Whatta Ya Think About Hsu Research Subwoofers?

Hello Bob,

     You should know that I've never personally heard many of the subs discussed thus far on your thread, including any from HSU, ML, Syzygy and SVS.  I have, however, personally owned and listened to many brands and models of subs from JL, B&W, M&K, Vandersteen, Klipsch, Polk, Audio Kinesis and REL.  For years I experimented with these subs in various quantities and room positions in an attempt to attain the highest quality bass in my system and room, initially with single subs, then dual subs and ultimately my search ended very successfully just over 5 years ago when I tried the Audio Kinesis Debra 4-sub DBA system in my room.       
     I was pleasantly amazed at the immediate and huge improvement in the impact and quality of the bass in my room produced by this 4-sub DBA concept system as well as how seamlessly it integrated with my Magnepan 2.7QR main speakers that only had a rated deep bass extension of 35 Hz.  I've been using this system ever since with outstanding results on both stereo music and on my home theater 5.1 surround sound system.
     I've read statements from various acoustic experts that 3-sub DBA systems are capable of bass performance nearly as good as 4-sub DBAs if each of the 3 subs are properly positioned and configured.  I don't doubt this is true but I've never personally bothered to verify this in my room. But I've read numerous Audiogon posts from members stating that 3 sub DBAs have worked extremely well for them in their rooms. 
     My general advice, based on my experiences, is that 2 subs perform about twice as well as 1 sub and 4 subs perform about twice as well as 2 subs.  Based on what I've read, I really just assume that 3 subs will perform very well but perhaps not quite as reliably as well as 4 subs.
     However, I'm certain that a pair of subs, properly positioned and configured, are more than capable of providing very good bass performance at a single designated listening seat in virtually any room.  The benefits of adding subs beyond 2 in the room will typically be perceived as the bass having increased power, impact, dynamics and a sense of ease quality along with it being faster, smoother, more detailed and this high quality bass will be perceived throughout the entire room, not just at the designated listening seat.
      By now it's obvious that I tend to sacrifice brevity for the sake of detail on my posts, Sorry.  Finally, you asked:
" If I am considering Bluetooth subs, how about this one from Martin Logan.  12” drivers with Bluetooth capability, and they look similar to other models costing more (which doesn’t mean they sound as good . . Don’t know):

https://www.amazon.com/MartinLogan-Dynamo-12-inch-Wireless-Subwoofer/dp/B002O3W2SO/ref=pd_di_sccai_1... "

     Since discovering and installing the A K 4-sub DBA system, I'm no longer reading about, researching and listening to the numerous subs available.  I still haven't listen to the Martin Logan 1000W sub but I did research it a bit and read a few very positive reviews.  This sub has a rated bass extension down to 22 Hz, has the necessary separate controls for volume, cutoff frequency and continuously variable phase, has the correct L+R rca inputs to connect to your preamp, has an updated wireless system, costs less than the Syzygy subs and looks cooler.
     What's not like?  I think a pair of these to start seem like an excellent choice for your room, system and circumstances.

Tim

Hi Tim.  The real advantage of the ML subs over what I chose would be the Bluetooth capability.   Same with Syzygy, but even more so, as the Bluetooth transmitter can communicate with up to 8 subwoofers.  That is capability!  But I made my choice on the basis of capabilities and price, and I look forward to listening to them in my system.

Hello Bob,

     I actually wrote and posted my last thread post before I even read  your post about your decision to buy a pair of SVS SB-2000 subs.  I believe you wrote your post before me but somehow it was delayed in being posted because I didn't see just read your post on Saturday night.  I don't want to take back or change anything I stated but, given your room, I am a bit surprised you decided to buy wired subs and not choose the more convenient option of wireless subs. 
     
     However, it sounds like you have some ideas and plans about how to run and conceal the wires you'll need to run from your preamp to a currently unknown exact location for the second SVS SB-2000 sub that needs to be located along one of the 3 remaining walls in your room ( a wall other than the front short wall where your tv, equipment rack and main speakers are currently located, as well as the wall the first SVS SB-2000 sub will be located.). 
     Can you state your plans about how you plan to connect both SVS subs, using line-level rca cables from your preamp or using high-level speaker wire connections to your amp? 
    And about how you plan to run the wires past the the 2 doors in the right front corner of your room?

Thanks, 
  Tim

Sure.  I plan to put the subwoofer to the right on a ledge that is part of the fireplace, just to the right of the second door.  I will run the cable for that beneath the first door, where the carpet ends and vinyl flooring begins.  I will tape it down so that it isn’t a tripping hazard. I will run the cable around the corner and then tape it to the inner part of the threshold for the garage door, then up to the short ledge where the sub will sit.  I have to avoid stepping on the cable going through the doors, but that shouldn’t be a problem as the floor surface is uneven at both of those spots anyway.  I could look at covering the cable with some sort of protective strip, like you see at concerts where cables must be run through traffic areas.

Hello Bob,

     Okay, it seems like you have a good plan for routing the required  single rca cable from your P5 preamp's Sub Output 2, past both the doors to the line level input on the 2nd of your SVS subs.  The 1st SVS sub, positioned to the left of your equipment rack, will also require a single rca cable run from your preamp's Sub Output 1 to the SVS sub's line level input. 
     As I stated earlier, I have no doubt that you'll be able to attain good quality bass performance at a single listening position in your room utilizing 2 good quality subs like the two SVS subs you bought.
     But it's very important you understand that just plopping down each sub where it's convenient, you have the space or where you prefer them being located, is a highly unlikely path to success. Ideally, the best process is to use the crawl method to determine the exact position in your room for SVS sub#1 at which the bass sounds the best at your designated listening seat.  Then with sub#1 optimally positioned and playing, the crawl method is used again to determine the exact position in your room for SVS sub#2 at which the bass sounds the best at your designated listening seat.  The final step is to optimally set the volume, crossover frequency and phase control settings on each sub.
     By determining that you only have one possible position for SVS sub#1 in your room which is to the left of your equipment rack along your front wall, however, this ideal locating process has already been compromised.  It's possible you still might be able to attain good bass performance at your listening seat but I think this would definitely require you to use the crawl method to optimally position SVS sub#2 in your room.  The exact optimum position in your room to locate sub#2, however, will probably not be on the ledge that is part of your fireplace. 
     I suggest you buy the longest rca cable you can because the optimum exact location for sub#2 could be anywhere along the perimeter walls of your room; further down your fireplace wall, along your rear wall or even your wall opposite the fireplace.  Using the crawl method, it will be fairly obvious when you find the optimum room position, the bass will suddenly improve in its quality and become more solid, smooth, fast, detailed, realistic and natural.  
      In the meantime, it would be useful to reread your preamp manual's sections on about how to connect a pair of subs beginning on page 10 of the attached P5 maunual below:

https://parasound.com/pdfs/P5Manual.pdf  

Tim