I've perused past postings on subwoofer recommendations with great interest. At this point, I'd like to narrow the focus a bit. I currently have a pair of M22s and a Denon AVR-1802 in a largish (459 sq ft, 3672 cu ft) room. I would like to add a sub. My goal is to achieve the best possible MUSICAL quality for my buck; movie sound effects are relatively less important.
So here's the question: What subwoofer would you old hands recommend for (US)$400 OR LESS? (P.S. I'm not much of a DIYer.) Thanks!
I run Axiom speakers with my Denon 1802. I matched the SVS 25-31 PCi with this setup and it sounds AWESOME! The musical reproduction cannot be beat under $900. Unfortunately, It costs $523 delivered. You can sometimes, but rarely, score a b-stock 25-31 for $473.
But to answer your question, many people say the Adire Rava does a good job with music and costs $399. The delivery may cost up to $45.
Good Luck!
I use the Adire Rava with my M22's. Outstanding for music, but definitely won't touch the SVS for HT. Sounds like music is what you're after though, and for $400 it can't be beat in that regard.
Eric
I'm not much of DIYer either, but if you want a sub that can perform well for music and "OK" for HT, try either the Adire Rava with the 12" Shiva driver or a custom DIY Adire sub with the 15" Tempest driver. I was told by Dan Wiggins of Adire Audio that
Acoustic Visions can custom build any sub you want for a fair price.
I would agree with the Adire Rava recommendation. I have been preparing to buy a new sub for 3 months now and my research keeps taking me back to the Rava. For $399 you just can't go wrong, especially for music. I think posters on all of the major hifi boards agree on this topic.
Good luck on your purchase. Let us know what you go with.
b_man
Just to throw in my 2 cents, i've recently purchased the Axiom EP350 (more on that later), but i've heard some good things about Adire subs from VERY reputable sources.
A good stereophile friend of mine is considering one of their kits for fun.
An update. Once every couple of months Adire closes out some B-stock items that may have small scratches or other cosmetic defects. I have been checking the Adire site for the last few months without sucess. Today, thanks to this post, I checked and they have B-stock black Ravas for sale. Only $349 and UPS ground shipping adds $30. So for a $50 savings all told I'll live with a scratch.
It should be here in 5-10 days. I'll try and post my thoughts on the Adire Rava soon after that. Seeing as I'm running a crummy 50 watt Infinity sub now I'm hoping this will make a big difference!
b_man
Great Rava Review:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_9_2/adire-audio-rava-subwoofer-6-2002.html