Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater SVS PC Ultra...........and why it has to go!

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The one thing I do know is I'm going to try something with a 10 inch sub versus a 12 inch. Other then that I'm open to suggestions.

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I've taken flak for this before, mostly for my use of the term "flappy, farty bass"... but all other things being equal, a slightly smaller driver will be tighter than a bigger driver (since there's ~40% less area on a 10" driver than a 12" driver) and since no one with a calibrated system ever uses more than a fraction of their sub's power, I'll trade tight bass response for SPLs at the same power levels.

Check out a bassist's rig at a club show next time you're out... 4x10" bass cabs are nearly a standard with the jazz and rock types (the Primus wannabes with the ride cymbals cranked down upside down and bass strings detuned 12 steps don't count - they love their dual 16" cabs - all that driver flap helps to cover missed notes - hey, it's hard to get a good grimace like you're having a prostate exam along with the dark posturing and try to hit the right notes at the same time!! )

Bren R.

I have both a Vtf -2 and a Stf-3 in my home.They are both calibrated to different systems.I would bet anything a person could not tell a difference in terms of sound quality between the 2.I don't believe the good Dr. would put his name on a product that could be deemed anything other than that of the highest in quality.

No doubt I'd jump all over a Hsu VTF-3 MKII.

i would go with the single vtf3mk2. i had a jbl and a cerwin vega 10 inch hometheater subs in the same room. they souned good but the vtf3mk2 was to say the least a mountian above them. in the price range nothing touches it that i have heard.

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I don't believe the good Dr. would put his name on a product that could be deemed anything other than that of the highest in quality.

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As for the highest in quality, you always have to add "at the price point"... I own an STF-2, and at it's price point, it's a great sub. If the market would bear $2000 subs as a mid-range, Axiom, Hsu and SVS would all shift around their priorities.

I'm not saying a 12" driver is bad, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. What you gain from a larger driver (lower frequency response and more air movement in the same excursion) is offset by what you lose (how fast the driver "reacts" due to the extra mass). The car guys may understand it better in terms of gears - there are no diff gear ratios that give you more low-end grunt and top end.

Axiom's taken a pretty big step with the XLF DSP microprocessor controlled EP500 and 600. It's preprogrammed to take the physics behind the driver into consideration. While the purist in me shivers at the thought of silicon making decisions about what I want to hear, in the end, it does make some sense to "correct" for Newton's First law Of Motion.

Bren R.

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As for the highest in quality, you always have to add "at the price point"

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True,very true.I do believe they do perform much better than the price would lead one to believe though.

Well gents I took the afternoon off and went and listened to both a VTF-2 MK 2 and a VTF-3 MK 2. Both are awesome subwoofers. The folks at the HSU forums were kind enough to put me in contact with people locally who had the subs.

So I grabbed some CD's and a few DVD's and off I went to meet some new folks. I'm not going to write a review here as everything that can be said about these subs is out there already. Anyway after 3 hours with the VTF-2 MK 2 and roughly 2 with the VTF-3 MK 2 I can say this with certainty, these subs are very, very close to each other. The VTF-3 MK 2 definitely hits harder and goes lower but the VTF-MK 2 is no slouch at all.

During my travels today I shot off an email to the good Dr at HSU regarding my concern that a 10inch sub was going to be more musical then a 12inch model. His response to this is below and they are his words:

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The VTF-3 Mk 2 is at least as musical as the VTF-2 Mk 2

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Funny thing is SVS said the same thing. a 12inch can rock just as good and just as fast and tight as a 10inch.

After today, I hate to admit this as I was in the 10inch camp, they are both right. The VTF-3 MK 2 hammered out some very nice bass and was tight and fast. I heard no audible difference in tracks between the two models when it came to the way they handled music. If anything I think the VTF-3 MK 2 may have actually been a little better but it may have been due to the fact it was a little louder. It also reminded me of the Sunfire..................which still blows me away!

So based on my room size, tastes, the fact that I will be using a Behringer and the recommendation from Dr. HSU, I ordered the VTF-3 MK 2 from a dealer out in Toronto. I should have it by the end of next week.

One more thing to note. I also asked Dr. HSU about the current Behringer trend concerning subwoofers. This is what he had to say:

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The Behringer 1124P should be a useful addition. It should be able to help reduce room peaks. If budget is not an issue, you should use that in the system as well. Flattening the response certainly would mean you will need a higher headroom sub.

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Interesting thanks for the update.

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While the purist in me shivers at the thought of silicon making decisions about what I want to hear, in the end, it does make some sense to "correct" for Newton's First law Of Motion.

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Doesn't a CD player do this when it converts the 1s and 0s on the CD to an analog audio signal?

wid: off topic, but I see that you are a Rotel man. Any rumor that they will be introducing a new pre processor or two, any time soon?

Second off topic question to the board. Spearit advertises blemished boxed NAD equipment. What is the definition of blemished box?