Buying my dream subwoofer: 1-1.5 Lakhs

[turntablist]

Dear FMs,


Please see the current list of equipment I own. I love the sound I get from these but it's upgrade time.
I got this equipment after a lot of advice & help from FMs and it served me really really good. So I am back for more :*
Want to buy my dream subwoofer. Will spend atleast 1 Lakh, will prefer to spend 1.2L but will spend 1.5L if needed.

AVR: Marantz SR6012
Front L/R: Crystal Acoustics TX-T3SE-BL
Center channel: KEF Q600C
Front Heights: Polk Audio OWM5 pair
Rear Surrounds: KEF Q800DS pair

Please ignore the room measurements as I do not own an apartment and live in rented houses. Will buy a house after 2/3 years, so lets just focus on the sub for now

My requirements:

1. Sound quality: Want highly detailed, controlled & smooth bass. Not over the top & definitely not boomy or jarred. It definitely needs to go to 20 Hz or lower. I do not want to miss out on anything,
2. Looks: Want high quality piano black finish, a better design (rather than a dumb looking box) will be awesome
3. One or 2 Subs: I want to buy one high end sub rather buy 2 mid range subs (this is almost final unless someone can very very strongly convince me otherwise).
Contention, please clarify:I have 2 full range towers which go down to 33 Hz. I have been using them for almost 2 years now, no subwoofer needed. So, if I buy a hugely capable subwoofer like the Arendal, do I really need 2 subwoofers because I will have 2 small subwoofers (my L/R towers) & the full power sub...
4. Usage: 50/50 for music/ movies
5. Other Req: I dont even know what to look for, so please help me out here, what to check before buying

My Shortlist, in order of preference:

1. Arendal Sound Subwoofer 2 or subwoofer 3: Looks awesome & has enough power, more than I will ever need
have a look: https://arendalsound.eu/1723-thx-series/1723-subwoofer-3/

2. B&W PV1D: Looks awesome but will it have the oomph?

3. Some Rhythmik Subwoofer: IDK which one but heard a lot of praise for them

4. SVS SB/PB-2000 PRO: Very sceptical about this one. Everyone says that the Arendal sound beats the SB-4000 in performance. So, this should be a no-brainer actually


So, please suggest:
1. A place in Bangalore where I can audition these/other subwoofers
2. Which subwoofer do you advise, even if you have a suggestion outside of this list
3. Any other advice

I just love this forum. Thanks a lot for you much needed advice. I know a lot of it is coming :-D

 

[Love4sound]

Also add PSA to the list.Last year I auditioned a lot of subwoofers before settling with xtz and what I observed is that room matters big time for getting the optimal performance from a sub. And also two is better then one for sure. You have mentioned that highly detailed, tight and controlled bass is your top priority. So you need to buy a sub based on your room dimensions and placement of the sub. And also in reality none of the subs in 1-1.2L subs that we get in India are actually high end subwoofers. For example the pb2000 has a mrp of 1.15L and with discounts sold at 85-90k in reality the cost is just around 60k and same applies for other brands as wel. The real high end subs will cost you big time in India like the PB4000,PSA etc. Also check xtz 12.17 edge or the standard variants. Gloss black looks beautiful since it isn’t deep or big as other 12 inches in its category. It’s very powerful, tight. Accurate and blends easily at any room or set up with all the port tuning and equaliser combinations it offers. Check with dealers if they can provide demo at home. Pb2000 pro seems very promising but no update on its price and launch in India. Rythmik 15 inch is highly regarded as one of the best and might be available for 1.5L.

 

[aeroash]

Dear FMs,


Please see the current list of equipment I own. I love the sound I get from these but it's upgrade time.
I got this equipment after a lot of advice & help from FMs and it served me really really good. So I am back for more :*
Want to buy my dream subwoofer. Will spend atleast 1 Lakh, will prefer to spend 1.2L but will spend 1.5L if needed.

AVR: Marantz SR6012
Front L/R: Crystal Acoustics TX-T3SE-BL
Center channel: KEF Q600C
Front Heights: Polk Audio OWM5 pair
Rear Surrounds: KEF Q800DS pair

Please ignore the room measurements as I do not own an apartment and live in rented houses. Will buy a house after 2/3 years, so lets just focus on the sub for now

My requirements:

1. Sound quality: Want highly detailed, controlled & smooth bass. Not over the top & definitely not boomy or jarred.
2. Looks: Want high quality piano black finish, a better design (rather than a dumb looking box) will be awesome
3. One or 2 Subs: I want to buy one high end sub rather buy 2 mid range subs (this is almost final unless someone can very very strongly convince me otherwise)
4. Usage: 50/50 for music/ movies
5. Other Req: I dont even know what to look for, so please help me out here, what to check before buying

My Shortlist, in order of preference:

1. Arendal Sound Subwoofer 2 or subwoofer 3: Looks awesome & has enough power, more than I will ever need
have a look: https://arendalsound.eu/1723-thx-series/1723-subwoofer-3/

2. B&W PV1D: Looks awesome but will it have the oomph?

3. Some Rhythmik Subwoofer: IDK which one but heard a lot of praise for them

4. SVS SB/PB-2000 PRO: Very sceptical about this one. Everyone says that the Arendal sound beats the SB-4000 in performance. So, this should be a no-brainer actually


So, please suggest:
1. A place in Bangalore where I can audition these/other subwoofers
2. Which subwoofer do you advise, even if you have a suggestion outside of this list
3. Any other advice

I just love this forum. Thanks a lot for you much needed advice. I know a lot of it is coming :-D

The Arendals look nice. The general trend in India is that the pricing will be twice as more than the foreign pricing. Duties, Cess etc etc

 

[sijusid]

Hi bro,

All the best for your subwoofer hunt.

Few pointers from me.

Arendall has meaty midbass and subjectively looks better. I am not sure about its dealer presence in india and about after sales service.

Haven't heard b&w sub.

Rythmik 15" subs are good, but it's finishing option leaves lot to be desired. It's well built but you may or may not like it's visual appearance.

One thing you haven't mentioned is your room size. With subwoofers, it's the room we hear rather than the sub.

Also, do plan for dual subs if you have space for that, to optimally utilize a subs response. My single svs pb3000 couldn't match the smooth bass response from a dual svs sb12.

You have a good budget. Take your time and audition as much as possible, before biting the bullet.

Cheers
Siju

 

[generalxxxstark]

I found it better to just import the needed equipment directly as an importer. You pay way fewer duties at around 18 to 25% compared to how much the dealers charge us or even importing as Gifts.

I did the same with my projector - an Epson pro cinema. FedEx shipping was relatively inexpensive and the Duties I paid were only 23% including GST.

In case of heavy items like a subwoofer, if you want to take this route which might involve a lot of work is to get it shipped through freight. It'll take longer but you'll end up saving more than 30 to 40k overall.

I was actually going to do the same for the SVS PB-3000 purchase, but a relative coming from the US agreed to bring it along.

 

[turntablist]

Also add PSA to the list.Last year I auditioned a lot of subwoofers before settling with xtz and what I observed is that room matters big time for getting the optimal performance from a sub. And also two is better then one for sure. You have mentioned that highly detailed, tight and controlled bass is your top priority. So you need to buy a sub based on your room dimensions and placement of the sub. And also in reality none of the subs in 1-1.2L subs that we get in India are actually high end subwoofers. For example the pb2000 has a mrp of 1.15L and with discounts sold at 85-90k in reality the cost is just around 60k and same applies for other brands as wel. The real high end subs will cost you big time in India like the PB4000,PSA etc. Also check xtz 12.17 edge or the standard variants. Gloss black looks beautiful since it isn’t deep or big as other 12 inches in its category. It’s very powerful, tight. Accurate and blends easily at any room or set up with all the port tuning and equaliser combinations it offers. Check with dealers if they can provide demo at home. Pb2000 pro seems very promising but no update on its price and launch in India. Rythmik 15 inch is highly regarded as one of the best and might be available for 1.5L.

is PSA power sound audio? Their products look very promising but looks like they are made for dedicated home theaters/ dark rooms and will look downright ugly in a living room (where my setup will be). Arendal looks much better in my opinion if sound quality is the same then I would choose Arendal. BTW, where do I buy/audition PSA in India?

 

[turntablist]

I found it better to just import the needed equipment directly as an importer. You pay way fewer duties at around 18 to 25% compared to how much the dealers charge us or even importing as Gifts.

I did the same with my projector - an Epson pro cinema. FedEx shipping was relatively inexpensive and the Duties I paid were only 23% including GST.

In case of heavy items like a subwoofer, if you want to take this route which might involve a lot of work is to get it shipped through freight. It'll take longer but you'll end up saving more than 30 to 40k overall.

I was actually going to do the same for the SVS PB-3000 purchase, but a relative coming from the US agreed to bring it along.

Thank you, I am going to Europe in 2 months and if I get the Arendal with me, I can save on shipping costs (only 10 K though).
What matter is how do I save on the 25% or whatever import costs.
Maybe a bottle of Jack Daniels to the customs guys will help. Any comments on this?

 

[Love4sound]

is PSA power sound audio? Their products look very promising but looks like they are made for dedicated home theaters/ dark rooms and will look downright ugly in a living room (where my setup will be). Arendal looks much better in my opinion if sound quality is the same then I would choose Arendal. BTW, where do I buy/audition PSA in India?

Yes power sound audio. In chennai it is available for demo at surround swar not sure in Bangalore.

 

[aeroash]

I found it better to just import the needed equipment directly as an importer. You pay way fewer duties at around 18 to 25% compared to how much the dealers charge us or even importing as Gifts.

I did the same with my projector - an Epson pro cinema. FedEx shipping was relatively inexpensive and the Duties I paid were only 23% including GST.

In case of heavy items like a subwoofer, if you want to take this route which might involve a lot of work is to get it shipped through freight. It'll take longer but you'll end up saving more than 30 to 40k overall.

I was actually going to do the same for the SVS PB-3000 purchase, but a relative coming from the US agreed to bring it along.

What website did you purchase this from? Was the applicable customs duty mentioned while purchasing, or did you have to pay it once the product landed in India?

 

[generalxxxstark]

Thank you, I am going to Europe in 2 months and if I get the Arendal with me, I can save on shipping costs (only 10 K though).
What matter is how do I save on the 25% or whatever import costs.
Maybe a bottle of Jack Daniels to the customs guys will help. Any comments on this?

If you're bringing the item with you then you already have the 50k permissible limit. If you can somehow manage to prove to them that the speaker costs less than 50k you should be good, or just walk through the green channel like it's nothing .

What website did you purchase this from? Was the applicable customs duty mentioned while purchasing, or did you have to pay it once the product landed in India?

I purchased it from worldwidestereo and the duties were paid upon landing.

 

[elangoas]

I have 2 full range towers which go down to 33 Hz. I have been using them for almost 2 years now, no subwoofer needed. So, if I buy a hugely capable subwoofer like the Arendal, do I really need 2 subwoofers because I will have 2 small subwoofers (my L/R towers) & the full power sub...

Though the towers that you have can do as low as 33Hz, the question would be at what SPL can it do it..

The human hearing for equal loudness of freq range, needs more SPL at lower frequencies than the rest of the freq range..

So in that regard, there is a possibility you may need the feel for sub-woofer to pump higher SPL than FS for the lows..

Anyways, for movies you need a subwoofer.. Dual would make it even better for any room dimension..

From no subwoofer in my living room to dual, and now to quad subwoofers, the feel of bass is just great for both movie & music..

 

[sijusid]

+1 to @elangoas .

Just to add further, for movies there is a dedicated lfe trim, which can be fed only to a subwoofer. So unless you add a subwoofer, you will always be missing out on lfe channel.

 

[sijusid]

Thank you, I am going to Europe in 2 months and if I get the Arendal with me, I can save on shipping costs (only 10 K though).
What matter is how do I save on the 25% or whatever import costs.
Maybe a bottle of Jack Daniels to the customs guys will help. Any comments on this?

Import duties are 36%.
This will be applicable on the subwoofer price determined by customs officer minus 50k. You can show your bill for price reference, if their database show higher price.

 

[aeroash]

If you're bringing the item with you then you already have the 50k permissible limit. If you can somehow manage to prove to them that the speaker costs less than 50k you should be good, or just walk through the green channel like it's nothing .



I purchased it from worldwidestereo and the duties were paid upon landing.

Wow! I think you got really lucky paying just 23% duty. Generally it is 42%. Then again, it depends on which side of the bed the customs officer woke up from!

 

[turntablist]

Import duties are 36%.
This will be applicable on the subwoofer price determined by customs officer minus 50k. You can show your bill for price reference, if their database show higher price.

My wife will also accompany me. It is a no brainer if the 2 of us get a 1l expemption in the stuff we bring in. Is this possible? If yes, party time

 

[sijusid]

My wife will also accompany me. It is a no brainer if the 2 of us get a 1l expemption in the stuff we bring in. Is this possible? If yes, party time

No bro...you cannot club the exemption of 2 persons for a single item.

 

[generalxxxstark]

Wow! I think you got really lucky paying just 23% duty. Generally it is 42%. Then again, it depends on which side of the bed the customs officer woke up from!

Actually that 42% is for bonafide gifts. All items marked as merchandise will get taxed based on the category. But you will need to register with DGFT and get your Import Export Code. It's become much simpler now.

 

[RajithKumar]

Dear FMs,


Please see the current list of equipment I own. I love the sound I get from these but it's upgrade time.
I got this equipment after a lot of advice & help from FMs and it served me really really good. So I am back for more :*
Want to buy my dream subwoofer. Will spend atleast 1 Lakh, will prefer to spend 1.2L but will spend 1.5L if needed.

AVR: Marantz SR6012
Front L/R: Crystal Acoustics TX-T3SE-BL
Center channel: KEF Q600C
Front Heights: Polk Audio OWM5 pair
Rear Surrounds: KEF Q800DS pair

Please ignore the room measurements as I do not own an apartment and live in rented houses. Will buy a house after 2/3 years, so lets just focus on the sub for now

My requirements:

1. Sound quality: Want highly detailed, controlled & smooth bass. Not over the top & definitely not boomy or jarred. It definitely needs to go to 20 Hz or lower. I do not want to miss out on anything,
2. Looks: Want high quality piano black finish, a better design (rather than a dumb looking box) will be awesome
3. One or 2 Subs: I want to buy one high end sub rather buy 2 mid range subs (this is almost final unless someone can very very strongly convince me otherwise).
Contention, please clarify:I have 2 full range towers which go down to 33 Hz. I have been using them for almost 2 years now, no subwoofer needed. So, if I buy a hugely capable subwoofer like the Arendal, do I really need 2 subwoofers because I will have 2 small subwoofers (my L/R towers) & the full power sub...
4. Usage: 50/50 for music/ movies
5. Other Req: I dont even know what to look for, so please help me out here, what to check before buying

My Shortlist, in order of preference:

1. Arendal Sound Subwoofer 2 or subwoofer 3: Looks awesome & has enough power, more than I will ever need
have a look: https://arendalsound.eu/1723-thx-series/1723-subwoofer-3/

2. B&W PV1D: Looks awesome but will it have the oomph?

3. Some Rhythmik Subwoofer: IDK which one but heard a lot of praise for them

4. SVS SB/PB-2000 PRO: Very sceptical about this one. Everyone says that the Arendal sound beats the SB-4000 in performance. So, this should be a no-brainer actually


So, please suggest:
1. A place in Bangalore where I can audition these/other subwoofers
2. Which subwoofer do you advise, even if you have a suggestion outside of this list
3. Any other advice

I just love this forum. Thanks a lot for you much needed advice. I know a lot of it is coming :-D

Based on ur requirements ,it is better to look for 15" subs from brands like Rhythmik ,PSA etc. If budget is not a constraint ,and you are ready to import,then get subs like Seaton or JTR which are highly regarded subs for Audio enthusiastic.( But remember these are not mass market products,hence u may need to make special order and it's also huge in size ).As per the user reviews ,Once u buy it u will not feel the urge to upgrade it in future.
Definitely a dual setup will be worth.
Regarding sub ,the response varies based on it's placement and room .
Also to bring out the best performance and seat to seat response in the room both active and passive room corrections are required.
I'm tagging @liverpool_for_life who is a user of Seaton subs and speakers to share his view on this.

 

[keith_correa]

Monolith 15” THX Ultra

 

[saurabhpach]

Since we are discussing subwoofers, I’m in the play to exchange my velodyne impact with an SVS. Can somebody please gimme the contact details of any dealers