Cylinder Vs Box - Pros & Cons

[Big Daddy]

In 1998, I bought two fat and short cylinder passive subwoofers (walnut top) from Hsu Research. They were Hsu Research's top-of-the-line subwoofers and were highly rated by all the magazines. They were not cheap. I paid a total of $1,543.50 (in 1998 dollars). There are beautiful and perform well. Recently, I replaced the drivers on both of them. I would not replace them with any box subwoofers. Our guests believe they are coffee tables.

Technical Specifications
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 500Hz
Power Handling: 500watts RMS
Nominal Impedance: 4 Ohms
Sensitivity: 93db @ 1m. 2.83V
Finish: Seamless black knit cloth over cylinder, choice of three top finishes
Size : 23 inches in diameter, 22 inches in height
Weight: 65 lbs.
Feet: Three black anodized aluminum spiked feet.


A subwoofer's performance depends on many factors, including the cabinet, size, driver, ports, tuning, and amplifier. In addition, placement in a room plays an important role. You can't generalize whether a cylinder type is better or not.