Hello Yall, This is my first time in the saloon and was hoping for some advice. I have a 6000 cubic foot HT room and currently use a Klipsch LF-10. I was interested in the HSU STF-3 until I read the review posted on the Home Theater Forum comparing the Hsu to the SVS. I was wondering if anyone has any experience or advice for the LFM-1 vs SVS PB1-ISD. Thank you

I compared the LFM-1 to an SVS 25-31PCi (the cylinder sub that is most closely related to the PB1-ISD - same driver and amp in different enclosures). I found that the LFM-1 blended better with my main speakers than the SVS did; there was a boominess to the SVS's bass that doesn't exist with the LFM-1. In the end, I preferred the LFM-1.

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

Gonk,
Thank you for the info, I also read your review and found it very helpful.

6000 cu. ft. for HT room…
I’m jealous.

I would get 2 subs for a room like that if I were you. Do a search on “stereo subs” by soundhound in the saloon for detailed description.

TWO SUBS IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER THAN ONE SUB THAT IS TWICE AS GOOD. on better subs you get higher quality components=less distortion (usually with good companies at least), instead of 2x what you had before. for that reason, one would be better served with one sub twice as nice. this MISCONCEPTION that two subs is perfect is a bad one, and honestly hurting consumers because they are buying lesser quality subs in order to be able to get two. if you must have two, then you should double your budget so you can get two subs of the quality that you initially intended to get only one. ive said this before, so no need to dwell on it anymore.

That’s how I assumed tas would understand my post. If he didn't, yeah, he should listen to you curegeorg.

Whether a sub is twice as good, or three times as good as the other, how does one determine this? Are there numbers to go by or is it based on consumer reviews (average 2 or 4 out of 5 stars…)? Again, I’m not an audio expert, so if you don’t mind curegeorg, fill me in.

Well, before getting carried away, it may be necessary to balance out quality with quantity. All the quality in the world won't help a bit if it dosn't have the power to keep up with the rest of the system. Stepping down in quality may be necessary to be able to afford some subs that are close, but can offer the necessary volume. It's about balancing what you want and what you can afford. Many high quality builders (if not all) do try to make it loud enough so that one will work just fine.

Well besides the obvious of just asking me... You can read reviews, you can read specs, you can see how other models they have faired, above all you can listen to them... It is hard to sum up what makes a subwoofer good, because lots of the qualities go hand in hand. To say that something is built better than another is easy to say but hard to specify why. I will try (these are just in relation to a sub):
Amp: rms, peak, thd, servo controlled, weight, brand, cost, to name first things that come to mind
Woofer: size, voice coil, magnet structure, to a very small extent materials used in the cone and woofer, nice sized surround, linear excursion capability
Cabinet: sturdy, well laid out rear for inputs, etc. the basics of phase, volume, internal/xternal crossover, etc., adjustable feet, weight
Misc: remote controlled volume, parametric eq, brand name, warranty, overall size and weight

Mind you that this is a list that I am just pulling out of my head, so I may have overlooked some things, if so I'll reread and add them in.

Critical listening is good, followed by observation of scientifically observed data (reviews with specs, like link i posted from hometheaterhifi.com), and if you cant tell the difference between a sub that is $4000 and $400, then you are set, because you just saved yourself $3600. i on the other hand, know what each of those sound like, so i can compare them. bring in a good cd for bass (i use rap, because i know how i remember hearing it, because i like rap), good and hard hitting and "quick" instead of "boomy" and demo them out. cut each sub up on volume until it distorts, see if that was loud enough but still sounded good. i have to go get some stuff for a cookout, which is a good thing, because i can ramble about subs :-). hope this helps. as always you should evaluate the entirety of a product, cost included, and see if it is what you want/can afford and still want. its funny to hear people say how their sub is awesome, yet they have no frame of reference to compare it to. like for example the lfm1 might be awesome for joe blow, but side by side with my subs itd be a coffee table. granted i didnt pay $549 for any of them either, but every cent i did pay is well worth it in comparison.

George:

As you know, we canines are more atuned to high frequencies, rather than low, so I may be out of my league in this thread.

HOWEVER

The phrase "It's a dog's life" comes to mind -- and we have to live on a budget, as well. You imply that you paid more than $549 for your subs. HOW MUCH MORE? Quality is paramount, but must always be viewed (listened to?) in conjunction with the price/value equation. Your subs may be great, but how much more did you have to pay for them? (And, by the way, what are they?)

Some of can't afford to pay more and think that a product such as the LFM-1 is just what our needs require. Why do you put down people the way you seem to frequently do in your posts?

But what do I know, I'm only a dog...

ARF ARF, says Iggy

I have a PB2-ISD, and it works well for me. It has plenty of power, and I have it tuned to 20 Hz. The room I have it in is only 2100 square feet. Nowhere near the size of yours. This past weekend I set up my buddy’s PB1-Plus. I used the Infinity RABOS setup disk, and SLP meter with outstanding results. After all the adjustments it blends seamlessly with the rest of his speakers. I will use the RABOS tools to measure the bass response of my sub, and room when I finish re-configuring my HT. If I need it (I didn’t with my PCi-46-16) I will get an ART 351 equalizer to adjust for room response. Enjoy.