Which of these low-cost active subwoofers do you suggest?

[King Mustard]

I'm on the market for a low-cost active subwoofer for use with my Yamaha HTR-2071 AV receiver (owner's manual | quick start guide).

I believe these are my options:

Yamaha YST-FSW050 (link)
6.5" driver, 100W, 35-160 Hz
6-year warranty, £100

Fenton / Skytronic SHFS08B (link)
8" driver, "200W", 20-200 Hz
1-year warranty, £103

Yamaha NS-SW050 (link)
8" driver, 50W, 28-200 Hz
6-year warranty, £120

Pioneer S-21W (link)
6.5" driver, 100W, 33-700 Hz
1-year warranty, £120

Added Wharfedale Diamond SW-150
10" driver, 150W, 35-110 Hz
2-year warranty, £120 (showroom/returned condition)

Does anyone have any thoughts on any of them?

 

[Gasp3621]

You have wrong links there. Yamaha receiver but you linked some old Pioneer system. You have linked quite poor examples, but it´s no suprise that you get what you pay for. Do you have some Yamaha satellite speakers?

Remember you are in control how loud the sub will play, so you shouldn`t diss slightly larger one. Also you would get more of quality bass as opposed to those you linked which are mostly known as one note wonders. They likely emphasize some certain frequency area in the mid-bass range tricking people think they have good bass. Also cheap design, port noise and boomy bass isn`t anything new. To get that first step right you should save little bit and get example this forum favourite in the low budget range (it`s grade-b new & full warranty from company`s ebay site):

BK Gemini II Subwoofer in Black | eBay

BK Gemini II Subwoofer in Light Oak 5060403220059 | eBay

Gemini

 

[King Mustard]

You have wrong links there. Yamaha receiver but you linked some old Pioneer system. You have linked quite poor examples, but it´s no suprise that you get what you pay for. Do you have some Yamaha satellite speakers?

Remember you are in control how loud the sub will play, so you shouldn`t diss slightly larger one. Also you would get more of quality bass as opposed to those you linked which are mostly known as one note wonders. They likely emphasize some certain frequency area in the mid-bass range tricking people think they have good bass. Also cheap design, port noise and boomy bass isn`t anything new. To get that first step right you should save little bit and get example this forum favourite in the low budget range (it`s grade-b new & full warranty from company`s ebay site):

BK Gemini II Subwoofer in Black | eBay

BK Gemini II Subwoofer in Light Oak 5060403220059 | eBay

Gemini

Nicely spotted, I've fixed the URLs.

The cheapest two BK Electronics Gemini subwoofers on eBay:

• £140, used, collection only from a few hundred miles away
• £200, used.

Basically, they're way out of my budget.

I was happy with my initial £200 system-in-a-box (5.1 speakers, AV receiver) until the AV receiver packed up so I'm sure a £100 subwoofer will make me more than happy enough.

 

[Gasp3621]

Yep, it´s until you hear something better.. But if you are sure you don´t want to spend more or you won´t be upgrading your whole system to something better, then the 110£ costing Yammy is likely best option from those. I wouldn´t go anything smaller as you are already limited what you will hear (extension).

Yamaha NSSW050 (Black)

Another cheap option would be this:
Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 Blackwood Subwoofer - Subwoofers - AudioVisual Online - UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

 

[Derek S-H]

Of Gasp's two suggestions above, I'd definitely go for the Wharfedale.

It has a 10" driver compared to the Yamaha's puny 8", has a 150 watt amplifier compared to 50 watts, weighs over twice as much (20 kilos versus 8.5 kilos) and comes with a remote control!

These details will give you much better performance for only £10 more; there's just no comparison.

As a bad analogy, I liken it to having a bigger engine in a car: you may never use all the performance but it will be more effortless to drive compared to a smaller-engined car that's being thrashed.

Good luck!

 

[King Mustard]

I just came back with:

Yamaha YST-FSW050 (link)
6.5" driver, 100W, 35-160 Hz
6-year warranty, £100

Richer Sounds price-matched Amazon, so including their 6-year warranty, I got it for £100 total. Was driving around 1.5 hours there and back.

I got there around 12:30pm, so I didn't get a chance to see the post above regarding the Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 in showroom/returned condition for £120 :/

Wharfedale Diamond SW-150
10" driver, 150W, 35-110 Hz
2-year warranty, £120 (showroom/returned condition)

I don't know what to do now.

I don't fancy driving another 1.5 hours to return this Yamaha

 

[Gasp3621]

Shouldn`t you be able to return it by posting it back? Shouldn´t cost much as it`s lightweight.

 

[King Mustard]

Shouldn`t you be able to return it by posting it back? Shouldn´t cost much as it`s lightweight.

It's 10 KG. I reckon it'd cost a tenner to send it back. It's just adding extra cost to the whole thing, really

Is the Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 far better than the Yamaha YST-FSW050?

Yamaha YST-FSW050 (link)
6.5" driver, 100W, 35-160 Hz, W35cm, D35cm, H16cm
6-year warranty, £100

Wharfedale Diamond SW-150
10" driver, 150W, 35-110 Hz, W33cm, D37cm, H33cm
2-year warranty, £120 (showroom/returned condition)

 

[shotokan101]

It's 10 KG.

I reckon it'd cost a tenner to send it back.

It's just adding extra cost to the whole thing, really

Is the Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 far better than the Yamaha YST-FSW050?

Yamaha YST-FSW050 (link)
6.5" driver, 100W, 35-160 Hz, W35cm, D35cm, H16cm
6-year warranty, £100

Wharfedale Diamond SW-150
10" driver, 150W, 35-110 Hz, W33cm, D37cm, H33cm
2-year warranty, £120 (showroom/returned condition)

It's pretty good.....

Wharfedale Diamond SW150 review | What Hi-Fi?

 

[Gasp3621]

It's 10 KG. I reckon it'd cost a tenner to send it back. It's just adding extra cost to the whole thing, really

Is the Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 far better than the Yamaha YST-FSW050?

Yamaha YST-FSW050 (link)
6.5" driver, 100W, 35-160 Hz, W35cm, D35cm, H16cm
6-year warranty, £100

Wharfedale Diamond SW-150
10" driver, 150W, 35-110 Hz, W33cm, D37cm, H33cm
2-year warranty, £120 (showroom/returned condition)

SW150 can be called a subwoofer and other one (Yammy) not so much, more like mid-bass woofer. That frequency response in Yamaha is not truthfull. Typical maybe for a 10" subwoofer, but not for mini box & 6,5" driver with 50w RMS amp. As they don´t have -3db/-6db it can be what ever, so not wise to compare..

Will the SW150 play higher when subwoofers internal crossover is passed? That i would like to know if you have small satellites so there won`t be gap as the sub needs to play quite high.

You didn`t mention which speakers you have? Only receiver model.

 

[Derek S-H]

OP - I understand that you're doing this on a budget, but the Yamaha is not a proper Subwoofer!

A quick check on the specifications shows that it uses a 6.5" driver - I've got a pair of bookshelf speakers that use that size driver! Yes, there'll be a bass response but it really won't have much depth, scale or impact compared to the Wharfedale.

The Yamaha is something you'd use to augment a micro or mini music system, not 5.1. I'm surprised RS sold it to you on that basis. I had a look at their Returns Policy:

Richer Sounds - The UK's Hi-Fi, Home Cinema & TV Specialists!

You have 14 days to inform them of your intention to return an item and another 14 days to return it, they will then refund your money in full. They also seem to offer other options plus a pick up service for just £5:

Option 2 – Basic return
Richer Sounds will pay the cost of any basic return delivery or postage costs for smaller goods or accessories you want to return.
If it is inconvenient for you to visit or send the items you want to return to one of our stores or they are too big to return by post, we can arrange for an item to be collected for you. Please contact our Web Sales team on 0333 900 0065 or by email here for further information. Please note that we cannot guarantee a collection date or time for this basic collection service. If you have selected one of our premium delivery options, we will not pay or refund these additional delivery costs.

Option 3 - Arranging collection of products at your convenience
Collection of small items including TVs under 32 inches (these are items that can be collected by a single person, or are under 15kg)
If you would like to return a small product which has been delivered to you by premium delivery, we can arrange for the item to be collected from you for a collection fee of £5. Please contact our Web Sales team on 0333 900 0065 / [email protected] to arrange collection. You will be able to choose a collection day that suits you (Monday - Friday) as long as you give us 24 hours notice.We will confirm your 1-hour collection time slot by text or email.

Just contact them and see what they say? And get the Wharfedale!

 

[King Mustard]

SW150 can be called a subwoofer and other one (Yammy) not so much, more like mid-bass woofer. That frequency response in Yamaha is not truthfull. Typical maybe for a 10" subwoofer, but not for mini box & 6,5" driver with 50w RMS amp. As they don´t have -3db/-6db it can be what ever, so not wise to compare..

Will the SW150 play higher when subwoofers internal crossover is passed? That i would like to know if you have small satellites so there won`t be gap as the sub needs to play quite high.

You didn`t mention which speakers you have? Only receiver model.

It's the Pioneer S-11A-P speaker system, that came with the Pioneer HTP-072 home cinema package.

The Pioneer HTP-072 package came with a Pioneer VSX-324-K-P AV receiver (which I had to replace with my new Yamaha HTR-2071 AV receiver).

OP - I understand that you're doing this on a budget, but the Yamaha is not a proper Subwoofer!

A quick check on the specifications shows that it uses a 6.5" driver - I've got a pair of bookshelf speakers that use that size driver! Yes, there'll be a bass response but it really won't have much depth, scale or impact compared to the Wharfedale.

The Yamaha is something you'd use to augment a micro or mini music system, not 5.1. I'm surprised RS sold it to you on that basis. I had a look at their Returns Policy:

Richer Sounds - The UK's Hi-Fi, Home Cinema & TV Specialists!

You have 14 days to inform them of your intention to return an item and another 14 days to return it, they will then refund your money in full. They also seem to offer other options plus a pick up service for just £5:

<snipped>

I'll call Audiovisual Online today and ask what the quality of the unit is.

If they tell me it's practically flawless, I'll get Richer Sounds to pick up the Yamaha YST-FSW050.

EDIT: It's no longer available.

 

[Gasp3621]

It's the Pioneer S-11A-P speaker system, that came with the Pioneer HTP-072 home cinema package.

The Pioneer HTP-072 package came with a Pioneer VSX-324-K-P AV receiver (which I had to replace with my new Yamaha HTR-2071 AV receiver).

I'll call Audiovisual Online today and ask what the quality of the unit is.

If they tell me it's practically flawless, I'll get Richer Sounds to pick up the Yamaha YST-FSW050.

EDIT: It's no longer available.

Ah those cheap sats, not going to find any reliable specs..

Looks like some other member got it yesterday..
SW-150 compatibility

AVO has one for 149£, brand new.

Why RS didn´t sell you the larger Yamaha for 20£ more. While it wouldn´t be as good as Wharfedale, still better than the one you got now. Not sure can you afford the 149£ costing?

 

[b1g1an]

It's pretty good.....

Wharfedale Diamond SW150 review | What Hi-Fi?

No it isn't, that review is one of the worst offenders of What HiFi's total lies. However, it's got to be infinitely better than those mid woofers if you want to hear some booming which is all it really does.

 

[King Mustard]

Ah those cheap sats, not going to find any reliable specs..

Looks like some other member got it yesterday..
SW-150 compatibility

AVO has one for 149£, brand new.

Why RS didn´t sell you the larger Yamaha for 20£ more. While it wouldn´t be as good as Wharfedale, still better than the one you got now. Not sure can you afford the 149£ costing?

I checked back this morning and there were now three, for £125 instead of £120.

I called to ask why they were in the Warehouse Deals (I read: clearance) section as the one yesterday could have been a single return or a showroom model but three are less likely. The lady told me they had damaged boxes and therefore couldn't be sold as new.

I also asked why they were £5 more than yesterday. She asked me to refresh the page and, lo and behold, £120

I should also be getting TopCashback of 3%, taking it down to £116.40.

Richer Sounds won't pick the Yamaha YST-FSW050 up as it was not an online order. I also can't courier it to the store myself because they said I need to be there to get the refund (I paid by card). Looks like I'm making another 1.5-hour round trip back there, this weekend

 

[b1g1an]

I called to ask why they were in the Warehouse Deals (I read: clearance) section as the one yesterday could have been a single return or a showroom model but three are less likely. The lady told me they had damaged boxes and therefore couldn't be sold as new.

It's because they're rubbish and people keep sending them back, Amazon have taken their listing down several times because of all the returns they get, like the one I had. As I said though, it depends what you're after, if it was just LFE then it'll rattle your doors but you need it to fill in for what your satellites are missing too which ironically is what those baby ones you were looking at do.

Check it very carefully for buzzing too as they seem to have a common fault somewhere. You have plenty of time to return the RS one so make careful comparisons, it might sound better overall even if it won't tickle your innards.

 

[Peter F]

I've owned a Yamaha YST 050 FSW for several years. It's always worked well, but I recently fancied an "upgrade". Bought a Wharfedale SW150. £149 from Amazon via AV Online. Sodding thing didn't work at first. No sound at all. Then it mysteriously started working. Worked for about 3 weeks, then completely stopped working again.

Reconnected the Yamaha, turned the volume knob up a little bit, and guess what, it sounded virtually identical to how the Wharfedale did in the brief period that it worked. The Wharfedale possibly had a slightly more subtle bass tone, and maybe went a little lower, but it was certainly not worth paying £149 for barely perceptible "improvements".

Besides, the Wharfedale is a non-working piece of utter junk and is going back. It's a common fault too (check Amazon reviews) so AVOID!

 

[Gasp3621]

I've owned a Yamaha YST 050 FSW for several years. It's always worked well, but I recently fancied an "upgrade". Bought a Wharfedale SW150. £149 from Amazon via AV Online. Sodding thing didn't work at first. No sound at all. Then it mysteriously started working. Worked for about 3 weeks, then completely stopped working again.

Reconnected the Yamaha, turned the volume knob up a little bit, and guess what, it sounded virtually identical to how the Wharfedale did in the brief period that it worked. The Wharfedale possibly had a slightly more subtle bass tone, and maybe went a little lower, but it was certainly not worth paying £149 for barely perceptible "improvements".

Besides, the Wharfedale is a non-working piece of utter junk and is going back. It's a common fault too (check Amazon reviews) so AVOID!

Sorry to hear you got lemon. Thanfully they do have 2year warranty and AVO will get you new one fast hopefully. The SW150 should perform lot better than the odd looking Yamaha when placed optimally. 10" driver vs. 6,5" in much larger cabinet guarantees that. But there is always going to be risk with the reliability as the product is so cheap. Quality subwoofers start bit higher at 250£ typically. Example BK Gemini II which might be less rumbling one, but cleaner sounding and would look much better.
Basically same specs, but sealed design and comes from company that specializes in subwoofers and builds them in UK fully!

Gemini

 

[rccarguy2]

I've got a SW-150. It's not bad.