Velodyne Impact-12
Good enough to earn five stars and ideal for many buyers – but not a true all-rounder
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Formidable bass depth for its price; well-equipped
Against
Musically, not the best in this test
There ain't no substitute for cubic inches, or so our American cousins would have it – and in subwoofer terms, here's your proof.
American brand Velodyne can readily deliver great bass from a small enclosure, but with its Impact-12, it's adopted a more traditional approach.
This is a big ol'box designed to deliver big ol' bass, the cabinet being some 12cm deeper than the Tannoy TS-12, even though it's fitted with a similarly hefty 30cm drive unit.
In action, the Velodyne sounds reminiscent of one of its forebears, the CHT-12R. It serves up no-fuss, max-fun bass, its extension and sheer sofa-shuddering weight eclipsing even the excellent B&W ASW610.
However, switch to music listening, and there's a subtle lack of fluidity to its approach, a tangible slowness that hinders the attacking drive of Audioslave's Revelations.
That makes this fine sub more of a movie than a music classic.