For the LIFE of me, I'm still trying to understand how cats can have small cars, yet expect to carry big sound in them.

Yeah, technology has made leaps and bounds regarding miniaturization of equipment while still maintaining a decent output, but you can't really change the laws of physics.

I'm not saying go out and by a Semi, but at LEAST an SUV.

I agree with this 100%. I have deliberately limited myself to 15" subs - which works for me with the types of gigs I do. Going up to 18" subs (which is what you really need to do), you'll be beating them and the car to death, loading them in and out of the back seat - I know, I also own a Camry.

I don't know about beating your car or gear to death. If you have speaker covers or something to cover your back seat you should be good. And most people weigh more than your gear. So weight of gear is a no issue.

What about a pair of JTR Growlers or Danley TH-Minis?

I'm not trying to carry big sound - I'm just looking for something bigger than I already have and I've listed the options - just looking for people with actual experience in the choices I set out.



As much as I'd love some Danleys or Growlers, my tops likely won't keep up and I'm hoping to keep things powered.

Nah it's true. At least for the black rubber on the edges of the back seat doors of my Honda Accord. Transporting 18' subs in and out tends to make the rubber pop out constantly. I now have an SUV and its a breath of fresh air

Weight is not the problem - physical size is. Because of "The Laws of Physics" DJJohnnym referred to, you get to pick two out of these three choices - Loud, Low, Small. To go Loud and Low, you need "Big". There is no way around it.

The PS15 sub is basically the NX720 if you go by specs. I know Yorkville is putting 18 Sound brand drivers in the Paraline/Parasource series so it might be slightly better.
No matter what you purchase in the 15 inch catagory I don't think you will see a significant improvement over your current set-up.

Specwise, the PS15S seems like a step down to the NX720S, but in my real-world experiences with both subs, the PS15S seems to offer considerably more throw than the NX720S so it's a bit of a toss-up as I'd be losing some features in the PS15S as well as frequency response in return for bass that travels a lot further.

The other option would to simply puchase a 3rd NX720S and keep using what I've been using, but having a 3rd sub to add to the mix, but I've used that setup a lot and it lacks a bit imo.

You could try and put matching 18 Sound / other more efficient drivers in your current boxes to see if you get a improvement comparable to the paraline subs you mentioned. just rent the paraline subs and swap the drivers for a test that way you can try before you buy. Just don't be a scumbag and keep he rented drivers ;)

As you already know, it's going to be hard to find a small sub that will throw without going to this level. I have a pair of ZXa1 subs and while they sound great for such a small box, they really just fill out the sound and don't go really deep or throw very far. My Orbit Shifters, on the other hand, fill the room with reverberating bass you can feel anywhere in the room at super low volume (talking level), the benefit of an efficient driver and a 4ft tall box. As far as active/passive, it's a wash for me. One more box to bring in on a cart, on site wiring is actually easier as I only need to plug in one set of inputs to the first amp, one power to the amp case, and 4 speaker cables. Sometimes it's more of a pain to run additional power to the powered speakers.

Oh yea, I'm being realistic here, I'm not expecting to power 500 people outdoors with a pair of midrange subs or anything - just think that something a little larger or higher end would be better than my current subs.

Like I said, the nx720s sounds nice and get decently loud, but the bass really peters off from not that far away. I would assume a larger driver would push more air And I know the long-throw driver plus the cabinet design on the ps15s throw better than what I have.

I've been intending on renting a pair of ps15s and doing an a/B to see if it's really worth the upgrade, and also buying a single ekx or CV just to test out and return if I don't like it.

If the results aren't at least a marked improvement, I might just go with a 3rd nx720s and at least have a pristine looking sub for my small gigs.

Just rented a pair of the PS15S subs last weekend for a couple of small parties. Still haven't had a chance to do a direct A/B with the 720s, but I have enough experience with those to gauge the differences.

First was about 120 people in a small hall paired with my DXR8s (would have brought my 10s, but one of them is in the shop) - more of a corporate/wedding style event with not everyone dancing at once. This was run using just on-board processing with the subs separated on either side of the stage (I usually don't do this, but space wise, it was the best option). Subs have a fixed crossover at 100 and I had my tops passed at 100 as well.

2nd was more of a dance party, but in a smaller room of about 100 people - these were paired with K12s and run through my driverack. Subs were stacked and corner loaded for this party. I crossed over at 80 for the subs and experimented with the tops at 80hz and 90hz (90hz sounded better).

In the end, I like them, but didn't love them.

In terms of specs given on the website, when compared to the NX720S, they are either inaccurate for the PS15S or exaggerated for the 720s (I suspect both).

First off, the output on the PS15Ss are way more than the 720s despite what the max SPL is listed at - I'd estimate that 2 of the PS15S keeps up with about 3 or maybe even 4 of the 720s. For the 720s, I can usually keep everything at unity with my DXR10s and often have to turn the tops down a bit once things start approaching limit on the subs. On the PS15s, I actually had to turn the subs down about 4 odb to balance with the K12s With the DXR8s, I had to lower the subs even more. The subs still hit limit way earlier than the tops, but that's generally to be expected with subs.

I also did a sine wave test and the PS15S definitely goes lower than the 45hz they list. I clocked it bottoming out at around 38 - 40hz before all the power was lost in the lows.

Couple of likes and dislikes:

Likes:

Size - these things are small and pretty light. While a little heavier than the 720s, (84 lbs vs 74lbs), the PS15S is a smaller sub and actually feels lighter as a result just because it's a little less awkward to carry. It's a little longer than the 720s, but smaller in terms of length and height. I can easily fit 3 of them in my camry (like the 720s).

Volume and throw - as mentioned above, I feel like 2 of these keeps ups with 3 or 4 of the 720s. Loud bass that throws pretty decently for how small it is. Probably double the throw of the 720s (which isn't saying that much, but still impressive for the size).

Sound - overall, the bass sounds good. Deep and rich for the most part although it's not quite as nice sounding as the 720s.

Canadian made w/ local service centre: Yorkvilles are still canadian manufactured with goes a long way. Previous Yorkville gear is also extremely time-tested and proven. Likewise, the service centre is also local so I don't have to ship to a manufacturer for repairs.

Dislikes:

Lack of mixer options - the PS15S only have a single input/thru so you can't really sum left/right signals like you can on the 720s. Likewise, all you get is a volume knob. The 720s have a variable frequency boost (between 50hz and 150hz) and an adjustable high pass. This made it easier to run the sub with my tops using just on-board processing and I could dial things a little better if I decided to not bring a driverack for some gigs. With the PS15S, you have no way of adjusting anything other than volume.

Musicality - while the overall sound was good, I found the sound a little less smooth and musical than the 720s with some obvious "power" notes hitting way louder than others and the occasional note that completely lacked in power. Felt a little like a bandpass sub, but it was more like a 3 or 4 note wonder than a 1 note wonder (it's supposed to be a bass reflex design). Not sure how much of it was the room and how much of it was the cabinet, but it's definitely something I noticed with multiple experiences with this line of subs. I was able to smooth some of it out with the driverack EQ, but there were still some overpowering notes in there.

I also like the idea of leaving the driverack at home for smaller gigs and I feel like I'd have to bring it to just about every gig to get the sound I really want out of it.

Price - while good on the performance, I feel like there could be a few more options and controls for the price they are asking. Just feels like they cut a few corners. If it had even the some of the options of the 720 (at least the adjustable high pass), it would definitely be worth it, but it would be fantastic if it had some more modern features like a cardioid mode like in the EKX line.

Anyway, I think I'm going to bite the bullet and grab a pair of these to replace my 720s. The smaller size, greater throw, and higher output kind of makes up for the shortcomings, and I can scale my system easily with these subs via rentals, whereas with the EKX, what I own is what I'd have to work with. After selling my NX720S subs, I should be able to get a pair for around $1500 including tax which is pretty good deal.