Previously, I’ve recounted my past audio systems used for the PC. After having two speaker systems from Altec Lansing, I’ve decided to go for a home theater in a box system since I love watching movies at the comfort of my own home. The main goal in getting the system was to experience surround sound. I got the Yamaha YHT-500 Home Theater in a Box system. It was around $400, came with 5 satellite speakers along with a YST-SW005 subwoofer which is shown on the right. The subwoofer had a 6.5-inch driver similar to my Altec Lansing speaker systems.

I didn’t have the knowledge to build a better system for myself which was the reason for getting an all-in-one system. The YHT-500 from Yamaha was indeed a totally new sound experience since it was the very first time I experienced surround sound at my very own home. Having sounds pan from left to right, from the back to the front was just unbelievable. However the subwoofer seemed to be lacking in certain movies, the YST-SW005 from Yamaha is powered by a modest 55W plate amplifier which definitely cannot handle going low and loud enough. There were some moments where the subwoofer’s opening or port would breathe out a lot of air, I guess it was the sign that it couldn’t handle well enough what was being passed through it. The subwoofer made me feel the explosions and low frequency effects (LFE) to a certain extent but it simply did not satisfy me.

I’ve had the patience to stay with my Yamaha subwoofer for a couple of years. But last year, I had the extreme urge of upgrading the inadequate Yamaha subwoofer. Hanging out at the AVS Forum for a couple months, I stumbled upon some subwoofer manufacturers who are considered “internet-direct.” The term was used because they have no physical stores and operate mainly via the world wide web.

There were a number of manufacturers that definitely caught my eye: SVS, Elemental Designs, Hsu Research and AV123. Of course I looked at the prices first since I didn’t want to spend a whole lot on a new subwoofer. So I basically limited my budget to around $350. I did not want to look at the specifications too much because the numbers/figures would just cause me to hunger for more than what I actually need. A subwoofer with a 500W amplifier definitely looks more attractive to purchase than one that comes with a 250W amplifier, wouldn’t you agree?

After researching across the AVS Forum for a couple of months, I’ve decided to go with Elemental Designs (eD). I believed that they offered the best bang for the buck  budget subwoofer, SVS and Hsu were just more expensive when you look at the same 12-inch subwoofer offerings. SVS was more expensive by around $200 while Hsu by around $250. I really wanted a 12-incher because I know it will give me a lot more oomph, plus it will help me ease away from upgrading to an even better subwoofer in such a short time. I’ve had a 6.5-inch subwoofer for so long that I didn’t want to take a chance with getting an 8-inch or a 10-inch one. I wanted to make a huge leap.

I talked with Mike C of MKC International (Official SVS Philippines distributor) since he cautioned me via private message at the AVS Forum to not acquire an eD subwoofer. This has nothing to do with him being the official SVS distributor in the Philippines. Mike C had acquired a pair of eD’s A7-450 (he got the older design, eD recently revamped the A7-450), and it had not performed to his standards. He has a number of SVS PB13-Ultra’s in his subwoofer arsenal. This didn’t sway me to spend a higher amount because I firmly limited myself to spending only $350 or below. I decided to take a chance on eD.

The eD A2-300 ($330 during the time I purchased it, with hourglass feet) subwoofer was shipped from the US, all the way to the Philippines. Imagine my fear that the product would experience some shipping mishap while in transit. It was shipped via ocean freight which takes around 4 to 5 weeks to arrive. Luckily its 70 lbs frame took no damage other than a few scratches here and there which were easily remedied by wiping with a damp cloth. This thing was just a monster! Look at its size when compared to a regular DVD case (Click on the image for a larger size). The subwoofer measures around 18″ x 18″ x 24″.

I really didn’t get the chance to hear the subwoofer before I purchased it since these products were not available in the Philippines. Even US residents can’t necessarily hear these stuff out unless they live somewhere near the headquarters of the internet-direct company.

To be continued…