Tube enclosures vs. boxes
July 20, 2005
Is there a difference in performance between subwoofers in
tube enclosures (Hsu, SVS) versus those with regular boxes? The tubes can be unsightly,
but it seems like you get more bang for your buck with these subwoofers.
Salah
Generally speaking it is more expensive for a
manufacturer to build a box than buy a tube. MDF cabinets are more labor-intensive to
build and are heavier, thereby making shipping more expensive, too. The tubes you see are
typically made from heavy-duty cardboard (think a large paper-towel roll and you'll have
the right idea) thereby making them fairly light. So the equivalent sized tube is, as a
rule, cheaper than its box counterpart. As for performance, setting aside cost and weight,
it still comes down to the quality of the individual design and all of the other parts
that go into making the subwoofer (driver, amplifier). These factors determine the
ultimate performance of the product. You'll have to decide whether or not you can live
with a large tube as a component.
To sum up, there very well may be a cost benefit to
buying a subwoofer with a tube enclosure. However, there are good subwoofers of both
variants available, so I would not look at a tube as inherently any better or worse than
its box equivalent.
"A rockin' site"
July 18, 2005
I'm not sure how often you hear this, but you have a
rockin' site. My NAD/NHT system sounds like it should cost much more, and it plays all
types of music with equal quality. I would not have bought this gear without your
articles. I hope to upgrade my DVD player soon to a better model like the Denon DVD-2910
(I have an older Pioneer now). It uses Burr-Brown DACs and is supposed to have a superior
audio section. Anyway, keep up the good work and keep telling us about good, affordable
equipment.
Allan
NAD?
July 15, 2005
I must first begin by telling you that you all have done a
great job with this website. It's very informative. Keep it up in today's world of
challenges.
My question to you is which equipment you would suggest. It
must be able to pump out very good bass. I was thinking of a combo of an NAD C272 power
amp and C160 preamplifier.
Please give me your suggestions. I was thinking KEF Q1 or
B&W 602 S3 speakers. I also have Phase Technology's Velocity range in mind.
Don
NAD would be my first choice, too. Their amplifier power
ratings are real, the equipment is made well and can withstand years of real-world use,
and I've never heard of an NAD not being able to drive power-hungry, bass-pumpin'
speakers. If you listen to music with heavy bass content -- and intend on buying speakers
that can reproduce prodigious low bass -- you do need a healthy dose of power. The C272 is
rated to produce 460Wpc of dynamic power into a 2-ohm load. That should be enough headroom
for either the B&Ws or KEFs, at whatever loudness level you choose to listen. I'm not
familiar with the speakers you're considering, but I can tell you that the NAD combo
should allow you to get the best out of them.
TAD-150 "best for the price"
July 13, 2005
I just wanted to say the there are a lot of people who
agree with your Tube Audio Design TAD-150 Signature review. It has what you might
call a cult-like following amongst a group of us audiophiles. Its sound is some of the
best for the price, even many times over the price, in my experience. I hope to see more
Tube Audio Design products reviewed in the future. The company is not well known, but it
should be. Thanks again for the review and the great website.
Robert R.
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