Ok guys, here are m notes on the subs that were part of the listening tests (Day 2), in the order we tested 'em. Speakers such as the L'Acoustics SB218 weren't selected for Day 2 listening; not because they weren't worthy of furthering listening, but because we wanted to spend time with the speakers that were "newer". Maybe that speaks volume for the SB218 since anyone in pro audio has probably heard them. SPL measurements were taken from approx. 16 feet away. Power came from Powersoft K10's.
<added> I failed to mention that each subwoofer was listened to (and tested) in pairs. Some side by side, some stacked.
Every single sub in the listening test was a worthy piece of professional equipment. There wasn't a bad speaker in the bunch. More interestingly, each speaker had its own sound. I'll let some of the other post pics (maybe Jeff knorr - he had a nice camera) - my camera was "average" at best.
Danley TH-115
- Capable of extreme SPL for a single driver box
- Went down to 30Hz but sounded best between 40Hz - 50Hz
- Very efficient & very responsive to transients
- HPF 25Hz, LPF 75Hz
- Saw peaks in excessive of 133db just above 40Hz
- Cabinets defy their size - arguably the best 15" horn-loaded sub available to date in a very manageable size
- Tom/Mike - Would like to see a foam backed grill to protect the driver from dust etc.
Danley TH-215
- Noticeably lower response that the TH-115, albeit not quite as efficient but hey we didn't care - we had tons of power on-hand.
- At approx. 16 feet, punch was simply amazing with the most notable output of any speaker between 30Hz and 50Hz. We saw peaks over 135 db at 35Hz!!
- Very little sound coming from the rear of the speaker relative to the front
- A true large scale concert speaker in every way. Nice size - not too small, not too large. It would be a pleasure to move 12 of these for larger events (which is about all you would need!)
- HPF 20Hz, LPF 75Hz
- Tom/Mike - Just like the TH-115, I would like to see a foam backed grill on the front
- Not the overall loudest subwoofer in the group, but in my opinion the most musical, most controlled and enjoyable speaker in the group. Its ability to produce 35Hz effortlessly added an element to listening most didn't have while remaining very tight and extremely responsive to transients.
- An incredible subwoofer - simply amazing sound quality and output through its range.
EMS-215
- Happiest between 45-55Hz but had usability down to 35Hz before drop-off
- Had a pleasant level of distortion when approaching peak levels - was never harsh on the ears
- HPF 35Hz, LPF 80Hz
- Greatly exceeded my expectation for a bandpass sub, substantial impact
- Didn't go as low as the TH-215's but did a good job keeping up with them between 50Hz - 70Hz
- Was the first speaker voice coil to go up in smoke - we pushed it a little to hard
EMS Quake
- Thunderous output from 35Hz - 70Hz, and like the Th-215, the Quake has its most significant output between 35Hz - 50Hz but I did notice a slight bump at 70Hz.
- Easily reached 135+ db at 55Hz
- HPF 25Hz, LPF 80Hz
- Not as controlled as others in the group and was a little slower to respond to transients but certainly not bad by any means
- Easily shook the room and everyone in it. Was second only to the BassMaxx Trip X3 as the sub you "felt" the most. Worthy of its name.
- Very large subwoofer, looked like an apartment sized refrigerator but despite it's size, was easy to move around
BassMaxx Z5000
- Had significant peaks between 40Hz through 70Hz
- 37Hz was about as low as she would go before drop off but had tons of punch around 40Hz - 50Hz.
- Very tight and responsive to transients
- Measured peaks in excessive of 137db at approx. 63Hz
- HPF 35Hz, LPF 80Hz
- Sub sounded best in the 40Hz - 60Hz region with very little audible distortion
- Absolutely no sound coming off the rear of the speaker. I was able to have a normal conversation with Paul Bell while standing less than 1 foot behind it. Very impressive for a non-cardoid subwoofer.
- Reasonably sized - you won't mistake this for a small cabinet but you also won't need a crew of 4 to lift it (unlike it's big brother the Trip X3)
- Great box
BassMaxx Trip X3
- If bass were a controlled substance, David Lee would have been arrested on the spot and thrown in the slammer w/o bail! Simply stated, the Trip X3 walked away the "King of SPL". Truly amazing output.
- HPF 35Hz, LPF 80Hz with a -3b cut at 75Hz
- Trip was the first (and I believe only) speaker to cause the K10's to run into clipping. I wonder how these would sound with an FP13000 on them?
- This speaker needs POWER. If you've got anything less than 5000 watts per speaker cabinet, you're probably best served to look elsewhere or upgrading your amps.
- To give you an idea of the output, we measured peaks of 143db at approx. 16 feet at 60Hz while watching (literally) some of the furniture go for a stroll.
- Had very significant output at 35Hz (approx. 135db) very much like the TH-215 but didn't quite have the same "easy sound" as the TH-215 at 35Hz.
- This subwoofer was the cause of Paul Bell's hilarious announcement "…guys turn it down for a while. We received a complaint from someone of the 5th floor…FROM ACROSS THE STREET!"
- Absolutely massive in size. Made the Quake look small.
JTR Growler
- Extremely punchy and an amazing speaker - esp. when you consider it's size
- VERY compact subwoofer. You could probably fit 4 of them in the back of a SMALL SUV with room to spare. If I recall correctly, two of these were smaller than one Quake by a decent margin.
- HPF 30Hz, LPF 80Hz
- Smooth response down to 40Hz and then fell off from there.
- Coupled very nicely
- Saw peaks around 128db at 65Hz with nice impact
- Speaker seemed happiest between 45Hz and 75Hz
Outline Subtech 218
- Measured 135db at approx. 55Hz
- Warm, full bass reproduction with some audible distortion associated with dual 18's but only upon reaching it's very limits
- Lots of bass at 35Hz and seemed happiest between 35Hz - 55 Hz.
- HPF 35Hz, LPF 82 Hz
- Slightly smaller than one would expect for a dual 18"
- Had nice covers that can remain in place during use
I wasn't able to stay for the full listening test of the EONA ATA 618HH. I'll let the other share their thoughts here. I was however, able to sit through the swept tests Mark Seaton ran and without seeing the actual numbers, it seemed pretty efficient and got loud around 45Hz.
I hope this was helpful to those who weren't able to attend.
ScottH