Subwoofer Recomendation

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Hey all,

I am building my system over the next few days and I'm looking for a pretty cheap subwoofer (low budget) to finish it off. I plan to just get a used sub off of craigslist or something so I don't have to pay for more speakers and amps and MDF etc...

I know people upgrade their stuff all the time and sell their old stuff at much less than its worth so I was hoping to capitalize on that. I'm hoping to spend $50-$70 on it (out of a $350ish budget) and I could go listen to it before I buy it if it was off craigslist to make sure it wasn't damaged or anything. I don't need much power because its just a 40ish watt (80 max) system not including the sub, given its a couple of line arrays so its pretty efficient, but probably around 70 to 100 watts would be sufficient, of course I could always turn it down if it was more...

What would be a good brand/model to look out for? I initially thought Bose just because of the brand name and I've seen those Acoustimass ones around that price range used before but knowing Bose I wouldn't be surprised if there was something with more value and less hype.

Thanks! Merry Xmas!(/Hanukkak/solstice etc :D)
 
In that price range, I don't think you can be too picky. Just avoid the "white van" junk. Keep an open mind: if you came across a largish speaker (or pair) with an 8" or larger woofer, it might be just fine as a subwoofer. Use a thrift store receiver as an amp. Even a dead one could be used as a cabinet for a proper subwoofer driver bought from someplace like Parts Express.

Or, you could get a new sub from Monoprice. If the reviews are real, those are good value for the money. On the other other hand, with a bit more money at Parts Express you can take a step towards a whole higher class of subwoofage. Use whatever amp you can scrounge up for now, then when the budget allows, get a more powerful amp.
 
Monoprice 8249 12" subwoofer is 70w not 150w

This Monoprice 8249 unit is creating a flurry of attention on the web so I bought it, thinking I had little to lose. Ah rats. Inside, the amplifier IC is an ST Micro TDA7294 which is a 60w (min) 70w (nom) RMS class AB chip. The line transformer is rated at 27v x2, 100w on the secondaries. So this is a 70w RMS powered subwoofer at best.

It still think its a good value at $84 + shipping (~$100) but not as good as I previously thought. The fit, finish, and appearance are about the best that half inch particle board and contact paper can deliver.

What wrong with it besides the power specs? The cabinet/port is tuned way to high for my tastes. This makes it boomy in the 35-40 hz range and drop off to nothing after that. This is the last time I take CNET's Steve Guttenberg's advice on product value. He did say, "the 12-inch sub sounded sloppier than its smaller sibling." But that's it. He obviously slighted his review of this unit by not doing enough homework.

I sent Monoprice a message to correct the specs. Lets see if they think honesty is important for continued sales or if they think, "You can always fool some of the people all of the time" like so many other cheats.
 
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