SETUP
The sheer bulk of the VTF-15H proved a little difficult to accommodate even in my large listening room. I had to turn it sideways to fit it into my room's "subwoofer sweet spot." Suffice it to say this sub makes no concessions to any lifestyle except that of the hardcore audio enthusiast. (Which IMHO is a fine lifestyle indeed.) Connection was typical; I used the line-level inputs, but speaker-level inputs are also provided.
It's in the adjustments that things get interesting. Besides the usual volume, crossover, and phase controls, the VTF-15H offers three ways to tweak bass performance.
Hsu supplies two foam plugs that can be used to stopper the triangular ports. You can use one plug to reduce port response (and change the box tuning), or both plugs to effectively convert the sub to a sealed-box tuning. The EQ switch offers two positions, EQ1 and EQ2; the former provides deeper bass response while the latter provides more mid-bass output. Combining these two options gives you a total of five different tuning modes, all of which are well explained in the manual. (Using the EQ1 mode with both ports open is strictly forbidden and will void the warranty.)
There's also a Q knob, which adjusts the resonant bandwidth of the subwoofer. The minimum Q of 0.3 gives you a tighter sound (think Yes's Chris Squire or Rush's Geddy Lee); a medium Q setting of 0.5 gives you the flattest response (think the L.A. studio bassists on Steely Dan records); and the maximum setting of 0.7 gives you a fatter sound (think ZZ Top's Dusty Hill or Booker T. and the MG's Duck Dunn).
The changes that all these adjustments facilitate are not subtle. In order to find what works best for you, you'll have to try all the options with a variety of material, a task that took me an hour or two. It's almost like buying six different subwoofers, taking them home, then deciding which among them you like best. The easiest way to find my preferred settings was to put short snippets of DVDs and CDs on repeat, then flip switches, adjust plugs, and note which options sounded best with what.
At some settings, the VTF-15H's brute force overwhelmed me in a way I can't recall experiencing with other subwoofers. To be specific, some settings produced so much punch and power that it started to give me a headache. The 0.3 Q setting in combination with the ports-open mode produced tight bass thuds that felt like being hit in the head with a pillow. On the other hand, you can turn the Q to 0.7, activate the EQ2 mode, and get big, fat, ultra-extended bass that makes you feel like you're sitting on a huge pile of freshly sheared wool.
I greatly preferred the sound with both ports plugged, EQ1 mode activated and a Q setting of 0.5, but that's just me. The point is, it's a pretty sure bet the VTF-15H can deliver bass performance that'll please you, whether your tastes run to Mozart or Michael Bay or somewhere in between.
I've owned 3 subs. Started with an SVS 12 inch that was a good solid sub but had modest output. Then moved to a Elemental Designs A5-350 15 incher. Awesome sub, very good output and tight! But its strength lay in solid punches at certain frequencies.
Now I own this bad boy. VTF-15H. WOW. What a difference. This thing not only goes lower and louder but equally important - is smooth and wide throughout the entire low end range.
You will not be disappointed if you choose this sub. I'm still amazed it wasn't priced higher.
-K
I'm finding reviews of this sub to be very inconsistent. This is not a knock on this review at all. But I kind of expected this review to be similiar of the review over at audioholics considering how very unforgiving it was, which isn't a knock on that review, but I just expected this review to sound the same and it didnt.
I expected something to be similar to be said of this subwoofer considering how unforgiving Paul at audioholics was when he assessed this subs performance and components. Great to know this sub is capable of pleasing anaudio nut such as Brent though.
Brent could it be that your rooms sound reproducing factor is better and more suitable to subwoofers than someone else's which is why you enjoyed this sub soo much?
@v_squared123: That is certainly possible, although with proper setup a good sub should sound good in almost any room of reasonable dimensions (i.e., not square). I am quite confident that Audioholics' writers have good rooms and would set up their test sample properly. Audioholics is certainly entitled to their opinion, and you should consider what they have to say, but I think if you look at all the reviews out there you'll see that most consider the VTF-15H unbeatable at the price. There are a couple of SVS models I've tested that I like a little better, but they are considerably more expensive (partly because they have much more sophisticated, DSP-based electronics). For the price of a lot of competing subs, you could buy two VTF-15Hs - provided, of course, you have the space for them.