amazing bargain subwoofer - the Yamaha YST-SW205

audiojerry · « **Reply #20 on:** 7 Apr 2003, 01:29 pm »

Rob,
If there is a Best Buy near you, you can audition one for 30 days before deciding. They will also try to match the best price of another merchant. In my case they couldn't do it, but it may be worth the effort.

I currently do not have the unit as I am waiting for delivery. When I get it, I will again compare to the Bag End and the Earthquake. I should point out that my last comparison was based on trying to use the Bag End and Earthquake with my main speakers about a month ago, and I was not happy with the results. My experience with the Yamaha was last week, and I was delighted.

Again, the Yamaha could not play as loudly as the Bag End or Earthquake, but within it's limitations it went down lower and matched the quickness of my main speakers more seamlessly.

An observation about very low frequencies: Ravi made the comment that the Yamaha sounded 'one note'. When I have listened to test signals 40 hz and lower, those are very low notes, and being able to differentiate the tone between 30 and 40 hz is very difficult for me to discern, and being able to hear 20 hz at all is really difficult. I'm not even sure what 20 hz is supposed to sound like. When I have experienced 20 - 30 hz, it was always in a very large room, and I believe I was feeling it in my gut more than I was hearing it, but maybe that's just my limited ability to quantify the very low bass frequencies.

To me 40 hz is very low, and when it is reproduced correctly, it results in objects rattling in the room. Many speakers I've heard, even subs, don't reproduce 40 hz and lower very well, with the output being rather sloppy, which results in hearing it more than feeling it. I think those really low frequencies need a very rigid cabinet and well controlled driver. When this is done, these low frequencies will be much more powerful and have the ability to rattle objects in other rooms.

jackman · « **Reply #21 on:** 7 Apr 2003, 01:59 pm »

Jerry,
Very exciting stuff. Is the Yammy sub ported? I may give it a shot for my office system or even the main system. For that price, I could get two and run them in stereo.

J

audiojerry · « **Reply #22 on:** 7 Apr 2003, 03:44 pm »

I don't recall it being ported. I will confirm when my order arrives later this week.

Al Garay · « **Reply #23 on:** 7 Apr 2003, 03:53 pm »

Another good deal on a sub at Costco online:

Polkaudio PSW450 12" 150-Watt $319.99
Powered Subwoofer

http://www.costco.com/frameset.asp?trg=subcat%2Easp&catid=79&subid=80&hierid=304&log=&NavTop=

Costco has excellent service and lets you return anything to their local stores. I already have a Stryke AV15 coming soon for $160. Then I'll buy the Rythmik A350 for $150 and 2 18" PR-1600gr for $100. So, I'll have spent $410 and still have to put it together.

In any case, this helps give perspective on the cost difference between a good deal on a descent sub and a very good DIY sub.

Al

PS. Jackman, did you ever assemble your SCC300 sub?

TheeeChosenOne · « **Reply #24 on:** 7 Apr 2003, 04:22 pm »

I awaiting other trial testers to give a thumbs up before I bite.

This could be a great gamers/mp3 subwoofer for the PC, along with my Ascend Acoustics cbm-170! Heck, maybe even the bedroom, if it pans out as amazing.

I take seriously the advice of some of these "old timers" as they have found some cheap amazing gear for people. ...........Remember the Michaura m55's *powerbuy* from Ubid? Ohhhhhh, those were the days!

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #25 on:** 7 Apr 2003, 10:50 pm »

AJ, do you still have it sitting there? What I was wondering is which one you're using-the 305 has 2 X 8" woofs and the 205 has 1 X 8" woof ( I think this is correct). Which one do you have?

randytsuch · « **Reply #26 on:** 8 Apr 2003, 12:04 am »

Rob, I think AJ said he is waiting for his to come.

Anyone else that wants one, check out this link
http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11184648&m=1&cat=15&scat=18

It's $199 from best buy online, with free shipping. I'm thinking about it.
I was thinking about building a subwoofer sometime in the future.
Wonder what my wife would say if I showed up with another box?

Randy

TheeeChosenOne · « **Reply #27 on:** 9 Apr 2003, 03:47 am »

This sub looks to to be very good for $299 on the internet

http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/athena_audition_asp400.htm

Athena equipment is always very well reviewed.

Any comments on this sub vs. the Yamaha?

TheeeChosenOne · « **Reply #28 on:** 10 Apr 2003, 08:03 am »

Dahlquist seems to have a good reputation for making excellent sounding bargain equipment.

They sell Digital Subs:
http://www.dahlquistaudio.com/subwoofers.htm

In Canada, they can be found at a steep discount online. Lots of raves on other boards about them.

rosconey · « **Reply #29 on:** 10 Apr 2003, 10:23 am »

i had a dahlquist sub right after the yamaha-pdq1500 dahlquist sub-these are well built but the class d amp is like most of the other digital sub amps one note,when i unhooked the the stock amp and used one channel of my harmon kardon amp it made a great difference.

Ravi · « **Reply #30 on:** 10 Apr 2003, 05:39 pm »

IMO, the Athena PS400 looks like a killer sub. I used to own the Sound Dynamics RTS9 towers, and they had incredible bass. This is the same company behind Athena, and same driver material (injection molded poly). I've actually heard the P400 briefly, but it was placed really badly (the speakers were in the front of the room, and the Athena was in the back corner of the room). This sub was still awesome in movies, you could feel it in your gut, and had no boominess.

TheeeChosenOne · « **Reply #31 on:** 10 Apr 2003, 07:17 pm »

Yes, from my research on threads, the Athena full stand speakers and bass equipment is noted for very high quality lively, musical tight bass. No boominess.

I have yet to run into a mediocre customer or magazine review. Athena seems to be drawing amazing raves everywhere and is noted for *extreme* value. Athena's design crew is very experienced and have worked on Sound Dynamics products as well as others.

I bought this sub for one of my rooms recently. I'm looking forward to it.

One really can't go wrong with a $300 purchase if it's as good as everyone says it is.

Ravi · « **Reply #32 on:** 10 Apr 2003, 08:59 pm »

You bought the asp400? Cool!!! Please let me know what you think of it when you get it. I'm very impressed with the designer of Athena having owned his previous speakers. I think you will be very impressed. But please let me know, good or bad.

Another big plus is it has a mosfet amp, instead of a cheap digital switching amp like other cheap subs.

Thanks!

TheeeChosenOne · « **Reply #33 on:** 10 Apr 2003, 10:06 pm »

Quote from: Ravi

You bought the asp400? Cool!!! Please let me know what you think of it when you get it. I'm very impressed with the designer of Athena having owned his previous speakers. I think you will be very impressed. But please let me know, good or bad.

Another big plus is it has a mosfet amp, instead of a cheap digital switching amp like other cheap subs.

Thanks!

Will do. It should arrive by next week.

randog · « **Reply #34 on:** 22 Apr 2003, 04:10 pm »

Quote from: TheeeChosenOne

Quote from: Ravi
You bought the asp400? Cool!!! Please let me know what you think of it when you get it. I'm very impressed with the designer of Athena having owned his previous speakers. I think you will be very impressed. But please let me know, good or bad.

Another big plus is it has a mosfet amp, instead of a cheap digital switching amp like other cheap subs.

Thanks!

Will do. It should arrive by next week.

Any new news? I started a continuing thread on this in the Audio Circle since it's now off-track from this subject line.

Randog

randytsuch · « **Reply #35 on:** 23 Apr 2003, 01:09 am »

Hey Jerry,
did you ever get your Yamaha subwoofer.
I know it will need break in, but I was curious to see if you still really like it. For this price, if it sounds good, it's almost a no brainer to try one.

Randy

audiojerry · « **Reply #36 on:** 28 Apr 2003, 07:56 pm »

Quote from: randytsuch

Hey Jerry,
did you ever get your Yamaha subwoofer.
I know it will need break in, but I was curious to see if you still really like it. For this price, if it sounds good, it's almost a no brainer to try one.

Randy

I haven't gotten the second sub yet. I switched merchants for the second sub because I wasn't happy with the first, and it hasn't arrived yet. The second sub is costing $129 + $27 shipping from hypeaudio.com. I'm letting my son have fun with the first one until the second arrives to break it in, and ultimately I'll use both in stereo config with my ProAC Response 1SC's and let you know how they integrate. The single unit used by my son has some serious low-end response when he plays his techno music. Again, it doesn't play the loudest, but at moderate output the low freqs are way down there.

I was wrong about it having two 8" drivers. It only has one 8" front firing driver with a front port , which amazes me even more. But still, I would bet that 8 of these units for around a thousand bucks could make a rather impressive showing.

Val · « **Reply #37 on:** 6 May 2003, 01:05 pm »

Regarding the low-bass capabilities with just a 8" woofer, the only way I can figure it out (and Yamaha's amp technobabble suggests it) is that they have tweaked the amplifier in the way the Swedish company Audio Pro has done (and trademarked) for many years, by electrically duplicating acoustic properties. I listened to one of their SWs many years ago and it was as impressive and as unbelievable as audiojerry says of the Yam:

Ace-Bass

Val

audiojerry · « **Reply #38 on:** 6 May 2003, 03:40 pm »

I have been using a pair of SW205's in my system for the past week, and I stand by all my previous statements, except that there is only one 8" driver per speaker. They integrate extremely well with my monitors, much better than the Eartquakes and Bag Ends.

I am not high-passing the mains, and I do not have the subs symetrically placed next to the mains. One sub is on a side wall about 5' away from the right speaker, and the other sub is on the wall behind the speakers about 5' behind and to the left of the left speaker. I found this placement gives lower extension.

Again, they can't play as loudly as the big boys, but with two subs they go as loudly as I need, They do go lower than the big boys, too. At least in my system they do.

For HT, I'd probably use 4 subs properly positioned. That's about $620 total shipped to my door from hypeaudio.com.

Val · « **Reply #39 on:** 6 May 2003, 04:12 pm »

audiojerry, I am very familiar with Bag Ends and think of them as the very best subwoofers I have heard in several ways, assuming they are used for music only (I have never had a HT). That was true in two other different systems that I was familiar with as well. I am not alone on this, at least a couple of high-end reviewers (Hardesty, Bascom King) saying practically the same. As both of them did, I found that they are the easiest bar none to blend with monitors, provided you use the ELF crossover (that they call integrator or something) on both low and high pass. Their bass was also the best defined that I have ever heard and it had a "non-rumbly" or "non-resonant" quality (due to the design principle of using the frequency response below the driver's resonance) that made them sound different --and better-- to all the competitors at the time (Paradigm, Velodyne, Hsu, Vandersteen). I also found the ELF crossover to color and veil the monitors' sound, which together with the cabinets having no bracing at all (that made it possible to sometimes localize the sound source even in stereo) forced me to sell the pair I had.

Venezuelan women are understandably very conscious of their beauty, so make sure you have a ton of disposable money!

Val