paradigm dsp-3100 vs hsu stf-2

[samnor]

anyone have any input on a comparison between the two. Specs and price seem similar (New dsp-3100's are going for 399$ on ebay... ) but nothing like hearing from past owners of paradigm dsp subs...

[Pete_Hsu]

Hi Sam,

I doubt there are many people (if any) who have compared these two models side by side. That said, the STF-2 even when brand new is lower cost, and should have higher deep bass efficiency. Paradigm is a great company too. Probably can't go wrong either way.

Sincerely,

[samnor]

Agree with you in that I havent seen any comparisons to the dsp series from paradigm anywhere. Just wondering purely based on technology as to whether there are any fundamental differences. Pardon my ignorance but does the stf-2 also use some kind of dsp or is that only in the vtf.

[Pete_Hsu]

Sam, none of our subs actually use DSP. My feelings are that DSP can be a neat thing, but that alone won't make one sub inherently better than another. We have a lot of customers who have switched from subs with DSP to our subs, and have preferred our subs. So it really depends on each individual design.

[Ddavidson]

anyone have any input on a comparison between the two. Specs and price seem similar (New dsp-3100's are going for 399$ on ebay... ) but nothing like hearing from past owners of paradigm dsp subs...
Ive had far too many subwoofers in my life, much to the wife's grief. But one hard lesson I have learnt is that looking at spec sheets is pretty much meaningless because subwoofers are not all crated equal. It seems to me that many manufacturers including Hsu, Paradigm (and the like) all have fans and detractors. However one persons opinion may be influenced by their preferences (either negatively or positively), but after listening to them this may not be your opinion.

The reason is, like it or not we all have our "preferences in sound", whether that might be crisp bright high frequencies or loud boomy bass. Its why listening and directly comparing is the only way to pick exactly whats right for "YOU".

Hsu is a favorite of mine because Dr Hsu designs his subs using music. The result being deep tight and "balanced" bass. Many designs are not well balanced across their operating range. Hsu is not one of those and their super pricing is just icing on the cake.

Pick any Hsu within your budget and size constraints and it will be comparably better than anything you can pick up new at any retail store regardless of the brand name or additional features offered.


Ddavidson

[cacihome]

anyone have any input on a comparison between the two. Specs and price seem similar (New dsp-3100's are going for 399$ on ebay... ) but nothing like hearing from past owners of paradigm dsp subs...


Don't spend your money in companies that have to pay a lot for marketing, payrolls, and big facilities...
This is precisely why ID(Internet Direct) brands have become so popular...

Whatever your budget is try a ID sub and you will not regret it.

[samnor]

agree with all your comments. My plan has always been to buy a hsu, just not right away due to budget. I am partial to paradigm (have a cc-350 center and have had listened to several monitor 7/9 speakers in the past) since they do have limited retail exposure and while not being true ID company, they do provide decent value for money... I normally see comparisons between most of the top subs in the mid to high end range and hadnt seen any on the dsp vs hsu which is why I had started this thread out of curiosity...

[cacihome]

Ok. Yeah paradigm is very very good for speakers.One of my favorite brands...

Their subs however....I dont like them as much...personally...

[Ddavidson]

One thing that I have found is that speaker company's don't make many subwoofers that I have found sound very good.

My favorite subs are all made by specialized subwoofer companies (like Hsu, JL, Velodyne). Paradigm do make some decent speakers and I did find their top line 15" sub was pretty decent (but it was just not great IMO). Not to mention the asking price at dealers was obviously overinflated to cover dealer margins. My Hsu TN1220 in the same room as the top line 15" Paradigm sounded tighter and more defined and yet cost less than 1/2 the price.

Maybe I am just a penny pincher but why pay such high markups when you can deal with the manufacturer direct?

Ddavidson