Sub advice -- Looking to add to system

Radox-0 · 27 Oct 2019 at 21:54

Looking to add a sub to my system around a £400 or so budget, currently only got the 5 speakers. 4 Tannoy XT8F floor standers as front and read and the Tannoy XTC as centre.

Room is 7 meters x 5.5 meters (though this measurement tapers down to around 3.5m at one spot). Listening spot is in middle though so pretty much centre distance between front and rear speakers. Main use will be for gaming and movies. Don't do much critical listening so believe ported will work fine here? Happy to be corrected and open to any other suggestions.

Have seen a couple of sub's, namely BK's range, in form of the Double Gem and XLS400 which come in around the price point, I believe the XLS is the better option from a chat with BK as while Double Gem has more cone area, the XLS400 driver apparently is capable of moving back and forth twice the distance so able to displace more air overall. Also looked at XTZ's subwoofer range which seem pretty solid and get pretty rave reviews. I am however happy to get any further input in solid options on the market I may have missed.

Have a budget up to around £400. Want the sub to be available in a white finish also! Appreciate there may be better options, but not after spending thousands right now as I expect it will be a placeholder of sorts anyways.

Thanks

lucid · 27 Oct 2019 at 22:43

By XLS400 I presume you mean XXLS400? That's a sealed box sub.

Have you had a look at the BK P12-300-PR? £479 in white. BK reckon is goes as loud and as deep as a Monolith but from a smaller enclosure size. Cone extension goes a tad further than the XXLS400, and there's a passive bass radiator which is how the sealed-box P12 rubs shoulders with the ported Monolith. Overall, better for gaming and movies than the XXLS400.

Add an Antimode when funds allow to really dial in the performance.

Radox-0 · 27 Oct 2019 at 23:39

lucid said:
By XLS400 I presume you mean XXLS400? That's a sealed box sub.

Have you had a look at the BK P12-300-PR? £479 in white. BK reckon is goes as loud and as deep as a Monolith but from a smaller enclosure size. Cone extension goes a tad further than the XXLS400, and there's a passive bass radiator which is how the sealed-box P12 rubs shoulders with the ported Monolith. Overall, better for gaming and movies than the XXLS400.

Add an Antimode when funds allow to really dial in the performance.

yep xxls400 sorry. Nope not had a proper peek at the P12, thanks for that, will take a look into that one further. Thought in their stack it was just below the XXLS400 for some reason so ruled it out. Will add it back into the mix, appreciated.

hornetstinger · 28 Oct 2019 at 13:53

Try and get the best sub you can, there is defintive difference between the two I own, on spec they are quite similar one is 12" the other is 13.5" but the latter does stuff the former cannot do.

Radox-0 · 29 Oct 2019 at 13:12

hornetstinger said:
Try and get the best sub you can, there is defintive difference between the two I own, on spec they are quite similar one is 12" the other is 13.5" but the latter does stuff the former cannot do.

yeah want a half decent one, but not looking to shell out loads atm. Possibly relocating abroad so don’t want to get an overly expensive one to only have to sell it. If I end up staying in UK then may revsit more options.

with that said have been offered the XTZ 10.17 Edge for £475 so may pull trigger on that, normally goes for 670€ delivered but due to a stock snafu. Seems to get rave reviews so may go for that so tempted. Looks to have a solid amp and option for eq profiles and tweaking the ports is intriguing

hornetstinger · 29 Oct 2019 at 13:22

The 3x12 looks good.

Also as for sealed and ported I prefer sealed, I've had ported svs pc ultra 13 sold that now have svs SB ultra 13. Similar driver and amp, pretty much the same except one is sealed other is ported, I find the sealed faster and still provides enough bass in a big room,. 24 foot X 12 foot X 9 foot ceiling.

hornetstinger · 29 Oct 2019 at 13:38

Porting plugs limits dB output, and can introduce more port chugging, I had one port plugged in my pc ultra 13 that ported it to 16hz,two ports is then 11hz, but that was in a smaller room. You could port all three and convert it to sealed. I left.itcon one port plugged until I sold it then got the SB ultra. For music the SB is much better in movies it's a bit behind but I'd rather have faster sub and more interegrated. For music the pc fell behind my mains bit ponderous. Highly likely the room really perhaps in this new big room it would be fine, but it's gone now

Radox-0 · 30 Oct 2019 at 10:04

Yeah the 3x12 along with most the other subs you mentioned are out of the range I am looking at sadly

Went for the XTZ 10.17 edge, looks to be a solid unit and for knockdown price vs buying new thanks to the booboo they made, should be able to sell it off and get all my money back + some I imagine if I do move.

hornetstinger · 30 Oct 2019 at 17:17

Personally I'd go for a sealed box model if they have one

3t3P · 3 Nov 2019 at 10:44

Sealed all day long.

I'd have got the new BK sub if I didn't have my xxls 400s. Mind you at has a grille at the front doesn't it?

I've got downfirers and they look like lovely walnut cubes in my lounge

Radox-0 · 4 Nov 2019 at 20:55

Yeah was a tossup tbh the BK P12-300-PR or this. Went for this, well actually as I mentioned they made a mistake so got a nice discount on it.

Did arrive earlier and loving it so far. With size of room thought it may not have enough grunt and partially to be honest, my floorstanders (XT8Fs) actually produce a decent amount of base, but this thing is setting the sofa shaking nicely and not even cranked up. Am playing around with the EQ on it and impact when playing with the port plugs, need to just settle it all in properly over a weekend I expect.

With that said. If I do end up staying in UK, may pick up a sealed to compare. Should be able to get rid of this for around the same I paid.