Does anyone have this combo? the HR A/V is 8 ohm, while the SVS sub is 4 ohm, so are they compatible? What do you guys recommend for sub? I have Polk RTi150 fronts, CSI49 center and FXi50 surround.
Thanks
G-Man
Posted on
If you get an SVS, HSU or whatever self-powered subwoofer than it matters NOT what your HK AV receiver (or any other receiver) can drive or not drive. The receiver amplifiers aren't driving the subwoofer anyway. If your SVS subwoofer is "passive" you may have problems. My advice--never use a passive subwoofer unless you have lots of extra power available or a gun is to your head. I have heard a couple of the cylindrical SVS self-powered subwoofers and they are excellent. So are the HSU's which are box format. SVS also makes box format, but I haven't heard them. The SVS cylinders often have low WAF--wife acceptance factor. HSU used to make them them years ago, but came across this problem of public and wife/girlfriend acceptance and changed their designs. It is definitely more efficient and less expensive to build cylindrical subwoofers--both in parts and performance. You have no parallel surfaces to potentially screw up sound waves and the cylinders are made of light inexpensive material (or else they would weigh a ton).
So an SVS, HSU, or other self-powered subwoofer can be mated fine with whatever speakers you are using. A good subwoofer should NOT have timbre anyway on its frequency response. I have read some truly nutty posts by some people saying this sub sounds more musical than that one among other erroneous statements. SUBS DON'T SOUND MUSICAL, unless something is very wrong. A good sub plays a low frequency without shaping it.It's job is to launch a low frequency without unseemly distortion as loud as you want. If it shapes the sound--it is NOT doing the job you want.
The midrange and high frequency ranges are where humans pick out the timbre, richness, and other characteristics that give us a "musical" impression. This is where the sound takes "shape". A very good subwoofer gives it heft and depth--if it is doing more than that--it is poorly designed.
dan
Posted on
Thanks G-Man. btw, i meant to say 20-39, not 25-39.
Anyway, glad that you mentioned HSU because I read about it, seems like SVS and HSU are popular subs on HT discussion forums. I actually like the cylindar design, that's why i'm interested in SVS, along w/ all these great reviews, I'd love to get one. But i really want to listen to one. Is there a sub available say in Circuit City of Goodguys that is comparable to the SVS? I know it's not going to be the same as testing a SVS, but at least i can tell the approximate range of performance i can expect out of SVS.