Which subwoofer under $250?

[jc480]

Guys I need a subwoofer and I thought I'd get a Polk...but after reading everything in this forum, I'm having a hard time making a decision.

I'm going to sit this sub in the corner of my living room with a couch next to it.

So...what do you consider to be the best sub under $250? This is for a 7.1 system...I'd like to get "sound dispersion" (do they all have that?) and auto standby mode...powered of course

Thanks!

[aramis109]

...and immediately someone comes in and asks you to stretch your budget.

Have you thought about the Cadence 12" for $299? http://www.cadencestore.com/ProductC...&idproduct=396

I don't have one, but it's what I'm leaning towards purchasing here in the coming weeks. It's gotten good reviews on hometheatreforum and AVS, and it's not as large as ye olde eD A2-300.

*edit* Here are some reviews.
AVS Review

Home Theater Forum review

Polk Audio forum review

[Driver_King]

Well, you could look at the A2-300 as a $250 sub with $100 shipping.

[Rob J in WNY]

I'm a big Polk Fan. You are probably looking at the Polk PSW110 (10" driver with downward-firing port), for around $250, which would be a decent choice.

The Polk PSW10 (again, 10" driver with front-firing port), for around $200, is not bad for the price, but in a live demonstration where really long excursion was applied to the driver, I could easily detect audible "port noise" (chuffing) emanating from the port opening, despite its flared design.

This said, I'm positive that the Cadence CSX-12 model recommended is well worth the extra $50!

Incidentally, my system has a Polk Audio PSW125 (12" driver with downward-firing port). I really like the sub, and I don't seem to have any of the boominess that is sometimes associated with it. Possibly because I am using the actual L/R stereo inputs instead of the single LFE input. The LFE input bypsses the onboard crossover control. I have my front main speakers crossed over at 90Hz, and my sub takes over at about 80Hz (give or take - it's a dial setting) and the sound is fairly seamless, without the mid-bass boom.

Equally as important as the choice of subwoofer (performance vs. budget) is its location. You can get phenominally better results by locating it where it will produce more perceivable subwoofer SPL from your viewing location. This may (and often likely) means it may not be in a "pretty" location in your home theater area.

I apologize for the extra information - my fingers just started flowing!

- Rob J

[jc480]

Good stuff, guys. Thank you. Alot of the Polk part numbers don't seem to appear on their website. I'm guessing it's because they've been discontinued?

These forums are paralyzing my decision making Every thread I read I learn something new which causes me to second guess my choices. Talk about too much information being a bad thing.

[D1-2005]

I just purchased a Premier Acoustics PA-120 from ebay for about 230. I have not recieved it yet so I cannot comment on the performence, but it has some pretty good reviews on some other forums. It's supposed to be made on the same line as BIC.

[Snowgod]

Good Subwoofers cost money, but if you try you can get a good one for around $500. Check out hsuresearch.com for the most bang for you buck. Beware that your neighbors may not like a good subwoofer as much as you will.