along the side wall away from the front wall, an inch or two at a time. I've seen it recommended that somewhere between 6 and 18 inches from the front wall can produce satisfactory results.

Also HSU has a Product Recommendation and Support Form, where you can describe your room and they will recommend a sub position. Calling them on the phone can get you the same thing.

Thank you, for the response, in this case the STF-2 at $399 would actually be cheaper than the Axiom EP175 at $499, so I think that is the direction I am leaning unless anyone has a reason to prefer a forward firing sub over the downward firing HSU model.

I can also easily recommend the STF-2. I've had mine for about two weeks now and it sounds both great for movies and music. I have no regrets and for $349 you can't beat it. I also wouldn't use their website to verify if the nearest store to you has any in stock. I went to the website and it said that every CompUSA in PHX was out of stock. I stopped by my local CompUSA for the hell of it and they had two in stock. I would call ahead.

I have the JBL PB12 which I picked up at an established online store for about $250 smackaroos. Nothing has happened to my pants, but I saw the drapes move a couple times. I have no complaints with it. It works well and has lights. It fills in the bottom end with the 22s nicely. The best thing about it is that it does all this without haaving cost me $400-$600.

The STF-2 is a good subwoofer, but if you really like your bass I would look for something more.

The bass won't knock you down (which is what I am looking for) but you can feel it in your chest.

I own the STF-2 and I wish I had gone for one of SVS's bad boys.

One mans opinion.If he's satisfied with it then it is good enough.

I purchased the STF-2 on Friday night at the local CompUSA. They didn't have a demo set up, so I purchased it without listening to it, but I was fine with that since I had been prepared to order it online prior to hearing that they sold them at CompUSA.

It has taken me a while to try to set the sub up perfectly, and I am not even sure that I have acheived the correct placement yet. When I have the volume set to match the speakers (M22ti) then the sub lacks kick and punch. If I turn it up more, then it sound to boomy and overpowers the fronts. Any suggestions? My living room is small (14x12x8) and the sub is in the front corner... only about 12 inches from the front wall and about 2 feet from the side wall. Is there an extended break in period for these subs?