Subwoofer to add on to Logitech z506?

[Ironarmygeneral]

I would like to add another sub and MAYBE a few more speakers (I have eleven as of now with three subs, two subs suck), and I would like to run them in a compatible configuration. I have a bunch of audio jack splitters (some 4mm and some 3.5mm) already, so if I need to run them separately from the z506, I am totally cool with that. Are there any subwoofers that are pretty good, (Maybe even THX qualified), that I can get for no more than $100? Requirements it needs:

- RCA output, or regular audio output if it comes with speakers. No more than two satellites.)
- RCA and/or regular audio input
- Bass control

What I prefer if possible:

- THX qualified
- Large, bigger than the z506 subwoofer at LEAST
- Downward facing driver

 

[USAFRet]

I would like to add another sub and MAYBE a few more speakers (I have eleven as of now with three subs, two subs suck)

You currently have 11 speakers, and 3 subs.
And this is not enough?

You need better quality speakers, not more speakers.

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

I would like to add another sub and MAYBE a few more speakers (I have eleven as of now with three subs, two subs suck)

You currently have 11 speakers, and 3 subs.
And this is not enough?

You need better quality speakers, not more speakers.

Dude, I have some of the best speakers I've ever heard. But I just bass. To me, the more, the better. The only thing that sucks are two of my subs. Which is why I want a new one to run with dual subwoofers. If you were able to, I'd ask ya to ask any of my friends that have visited my house... my surround sound is f-ing gorgeous sounding. Clear as day. Almost $2,000 worth of a computer and $1,500 worth of speakers. Please don't judge and just help me... II really want another sub.

 

[USAFRet]

Well...if you have that quality of equip, and that knowledge of what is good, and the knowledge of the construction of your environment...
...I'm not sure how anyone else could suggest another particular sub for you.

What sounds good in my house probably won't sound good in yours.

 

[ssddx]

let us assume for a moment that you are actually speaking the truth when you say you have "$3500 worth of sound equipment".

what good do you think a $100 subwoofer is going to be? for such a light budget all you will get on the home theater end of things is a a small, low output entry level subwoofer. if pounding deep bass is what you want then you would need to spend more and get something half decent.

also, you may want to consider quality over quantity. having more does not necessarily mean better. having fewer, better speakers can make for a much grander experience. also, mixing and matching different speaker brands and styles with differing frequency responses and characteristics can muddy up sound a bit if you are not careful. also, trying to build a large setup out of pc speakers is going to have subwoofers firing randomly across the channels given how subwoofers work, unless you have a virtual rats nest of cabling to separate the correct channels (note: this only works with 5.1 and 7.1 pc speakers. for 2.1 speakers your'e SOL).

i think you might be much happier with a 5.1 or 7.1 built from quality speakers, a receiver and a nice quality subwoofer - but thats your choice how you spend your money.

---

to actually give some recommendations:

for around $100 in terms of bang for the buck dayton's sub-1000 is not a terrible choice although it does not have the features you want. the polk psw10 also is decent for fairly cheap although again it does not have the features you seem to want and its weaker than the dayton by a fair margin.

the dayton does have rca inputs you can use, however like most home theater subs is not going to have rca output as this is not a common requirement for home theater. only crappy pc speaker subwoofers are likely to have rca jacks, which they oddly use for their amplified connections while in home theater they are low-level only.

 

[RealBeast]

I would like to add another sub and MAYBE a few more speakers (I have eleven as of now with three subs, two subs suck)

You currently have 11 speakers, and 3 subs.
And this is not enough?

You need better quality speakers, not more speakers.

Dude, I have some of the best speakers I've ever heard. But I just bass. To me, the more, the better. The only thing that sucks are two of my subs. Which is why I want a new one to run with dual subwoofers. If you were able to, I'd ask ya to ask any of my friends that have visited my house... my surround sound is f-ing gorgeous sounding. Clear as day. Almost $2,000 worth of a computer and $1,500 worth of speakers. Please don't judge and just help me... II really want another sub.

Your speakers can't be that good if they are that cheap, so save your money and improve the quality. My 1200W 10" Velodyne sub cost more than all your speakers, you can get one HERE but wait for a sale, which they have several times a year. Also, you will want a high power amp to run all the bookshelf reference speakers that you will want to match the quality of that sub.

You only need one sub as they are non-direction and a single good sub will move the foundation of your house at under 50% volume.

Best to go troll elsewhere.

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

You do not understand. I may have many speakers, but they all have very good sound quality. And I don't want a $100 sub to replace, I was one to just add in a bit more bass where I can. I plan to have three speakers in the back, two on each side, and the rest in the front. Each sub below in the front on the front right and front left. You keep saying I need 'quality over quantity'. No... I have both quality and quantity. I know what I'm doing when it comes to audio... I've been messing with audio since I was a small boy. I only want another sub to replace my two old ones, since they suck. Trust me... a new $100 sub would be better than both of those two combined. The reason I want so many speakers and subwoofers is because I use different channels for personal experiments... I only use a 7.1 channel an sometimes a 7.2 channel for actual music. You could call me an audio freak... that's all I do when I am bored. But yes... I experiment with some personal things, and I need many channels and speakers for these things. So again, please do not tell me what I need and don't need, and or judge... I asked for a recommendation and that's it. No lectures.

And to the other guy... yeah, I know. The only reason I asked for any suggestions on here, even though I know what I'm doing, is because I personally couldn't find any subs I wanted online. Either too big, looked ugly, or weren't compatible. I decoded to make a post here because I suck at looking things up... so I kinda used Tom's Hardware as a lazy way out, lol.

 

[ssddx]

perhaps you missed the part where i did give you two recommendations. perhaps they do not have the exact features or styling you are looking for however the sub-1000 listed (or sub-1200, sub-100, sub-120) is a good budget level choice. the z506 has (as far as i can tell) a 27w subwoofer so any of these at minimum is going to be far more powerful than that. in the large scheme of things 100w for a subwoofer is nothing. i use a 450w in a 14x13 and its about right when delivering that decent punch - far more substantial than when i had the x-530. please note that the logitech subwoofers are more bloated and "boomy" sounding while good subwoofers are "punchy" with that deep low end "rumble".

also, perhaps you missed the part where i said "you may want to consider". this was not forceful but instead was a recommendation to improve the quality of your system. entirely optional on your part.

---

so, why did you get the responses you did? my thoughts on why things broke down a bit...

you ranted on how gorgeous your system sounded and how much the equipment cost despite being half pc speaker and half home theater based with tons of channels without offering up an explanation that you used it for experimental purposes or not all at one time. to most audiophiles the z506 is about as far away from gorgeous sounding as it gets (as are most pc speakers) and for the money you paid they woud show you a system which might even make you raise your eyebrows when you heard it. the z506 a decent set of budget speakers i'll grant you (i liked my old x-530 set while i had it) but it really can not compare at all to home theater speakers of any quality. note: i'm not saying you do not love your system's sound just that when you note how good something is for X price you're likely to get some opinions on how it could be better for the price paid.

next you seem to expect a bit much out of a cheapo subwoofer purchase. it seems that you are after a substantial quantity of bass, at least this is what we can infer from how you wrote out your reply. a 100 or 120w subwoofer is not going to give you room shaking bass. we are not in the habit of dolling out answers haphazardly that do not best fit the end user. while i did give you some low cost solutions, it was certainly advised that you would be better off with something more substantial as i do not think you can get the performance you seem to desire out of a cheap subwoofer unit.

---

ultimately your call if you wish to stay or go however i will say that if you post in this manner on other forums you are likely to get the same treatment.

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

perhaps you missed the part where i did give you two recommendations. perhaps they do not have the exact features or styling you are looking for however the sub-1000 listed (or sub-1200, sub-100, sub-120) is a good budget level choice. the z506 has (as far as i can tell) a 27w subwoofer so any of these at minimum is going to be far more powerful than that. in the large scheme of things 100w for a subwoofer is nothing. i use a 450w in a 14x13 and its about right when delivering that decent punch - far more substantial than when i had the x-530. please note that the logitech subwoofers are more bloated and "boomy" sounding while good subwoofers are "punchy" with that deep low end "rumble".

also, perhaps you missed the part where i said "you may want to consider". this was not forceful but instead was a recommendation to improve the quality of your system. entirely optional on your part.

---

so, why did you get the responses you did? my thoughts on why things broke down a bit...

you ranted on how gorgeous your system sounded and how much the equipment cost despite being half pc speaker and half home theater based with tons of channels without offering up an explanation that you used it for experimental purposes or not all at one time. to most audiophiles the z506 is about as far away from gorgeous sounding as it gets (as are most pc speakers) and for the money you paid they woud show you a system which might even make you raise your eyebrows when you heard it. the z506 a decent set of budget speakers i'll grant you (i liked my old x-530 set while i had it) but it really can not compare at all to home theater speakers of any quality. note: i'm not saying you do not love your system's sound just that when you note how good something is for X price you're likely to get some opinions on how it could be better for the price paid.

next you seem to expect a bit much out of a cheapo subwoofer purchase. it seems that you are after a substantial quantity of bass, at least this is what we can infer from how you wrote out your reply. a 100 or 120w subwoofer is not going to give you room shaking bass. we are not in the habit of dolling out answers haphazardly that do not best fit the end user. while i did give you some low cost solutions, it was certainly advised that you would be better off with something more substantial as i do not think you can get the performance you seem to desire out of a cheap subwoofer unit.

---

ultimately your call if you wish to stay or go however i will say that if you post in this manner on other forums you are likely to get the same treatment.

Why do you think I want another sub? I'm an audiophile and I hate my z506 subwoofer. I already have another, but if I take my z506 away and throw it away, and then add that one in... I only have ONE. And like I said, I need TWO. When I said that two subs sucked, I meant a very small Manhattan subwoofer and the z506 sub. The other one is an old Harmon/Kardon subwoofer... and it's f-ing huge and sounds amazing. I'm getting ride of the z506 sub and the Manhattan sub, and keeping the Harmon/Jardon subwoofer. Like I said, that only leaves one sub in my setup. I need TWO. So I asked for a recomendation. I can look at your recomendations but I'll have to see

 

[USAFRet]

Recommending a particular add on sub is useless without knowing much more.

What do you have now, specifically?
What is powering them?
How large is the space you're trying to fill?
What is the budget?

$100 sub woofer? Polk Audio PWS10 10". $130 at Amazon
http/www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-10-Inch-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B0002KVQBA

Will that work well with what you have? Completely unknown.
I have one, and it's great for a small inexpensive sub.

 

[ien2222]

I think part of your problem is that with you first post you made it sound like you were sort of looking for another "PC" type sub and it wasn't until your last post that I realized what you were doing. Now it's more clear what you're doing and what your need is.

For around $100 you won't do any better than the Dayton sub's, unless you find a super clearance/sale type deal. Even the Sub-800 will be far better that the the two subs you're getting rid of. However, I'd go with at least the Sub-1000, though if you can swing it, go with the Sub-1500.

Of course, this suggestion is simply because a $100 budget doesn't yield much choice. If you decide to increase your budget, then other considerations can be addressed at that time such as size of room and desired FR and SPL.

 

[ien2222]

You only need one sub as they are non-direction and a single good sub will move the foundation of your house at under 50% volume.

This is incorrect. For mid to upper frequecies that subs usually handle, they are still directional inside a room. However, since it does become increasingly difficult to localize, other cues such as higher frequency sounds or visual cues can override any localization that a person may determine in the bass region which is why 80Hz is a used as standard crossover between sats and subs.

More importantly however, as you go into frequencies below 100Hz Allison and boundary effect issues will show themselves and make it impossible to have even bass throughout the listening area/room and the solution is to use multiple subs to even it out.

If you want quality even bass, you need at least 2 subs.

 

[USAFRet]

You only need one sub as they are non-direction and a single good sub will move the foundation of your house at under 50% volume.

This is incorrect. For mid to upper frequecies that subs usually handle, they are still directional inside a room. However, since it does become increasingly difficult to localize, other cues such as higher frequency sounds or visual cues can override any localization that a person may determine in the bass region which is why 80Hz is a used as standard crossover between sats and subs.

More importantly however, as you go into frequencies below 100Hz Allison and boundary effect issues will show themselves and make it impossible to have even bass throughout the listening area/room and the solution is to use multiple subs to even it out.

If you want quality even bass, you need at least 2 subs.

This completely depends on the space to be filled. Of which we have no idea.

 

[ien2222]

You only need one sub as they are non-direction and a single good sub will move the foundation of your house at under 50% volume.

This is incorrect. For mid to upper frequecies that subs usually handle, they are still directional inside a room. However, since it does become increasingly difficult to localize, other cues such as higher frequency sounds or visual cues can override any localization that a person may determine in the bass region which is why 80Hz is a used as standard crossover between sats and subs.

More importantly however, as you go into frequencies below 100Hz Allison and boundary effect issues will show themselves and make it impossible to have even bass throughout the listening area/room and the solution is to use multiple subs to even it out.

If you want quality even bass, you need at least 2 subs.

This completely depends on the space to be filled. Of which we have no idea.

Actually no, this particular piece of info only depends on the fact that your gear is within 20-30 feet of a wall. Auditorium or stadium settings weren't being discussed here.

 

[USAFRet]

You only need one sub as they are non-direction and a single good sub will move the foundation of your house at under 50% volume.

This is incorrect. For mid to upper frequecies that subs usually handle, they are still directional inside a room. However, since it does become increasingly difficult to localize, other cues such as higher frequency sounds or visual cues can override any localization that a person may determine in the bass region which is why 80Hz is a used as standard crossover between sats and subs.

More importantly however, as you go into frequencies below 100Hz Allison and boundary effect issues will show themselves and make it impossible to have even bass throughout the listening area/room and the solution is to use multiple subs to even it out.

If you want quality even bass, you need at least 2 subs.

This completely depends on the space to be filled. Of which we have no idea.

Actually no, this particular piece of info only depends on the fact that your gear is within 20-30 feet of a wall. Auditorium or stadium settings weren't being discussed here.

Are we looking at a 10x12 bedroom, or a 30x30 living room?
Hardwood floor or carpet? Drapes? Ceiling texture?
No idea.

I'm just saying...there is no absolute. 1 or 2 subs, along with all the other speakers and what is driving them...there is no single answer.

 

[ien2222]

Are we looking at a 10x12 bedroom, or a 30x30 living room?
Hardwood floor or carpet? Drapes? Ceiling texture?
No idea.

I'm just saying...there is no absolute. 1 or 2 subs, along with all the other speakers and what is driving them...there is no single answer.

This is physics. Both Allison and boundary effects deal with reflections, unless you are in an open field, or in an an anechoic chamber you will have reflections. Even specifically designed home theaters by say...The Erskine Group where reflections are dealt with, they will still have multiple subs because room treatments (panels, diffusers, traps) and design will only do so much.

As I alluded to above, after a certain point the room is big enough where they really don't represent a problem but besides the floor, you're looking at keeping the kit at least 20 feet off the wall or ceiling. I doubt anyone here is talking about a 60' x 60' room with 20 foot ceilings (this assumes you are using room treatments, otherwise it needs to be much much larger).

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

OMG. Just stop arguing people. Especially with me. Want a reason on why I need a new sub to replace my z506 and my Manhattan subs? Listen to this (When you hear the rattling, that's my hand underneath the sub as it vibrates. In this video, the sub isn't even all the way turned up.) Link: https/youtu.be/GCsXz9CS7K0

So what I am doing:

Keeping the Harmon/Kardon subwoofer and throwing my z506 and my Manhattan subwoofer OUT.

Buying a new sub to run in parallel with my Harmon/Kardon subwoofer.

And rearranging the rest of my speakers.

That's it. I dunno where you all got the idea I wanted a new PC sub... I never said that. But yes... this is what I'm doing so I needed recomendations since I sucks at doing research and I am also too lazy too keep going. Thanks to those who actually responded with an answer that actually answered my question instead of questioning my reasoning, judgment, and knowledge of audio.

 

[USAFRet]

That's it. I dunno where you all got the idea I wanted a new PC sub... I never said that.

"I would like to add another sub and MAYBE a few more speakers..."

 

[Ironarmygeneral]

That's it. I dunno where you all got the idea I wanted a new PC sub... I never said that.

"I would like to add another sub and MAYBE a few more speakers..."

And where exactly did you get PC speakers or even PC out of this sentence at all?

 

[USAFRet]

That's it. I dunno where you all got the idea I wanted a new PC sub... I never said that.

"I would like to add another sub and MAYBE a few more speakers..."

And where exactly did you get PC speakers or even PC out of this sentence at all?

Nothing stated otherwise.
However, the z506 was mentioned.

Anyway...you've been given suggestions, both cheap and expensive
I'm out.