Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Boston Acoustics PV-1000 Speakers by Klipschead

Fellow Inmates:

Last week I searched the archives for subwoofer information. There were very many good posts - especially from Sean. Some of you have a technical backround and understanding of audio's underlying principles (principles of operation) that I do not possess and probably never will. I glean what I can.

"Accuracy" is not just timbre and nuance and the host of other descriptive terms that are used in evaluation. At this point in my life I have decided that equipment should sound "musical". That doesn't necessarily mean "accurate". Its an old argument and its interesting to see me sitting on the other side of the proverbial fence. I now believe that dynamics are the bigger part of "accuracy".

If we are walking down the street and hear music - what is it about the music that lets us know whether it is live or being reproduced on speakers? - Timbre? Nuance? Pace? Dynamics?

Uncompressed and open is what we should hear. The more dynamic the music is - the less it sounds like speakers, and the more its sounds like a live performance

Who has ever heard the sound of a trumpet or someone 'working out' a drum kit on a set of K-horns? Its not like being there. IT IS BEING THERE. This is undeniable and not even open to debate.

But what does this have to do with subwoofers? Absolutely everything. Good bass is a bitch - But what is "good" bass? Well, I am talking dynamics here and what I am looking for is 'attack' and 'speed'. So, in MY system in MY room - I want a sub that can flat get it. Oh yeah, it also has to cost less than $1500 (now realize here I have in mind subs that average joes can afford. Please keep that in mind. Do not hold my comments in contempt when you are thinking about price no object designs).

I spent 5 years living with my best friend and his DQ10's after my divorce. His house is small and these baby's were sitting less than six feet in front of us. It is the bass they produced by which I compare everything else. I've been chasing that sound for 20 years. Dynamic AND articulate. I want to hear the notes - some definition - not this sound that everyone keeps calling 'bass' where all the damn notes are running together. I want to hear the percussive element of bass - I want to hear some 'attack' - not just the sound of drivers pushing air around moving my furniture.

But you know - I NEVER heard those DQ10's in any other room but that one room. I have no idea at all what the bass of those speakers would have sounded like had they been located somewhere else. Would the sonic signature have been the same had they been placed in the bathroom? The backyard? I wonder if for 20 years I've been chasing a damn ghost.

Some thoughts about subs in general (using one sub)

I believe the mains should be run full range. Its stupid to spend all this money on our equipment so we can have a 'pure' signal going to our speakers and then run everything through a high pass filter before it even gets to the amp. I am assuming here that the mains already have some decent LF response. I think if one is using mini-monitors with minimal LF response - they should use two subwoofers.

I believe subs only work well and sound good if the mains themselves already have a good quality bass, and go low enough to allow you to use the subs LOWEST setting. I've noticed that even the 100HZ setting completely changes the character of a subwoofer. I found that lowering the low pass setting and leaving the volume level where it is - nets a considerably 'cleaner' sound.

Sean and Bruce (from DC) are right - turn 'em down so you CAN'T hear them. I experimented with this and was amazed at how well it worked. When there was output below 50HZ I clearly noticed it - but only as an extension of my mains - not as its own entity apart from them. I also tried this in the showroom with all the subs they sold and concluded they were all turned up too loud.

"Which sub is best" now seems like a ridulous question to me. We need to treat that question the same way we treat these questions: "Whats the best speaker?", "whats the best CD player?", "whats the best cables?" -

how do we answer these questions?

"What are you integrating it with and please, tell me something about your room."

It always comes down to system matching - out of the many posts I read, I never came across a single mention of system matching regarding subwoofers. Why? Is it really so hard to believe that one design might actually sound better than another depending on what mains you are running it with. Or that one type might sound better than another depending on what your listening room is like?

I've read all of the posts dealing with the attributes and shortcomings of various designs. Seems they all have their problems. It was especially interesting reading the negative posts on Carver's Sunfire sub. I must be going deaf because I always considered it a great sub. Doesn't suprise me though - for my "Klipschettes" don't get any respect either. Everyone's always beating up on Bob Carver, but he keeps right on pushing the envelope. Whenever I hear something negative about one of his products it is usually a tell tale sign I should make extra effort to take a listen. Most of us are simply victims of our own bias'. What a shame.

So what about these 'wonder subs' or as one poster commented - "smoke and mirror 2000 watt subs..."

I like them. Mostly because there is very little cabinet material to resonate and so I hear the bass - not the box. Most subs don't even pass the knuckle rap test. I won't buy a speaker that doesn't pass it so why should I buy a sub that doesn't. Yea, yea - they brace 'em.

Some of you know I started out with a Phase Technology Acoustically suspended 15" with 200 watts. When I rolled it over to put spikes in it I found air leaking from two of the seams. I called the salesman on the phone to tell him and he said, "Dean, you are nuts. There is no way air is coming out of those seams." He soon recanted.

So - did I buy Carver's Sunfire? No, I didn't. Why not? A little out of my budget for one. Not readily available in my area and I refuse to shop by mail - for two. And three - I found something pretty much in the same ball park.

Boston Acoustics PV1000

Doesn't just make good bass but POUNDS out good bass. Very small footprint at just over a foot. 1000 watts of class D amplification pushing a 10" active down firing and rear firing 10" passive. 24db/octave low pass, controls on the FRONT, and a beautiful black ash veneer which matches my RB5's perfectly. For further info see:

http://www.bostonacoustics.com/ProductsPage.asp?ProductID=110&SpecID=7&SeriesID=33

The sub was a CES Innovations 2000 award winner for Design and Engineering Excellence - I do not know what the criteria is for giving this award - I just know it SOUNDS good (in MY room with MY speakers). It integrates nicely and since it so small it is easy to move around for experimention. It took all but 1/2 hour to find the best spot. It ended up 3' away from my right speaker against the wall under the window. I used one of our solid oak TV tray stands - took it apart until all I had was the oak 'slab' (17"x12" & 3/4" thick). I drilled some holes into the bottom and put in some nice spikes. I then pushed it down into the carpet and put the sub on top of it. Vibrapods will be ordered this Friday for the feet of the sub to sit into.

One 'Note'

There is a scene in Matrix when Neo sits in 'the chair' for the first time after taking the 'pill'. He reaches over and puts his finger into the standing mirror in front of him. There is a note there. It hangs in the air forever. Its gorgeous. There is some decay. It sounds very good.

One 'song'

On Pink Floyd's Momentary Lapse of Reason CD the fourth track is 'One Slip'. Serious kick drum here folks. This little sub pounds it out like its on a coffee break. Totally effortless. It reverbrates through the room and oh so sweet.

Everything I have listened to sounds great. Decent attack and a degree of decay on everything. The PV1000 doesn't seem to mind having to keep up with my aluminum woofers on my RB5's. Klipschead is happy and strongly recommends the PV1000 for small to medium sized rooms with systems that tend towards quickness. A $1200 well spent.

Dean,

REVIEW: Boston Acoustics PV-1000 Speakers Review by Klipschead at Audio Asylum