The question I have is the more I read the board, the more I see people recommending the HSU and SVS subs… does the 350 not cut it? Or are the other brands just that much better for the money?

So bottom line, what’s the deal? What do you guys recommend?

Thanks guys.

I have not heard any of the subs you are looking at, but the consensus around the forum is that HSU and SVS make better bang for your buck subwoofers, however, Axiom subs are no slouches. To me, I would probably go with either the Axiom EP350 or the SVS PB1-ISD (http://www.svsubwoofers.com/subs_pb1_isd_colors.htm) in a custom color. The reason being that I would not prefer a black subwoofer because a lot of my furniture in my apartment and my speakers consist of maple and silver. A black sub is not preferable for me.

Do not fear in ordering an Axiom sub, they are still great subs for the money, just not quite as great as SVS and HSU. And if finish color is important, getting a matching finish is best with Axiom.

I have a HSU STF-1 and am very happy so far[2 days of usage].
When i auditioned the axioms , it was clubed with HSU VTF2, it sure rocked....
I have not heard the axiom subs,the general consensus is that the axioms cost a bit more than the HSU for the same level of performance.

A new set of Axioms AND a new sub!!! Having just made that exact trip in the last month, I don't have the powers of description to describe how much your audio experience is about to improve!!!

While the Axiom subs may be good, I chose to opt out of the Axiom sub for the same reason I picked their speakers. Their speakers are what they do and do extremely well. With that in mind, I applied the same logic to choosing a sub..

I looked at SVS and HSU products. The general consensus is that these folks do subs and do them extremely well. In fact, that's why they exist.

The debate rages on which is "better". From what I have read, I would hate to have to live on the difference. Although I chose a SVS 20-39 PCi for myself, (and I'm thrilled with it), I won't presume to push you towards one company over the other or a specific product. I will, however, tell you that you should look long and hard at both companies for your choice and that their respective approaches towards customers and customer service is very similar to that of Axiom.

I spent significant time on the phone with both companies. Before you make a decision, you might consider taking that approach. You will find that they will each probe to determine what you want out of a sub and narrow the choices for you. One of the important pieces of info is room size and other adjoining space. You can't really pick a sub until you have that info. SVS was interesting because I had chosen a more expensive sub and they backed me off a bit during the conversation. Pretty neat.

For the $620 you would spend on the Axiom EP350, you can find a pretty nice choice with SVS or HSU. Having said that, do a bit of research and don't dismiss the EP350 out of hand; I'm just suggesting alternatives for you.

Great answer. I too have a different delima. I ahve the Epic 60 minus the sub, but the sub I have is from Sunfire. It is the Tru Sub Mark II. Im thinking of upgrading, from all the reviews from other websites, this was the one. Im just not getting that feeelllll, either I dont have it dialed in or my expectations are very high. I ahve been looking at the SVS line and specificaaly that same cylinder type that you have. Will that be an improvement from what I have now. I will use this system 70% HT and 30% music.

Hi Ray3. I'm considering the SVS 20-39 PCi and the SVS 25-31 PCi tuned to 22Hz. Which do you think is a better buy.

Zathras. I own the SVS PB1-ISD, which is stock tuned to 22Hz. So, it is very similar to the 22-31Pci. This sub is incredible. Absolutely clean bass for music and home theater, and it goes very deep.

There's not necessarily a "better buy" out of the 22-31Pci or 20-39 Pci. The 20-39 Pci should obviously go a bit deeper. For some people, that would be paramount. The 22-31 Pci will also go quite deep, but should have a bit more output due to the higher tune. Personally, I can't imagine needing my Pb1 to go deeper than it does, so I would purchase it again over a 20-39 or 16-46.

The quandry here is to give you an answer and not sound like I'm being evasive. This whole area is driven by subjectivity.

hbpumba - I can't really give you an opinion because I've never heard the Sunfire sub you mention. Interestingly, I don't remember seeing it mentioned in the extensive research I did. My uninformed guess is that you don't have enough subwoofer.

zathras - "which is the better buy" falls into a gray area. That decision is really based on what you want to accomplish. Maybe this brief explanation I got from the good folks at SVS will illustrate:
- The 20-39 goes down to 20hz and provides a bit more LFE detail at the bottom, but doesn't play as loud as the 25-31.
- The 25-31 "only" goes down to 25 hz, but has "more headroom" (plays louder) than the 20-39.

My decision was for a bit more finesse in capturing more detail rather than a little more brute strength and that is why I picked the 20-39. Also, the room/space configuration allowed me to get the PCi model (320 Watts), rather than the more powerful Plus model (525 watts).

Here's the deal - write down your room dimensions and what other space you open into (kitchen, foyer, etc). List your equipment. Call the folks over at SVS or even HSU. They are as wonderful as the Axiom crew and will help you with a very effective subwoofer decision. For sure talk to the Axiom folks as well about the EP350.

I'd like to give you a definitive answer on which sub is right for you, but I just don't have the bandwidth. Unfortunately, I have just enough knowledge to stick my nose into the occasional thread and be disruptive . I can tell you this - the experts at SVS or HSU will point you at a sub that will make be right for you and enhance your whole HT experience. In this decision, don't scrimp; you don't want to be "almost happy" and you will be amazed with what a good sub adds. Enjoy the chase.

I've been eyeing up the HSU STF-1 sub for some time now. I bought a pair of M60's for Christmas and I'm starting to save for a sub. I'm considering an STF-1 or STF-2. Ratio music to ht is probably 80:20.
So it sounds like you are happy with your STF-1. What size room do you have it in? What main speakers are you using it with? I read on the HSU board that some of the HSU engineers themselves were pretty impressed with the output of the STF-1.