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15" vs 18" subwoofer - which to buy?

If price and room space/aesthetics were not a big issue, is there any reason to get a 15" subwoofer over an 18" one? My main issue is not disturbing the neighbors too much. I'm confused about the difference between a 15" and 18" subwoofer. I want to get the best sound quality possible for low-to-medium volume use.

I've heard that an 18" subwoofer can be played at low decibels and provide good bass resolution and fullness of sound, while to achieve the same volume with a 15" subwoofer, the power has to be much higher. So for any given sound volume, the main difference is in distortion- and higher distortion sound may be more obtrusive. Is this true? it seems counterintuitive that an 18" subwoofer could be better for neighbors than a 15" subwoofer.

However, I compared a B&W800 (12") vs B&W850 (15"). I listened from the other side of the store wall (not as thick as my apt), and at minimum levels which I found satisfying for HT, I found the 12" more obvious and 'boomy' sounding while the 18" produced a more subtle (though actually more powerful), lower frequency vibration, like a very low-level rumbling background earthquake. The 15" subwoofer did seem more of a disturbance because of it's 'obvious' sound. However, I worry that an 18" won't even start producing quality sound until a certain volume that was much higher than a 15", and consequently potentially more disruptive for neighbors. Is this true? What is the relationship between subwoofer size, low sound volume, and subjective listening experience?

Unfortunately, it will be difficult to get an opportunity to hear both the DD-15 and DD-18 which I am considering, so I hope someone can help out here.
no_slouch
dgw7000
8 posts
 
The dd18 at the hifi house may not be set up right!!! and I bet over 60% of all people that own the dd18 do not have them set up correcty. That's just another thing that makes the infra sub 18 so great, it's easy to get great sound in any room. The servo chip and eq circuit rob the dd18 from fine detail of music, to much money went into the development of this. Servo's on subs in my view hurt instead of helping the sound. The signal is split apart so many times befor it gets to part of the sub that makes sound "the woofer".
The bagend sub extends to 8hz, even though you can't here it, it allows the sub with it's 400 watt class a/b amp enough headroom a full octave up to handle 16 hz pipe organ. Bagend uses ELF "extended low frequency'. It just works better by getting out of it's own way!!!
flemke
557 posts
 
The DD-15 has 1/2 of 1 percent of distortion.
The setup is very simple and anyone who owns one should press the auto button. It's that simple.
dgarretson
2,394 posts
 
Flemke, the DD auto setup is a good starting point that can be refined considerably using manual utilities. I believe the auto setup also requires 2.0 software.

Dgw7000, the Bag End ELF sub is intriguing & I hope to hear one someday. From what I read in the reviews, the design entails the unusual choice of a resonant frequency above the operating range of the sub. As a negative result, there is significant roll-off at low frequencies, requiring compensation from the amp that may limit headroom and increase distortion. But in return one gains the advantage of negligible phase shift throughout the sub's operating range. Sorry you don't care for servo controlled subs. The DD servo is variable and user-controlled and the servo is essential-- particularly with large-diameter, hi-mass cones-- to achieve the very low distortion measurement referenced by Flemke. As one reduces servo control on the DD, the bass gets warmer, looser, and less delineated--perhaps delivering more charge to the room, but short on the articulation and speed that I prefer in a high-quality 2CH system. As has been observed, most listeners (particularly in the showroom) tend to favorably perceive high distortion in the bass region as warmth and musicality. Very few systems offer the alternative of clean, extended bass, and this quality can be a little underwhelming at first. But once you get used to it you won't go back.

Dave
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