It's in. the best low cost subwoofer

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In a recent article about subwoofers The Chicago Tribune says "The Dayton SUB-100Â…at $125, delivered, it's considered perhaps the best-performing low-cost subwoofer in the country." See the full story(Registration Required)

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Dayton Audio SUB-100 10" 125 Watt Powered Subwoofer

Everything you need to know about the subwoofer

By Kevin Hunt
Tribune Newspapers
Published December 10, 2006


The subwoofer could be the most despised loudspeaker in America.

But why? Because it's big and fat? Because it's such a blowhard?



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Well, here's some news for the anti-sub movement: The subwoofer is an indispensable part of a home theater. It does the grunt work in a surround-sound system, playing all those low-lower-lowest notes -- the explosions, the crashes and the rumble of helicopters -- that other speakers simply cannot reach.

The subwoofer injects realism, sound you can actually feel, into a home theater. Here's how important it is: I would give up both rear-channel surround speakers before I gave up the subwoofer in my home theater. I would even give up the center speaker, the critical dialogue specialist, and use a basic two-speaker setup with the subwoofer.

Ready to rethink the lowly subwoofer? Here's what to look for when shopping for one that costs anywhere from $100 to $1,000:

Size matters: A huge consideration. The subwoofer stereotype is a hulking lug that dominates a room's layout. There are, in fact, monster subwoofers. But a lot of today's hulks try to look good too. Example: Outlaw Audio's excellent $579 LFM-1 is about 22 inches high and deep, 15 inches wide and 70 pounds, yet its shiny gloss top makes it eligible for double duty as an end table.

Subwoofers also come in amazingly small packages, even 9 inches square, thanks to pioneering technology developed in the late 1990s by Bob Carver, whose Sunfire subwoofers use high-powered amplification that delivers up to 1,200 watts. Think of it like a little canon firing at one end, with a flexible rubber driver at the other end absorbing the kickback. This type of subwoofer, also made by Velodyne and others, usually starts at about $800.

The hole story: Less-expensive subwoofers usually have a port that allows air to escape, increasing efficiency and the amount of bass. But they sometimes sound bloated and sluggish, especially with music. A sealed subwoofer, with no ports, usually sounds more taut.

The Dayton SUB-100, available from Parts Express (www.partsexpress.com), has a 10-inch driver driven by a 125-watt amplifier with two rear ports. At $125, delivered, it's considered perhaps the best-performing low-cost subwoofer in the country. Otherwise, expect to spend at least $400 to $500 for a decent subwoofer. In that price range, look for brands such as PSB, Pinnacle, Polk, Paradigm and Athena.

Powered vs. passive: A powered subwoofer means it has its own amplifier. A passive subwoofer, with no amplifier, must be connected to an audio-video receiver like an additional speaker. Avoid the passive types.

The lowdown: Look for a subwoofer that reaches down to at least 35 hertz (the lowest note produced in the musical world is the low-C of the pipe organ, 16 hertz). Check the manufacturer's ratings. The lowest rumbles of the Outlaw LFM-1, which hit 25 hertz, will seem capable of imploding your house.

Making the connection: Most subwoofers offer two methods of connection to an audio-video receiver. The "line level," which requires one or two interconnects, is preferred. If your receiver doesn't have a subwoofer output, connect the subwoofer like another loudspeaker using speaker wire.

The set-up: Remember, the subwoofer takes care of the low notes your main speakers can't reach. Treat it like a partnership. Pay special attention to controls on the subwoofer's back panel for volume and frequency adjustment.

Start by setting the subwoofer's high-frequency cutoff -- with a dial often designated "crossover" that ranges from 50 hertz to 160 hertz -- to match the lowest frequency of your main loudspeakers. (Check the speaker manual. Most smaller home-theater speakers bottom out anywhere from 70 to 120 hertz.)

When you set the subwoofer's crossover at 70 hertz, for example, it will not produce a note above that frequency.

If you hear movie dialogue from the subwoofer, you've set the frequency too high. Listen for a smooth transition from the lowest notes of the speakers to the subwoofer. Adjust the sub's volume if bass sounds too prominent or boomy. More precise settings require test tones and a sound-level meter.

The placement: Bass notes are considered non-directional -- hard for the human ear to detect where they're coming from -- so a subwoofer can be placed just about anywhere. But the front of the room is preferred, near, between or behind the home theater's front speakers. Placing it in a corner increases bass output.

What to spend: One-third to one-half the total of the remaining five or more speakers in your home theater.

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Send e-mail to home&garden@tribune.com. Please include your name and hometown.


Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

The Dayton Audio SUB-100 is the perfect subwoofer for small to medium sized home theaters and listening rooms. A 125-watt amplifier, long-throw front firing 10" driver, and dual rear ports produce impressively deep and clean bass.

(Product # 300-633)

Reg: $124.88 Sale: $99.00
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