STF-2 is great, but........

[bizombb]

just recently talked my brother into buying a STF-2(from compusa, sorry Sasha). I helped him set it up and I was amazed at the sound quality and levels of deep bass from such an inexpensive sub. The reviews are right on, even though they are of the VTF-2. I was also considering buying one for myself but have questions between the difference of a STF-2 or a STF-3. My current home theater conists of a yamaha rxv-3000 with two pairs of boston towers and 2 boston center channels. I noticed on my brothers setup(which is my old yamaha reciever and the same pair of boston towers) that when cranking up the music the sub seems to not be able to hang with the rest of the system. It just kinda runs out of gas. Can you recommend a different sub you make that might play a little lower and louder? Basically, in terms of output and low bass what kinda of gain in db would I get from a STF-3? Do you or anyone reading this think it is worth the price increase? At the moment I cant afford to buy anything more expensive than that.

P.S. I just got a part time job in the Home Theater section of Compusa while I attend grad school, trust me nobody will ever buy any sub from me except yours.....think I deserved the $50 in savings for that.

Jason

[Lwang]

I don't know if you are going to specialize in audio in CompUSA's HT dept. Since the each team member would be versed in the five primary categories being introduced in the stores -- plasma, LCD, portable DVD, DVD recorders, and PVR.

Where is audio?

[Michael Bain]

The first thing to do is to carefully and properly calibrate and place the subwoofer in room. Hsu can assist you if you tell him about your system components and placement options. SPL levels should not be a big problem with music. If you want something louder that can more easily pressurize a larger room, the STF-3 will fit the bill with approximately 6db's more output, double the output, at maximum.

[Ddavidson]

No doubt about it, the answer is to get the STF-3 with 12" and 300w amp due on the 29th Dec.


Ddavidson

[mnjoe]

Newbie here. Been checking out the forum for a few weeks as I'm looking to replace the lackluster sub currently in place. Sent my setup and room dimensions to HSU for some advice and was advised(very quick turnaround) that the STF-3 would be the best fit. Room is 2500 cubic feet with a pretty large opening to another room, setup is a Yamaha RXV800, Boston VR950 towers, 910 center plus some VRS surrounds. Had been thinking about the STF-2 initially but now want to go with the 3 given this advice. Still hesitating as I'm almost afraid it will be too powerful coming off the lowly BA PV400 now in place. "Pressurizing" the room easily may be a good thing for me but I've got some other household members to consider. How much of a step-up is this going to be if I go with the STF-3? Will it fit well with my rather modest set-up or is it overkill?

bizzomb: what Bostons are you using and how large is the space?

[tdekany]

It is always better to have ""too much"' then "too little""
You can always turn it down. If HSU recommends the 3 then you should take their advise.

[haionlife]

I agree. The 3 will have a fuller and lower end and will improve your quality factor when the sub is pushing higher dbs.

BUT...if you want the max output
Positioning is key. In various rooms I've gotten 6-9db gains just by moving the sub a few feet (or the listening position). Experiment and test their limits of tolerance..."Its a lot LIKE a coffee table!" This can also tame boomy peaks you may be experiencing.

There's a spreadsheet to help you figure out your trouble frequencies on Stereophile's Guide to Home Theater website www.guidetohometheater.com click on The Sweet Spot.

Mark