Bass guitar is not the only sound that a home theater will be trying to reproduce

Even if it worked OK for music, what about
the rumble of an explosion? Or the footsteps of T-rex?

A bass guitar amp is designed for one thing -- bass guitar amplification. Subs are designed to reproduce all kinds of low frequency sounds accurately.

I play electric guitar. My Mesa/Boogie amp sounds great -- but I wouldn't think of trying to play music CDs through it.

Speaker cabinets for bass guitar are (or should be) full range speakers. They are generally tuned to drop off after 31 hz, the lowest note on the 5-String bass, but, depending on the configuration, they may drop off as high as 44 hz. They are full range speakers because of the wide frequency range produced by the instrument’s voicing and timbre. They also are not designed to rely on room coupling.

Getting an 18-inch driver doesn’t mean you’ll get better “low note” performance than with a smaller driver, say your 15s. While it has the surface area to reach lower, it’s loose and lazy and can’t provide a lot of definition on its own. The 18s are rare for bass guitar speakers because they are too slow. Since they are usually direct, they are more useful for larger rooms where you get less room coupling and need a larger “throw”. I think cabinet design and tuning is much more important than driver size anyway.

If you’re interested in the subject of bass guitar vs. subwoofer speaker design, browse through www.acmebass.com. The 2x10 and 4x10 can be bought as subwoofers for PA applications.

I'll try running one of my 210s instead of my M&K VX-100 (when the wife and kids aren't home) and report back here. I've always wanted to try it but I never got around to it. Now I have an excuse.

hey bigmac, i just thought it was cool that you use the same brand amp for guitar that the guitar player for 311 (my favorit band) uses. cool.

I ordered my SVS LATE on Saturday night. I ordered to ship via UPS ground as it is cheapest and ...well...I'm sort of cheap. My confirmation of shipping came this evening, with arrival for Wednesday! WOW! UPS is usually so slow. I am getting more impressed with SVS by the minute. Now,...where's my 950?

What type of sub you need depends on what your source material. If you just want booms and explosions from movies can get away with a less expensive sub than if you are looking for full range music (or a system that does both).

Sone of the more cost effective subs out there are made by HSU Research. Like a Outlaw they are also a Internet/Mail Order operation. I haven't checked their line as of late, but they used to have some models that were unpowered (so you could use your amp). Their subs are generally reviewed very well.

Other companies that I've heard and auditioned are Audio Concepts (www.audioc.com) and Paradigm. I have an Audio Concepts Titan and it is a great match to my Magnapan MG-10's. Since they build to order I also was able to get the cabinet unfinished and then stain it so it matches my "Maggies". I've heard Paradigm's subs in a friend's home theatre setup and they seem to do everything pretty well.

Eric

Are you saying that the SVS is just for "booms and explosions"??? Mine is VERY deep and quite musical. For the money it is outstanding.

my sunfire sub has been excellent on both music and movies.

Im using a Paradigm PW2200. It's a great sub and I highly reccomend it.

-Jason

If anyone has any woodworking ability, you can make a superior sub for a fraction of the cost for a factory one. There are several manufacturers out there who have put together complete instructions, no rocket science here. You do have to know your way around a woodshop, but its not really difficult. There are also some excellent plate amps to be had for cheap.
Mike

For absolute bass slam, I would go with M&K 150/350 or go "all the way" and get a 5000! I also like the SVS models and when I construct my new theater, a larger room, I plan to add a passive SVS model, much like RAF has done, using my spare Carver TFM35X to power them giving me a 700+ watts of power. I would then use it as a Sub-subwoofer and operate the M&K 80hz down and theSVS at 40hz down. That should give me some awesome bass. Whatever you chose, SVS, M&K, you are going to be pleased. I also like the Tannoy subs/ very musical and tight like the M&K!