Upgrade ACI Titan or VTF3mkII

[dagger]

This is not intended to create any wars on ACI versus Hsu, but rather looking for any members who have experience with ACI Titan subs and thus what I might expect if I were to upgrade to Hsu.

I have the MkI version that has served me very well for 5 years and is still in excellent shape. I do have an upgrade itch especially since I moved out of 2-channel and head first into HT. It works well (clean, tight and fast bass) but not the ultimate in impact (but I still demand very high sonic quality, low distortion, agile bass capabilities) in my larger HT room and with today's soundtracks (I still do some audio listening though). I could spend a few hundred and upgrade it to mkII level, but I am considering an option to sell it and use that plus the upgrade funds to replace it if I can find a superior solution. I have followed Hsu subs for years and even auditioned one 4 to 5 years ago - was an ear opener to hear true 20Hz frequencies being reproduced!

Now, I of course could just spend the money now to get a new VTF3mkII and do some comparisons, but that's not the point of this inquiry and as well I already know it will (should) perform better than the mkI Titan. Just looking for some inputs on the ACI sonic values compared to current Hsu from those with some experience.

Thanks,
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[Sasha_G]

Thanks for your question. One of the most respected reviewers in the industry, Tom Nousaine, did measurements of the ACI Titan as well as our VTF-2.

http://members.cox.net/frankcarter/Tom%20Nousaine%20Sub%20Data.htm

If you follow the link above, you'll see that the VTF-2, our ten inch woofer, can reach 109.7 dB (look at the footnote to see the 109.7 measurement).

Ok, you may be asking why I'm talking about output levels when you just want to know about sound quality. Really, we care about musical, clean, tight bass more than anything else. Low distortion is one indicator of a good sounding sub, which is why we refer to Tom’s numbers. All his output levels are based on a 10% distortion level.

The VTF-3 MK 2 would be roughly the equivalent of two VTF-2s, so when the loud bass scenes hit it will handle it with ease and sound effortless.

[dagger]

Thanks Sasha for the input. I have seen Tom's list before and I believe he did test with the Titan mkI version. I was confident that the newer VTF-3 MK2 would outperform my Titan, but was hoping to also hear from anyone with Titan mkII experience and their observed differences between the 2. Looks like very little can compete with the Hsu at this price range, so I am "this" close to ordering, but am just doing a little more investigating before I click the order button (it appears they are on backorder - any estimate as to when they will be available again?)

Cheers,
dagger

[Dudley]

Remember that once they are in stock you will have to pay for shipping, so there is an advantage to ordering during the backorder.