Elemental Designs, Hsu Research, SVS are probably the most popular internet-direct (ID) brands for subwoofers. They offer more subwoofer for your money than those found in big name stores.

Want to know more about these companies and their offerings?

Elemental Designs (eD)

Elemental Designs (eD) is based in Newton, Iowa and has its roots in the car audio scene. I would consider eD as the bang-for-the-buck company, its subwoofers are finished in odye (truck bedliner finish) which is very coarse like sand paper. The subwoofers nonetheless would blend in properly depending on where you would be putting them. If you are going to the put the subwoofer in the corner of a dedicated theater room, where it would be inconspicuous, odye is fine. Otherwise, you can always request your order to be matte-finished for an additional fee.

All eD subwoofers, shipped starting January 22, 2009, are matte-finished and there is no additional fee. Some of their subwoofers are custom-built, made-to-order. It usually takes around 3 to 4 weeks time to arrive at your doorstep.

Some models, like the newly redesigned A3-300 and A5-350, are readily available. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to order the entry-level A2-300, better hurry before they raise the price by $50 on May 15, 2009.

Hsu Research

Hsu Research is a dedicated bass research company which was established in 1991 by Dr. Hsu. The company is based in Orange County, California. The business was started shortly after Dr. Hsu acquired his Civil Engineering PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Hsu subwoofers come in a variety of finishes, they offer the most number of finishes among ID brands I know of. Hsu has also developed the first high-end wireless subwoofer, the ULS-15, which houses a 15-inch driver in approximately a 19-inch cube enclosure.

Hsu’s products are known to be musical compared to competing brands, so if music is your thing, take a look at their subwoofer line. But don’t mistake their products as underperforming for HT purposes.

SVS

SVS is said to have the best customer service among the companies mentioned above. In my opinion, they also have the most aesthetically pleasing products. They have their base of operations in Ohio.

SVS is the only company out of these three that market cylindrical-type subwoofers, which would come in handy when you have tight placement options.

SVS has the SB12-Plus subwoofer, which is sealed (no ports) and has a small footprint. If you’re considering a sealed subwoofer and looking for more oomph than the SB12-Plus, considering waiting for the SB13-Plus and SB16-Ultra which are rumored to be released sometime October 2009.

SVS offers their mid and high-end box subwoofers in furniture-grade finishes such as Oak, Rosenut and Gloss Black (for an additional fee), normal textured charcoal black is the basic option. Current models of box subwoofers are all front-firing (Not that down-firing or front-firing matters for subwoofers, but some prefer one over the other because of aesthetic reasons).

Note: SVS is available in Canada via Sonic Boom Audio, and in the Philippines via MKC International.

Making a Decision

If you do plan to get a subwoofer for your home theater and live in the continental USA (or have the resources to import one), look no further than these brands. Forget about Klipsch, Polk Audio, Yamaha, Velodyne, JBL… Yes these aforementioned companies make good and great products but you would definitely get more than what you pay for when you decide to go internet-direct for your subwoofer. These companies are essentially giving you more for your money because they do not have overhead costs from maintaining a physical store and employing numerous employees.

The following models listed below are what I would recommend on varying price points. If sky is the limit for your budget, I would definitely recommend getting the SVS PB13-Ultra.

Note: Prices may not be exactly reflected, some might incur additional fees for shipping and/or taxes.

$325-$375

• Elemental Designs A2-250
• Elemental Designs A2-300
• Elemental Designs A3-250

$500-$600

• Elemental Designs A3-300 with Upgraded Driver
• Hsu VTF-1
• SVS PB10-NSD

$650-$800

• Elemental Designs A5-350
• Hsu VTF2-MK3
• SVS PB12-NSD
• SVS PC12-NSD
• SVS SB12-Plus

$800-$1000

• Elemental Designs A7S-450 (for mainly music purposes)
• Hsu VTF3-MK3
• SVS PC12-Plus

$1200

• Elemental Designs A7-350
• SVS PB12-Plus

$1400-$1600

• Hsu ULS-15
• SVS PB13-Ultra