Garmin has unveiled a new line of subwoofers, continuing its expansion into the world of consumer audio.

The new JL Audio Pavilion subwoofers, as the name suggests, leverage the tech and expertise Garmin acquired when it bought US-based subwoofer specialist JL Audio in 2023.

They follow the launch of the firm's first premium audio system, the JL Audio Primacy, which made a brief appearance at High End Vienna last week.

The thin-line JL Audio Pavilion subwoofers boast “incredible performance and durability,” according to Garmin. The brand describes the 8-inch subwoofers as “sleek and inconspicuous”, claiming they can fit nearly anywhere in the home.

Inside the subwoofer, you will find JL Audio’s Concentric Tube Suspension design, which Garmin says allows for a more compact fit “without sacrificing premium sound performance”.

You can install them on your wall or ceiling with a shallow 3.8-inch mounting depth, so you don’t need a dedicated enclosure. There is also a dog-leg mounting system, designed to remove the need for a backplate.

The subwoofers are designed for both indoor and outdoor use, and Garmin claims they are built to withstand harsh environments using marine-grade materials.

They include a fine-mesh grille, which attaches magnetically and is available in circular or square shapes. For finishes, you can choose between black and white.

The JL Audio Pavilion subwoofers are expected to sell for $1000 (around £750 / AU$1425). UK and Australian availability is yet to be confirmed.

That’s quite a premium price, but its versatile and compact design could make for an attractive option. Let’s hope its sound matches that hefty price tag.

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Here are the best soundbars

If you are looking for a soundbar to upgrade your home cinema's sound system, you may be surprised at the amount of variety when it comes to their design. From single all-in-one bars to entire soundbar packages with separate surrounds and subwoofers, there is a lot to consider.

But do you actually need to have a separate subwoofer to get the best home cinema performance with a soundbar? The short answer is: it depends. Before we get into that, though, let's take a look at what a subwoofer is actually for.

Sound has a huge range of frequencies, with the human hearing range typically going from 20Hz to 20KHz. Soundbars usually perform most convincingly from the midrange upwards, despite manufacturers' best efforts to extend the low-frequency reach. This is all down to physics; the smaller size of the drive units and the soundbar itself brings limitations in terms of how deep the bass can actually go.

And that is where subwoofers come in. They offer a larger driver in a bigger box with a dedicated amplifier, which results in more bass.

But is it worth investing in the extra bit of kit for your home cinema system? There’s the obvious increase in bass. But the knock-on effect is a greater scale of sound, stronger dynamics, and an increase in the sense of overall solidity, which adds to the immersive feel when watching movies.

Of course, that is dependent on whether the soundbar and subwoofer work well together, because if things don’t gel, there is the risk that the bass frequencies will overwhelm the rest of the sound. The bass does not need to be booming and room-shaking to make a punch, either.

One soundbar and subwoofer combo that delivers cohesive overall sound is the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S, which offers Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support. We say in our review that the subwoofer gives each scene "an injection of energy with the added bass, but the lower frequencies never stand out as overzealous. Instead, the bass is well-integrated with the main soundbar and performs with the same precision as the rest of the system."

Like the Sony model, many soundbars come with a wireless subwoofer, which gives you added flexibility compared to one with cables snaking around your living room.

In theory, it seems like a no-brainer on whether you should invest in a soundbar with a subwoofer. But not all products are created equal. A soundbar paired with a badly integrated subwoofer can result in a worse overall sound when compared to an all-in-one bar. A buzzing, distorted subwoofer will detract from the immersive experience and create a worse overall sound compared to the soundbar on its own.

On top of that, you might not have the space for an extra bit of kit and would be better suited to an all-in-one soundbar such as the Award-winning Sonos Arc Ultra, which still offers a tight yet punchy bass performance.

A subwoofer can take your home cinema system to the next level, but if you are thinking of adding one to your setup, make sure you choose wisely.

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These are the best subwoofers right now

Here are the best soundbars we have tested

Check out our review of the Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 7 + S

If you're asked to picture a subwoofer in your head, chances are that you're imagining a big, bulky cube with limited positioning options.

We wouldn't blame you; many of the subwoofers we test as part of the best surround sound speaker systems certainly fit this brief, and we don't see many subs stray from this form factor.

That is, until now. REL Acoustics, an audio company dedicated solely to producing subwoofers, has launched its new Planar series of subs, and they aim to break the mould in several ways.

Comprised of the PL-1 and PL-2, the Planar series is a more design-oriented subwoofer set that can complement a stereo or surround sound setup, thanks to its clever trio of positioning options. REL says its goal was to create subwoofers that avoid listeners "having to design a room around subwoofer placement".

Both models can be placed in either a floor-standing or wall-mounted orientation, and there is also an option to add wheels for a "rolling cart" setup, allowing users to easily move the subwoofer for convenient storage.

The PL-1 sports two 6.5-inch long-throw active FibreAlloy cone drivers and a 10-inch passive, alongside a claimed power output of 300W. The PL-2 instead features a single 8-inch FlatPiston active long-throw driver and ups the claimed power output to a thunderous 550W.

In terms of low-frequency extension, the PL-1 reaches -6dB at 31Hz, whereas the PL-2 reaches -6dB at 24Hz. Both subs use Class D amplification and the same high-level Neutrik Speakon, low-level RCA, and LFE RCA inputs.

Furthermore, the Planar series supports REL's Airship Direct wireless connectivity feature, allowing you to add the PL-1 or PL-2 to your system without having to trail cables around your room.

Available in Piano Black Lacquer and Gloss White Lacquer finishes, the PL-1 and PL-2 also feature interchangeable cloth and premium wood grilles, allowing for added customisation.

Pricing and availability are yet to be shared, but updates are expected soon.

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As we reach the end of 2025, we're looking back at the home cinema highlights that defined the year.

And what a year it's been. We had a showstopping quintet of flagship OLED TVs from Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, LG and Philips, a handful of five-star projectors from Epson, Hisense and BenQ, and it's been an especially good year for home theatre audio.

I'd like to stick with that last shoutout, as today's Adventure in AV is all about celebrating a specific type of audio product that's wowed us in the AV testing room this year; that being subwoofers.

The humble sub, often overlooked in 5.1 systems when compared to impressive floorstanding speakers, or tucked away in Dolby Atmos soundbar systems while the soundbar itself sits proudly beneath the TV, has finally had its time to shine this year.

There are three instances in particular in which subwoofers have been the highlight of a respective audio product, and I'll start with the most prominent one.

The Samsung HW-Q990F was my personal product of the year, and it also took home an official Product of the Year trophy at the 2025 What Hi-Fi? Awards. While the soundbar is superb, and the surround speakers are no slouch either, the main draw of this package, and what made it stand head and shoulders above its predecessor, was the included wireless subwoofer.

Samsung shrunk the sub down to a cutesy cubic form, with dual 8-inch drivers, and while a smaller sub might denote smaller bass, that's far from the case based on our testing.

In our full review, we beamed about the sub's ability to deliver "rich, controlled and tonally varied bass". In fact, we had this to say in our full review regarding the sonic capabilities of the Q990F's subwoofer:

"There is a much greater sense of tonal variation from this sub, which unearths a new layer to the bass. The Q990F’s bass feels more organic, balanced, and seamlessly integrated into the system as a result.

"Dune: Part Two’s Harkonnen Arena sequence has a range of bass-heavy alien chanting and a bone-rattling score, and we are immediately immersed thanks to the Q990F’s encompassing sound and rich, textured bass."

While our full review divulges more, what you can probably tell from this is that we were seriously impressed by how well the subwoofer ties the whole system together.

While it fulfils its role in firing out hefty low-end sound for the odd explosion, we felt that it exceeded this to become a genuine companion and asset to the soundbar itself, which isn't always the case. Occasionally, we test soundbars that come bundled with subwoofers that underperform, which is sometimes worse than having no subwoofer at all.

Back to the positives, and I couldn't continue this love letter to 2025 subwoofers without mentioning the Yamaha True X Surround 90A's sub. In many ways, it reminded us of the subwoofer included with the Samsung package; however, it provided even more tonally rich and controlled bass.

Yamaha deployed a new design for this subwoofer called the "Symmetrical Flare Port". As the name suggests, this sub features a port with symmetrical flared openings, which Yamaha says can ensure that air is released smoothly from the enclosure, resulting in less bass distortion. In our full Yamaha True X Surround 90A review, we had this to say:

"The subwoofer produces tightly controlled yet powerful bass that underpins the thunderous soundtrack. We have no trouble believing Yamaha’s claims regarding the benefits of the new port design, as bass refuses to distort or falter in even the trickiest scenarios – including Blade Runner 2049’s infamous Chapter 2 sequence."

While the overall package wasn't perfect, we couldn't fault the subwoofer, as it backed up the equally impressive soundbar with the necessary low-end oomph it required.

Rounding out our subwoofer praise, we'll end on the KEF Kube 12 MIE subwoofer. This sturdy sub dwarfs the other two mentioned above, but it is designed for serious home cinema usage, so we understand why.

While this isn't technically a 2025 product – it actually launched in 2024 – it only landed in our home cinema testing room late this year as part of the excellent KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 surround sound speaker package.

We found it very hard to pick faults in this system, and we were especially pleased with how it handled bass. Here's what we said in our full review of the Award-winning system:

"The explosion towards the start of this sequence is delivered with a hefty dose of low-end punch, and the subwoofer delivers its gut-punch of low end while remaining in total control.

"There’s no flabby or waffly bass here, and while the Bowers & Wilkins 606/607 S3’s subwoofer is a touch more tuneful, the KEF Kube 12 MIE delivers a powerful and dynamic low-end kick."

Controlled, dynamic and punchy, the Kube 12 MIE underpinned this agile and detailed system with a much-needed dose of weighty bass.

These three subwoofers proved that you don't have to live with warbly, distorted or boring bass, and I hope to see many other companies follow in Samsung, Yamaha and KEF's footsteps.

I've already listened to the exciting JBL Bar 1300 MK2 in action outside of our AV testing room, and I'm looking forward to putting it through its paces in the near future. The LG W7, which it has announced alongside its new Sound Suite wireless home theatre system, is also a subwoofer I'm keeping a keen eye on.

But as we reach the end of 2025, I'd like to recognise subwoofers as this year's MVP (most valuable player) for all they have done in elevating some of the best home cinema sound systems that we've tested this year.

MORE:

Check out our picks for the best surround sound systems

As well as the best Dolby Atmos soundbars

And read our full Bowers & Wilkins 606 & 607 S3 speaker package review

Subwoofer brand REL Acoustics has announced the launch of its Serie S line, which the brand says will elevate “higher-end systems in medium to large rooms”.

The line-up includes four new models which the UK-based company claims all offer faster, lighter drivers compared to its previous models thanks to redesigned passive radiators and amplifiers.

First up, the 212 Black Label has been called the "the most dynamic and powerful subwoofer" in the Serie S range. It features twin active drivers and passive radiators powered by a 1000-watt amplifier for “effortless scale and composure in large rooms".

This model is the most expensive of the bunch, and will set you back £5,499 (around $7405 / AU$11210). At that price, there's a lot to live up to.

Next up is the Carbon Special Black Label, which includes a pure carbon-fibre driver and a passive radiator. REL Acoustics says this will deliver ultra-fast, transparent bass powered by a 900-watt Class D amplifier. It’s available for £4799 ($6460 / AU$9783), sitting near the middle of the range in terms of pricing.

Then there is the S/850 which has been dubbed the “sweet spot” in the lineup, promising “explosive dynamics, nuance, and effortless scale”. Under the hood is a 850-watt amplifier and a driver system that the company says is “refined for detail, speed, and impact”.

Although it's a little less pricey than the entries above, the S/850 will still set you back an eye-watering £3599 ($4834 / AU$7335).

Finally, there’s the S/550 – the S/850's smaller sibling. This model includes a 550-watt amplifier with a fully analogue filter that the brand claims is among the fastest ever offered in a subwoofer. It will be available for £2999 ($6112 / AU$4035), making it the cheapest option of the lot.

All the subwoofers come with mechanical couplers on the base to tie each upper unit securely to the anchor REL on the floor, so you can stack them for "floor to ceiling authority and scale" if you wish.

You also have a choice of grille designs, with both black cloth and premium wood both on offer.

It’s been a while since we reviewed a subwoofer as a standalone product, but have covered plenty as part of a surround-sound speaker package.

That means we know how important it is to find a good subwoofer and how it can take your home cinema set-up to the next level. To perform well, a subwoofer should upgrade your listening experience with plenty of rich bass depth and floor-shaking low-end heft during especially dramatic moments. But it also shouldn't overpower the sound with an undefined bass that drowns out the other frequencies.

We are yet to get REL Acoustics' latest models into our test room, so we can't say yet whether they manage to strike this careful balance.

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We all love Dolby Atmos – but I'm making a smarter surround-sound investment instead

These are the best subwoofers right now

And check out the best surround sound systems

Any desire to add a subwoofer to your stereo hi-fi system will naturally stem from your desire to hear more bass, deeper bass, or both.

After all, typically even the largest floorstanders packed with woofers that are on the larger size won’t be able to produce the deepest bass frequencies to adequate levels – good luck to any trying to deliver those sub-bass notes in Billie Eilish’s bad guy.

And if you own standmount speakers instead, you will inevitably be missing out on even more low-end goodness due to their typically smaller cabinets and drive units.

There are relatively straightforward ways to boost your system’s bass performance, such as by moving your speakers closer to a rear wall or in a corner, giving your room acoustic treatment or toying with your amplifier’s EQ, but these solutions often come with consequences, and none will make the kind of significant impact that adding an external subwoofer to the mix can.

A subwoofer can boost and extend bass, and importantly relieve your speakers’ drive units of those tiring duties, reducing the potential for distortion and allowing them to concentrate on upper bass, midrange and treble.

Sure, subs are more commonly part and parcel of a surround-sound home cinema system (such as a 5.1 set-up) than a stereo one, but they can just as effectively play the same role alongside just two speakers in a traditional hi-fi – if integrated properly.

Indeed, this quest isn’t as simple as buying a subwoofer, placing it somewhere convenient and plugging it in and connecting it to your amplifier. There are crucial factors to consider to implement a subwoofer correctly based on your system equipment and room, and common mistakes to be wary of. Let’s dive into them.

1. Buy sensibly

Firstly, you want to buy a suitable subwoofer for your partnering speakers. Many subs share common features and functions that make them widely suited to all speakers, but common sense applies in that choosing a 16-inch/1600W sub for a pair of compact standmounts, or a high-end Perliston sub for modest Fyne Audio speakers, won’t be the smartest decision.

We would advise asking your speakers’ manufacturer for recommendations for your specific model (many nowadays have at least one subwoofer in their own lineup), or otherwise your local dealer.

2. Get the speaker/sub relationship right

On a sub’s rear panel, you will typically find three adjustments – one each for crossover, phase and volume – and they should be set according to the speakers they’re working with.

Let’s take the crossover first. The crossover level is the point at which your sub will take over from your speakers, delivering all the frequencies below that point and leaving the speakers to handle only the frequencies above it.

This should be set to around 10-15Hz above the lower boundary of your speakers’ frequency range (otherwise known as the ‘low-frequency cut-off’), which can often be found in the supplied paper manual, the technical specifications on the manufacturer’s product page, or within a What Hi-Fi? review!

Have old speakers you can’t find the frequency parameters for? A safe bet would be to set the crossover range at around 100Hz, if they are small, 60Hz for mid-size speakers and around 40Hz for something larger.

These values should be considered the starting point, and you should experiment from there.

This 10-15Hz figure generally ensures you don’t get too much bass or, worse, a hole in the frequency range that neither the speakers nor the sub is delivering.

So if you own, say, a pair of Fyne Audio 501E floorstanders, which have a stated frequency range of between 36Hz and 34kHz, you would set the connected sub’s crossover level to around 50Hz to start with.

Next up: phase. This setting ensures the movement of the speaker’s bass drive and sub’s woofer is ‘in phase’ with one another (when one kicks forward, so does the other). This aligns the timing of the sub’s frequencies with those being delivered by the speakers, and ensures the combined output arrives at your ears at the same time.

If they are out of phase, that means the sub’s woofer is moving backward while the speaker’s driver is moving forward, essentially – and counterproductively – cancelling the speaker’s bass delivery and reducing overall output.

Phase settings are either a dial or a flick-switch that can be simply set to ‘0’ or ‘180’. To find which one represents ‘in phase’, simply listen to a song with a constant, familiar bassline, such as Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust. It’s arguably easier to use dedicated subwoofer test tones, but they’re more accessible from an AV amplifier than a stereo one.

While you listen in your preferred listening position, get someone else to swap between the two settings. The one where the bass sounds louder and fuller is the right one.

If you can’t tell the difference after a handful of dial/switch swaps, it could be that your sub’s volume levels are too high and drowning out your speaker’s bass contribution, so try turning it down before repeating the process.

Lastly, volume, which can be labelled as gain instead. There’s no hard or fast rule (although lots of opinions on!) about whether it should be set at 50 per cent, below that or at maximum – it depends on your room, your sub and speakers and your preference for bass quantity.

In our minds, the easiest way to set volume is to start the dial at the mid-point, slowly turn it up until the bass starts to become too dominant for your liking, and then dial it back a notch.

Again, use music while doing this. Whether or not you’re setting up a sub in a stereo or a surround system, our advice would always be to play a song you like that contains varying bass frequencies – not a movie – to help you set it up, but it especially makes sense for a sub/stereo speaker pairing.

Want a more scientific method to set gain? Then dust off your Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter and check out our expert how to set up your subwoofer guide.

3. Think about the sub’s location

Based on the assumption that your hi-fi room is smaller than the typical home cinema room in which you would find a fully fledged speaker package, and that your stereo set-up might well be neater and more compact than an AV one, you’re probably pretty determined to place your subwoofer by one of your front speakers.

While bass is less directional than midrange and treble, in a stereo set-up it generally makes sense to put the sub somewhere near and in between the two main speakers, if possible.

Your sub will likely sound better in some areas of your room than others due to its acoustics (determined by size, shape, flooring and furnishings etc), so it’s worth identifying them to see if you can accommodate one of those optimal spots.

To do this, place the sub in your usual listening position and play bassy music through it (but not through the speakers). Crawl around the room (or walk if you have large windows looking out to a pedestrianised street), mark the spots in which the bass sounds best, and put your sub in the most practical one. There, easy!

4. Don’t scrimp on the sub cable

Just as you wouldn’t scrimp on speaker wire or the audio interconnect cables connecting your sources to your amplifier – right? – you shouldn’t disregard the importance of a quality subwoofer cable.

Any RCA cable will do the job, but you want one that’s well constructed, well shielded and, of course, long enough to run between your subwoofer and amplifier. Check out our best audio cables buying guide for our top tried-and-tested recommendations.

5. Should you add two subs?

Just as two heads are better than one for solving a problem, having two subwoofers in your set-up is better than having one for delivering bass. But that’s not to do with getting more bass.

With two subs at play, the volume level on each would be lower than the setting of a sub working in solo, meaning that the overall bass quantity would essentially be the same.

The difference is that each sub would only be working half as hard, and therefore would sound better because of that.

Additionally, using multiple subs pressurises the room they’re in more evenly, providing a more balanced bass performance.

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29 of the best tracks for testing bass

Dali has launched its most powerful subwoofer ever, and where better than at High End Munich?

Weighing over 50kg, the V-16 F is an absolute monster of a woofer. But while it packs plenty of power (as you would expect from a sub of this size), it also has "the precision and control needed to work in any audio system context and even in small rooms", Dali says.

That's thanks to a wide-band, low-loss design with low harmonic and non-harmonic distortion, that's optimised both in and out of its primary frequency band. It also boasts ultra-low signal latency, a controlled, non-resonant, low-pass roll-off and four continuous flare reflex ports tuned to 18Hz.

But the jewel in its crown is a 16-inch driver that incorporates the largest ever Constant Surface Surround (aka CSS Technology). This has been geometrically engineered to eliminate the radiating area distortion mechanism, meaning a cleaner sound with less distortion.

The driver features a T-shaped vented pole-piece that's designed to ensure symmetrical magnetic flux distribution through the voice coil. The vent hole through that pole-piece flares at both ends to ensure turbulence-free airflow, while two Faraday rings suppress flux modulation and maintain a consistent sound.

The bass driver and voice coil use a four-layer winding on a vented ultra low-loss glass-fibre former – because this material doesn't conduct electricity, it prevents the build-up of eddy currents and minimises any breaking effects on the moving voice coil, improving dynamics.

Dali has used aluminium for the driver diaphragm, as it's rigid but light, and retains its profile even under extreme excursion. Dali claims that despite its size, it's the most rigid diaphragm ever fitted to a Dali driver.

That's the insides covered, but what about the cabinet?

Its 90-litre volume is enclosed as space-efficiently as possible, and made from 25mm thick wood composite panels with 21mm internal braces. The front panel doubles this thickness to 50mm, with the internal bracing supporting the bass driver and the four 350mm long Continuous Flare reflex ports (similar to those previously seen on the Dali Epikore 11 loudspeaker).

The 1500-watt Class-D amplifier can deliver a peak power up to 2500 watts. But it also promises to keep a "vice-like grip" of the bass driver even at extreme diaphragm excursion levels, meaning powerful and accurate bass dynamics and impeccable timing, whatever the volume.

You also get three sound modes: Cinema, Music and Boost (for extra impactful bass).

So there you have it. Dali says the V-16 F will melt into the soundscape, blending seamlessly with other speaker channels, adding bass without masking midrange clarity. Which sounds good to us.

It goes on sale in July for £4499 (around $6000 / AU$9000).

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British manufacturer Monitor Audio has added three new subwoofers to its collection in an effort to provide “performance-driven bass for every listener” at a more affordable price.

The Vestra Subwoofer Series includes the W10, W12 and W15, which are named after the size of the drivers inside them.

Monitor Audio says you can add them to a variety of systems, with the brand hoping to extend its “independent range of subwoofers within the Home AV and Custom Installation space.”

The W10 and W12 models use a sealed box design, whereas the W15 sports a ported design.

Their lightweight, rigid C-CAM cones have a higher resistance to bending stress and so have greater fidelity over their entire operating range, according to Monitor Audio.

There is a stereo input which includes a low pass filter that you can tune, ranging from 32 to 200 hertz.

They come in two finishes – matt white and black. Monitor Audio also says all the controls you need to operate the subwoofer are situated on the back to make set up and customisation simple.

The W10 is available at £600 / AU$1199 (around $800) and the W12 is being sold for £750 / AU$1499 (about $1000). You can get the W15 for £900 / AU$1849 (around $1200).

That’s cheaper than the brand’s other subwoofer series – Anthra. The more expensive range spans from £1650 / $2350 / AU$2969 to £2500 / $3500 / AU$4499.

The Vestra series is being positioned as the more accessible range for buyers. We have yet to test them, but we are certainly curious to see how they perform against the best subwoofers we have had in our test rooms.

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Here are 9 of the best action scenes to test your subwoofer

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US-based manufacturer SVS has added two subwoofers to its range, promising they will offer "reference low frequency performance" for home cinema and music fans.

The SB-5000 and the PB-5000 R|Evolution both feature a 15-inch driver, dual monoblock amplifier and a DSP, which it says is the most powerful processing engine ever used in a subwoofer.

The SB-5000 is a sealed cabinet subwoofer, whereas the PB-5000 offers a ported cabinet design.

For the new 15-inch driver, SVS has designed a dual, flat, edge-wound three-inch voice coil in an attempt to improve current stability.

A copper-clad aluminium voice coil wire combines the best properties of both elements, which SVS says helps to yield “ideal thermal capacity and magnetic field strength” within the motor.

The manufacturer adds that the drivers are built to handle the “most punishing playback while rendering even the subtlest sonic details with refinement at peak and moderate listening levels.”

There’s also a lightweight and rigid glass-fibre laminated cone that moves air to create "tactile sonic energy" inside both subwoofers.

The subwoofers are powered by a 2,000 watts RMS, 5,000+ watts peak dual Class-D amplifier.

You can also calibrate the subwoofers using the SVS app to adjust settings such as volume, low pass filter, polarity, and room gain compensation. The PB-5000 also offers the ability to adjust port tuning via the app.

To save you fiddling with the settings each time you use them, there are three memory presets for easy system adjustments to match listening preferences.

The SB-5000 is available for £2500 / $2000 in Black Ash, or for £3150 / $2100 if you want the subwoofer in Piano Gloss Black.

The PB-5000 sits slightly pricier at £2600 / $2600 for Black Ash and £3250 / $2700 for Gloss. That’s because this model bigger and offers three rounded ports compared to the SB-5000’s solo entry.

We are yet to test the subwoofers, which will be available this month, but at this price SVS is pushing the bass-boosters as a premium way to improve your home cinema experience in a smaller package.

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These are the best subwoofers we recommend

And here are the best tracks for testing bass

Check out the best surround sound systems, too

Q Acoustics has blessed bass aficionados with a trio of new active subwoofers that cater for different sizes of rooms and levels of stereo and AV set-ups. Sitting above the company’s existing slimline 3060S model (£379 / $550 / AU$699), the new Q SUB series comprises the 8-inch Q SUB80 (£599 / $899), 10-inch Q SUB100 (£699 / $1049) and 12-inch Q SUB120 (£799 / $1199).

While it’s true that subwoofers are less sensitive to room positioning than other speakers (due to deep bass being less directional than midrange and treble), their volume, phase and crossover frequency still require careful integration with their partnering speakers (as detailed in our subwoofer set-up guide).

To that end, the Q SUB models use DSP alongside delay adjustments and a phase inversion switch to allow for easy, DIY optimisation. That DSP can identify the input signal – stereo or mono and the level – and automatically adjust the gain for optimal dynamic range and signal-to-noise levels, while the low-pass filter, which controls the frequencies you want the sub to cover and take over from your speakers at, offers frequency adjustment from 40Hz to 250Hz.

As well as the DSP, the Q Acoustics’ custom-designed amplifier module packs the power amplifier and power supply. The former has four stages in a parallel bridge-tied load (PBTL) configuration, meaning multiple amplifier channels’ outputs are connected in parallel for a mono-channel output, enhancing efficiency and control in low-impedance designs. Q Acoustics says this design can deliver up to 300 and 600 watts of continuous and peak power respectively, with THD performance “less than 0.1 per cent up to 300 watts”.

The drive units driven by this amp module feature a heavy-duty steel chassis, paper cone and a rubber surround, with diameters of 203mm (Q SUB80), 254mm (Q SUB100) and 305mm (Q SUB120).

Other practical integrations include a protection system to prevent the subs from overheating; an auto-detection feature that powers down the subs after 20 minutes of inactivity; and a 12V trigger input that allows the subs to automatically power up upon detecting a trigger signal.

Each new sub is available in two finishes – satin black with a black grille or, as pictured above, satin white with a grey grille. Beneath those slick finishes are sealed-box cabinets with double-thickness baffles and dart bracing for high rigidity and stability. Adjustable, locking spikes and spike cups are included for floor levelling and protection, too.

Q Acoustics is in quite some form with its stereo speakers, having picked up multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards for its 5050 and 5040 floostanders, while its 5040-fronted 5.1 home cinema package (with Q Acoustics' veteran QB12 sub) also gained a five-star review. With the new Q SUB range, the British brand is offering a bass boost to those acclaimed speakers, whether that is to make up a 2.1 system or a 5.1/7.1 surround sound one.

McIntosh has announced its latest powered subwoofer, the PS1K, which is set to deliver "unmatched bass precision and power". This specialist sub has been designed for audiophiles and home cinema purists who have an unwavering dedication to bass and pockets deeper than their desired frequencies.

The PS1K features two 13-inch McIntosh-designed drivers which use the company's proprietary Low Distortion High Performance (LD/HP) Magnetic Circuit Design. McIntosh claims that his unique structure can reduce distortion and improve power handling, while the multi-layer carbon fibre cones resist flex even at high outputs. which should result in superior clarity and rigidity.

These drivers are powered by dual 500-watt Class D amplifiers, which output a staggering combined 1000 watts of power. McIntosh promises clear, tight and room-filling bass for music and movies alike, while the sealed box design and 1.5-inch thick enclosure baffle should supposedly eliminate port noise and vibration. McIntosh has blended form and function in this regard, with a sleek high-gloss black finish, carbon trim and aluminium base to ensure the PS1K looks as good as it sounds.

Furthermore, McIntosh has included its Power Guard and Sentry Monitor technologies are built in to protect the sub from power surges; ensuring the PS1K has a long lifespan with reliable performance.

That's particularly good news considering the price of this sub; trust us when we say you'll want it to last a long time. The PS1K goes on sale later this month for a whopping £35,995 / $35,000 (around AU$70,200), so you better decide if you really need that new car or if your home cinema speaker system could do with an upgrade.

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Nakamichi has unveiled a beastly new 12-inch subwoofer upgrade for its Dragon home cinema system, which promises to shake rooms (and possibly your house’s foundations), with earth-shattering bass.

The new sub is a response to Dragon owners clamouring for even more low-end oomph, and it even has the stats to prove it – Nakamichi's survey found that 67 per cent of respondents prefer a subwoofer with a 12-inch or larger driver, while 41 per cent fancy having three or more subs in their room (more on that in a bit).

Tipping the scales at a hefty 36kg, the sub rocks a carbon fibre-reinforced aluminium driver, paired with a 12-inch carbon passive radiator. This combo promises to deliver a thunderous 750 watts of power, and is capable of reaching down to 19Hz. For those keeping score, that's substantially beefier than the company’s original 8-inch dual-opposing drivers.

And if your bass addiction goes beyond the extreme, you’re more than welcome to add up to four of these 12-inch monsters to your Dragon setup, if your wallet is up to the challenge. Nakamichi goes as far as stating that this quadruple setup "will leave even the most die-hard low-frequency aficionados in awe". We're not sure if that's a promise or a threat, but we applaud the low-end love nonetheless.

Rayman Cheng, Nakamichi USA's CEO, states that "Our 12-inch subwoofer doesn't just emit bass – it releases cataclysmic rumbles with thundering subsonic energy, unlocking a new dimension to your favourite content." Hyperbole? Perhaps. But we'd be lying if we said we wouldn’t like to take a fully kitted-out setup for a spin.

The subwoofer itself slots into Nakamichi's modular Dragon system, which remains a formidable setup in its own right. At its max configuration, it serves up 21 channels, 15 digital amplifiers, six up-firing speakers, and a pair of Omni-Motion Reference Surrounds. It's also one of the first wireless systems to support DTS:X Pro, for those who like their surround sound cutting-edge.

If you're feeling particularly extravagant (and have very understanding neighbours, or better yet, none at all), you can now order Dragon’s flagship system which includes a a full quartet of these 12-inch subs, along with a 58-inch main unit and two Omni-Motion Reference Surrounds, if you fancy. This flagship config pushes out a room-trembling 5000 watts, and will set you back $8499.99.

For those with slightly more modest (but still considerable) ambitions, there's also the option for a Dragon system with two 12-inch subs, priced at $5599.99. The original setup with dual 8-inch subs remains available at $3999.99.

And if you’d like to upgrade your existing Dragon setup, you can nab individual 12-inch subs for $1499.99 each, while pairs of the original 8-inch dual-opposing subs go for $1199.99.

Only US pricing and release dates have been confirmed, with no word yet for UK or Australian markets. Nakamichi says the new subs and system configurations will debut on its US web store later this month.

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When you invest in a proper surround sound system for your home cinema, the first thing you might notice is how much more immersive it is, as sound effects swirl around you with pinpoint accuracy. The next thing might be the finer details you can now pick out in favourite films that you’d never noticed before. But without a doubt, the most impressive thing you’ll notice – the thing that you’ll sit your friends and family down for, to show them just how good your new system is – is the extra bass you feel in those big action scenes.

It might not make your neighbours happy, but sofa-rumbling bass is the crowd-pleaser when it comes to home cinema, and we’ve picked out some of our favourite action scenes to give your sub a real workout. What are your favourites? We’d love to hear them in the comments.

The Dark Knight (2008) – the hospital scene

Anything that goes big on explosions is going to be an epic test for your subwoofer, and even though this scene in The Dark Knight is over 15 years old, it still looks (and sounds) as fresh as it did the first time we saw it.

You’ll feel the short sharp punch as the explosions trigger one by one, followed by the deeper rumbles as they start to overlap and build to a crescendo that raises the hospital to the ground. Heath Ledger’s crazed performance as the Joker, walking calmly away as the chaos he created unfolds, is the icing on this particularly bass-laden cake.

Super 8 (2011) – train crash scene

As a bunch of teens film a zombie movie, a train carrying fuel collides with a truck on the tracks and what follows is an extended and intense attack on your aural senses. Metal grinds against metal, carriages fly through the air and crash to the ground and – of course – there are plenty of pretty beefy explosions too.

This is a great one because the bass on show ranges from super low rumbles that you feel before you can hear, to the louder, crashier notes in the upper bass. With a good sub, this scene is enough to get your heart pounding.

Rambo (2008) – the final battle

The final battle scene of Rambo 4 serves up over five minutes of non-stop heavy gunfire, grenades, rocket fire and – yes you’ve guessed it – explosions. There’s little time to catch your breath between the onslaught, and we should probably put something of a content warning on the above clip. It’s pretty gruesome in spots.

However, if you want something that’s going to show your sub off to the best of its abilities, this is the clip for you.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) – day one

While the soldiers get into their armour for the first battle scene of the movie, the whirrs and clunks of machinery give your sub a small taste of what is to come. Next, the foreboding big-bass soundtrack kicks in as the soldiers take their place on the aircraft, and then the sound of propellers fills the room as the helicopters take off – a sound that reaches low enough for you to feel it in the pit of your stomach.

As the mission quickly descends into chaos there are further opportunities for that sub-bass to shine, although it has to be said, none more than the very opening scene of the movie. Although it’s not officially an action scene, it is well worthy of a mention, because it will really show you what your sub is made of. Be ready though, it comes at you quick from the credits.

Iron Man (2008) – Jericho missile scene

It’s perhaps no surprise that Tony Stark showing off the Jericho Missile System offers up a superb opportunity for your sub to show what it’s made of. From the rockets powering up, clunking into place and then being fired, there’s plenty of bass to be had.

However, it’s really once the Jericho missiles separate and land across the landscape behind Stark, producing such an impact it creates something of a sonic boom, that your sub really getting the workout you want.

The Raid: Redemption (2011) – Rama defeats The Machete Gang

Ok, explosions are great and all, but what about some old-fashioned fisticuffs to put your sub to work? Ok, we’re not sure the incredibly talented (and brutal) martial arts fighting scenes in The Raid: Redemption quite come under that label, but they will still show you just how much legwork your sub is putting into the mix, with every punch, kick and elbow to the face that is landed.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – into the sandstorm

This film is a bit of a classic for anyone who tests home cinema kit as it ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to dialogue and surround sound effects, particularly Dolby Atmos. But bass also gets plenty of action, particularly as Nux drives into the sandstorm in chase of Furiosa, with Venom chained to his truck.

Not only is there a dramatic bass-filled soundtrack that keeps the tensions high, but it is joined by the deep roar of old engines racing against one another, the quite overwhelming sound of sand engulfing them as they drive into the storm, and several excellent explosions as the chase reaches its conclusion.

Ready Player One (2018) – the race

Tens of cars, trucks and motorbikes go head to head in a race on the streets of a virtual New York. Throw in a few trains and trucks that get in the way of said race (and are subsequently destroyed, obviously), wrecking balls out to smash into smithereens anything they touch and – what else? – an angry T-Rex and King Kong out for blood. If that doesn’t sound like a party where all LFE is invited, we don’t know what is. 

From the roar of the different engines as they accelerate ahead of one another, your sub will have to turn its hand to all manner of different frequencies, and when King Kong starts crashing his way through the city in pursuit, it won’t get much of a break at all.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) – Nuclear Godzilla vs King Ghidorah

Two epic monsters have at it in a fight to the death, and the result is a whole lot of bass. Right from the off, the snarling Ghidorah rattles the lower register with a growl you’ll feel in your stomach, before Godzilla stomps into shot, glowing with a nuclear power that sets everything around him alight.

The fight between the two culminates in a massive thermonuclear explosion that vaporises Ghidorah into oblivion, but that’s not even the end, as the other Titans appear one by one to bow to Godzilla – snarling as they come. As Godzilla lets out a triumphant roar at the end of the scene, both you and your sub may need a little lie down to recover.

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KEF has announced an array of brand new subwoofers – the standalone KC92 and four-strong Kube range – which aim to extend the low end of your favourite music and movies. 

Last week, we spotted a curious teaser on KEF's Twitter page hinting at a 'heart-thumping' new product coming soon. We weren't sure what to expect, debating amongst ourselves whether this would be a hi-fi or home cinema product, and whether the teaser video represented something bass-related. It looks as though we were on the right track, with five new subwoofers set to hit shelves later this month.

These subs all use KEF's Music Integrity Engine (MIE), the brand's proprietary Digital Signal Processing (DSP) algorithm which is said to ensure every component in KEF's new subs works in harmony. MIE powers the iBX Intelligent Bass Extension, which analyses the input signal and claims to allow the subs to keep their dynamics at any listening level.

The KC92 contains two 9-inch drivers which are laid out back-to-back. KEF claims this 'force-cancelling' layout reduces cabinet vibration and "maximises precision and detail."

It offers 1000W of Class D amplification, with a dedicated 500W amplifier for each driver. The subwoofer uses the company's patent-pending P-Flex Surround which is inspired by the intricate art of origami. KEF says the surround's pleated design "defies internal air pressure" so that the driver can move precisely. The brand also says the KC92 can produce frequencies as low as 11Hz. 

The five room-placement options allow the sub to be as flexible as possible and perform whether it is placed up against a wall, in a corner, in a cabinet or in open space. There is even a dedicated apartment mode which we assume will be kind to any neighbours below. 

The KEF KC92 is set to cost £2500 /$1999 / AUS$3800 and will be available in white gloss or black gloss.

Next up, there's the Kube line of subwoofers, available with 8-, 10-, 12-, or 15-inch drivers.

It features a 300W Class D amplifier and a sealed design which should help with positioning. On top of this, the subs offer a placement-dependent EQ and three room-placement options depending on whether it's up against a wall, in a corner, or inside a cabinet.

The subs offer a range of connections, including line-level and speaker-level inputs to suit being hooked up to a variety of different amplifiers. You can also get hold of the optional KW1 wireless subwoofer adaptor if you want to go down the cable-free route. 

The largest Kube 15 is set to cost £1149 / $1399 / AUS$2000; the Kube 12 is priced at £849 / $999 AUS$1650, the Kube 10 £749 / $799 $1450, and the smallest Kube 8 £599 / $599 / $1250.

KEF's KC92 and the new Kube range will be available for public order from 27th February, but myKEF members can order theirs earlier, from 20th February.

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PSB Speakers has unveiled its latest subwoofer that aims to "all but eliminate distortion and unwanted resonances" from your home cinema or speaker setup. Slated as a high-performance model, the new SubSeries BP8 powered subwoofer makes some bold sonic claims, but can it live up to them when push comes to shove?

The BP8 comes equipped with dual 20cm drivers and nCore amplification technology, the latter of which aims to give your music some serious power to "deliver epic dynamics for those big moments". The precision-engineered sub also comes fitted with a variable crossover and phase control, as well as line-level RCA inputs and a 12-volt trigger.

The 500-watt amp sports a crafted cabinet that has been engineered "with an emphasis on rigidity and acoustic neutrality", with PSB aiming to banish unwanted resonances and distortions for more effective sonic precision, especially at the low end. It is a subwoofer, after all, so proper bass performance is unsurprisingly a key priority. 

The unit's dual drivers are arranged within a bi-polar configuration for more immersive bass reproduction, with both units sporting woven carbon fibre cones and rubber surrounds accompanied by powered voice coils and 45-ounce magnet structures. All of this should lead, says PSB, to a bass performance that is not only deep and forceful but clear and controlled, too.

The new sub continues to pursue greater low-end musicality courtesy of its bespoke driver array and cone construction, which give the sub greater responsiveness and higher sonic accuracy. The unit's "IsoAcoustics" feet, meanwhile, aim to further reduce any unwanted vibrations that could distort the fidelity of your sound. Heaven forbid!

The PSB SubSeries BP8 will be available from March 2024 in satin black or satin white for a retail price of $1499 (further prices pending).

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A subwoofer is an essential weapon in an audiophile’s armoury in the pursuit of perfect sound. Despite what their specifications might say, and their manufacturers might claim, very few loudspeakers – even the largest floor-standing models – can reproduce the deepest musical frequencies at appropriate volume levels.

To do this requires a properly-tuned subwoofer, one whose volume, crossover frequency and phase controls have been set in such a way that its output integrates perfectly with that of the partnering speakers. Therein lies the problem: many people don't know where to start with sub setup, and as a result get it very wrong indeed. In fact, we'd say if there's one factor that most commonly lets an otherwise great home cinema system down, it's the relationship between the subwoofer and the rest of the speakers. 

But don't worry: we're here to take you through our tips for achieving beautiful bass. Get these simple steps right, and your sub will be everything it's meant to be: powerful when needed, room-shaking when desired, subtle when it's asked to be and silent when it should be.

Where to position your subwoofer

Let’s start with positioning. For starters, deep bass is less directional than treble or midrange, so you can put your sub almost anywhere. However, you can get better results if you do some fine-tuning – and here's how.

For the best integration with your room, try to find a room 'node'. Place your subwoofer where you usually sit, connect it, and then disconnect your speakers (at the amp end). Play a piece of music with plenty of good bass, and then walk around your room, listening to the low frequencies.

As you walk around, you’ll hear the bass alternately get stronger and weaker, caused by the interaction of the bass notes and your room's acoustics. At some points in the room, the bass might be so weak that you will barely be able to hear it at all. Conversely, you'll hear lifts in bass in several places and you should mark all these spots by sticking some white tape to the carpet. Once you have covered the entire floor area, your carpet should be littered with bits of white tape. These are 'nodes', and your sub should go in one of these locations.

If you only ever listen to your system yourself, you can now move the subwoofer anywhere there’s a bit of tape, and this will be a good position for the room and your listening position. Since you'll usually have several spots to choose from, choose the most convenient location, where the subwoofer will be the least conspicuous and the most out-of-the-way. Proximity to a power point would be another consideration. 

If someone usually listens to music with you – or watches movies with you – you should now move the subwoofer to where their head would usually be, and repeat the entire ‘walking around’ process, but this time it will go much faster, because you will only have to listen at the spots you have already taped. If the bass is still strong at a point, leave the tape on the floor. If the bass is now weak at this point, remove the tape. This time around you will find that you can put the subwoofer anywhere there’s tape and be assured of getting good bass at the listening position. 

How to set subwoofer levels – volume, crossover and phase

Subwoofers often have three adjustment dials – volume, crossover and phase. Phase can alternatively be a simple 0/180-degree (‘polarity’) switch. The volume level speaks for itself; the crossover level sets the highest frequency your subwoofer will play, where it’ll take over from your main speakers; and the phase setting helps align the timing of the sub’s bass frequencies with the frequencies delivered by the main speakers to ensure they all arrive at the listening position at more or less the same time.

Don't – repeat don't – turn the volume up too much on your subwoofer. It's one of the most common failings we hear in systems. Bass should underpin your sound, contribute to it where appropriate, and on occasion, shake your sofa on its springs – but it isn't supposed to dominate the sound completely. Remember, whether you're watching Top Gun: Maverick or listening to Joni Mitchell, realism is the greatest sonic virtue of all.

So, if there's no need for bass in a particular scene (say, a long sequence of dialogue) then there shouldn't be a peep out of the sub – so don't turn your subwoofer up so you can hear it all of the time. You're not meant to.

The easiest way to set your subwoofer levels is to play a piece of stereo music that you're familiar with. Turn the subwoofer's volume level up until you can just hear the bass starting to dominate a little too much – and then drop the volume back a tad. This might not be a completely scientific method, but it works.

The more scientific method revolves around a calibration procedure. These days, AV receivers include step-by-step test-tone adjustments and settings to set optimal levels and sync your subwoofer to your speakers. But if yours doesn’t, or you want to do it manually, here’s how we’d go about it...

Firstly, you’ll need a test-tone generator app (like the free Audio Function Generator for iOS) on a phone/tablet that is connected, wired or wirelessly, to your home cinema system. You’ll also need an SPL (Sound Pressure Level) meter, though it is possible to get an app that does the same thing. That device should be placed in the listening position, at the point where your head would be. Note, in most cases we've found that a single phone or tablet won't run the tone generator and SPL apps together, so you will probably need two such devices.

With that in place, disconnect the subwoofer from your receiver and play the Pink Noise test tone through the main speakers. This process should only be done when the background noise levels of your room are minimal.  Gradually increase the volume level on your receiver until the SPL meter shows a figure of somewhere between 70dBSPL and 80dBSPL. The exact number isn't critical, but we tend to use 74dB.

Now turn off or disconnect the main speakers, and then reconnect the subwoofer, with the subwoofer’s volume knob set to zero, its phase control set to 0 degrees, and the subwoofer’s crossover control set at its highest possible frequency. Now play the same test tone again, slowly increasing the level of the subwoofer’s volume control knob until the sound pressure level reading on your phone is the same as it was for the speakers. Leave the subwoofer’s volume control knob in this position.

The crossover setting, meanwhile, depends on the main speakers the subwoofer is working alongside. Whatever your speaker’s frequency range (usually stated in the manual), the crossover should be set around 10Hz above the lowest parameter. The THX standard and most typical crossover point is 80Hz.

As for the phase, you want the dial/switch in the position where the bass sounds loudest and fullest. Have someone increase or flip the phase between 0 and 180 while you’re listening to the test tones through your subwoofer and front channels, and see if the SPL level goes up or down. You want to settle on the point at which SPL levels are the highest, representing the point at which the subwoofer and your main speakers are working together rather than against each other.

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Ruark Audio has announced its first-ever subwoofer, the RS1, which has been designed with the intention of elevating the company’s long-running, Award-winning, Ruark MR1 Mk2 desktop speakers.

It’s no secret that even though smaller speakers can sound great by themselves, they just can’t produce bass in the same way a dedicated sub can. The intention for the Ruark RS1 is to step in and extend the low end of your music and complement the existing soundscape.

The aesthetic of the RS1 matches nicely with Ruark's MR1 speakers, with the sub sporting a lead grey cabinet cloth along with rich walnut top and bottom panels.

The RS1 subwoofer makes use of Class D amplification, with a claimed output of 100 watts powering its 17cm downward-facing driver, which should be plenty for beefing up your music in smaller listening spaces.

Additionally, the Ruark sub offers a frequency response of 25Hz-200Hz and features an adjustable crossover filter ranging from 50-180Hz, useful for fine-tuning with your speakers.

The RS1 connects to the MR1 speakers using a mono RCA connection and includes a couple of nice user-friendly utilities. This includes an auto-on / standby feature, which automatically turns the speaker on/off depending on whether you're using it. There’s also a soft clipping filter, which provides automatic protection if the system is ever overloaded and avoids causing accidental damage.

The Ruark RS1 subwoofer is available standalone for £349 / $499 USD / $799AU or bundled along with the MR1 Bluetooth speakers for £698. 

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Best subwoofers 2023: deep bass for music and movies

Monitor Audio's new subwoofers promise to deliver bass in spades with added musicality and agility. That's thanks to a combination of technologies that could elevate them above the crowd.

Their lightweight, rigid C-CAM cones have a higher resistance to bending stress and so have greater fidelity over their entire operating range, according to Monitor Audio. That should mean they deliver a cleaner, clearer and more precise sound. These are the first Monitor Audio subwoofer cones to use Rigid Surface Technology II (RST II) to make them even more rigid, resisting the forces that would twist a more conventional driver cone out of shape, distorting the sound.

They use Class-D amplifiers too, with the largest model offering a maximum output of 2500 Watts and a continuous level of 1400 Watts RMS. This should ensure the drivers work at their optimum performance regardless of the volume, making for a cleaner dynamic range and more accurate musical performance. We'll be curious to see how they perform against the best subwoofers we've reviewed when we get them in for testing later this year.

The MDF cabinets are sturdy too, with external walls up to 36mm thick and internal walls up to 19mm thick. Add to that the bracing that's been acoustically optimised for extreme strength, and you've got a unit that's up to the task.

Inputs include RCA with LFE (so you can daisy chain up to four Anthra subwoofers) and XLR, while there's also a colour display on the rear panel with a rotary dial to access the setup menu. Monitor Audio's MaestroUnite app lets you configure the sub to your own tastes and system requirements, and you can apply the same settings across all subs in your system.

The range comprises three models. The Anthra W15 is the largest, with a 15-inch driver and 1400-Watt amplifier. The W12 steps these stats down to 12 inches and 900 Watts, while the W10 takes this to 10 inches and 425 Watts.

They all share the same design philosophy and inputs, and come in Satin White or High Gloss Black finishes. Prices are as follows:

Anthra W10: £1650 / $2350 / AU$TBC
Anthra W12: £1900 / $2700 / AU$TBC
Anthra W15: £2500 / $3500 / AU$TBC

The range launches in August.

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Bose is recalling over a million old subwoofers from its home theatre systems because they pose a potential fire hazard. The firm has received 21 reports from around the world of the bass modules igniting or melting, including fires starting when the electrical components fail.

The units were sold between January 1994 and April 2007 from Bose.com and retailers like Best Buy, Circuit City and Sear's. It's a global recall that includes devices from Bose's Acoustimass, Lifestyle and Companion ranges.

A full list of the devices is on the US Consumer Product Safety Commission page (via The Verge). Or you can use this Bose page to help identify whether your hardware is affected.

If you own one of these devices, you should stop using it immediately. You can contact Bose for a free repair or a 40 per cent discount on a replacement product.

These units might be old, but people tend to use Bose kit for a long time, so plenty could well still be in use. Of the million sold, about 884,000 were in the US, 98,000 in Canada and 18,300 in Mexico.

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American audio band Klipsch is releasing four brand-new subwoofers designed to match the power, performance and aesthetics of its Reference Premiere speakers. These new subs are described as by Klipsch as "hyper-efficient with the optimal balance between amplifier power, driver capability and cabinet volume", and each model differs in both power and price, meaning you can pick the one that best suits you and your system.

All four subwoofers use a front-firing spun copper Cerametallic driver, which Klipsch claims will provide remarkable depth into the lower frequencies while avoiding distortion. These new subs also include an integrated high-efficiency amplifier with an analogue preamp design that features an original signal path. Klipsch states that this allows for a cleaner, true-to-source reproduction.

Onto the Class D output stage, which Klipsch has designed to ensure optimal efficiency and which in turn produces "maximum output, detail and low-frequency power". As part of this, Klipsch has included its proprietary internal geometry, including a new Aerofoil slot port, which the audio brand reports will help to lessen port noise, and therefore produce cleaner and less distorted low frequencies. 

Finally, Klipsch highlights the pair of inputs on these subs, with both an RCA physical connection and WA-2 wireless input that can be used in tandem. This means you can connect one of these new subs to multiple speaker systems in a room – talk about versatility. 

Out of the four new subs, the RP-1000SW is the entry-level model, coming in at £899 / $749 (around AU$1630). This features a 10-inch woofer that is capable of outputting 600W peak power.

Next is the RP-1200SW, which costs £1099 / $999 (around AU$1990), and sizes up to a 12-inch woofer that can drive up to 800W peak power.

Upgrading again to the RP-1400SW, which retails for £1399 / $1399 (around AU$2540), gets you a 14-inch woofer and 1000W of peak power – are we starting to see a pattern?

Finally, there is the top-end model, the RP-1600SW. This sub costs £1849 / $1799 (around AU$3350) and features a 16-inch woofer with 1200W peak power.

All models apparently feature a high-quality build and premium materials. They're all finished in an anti-scratch ebony vinyl finish that gives the impression of real wood and covers the rather suave-looking rounded cube design. This is accompanied by shock-absorbing rubber feet, steel grille posts and a woven cloth grille that gives these subs the premium look and feel that you'd expect from the price. We can expect this quartet of new subs to hit store shelves in the UK via Klipsch's exclusive UK distributor, Henley, later this month, with further availability expected in April.

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Have you ever wondered where our preoccupation with bass – specifically, the pathological urge to crank it up – stems from? According to a study published in the Journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science, listening to music with a strong bass element can evoke a sense of power in listeners. Or, as Suzi Quatro more bluntly put it, “bass gets you in the groin”.

Whichever way you like to think of it, a robust low end can add thrilling depth to music and scale to film soundtracks, bridging the gap between rhythm, harmony and melody, and is one of the main differentiators between the domestic and the theatrical or live audio experience.

It’s no wonder, then, that high on the wishlist of those looking for a home cinema sound system is a desire to bring a touch of bombastic bass to the humble living room. But in a household space, that can come with a few caveats, throwing up plenty of challenges for speaker manufacturers such as Sonos.

Consumers want a sub that can deliver a powerful punch while not disturbing the neighbours, capable of cinematic low-end extension, but in a cabinet that’s easy to hide away. And, because brands rarely produce more than one or two models, it must also integrate equally well with soundbars of various competencies across its compatible range. This should be an impossible task, but it's one that Sonos has taken on with its latest smart speaker, the Sub Mini, a compact sub that can be added to any of its existing line-up of powered smart speakers.

Build

With a cylindrical design measuring just 23 x 30.5cm, the Sub Mini uses a space-saving driver layout to help maximise its performance while remaining stable within a small cabinet. Inside, a pair of opposing 15cm woofers, each powered by a class-D amplifier, create a force-cancelling effect to minimise unwanted mechanical vibrations caused by the drivers’ motion and produce a claimed low-frequency response that goes down to 25Hz.

Available in Sonos’ standard matte monochrome finishes, the cabinet is entirely sealed to reduce distortion, with a Dyson-like pill-shaped centre tunnel that, Sonos says, helps to move air efficiently while also evoking the looks of the original Sonos Sub. The Sub Mini is very much in keeping with Sonos’ understated aesthetics, the contrasting black centre tunnel on the white colourway venturing as close to flamboyance as the brand dare tread. The build quality overall seems sturdy, though there's a slightly insubstantial, cheap feel to the cylinder’s top plate.

Features

There are sockets for power and Ethernet in a recess underneath the speaker, while at the rear is a Sonos join button. Connectivity for most people will be via a low-latency 2.4/5GHz wi-fi connection, which means the Sub Mini only requires a cable for power.

Adding the Sub Mini to a Sonos system using the Sonos App is as simple as it is with the rest of the brand’s line-up. Once added, the Sub Mini can be linked to any of Sonos’ full-range non-portable speakers. However, the company suggests it will fare better with smaller, more affordable models such as the Beam Gen 2, Ray, One, One SL or IKEA Symfonisk speakers in small to medium-sized rooms.

Unlike Sonos’ original sub, which can be used in a pair, only one Sub Mini can be added to a room. Once synced up to a soundbar or speaker system, volume changes between the two are linked automatically. However, bass level, EQ and phase can be adjusted independently in the Sonos app, where it can also be optimised to the acoustics of your space using Sonos’s Trueplay tuning technology.

The Sonos Sub Mini launches at £429 / $429 / AU$699. That’s considerably less than the brand’s classic Sonos Sub at £749 / $749 / AU$1099, which Sonos recommends using in large rooms with the Arc, Beam Gen 2, Five, and Amp.

We’re not sure how many users spending £279 / $279 / AU$399 on the Sonos Ray will be interested in more than doubling their outlay to improve its limited low end. Even with the Sonos Beam Gen 2, which launched last year at £449 / $449 / AU$699, it seems like a considerable expenditure for an add-on product, especially when you consider that for £899 / $899 / AU$1499 (or frequently less in the sales) you can pick-up the truly impressive-on-its-own, flagship Sonos Arc. Of course, not everyone has space for a soundbar the size of the Arc, but it's disappointing that the Sub Mini is the same price, or more expensive, than all the products it is designed to supplement.

Sound

For this review, we pair the Sub Mini with all three of the brand’s soundbars, and how well it fares varies with each model – however, there are some consistent characteristics across the board. The Sub Mini has a quick, responsive sound that sets it apart from the loose, bland vagueness of many other soundbar subs. And indeed, throughout our testing, the Sub Mini always maintains prudent control, and we don’t hear any unwanted rattles or buzzes.

However, despite its speed, there’s not much shape or texture to the sound the Sub Mini produces, leavening it a little one-dimensional, particularly with music, such as Fiona Apple’s Under The Table, where the upright bass is stripped of much of its tonality and, rather than being an equal part of the ensemble, becomes more of a monotone support.

With films, the Sub Mini has a more positive impact where it makes handy work of the low, ominous drones that abound in soundtracks and helps underline big sonic moments.

Starting with the Ray soundbar and the bass-fest that is Dune on Blu-ray, the Sub Mini opens out the soundtrack, revealing the low-frequency elements underpinning much of the score that the soundbar alone couldn’t touch with a barge pole. In the opening sequence, there’s more weight and scale to the Bene Gesserit, the bursts of drums and the clamour of the spice harvesting machines, with each of the sudden shifts gaining emphatic impact.

While the Sub Mini kicks out an impressive amount of volume for its size, the amount of SPL seems to vary quite a bit across its range, meaning that it's more prominent with certain frequencies than others. The crossover region between the Ray and Sub Mini suffers a bit from a dip in volume from both parties, which leaves this pairing sounding a little lumpy, and perhaps the least successful of the three soundbars we try.

In some ways, contrary to Sonos’ pairing notes, it is with the Arc where the Sub Mini feels the most solidly integrated. Listening to SBTRKT’s Trials Of The Past, the deep bass, crisp percussion and clicky synths are neatly joined up. The Sub Mini adds a seasoning of quaking depth that, while it might not satisfy everyone, feels well-measured. But it would be fair to say that in this configuration, the Sub Mini’s effect is subtle unless you increase its individual level, which leaves the system exposed to sounding boomy and masking higher frequencies.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 was the soundbar that gained the most from being paired with Sub Mini, the two being more evenly matched in volume and range. Watching No Time To Die, some of the more stylistic sound design moments, such as after the bomb blast at Vesper’s tomb when all the higher frequencies are filtered out, are done plenty of justice, while elsewhere, the grandiosity of the score and action is more richly realised.

Verdict

The Sub Mini delivers on Sonos’ aim to bring a big sound to small spaces with a carefully controlled and quick performance that can combine easily with a variety of the brand’s speakers. Some may find it a little too well-mannered, and it’s not remarkably detailed or tonally sophisticated. Still, the Sub Mini unlocks more scale and depth from film soundtracks and music and does so, on the whole, without drawing attention to itself.

It’s with the Beam Gen 2 that Sub Mini gives its best performance, and we’d avoid pairing it with the Ray. But ultimately, if you have a budget of £900 / $900 / AU$1500 to spend on a soundbar system, a solo Arc will deliver a more cinematic experience.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Features 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Sonos Sub

Also consider the Samsung HW-Q800A

Read our LG Eclair QP5 review

These are the best soundbars: excellent TV speakers at budget to premium prices

Roku has unveiled a few new devices soon to be released in the US, including the Roku Wireless Bass, a new compact subwoofer which can be paired with existing Roku speakers and which costs less than a third of the price of the recently announced Sonos Sub Mini.

The Roku Wireless Bass is compatible with the Roku Streambar, Roku Streambar Pro, Roku Smart Soundbar and Roku Wireless Speakers, connecting via 802.11ac dual-band wi-fi at distances of up to 30 feet and requiring only a cable for power.

With a small, cuboid design measuring 35cm tall, 17cm wide and 32cm deep, the ported Roku Wireless Bass houses one 13cm front-firing woofer and has a claimed frequency response of 50–200 Hz.

The Bass is now available for pre-order in the US ahead of a 7th November launch. Priced at $130 (around £113, AU$193), it should appeal to price-conscious shoppers hoping to add some cinematic weight to their TV sound; and it is significantly more affordable than some of the recent subwoofer releases we have seen, such as the Sonos Sub Mini, which costs £429 / $429 / AU$699 and the klang sub1 from Loewe – £400 (around $464, AU$680). 

The Roku Wireless Bass can also be purchased as part of a bundled package with the Roku Streambar for $250 (around £216, AU$371), for a saving of $10.

Roku already has a wireless subwoofer in its range. The Wireless Bass Pro costs $50 more and has a bigger cabinet, housing a 25cm driver that delivers 125 watts RMS power compared with the new sub's 60 watts.

Elsewhere, Roku also announced an updated version of the Roku Express with some new features, including dual-band wi-fi connectivity, an upgraded processor and increased internal storage. Priced at $30, the 2022 Roku Express is available to pre-order, with shipping starting on October 13th.

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Our pick of the best budget soundbars

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Amazon Fire TV vs Roku: which is better?

Watching your favourite movie or TV show can feel incredibly underwhelming when you don't have a top-quality subwoofer to match.

After all, a sub-par subwoofer can actually make your movies and music sound worse by drowning out all the other frequencies and creating a fuzzy low-end.

With a mountain of models on the market, it can feel like quite a challenge to know which one works best for you.

REL Acoustics, for instance, is one of the most recent brands to release new subs with its Serie S line, consisting of four new models. We haven't had the chance to get these in our test room yet, but they could be strong competition for our current favourites.

The ideal subwoofer should be able to upgrade your listening experience with a rich, bass-heavy depth, and should hit those floor-shaking low frequencies.

All the subwoofers in this handy guide have been put through their paces in our dedicated test rooms and compared with class rivals, so you can trust our recommendations.

Read on for our pick of the best subwoofers for stereo and surround-sound systems, and check out the best speaker packages on offer if you're looking to create the best home cinema system.

The quick list

Best subwoofer overall

Don’t be fooled by the diminutive form of B&W’s ASW610; this is the subwoofer we would recommend over all others if you want to give your surround-sound system a boost at the bottom end.

Despite measuring just 31cm tall, the ASW610 is capable of formidable power, its 200W amplifier controlling the excursions of its 25cm Kevlar/paper drive unit in impressive style. There's depth, drive and authority to belie its size, with a brilliant blend of power and musicality.

Available in either black or white, its compact dimensions make it easy to accommodate in all but the smallest living spaces, but it also has the necessary dynamism to fill rooms of all sizes with sound.

Whether it’s a movie soundtrack or one of your favourite albums, the ASW610 can deliver bass with subtlety and speed, making it a genuine all-rounder when it comes to delivering solid bass as part of a hi-fi or home cinema system.

Read our full B&W ASW610 review

Best budget subwoofer

Q Acoustics’ QB12 might be the most wallet-friendly choice on our list here, but it could end up costing you in other ways, such is the sheer power that lies within its hefty frame.

The QB12 smashes through the action like a steam train, hitting you right in the stomach and taking your whole body along with it, so you might want to warn your neighbours when it’s movie night (or move to a bigger house).

That’s hardly surprising considering its 12in driver is pushed by 220 watts of Class D amplification, but there’s much more to it than just brute force; the QB12 is also precise, detailed and really rather dynamic.

It’s designed to work best with Q Acoustics’ 3000i suite, as well as the Concept 5.1 speaker range, but as long as what you pair it with has enough oomph to integrate effectively without being overwhelmed, and you have the physical space to accommodate it, the QB12 is a brilliantly affordable way to upgrade the low-end response in your home-cinema set-up. Next door’s peace and quiet be damned.

Read our full Q Acoustics QB12 review

Best subwoofer for Sonos

Sonos started out fully focused on multi-room hi-fi kit, but the launch of the original Sonos Sub back in 2012 showed that the company cared about home cinema sound, too.

The eye-catching contemporary design sets it apart as something a little bit different to the other, more traditional subwoofers further up this page. Apart from the power cable it’s entirely wireless (although you can connect it to your router with an ethernet cable if the Wi-Fi isn’t up to scratch).

You can use the Sub to create a multi-channel system with one of Sonos’ soundbars and, if you can afford it, some of its other wireless speakers such as the Era 300.

The Sonos Sub is big and heavy but you can lay it down flat if that will help you to find a home for it. Similar sonic characteristics ensure the Sub integrates well with the company's other wireless speakers, and the extra weight, power and scale is obvious.

It’s not cheap, and when playing music bass lines can be a little on the fat side, but its easy setup and unique characteristics make it a fine addition to any movie-loving Sonos fan’s setup.

Read our full Sonos Sub review

Latest updates

• January 2026: Adjusted copy, checked availability of each model.
• August 2025: Checked pricing and availability of the entries.
• April 2025: Checked pricing and availability of the entries.
• February 2025: Checked pricing, and availability of the entries and removed the Sonos Sub Mini from the list.

How to choose the best subwoofer for you

Adding a subwoofer to your home cinema setup is essentially the same as buying a new piece of furniture for your living room, so it requires a bit of forward planning. You wouldn’t buy a five-seater sofa and only work out where to put it once it arrived, would you?

Fortunately none of the subwoofers on our list above are quite that large, but they all require about a foot of room around them, so measure your space and bear that in mind when making a decision. Even more fortunately, from a sonic point of view subwoofers aren’t too fussy about placement, so at least you don’t have to worry about positioning it directly underneath the TV.

Size isn’t just a physical consideration when it comes to choosing a subwoofer either. Larger subs tend to be more powerful, with higher RMS figures, so make sure everything is in proportion. Too much power in a small room runs the risk of overwhelming the space, plus the proximity of your neighbours means you’re unlikely to make the most of it anyway (unless you really don’t like them).

Most subwoofers will require a direct wired connection to your AV receiver, so that’s also something to bear in mind when choosing one. If running cables around your living room is going to prove problematic you can also get wireless subs that only need a power cable to function, but bear in mind that a lot of them only work within a specific closed ecosystem (the two Sonos ones above are a good example).

Fundamentally, a subwoofer is always going to be an addition to your setup rather than a standalone item, so making sure it fits with what you’ve already got – and the room you’re using it in – is key.

How we test subwoofers

A lot of products we test at What Hi-Fi? can be evaluated almost in isolation. Things like TVs and headphones need sources, but they’re entirely responsible for their own performance. Subwoofers, however, are only ever additions to other speakers, which makes reviewing them a slightly unusual proposition.

Every subwoofer we test is given the same treatment. In our state-of-the-art facilities we will pair them with a suitable set of reference speakers as part of a surround-sound package. After ensuring they are set up correctly, we will test each subwoofer in different positions in the room and with a range of different films and musical genres.

A key element of the What Hi-Fi? review process is comparative testing, so we will also bring in a rival subwoofer at a comparable price (and often cheaper and more expensive alternatives, too) to see how they stack up.

No matter what we’re reviewing, all of our verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than a single reviewer, helping to ensure consistency and avoid individual subjectivity. The What Hi-Fi? team has more than 100 years collective experience of reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics – and that includes subwoofers – so our opinion is trusted by retailers and manufacturers, as well as consumers, the world over.

From all of our reviews, we only choose the top subwoofers to feature in this Best Buy. That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended here, or on any other Best Buy page, you can rest assured you're getting a What Hi-Fi?-approved product.

You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.

MORE:

• How to set up your subwoofer: our expert guide to room placement and controls
• 10 of the best movie scores to test your system
• 25 of the best tracks for testing bass
• Best AV receivers: best home cinema amplifiers

FAQ

It has been over nine months since we first brought you rumours of a smaller, cheaper Sonos subwoofer, and now we have what could be our first proper look at the device. These images of the Sonos Sub Mini look very official, and they come via German tech site WinFuture, which has a good track record of accurate leaks.

Vitally, they also chime with what we've already heard about the design, which lends them even more credence.

According to the pics, the Sub Mini has a cutout similar to that found on the full-size Sonos Sub. As was previously rumoured, the device has a cylindrical shape, which differs from its larger sibling.

The Sub Mini is pictured in both white and black finishes.

That's about it in terms of detail. WinFuture speculates we could see the Sub Mini launch between October and December, which would certainly make sense – all manufacturers want to hit that all-important holiday period in the run-up to Christmas.

The Sub Mini was previously rumoured to cost less than the Sonos Sub, though there's no word on exactly how much. Sonos recently launched a cheaper soundbar called the Sonos Ray – the Sub Mini could be its perfect partner.

MORE:

Check out the best Sonos deals around right now

FYI: Sonos: everything you need to know

And a broader FYI: Multi-room audio: everything you need to know

These are the best subwoofers to augment your set-up

Loewe has launched a new wireless subwoofer that can connect wirelessly to TVs over Bluetooth. The klang sub1 is the company's latest bass bin, and its grey fabric finish and circular shape continue the footstool aesthetic seen on last year's sub5.

Weighing 4.7kg and with a diameter of 28.7cm, the klang sub1 is significantly smaller than previous models in Loewe's range but contains a pair of 4-inch woofers and four passive drivers in a hexagon layout to reduce unwanted vibrations. Loewe claims it delivers 160 Watts of output power with a frequency response down to 20Hz.

Unlike the brand's other subs, the sub1 can directly connect to Loewe and We. by Loewe TVs (from the SL3 series onwards ) using the klang sub1 transmitter, as well as third-party displays via a variable 3.5mm line-in. There's onboard support for Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX low latency, and Loewe says that the sub's performance offers listeners "a perfectly balanced sound experience for maximum listening pleasure without sound delay, annoying buzzing and disturbing wires between the subwoofer and TV." 

Availability for the klang sub1 has not yet been announced, but it will be priced at £400 (around $464 / AU$680). Could this be a potential rival for Sonos' much-rumoured Sub Mini? Hopefully, we won't have to wait much longer to find out.

MORE:

IFA 2022 news and highlights: Dolby Atmos soundbars, crazy projectors, Bluetooth subwoofers and more

Sonos Sub Mini set to launch as the perfect accessory for the Ray and Beam soundbars

Our pick of the best soundbars available now

28 of the best tracks for testing bass

Richter is an Australian brand that has held to its fundamental goals ever since Ralph Waters founded the company in 1986. As Richter’s managing director today, Brian Rodgers, says: “Richter’s philosophy from the beginning was this: ‘We never stop improving what we make. Good design is the key to success. And a successful product must be long lasting and offer value for money.’”

And when researching the market for this  product, the latest in Richter’s legendary line of Thor subwoofers, he was able to add a few more truisms to the list: ‘big is bad’, ‘ports are poxy’, and ‘vinyl sucks’ — this last referring not to a dislike for LP records, we’re pleased to say, but to the modern disregard for vinyl-wrapped speaker finishes.

These were the notes with which Brian Rodgers returned from a tour of Australian hi-fi retailers. The consensus was that customers wanted subwoofers that were small, they didn’t like bass reflex ports to be visible, and they didn’t like vinyl finishes due to a perception of splitting and peeling at the corners.

So he tasked his Senior Engineer Dr Martin Gosnell with development of a Richter subwoofer design for the latest Series 6, smaller and lighter than the company’s previous multi-award-winning Thor subs, to be either a sealed design or with bass reflex ports that customers wouldn’t be able to see… and in any practicable finish he liked, so long as it wasn’t vinyl.

Equipment

The arrival of the Thor 10.6 proved that Dr Gosnell met the design brief admirably, and he increased the internal power as well. 

The 10.6 is 20% smaller than the previous Thor MkV, and it’s 30% cent lighter. Its amplifier is rated at 450W compared to the 300W amplifier inside the previous MkV. If you leave the grille on, you can’t see the twin (tuneable!) bass reflex ports. And no vinyl to be seen, just a very classy matte-painted surface that when in black it's so black it’s probably the same finish that was used on Hotblack Desiato’s stunt ship. (You know, the one Zaphod Beeblebrox ‘borrowed.’)

But you can optionally order the Thor 10.6 in a matte white finish, though the front grille cloth remains black.

With the grille off (we don’t mind ports here), you instantly see this subwoofer’s most imposing feature, a dish-shaped polymer cone with an unusually distinctive neoprene roll surround that was tooled by Richter itself. Richter rates this driver at 10 inches diameter, which is the ‘10’ part of the10.6 model name, while the ‘6’ shows that it’s part of Richter’s ‘6 Series’.

So why the front ports, and two of them, given the ‘no ports’ directive?

Well for one thing they can be hidden behind the front grille. In addition, front ports, rather than on the side (like some earlier Richter models) or at the back or underneath, mean you can completely remove the subwoofer from the listening room, recessed into a wall, cupboard or cabinet. Or you might think it’s so small in your room that there’s no need to go to such lengths, especially as its design of being higher than it is wide further assists its integration into room décor.

As mentioned, those bass reflex ports are tuneable. Each port is 75mm in diameter and 225mm long, with radiused curves at the exit, and tight-fitting grey foam ‘port plugs’ are supplied which you can block one or both ports to ‘tune’ the sound of the subwoofer to suit the size of your room, where you have the subwoofer positioned, what you’re using the subwoofer for (type of music, type of movie etc) and, of course, your own personal tastes. For example, both ports unplugged will deliver higher sound pressure levels in larger rooms in the 30–100Hz area, but the frequency response will roll off more rapidly below 35Hz than if both ports were plugged.

If you plug both ports, the deepest bass frequencies (those below 35Hz) will be reproduced at a higher (relative) volume, but the bass between 35Hz and 100Hz will be slightly attenuated. In terms of how the settings will affect the music, the sound will be quicker and punchier with both ports left open, but smoother and more extended with both ports blocked. Blocking only one port will provide a middle ground between the two.

The feet are individually height-adjustable, a surprising rarity on subwoofers rather than speakers, and guaranteeing no wobbles.

The rear panel of the Richter Thor 10.6 has more features than many subwoofers, and better-quality fittings as well. The Thor 10.6 has the usual rotary volume level and crossover controls (with the crossover control handily marked with calibrations at 10Hz intervals from 40Hz to 90Hz, with additional calibrations at 140Hz and 160Hz).

But the volume control also has a setting marked ‘REF’. Richter’s Owner’s Manual doesn’t explain this, so we asked Richter, and were told that ‘REF’ should be used when the Thor 10.6 is being set up and controlled from a home theatre amplifier or receiver. In this case the volume should be set to REF and then volume controlled from that amplifier or receiver.

The Thor 10.6 has equalisation built in, switchable between three modes: ‘Music’, ‘Merlin’ and ‘Home Theatre’. The ‘Music’ and ‘Home Theatre’ modes are self-explanatory, while the ‘Merlin’ mode is designed to perfectly blend the Thor 10.6 with Richter’s Merlin standmount speakers — “a seamless audio experience,” says Richter’s manual.

The Richter Thor 10.6’s low pass filter is not only adjustable, it’s also switchable (or ‘defeatable’, if you prefer this terminology): you can switch it out of circuit by setting the ‘Low Pass’ switch to ‘Off’. This is recommended if you’re using the pre-filtered LFE output from an AV receiver to provide the subwoofer’s signal.

So multiple inputs are provided on the Thor 10.6 subwoofer. There are both balanced and unbalanced LFE inputs – balanced on a standard XLR socket, unbalanced being the left-channel of the line inputs for left and right channels via RCA terminals. There are also high-level (speaker-level) inputs, accessed via multi-way gold-plated speaker terminals.

Speaker-level inputs are now a rarity on subwoofers, but they’re extremely useful if you want to use the subwoofer with an ordinary stereo amplifier that has neither LFE nor pre-outputs, and even if they do it’s often preferable to use the speaker-level terminals, then connecting your main speakers from the ‘To Speakers’ terminals on the Thor 10.6. With this wiring arrangement, the Thor 10.6 ‘strips’ the low frequencies from the signal going to your main speakers, relieving them from any low-bass duties, which will improve their performance.

The Richter Thor 10.6 also has a ‘Pass Through’ output that allows you to ‘daisy-chain’ multiple subwoofers to improve performance and potentially even out room modes, so the volume is the same no matter where you sit.

In most cases, a single subwoofer will suffice if only one or two people are listening close together. But when multiple listeners are spaced in different places in a room, multiple subwoofers can be the only practical solution.

The new Thor even has multiple power switches – a main power switch to switch the amplifier off completely, effectively isolating it from the mains power, plus a secondary power switch to choose between the subwoofer being powered up all the time, or powering up automatically from a standby state when it detects an audio signal. The options are sensibly named ‘Always On’ and ‘Auto’.

• Best AV receivers for 2022

Performance

As with any subwoofer, correctly positioning is essential, along with volume, crossover frequency and phase controls set so that the output of the subwoofer integrates smoothly with the output of your main speakers.

Richter’s excellent 20-page instruction manual has outstandingly good advice, but you can work out where the subwoofer should be positioned in your room by following the specific procedure outlined in this Australian Hi-Fi article.

That’s what we did, and the result was that the Richter Thor 10.6 sounded amazing – especially in such a small subwoofer, with a relatively small bass driver, delivering such prodigious levels of deep bass. And it’s not only kick-arse bass, but as tight as… well, suffice to say that when they coined the phrase ‘taut and terrific’, they could well have been talking about the Thor 10.6.

Listen to kick-drum and you’ll hear the Richter deliver the perfect sound of the beater head smacking the drum skin: depthy, realistic and with the lower frequency of the full skin stretch hitting you in the stomach while the higher-frequency harmonics provide the fill.

It’s equally impressive with other low-pitched instruments that regularly appear in most musical groups – double-bass, cello, bass guitar, and keyboards (acoustic and electronic). Firstly, the bass is ‘pitch perfect’, as they say, so that when a bass guitarist strikes the bottom string of his four-string electric bass, what you hear from the Richter is a beautifully rich-sounding ‘E1’ with a very obvious fundamental frequency of 41.203Hz, and not what you often hear from a subwoofer, which is a sound that primarily consists of the ‘E’ the octave above, at 82.406Hz… which, although it sounds fine and very musical, is also wrong, because the pitch of E2 should actually be 82.407Hz, as we’re talking about the tempered scale.

But it’s not only the fundamentals that are precisely and accurately reproduced by the Richter 10.6, it’s also the harmonics, essential in order to enable instant recognition of, say, the sound of a Fender Precision bass versus most people will be more easily able to pick the musician playing it – in this case maybe Steve Harris versus Peter Buck, for example.

The harmonic rendition of the Richter Thor 10.6 is perfect, with the frequency of the harmonics delivered exactly… as well as the levels of those harmonics. Outstanding performance indeed.

Distortion is exceeding low. Listening to a favourite performance of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No 3 (Steve Isserlis with Robert Levin on Fortepiano, available on Hyperion), the aural clarity of both instruments is stunning, and the contrasts between them achingly revealed, and most appropriately both are given equal sonic weight, as the performers (and no doubt the composer!) intended.

Cello sound is glorious no matter what’s being played. Listen to Elgar’s superb Cello Concerto in E minor on a lesser subwoofer and you may wonder if you’re hearing a human voice, but listening via the Richter 10.6, there is no room for doubt.

Of course we also evaluated the Richter 10.6 in a home theatre system. Watching movies, we were impressed by the speed and stopping power of the Richter 10.6, as well as its ability to deliver the very lowest sounds on soundtracks. The ‘depthiness’ is certainly enough to rattle furniture and create an intensely powerful sound field in the listening room, no matter whether you’re experiencing a pitched battle, a factory scene or just the director injecting low-frequency FX to generate tension in the audience.

We did switch to the Home Theatre mode when we first started watching, but weren’t convinced by the sound, so we experimented with the other modes and interestingly enough, found that in our home theatre system, which has fairly small front speakers, we preferred the overall sound when the subwoofer was set for ‘Merlin Mode’ and both ports were unplugged.

Also interesting is that when using the Richter 10.6 in our main system, we preferred the ‘Music Mode’ equalisation, but with the ports plugged listening to classical music and unplugged when listening to anything else. This might sound like a bit of a bother, but it only takes a few moments to plug or unplug the ports, and if you mostly listen to either one type of music or the other in any one listening session… it takes only a few seconds to make the switch.

Verdict

Richter today has succeeded where most subwoofer manufacturers have not, building a small subwoofer that doesn’t sound small at all, exhibiting marvellously deep bass performance, with tuneful, rhythmic musical delivery and superbly low levels of distortion.

With that level of performance, assisted by the high level of connectivity, multiple EQ modes and classy finish, the Richter Thor 10.6 should make any shortlist at the price, or indeed several rungs higher.

• Best subwoofers 2022

Denon Home is now complete. The multi-room system has just added a subwoofer to its ranks, alongside the Denon Home 150 / 250 / 350 wireless speakers and Sound Bar 550.

The Denon Home Subwoofer connects to the other devices in the ecosystem wirelessly via wi-fi. Like other Denon Home devices, it features HEOS Built-in, making pairing a doddle. That also means you can adjust settings for output level, low-pass filter and phase within the HEOS mobile app.

It has the same minimalist aesthetics as the rest of the Denon Home range, and should fit most interior schemes without looking like a blot on the landscape (unless you've gone full Changing Rooms, that is). And like the other Denon Home speakers, it gives you access to all the streaming bigwigs like Spotify, Amazon Music HD, Deezer and Tidal. 

You can stream tracks to it over wi-fi, AirPlay 2 or Bluetooth. And with support for 192kHz/24-bit and DSD 2.8/5.6MHz files, your tunes should sound pretty sweet.

HEOS isn't limited to Denon devices either: the Denon Home Subwoofer is compatible with AV receivers, hi-fi systems and soundbars from Marantz too. (Think of HEOS as a challenger to the likes of Sonos and Bluesound.)

The other Denon Home devices have fared well in our reviews, so we look forward to putting the Subwoofer through its paces. It's available to buy now for £449/€499 (international pricing is TBC).

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The fact that KEF’s new KC62 subwoofer uses a force-cancelling driver array is not new or even news, because dozens of subwoofers use force-cancelling driver arrays. But it is true that it was once news – big news – because KEF was the first company in the world to build a commercial loudspeaker that employed force-cancelling drivers – the KEF Reference 104/2, way back in 1984. 

What is totally new about the new KC62 – and also very newsworthy! – is that KEF has built a completely different kind of bass driver that has force-cancelling as an integral part of its mode of operation. So, whereas all other manufacturers use two separate drivers to achieve the force-cancelling function (as did KEF in 1984 with the 104/2 and in 2010 with the KC92), KEF delivers force-cancelling in this new KC62 using just a single driver, and a system it calls ‘Uni-Core.’ 

To the best of my knowledge, such a driver has never been built before: it’s completely new and totally different. 

Uni-core bass driverKEF’s Uni-Core driver is an amazing device. Although it’s a single unit, with just one magnet and chassis, it has two voice-coils and two cones. Since this might be difficult to conceptualise (since to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time such a construction has ever been realised) readers would be best advised to look at Figure 1, below, which shows a cross-sectional view. 

• The best subwoofers we've reviewed

This cut-away view clearly shows that the two voice-coils, one with a greater diameter than the other, are arranged concentrically, so the smaller one operates within the larger one, and means that the voice coils are able to travel within their own gap(s) without colliding. 

Obviously this means that the two voice coils must be different, and the magnetic fields in which they operate must also be different, yet in order for the force-cancelling to work, and for the acoustic output of the two cones to be identical, a great many electrical and magnetic parameters must have been manipulated in order to ensure this works as it should. 

I must admit to being rather amazed that the Uni-Core driver works at all, or even that it was possible to FEA model the driver’s behaviour prior to building the first prototype. The primary issue is that that the magnetic field created in one voice coil by the alternating current flowing through it, which causes it to move in the fixed field created by the permanent magnet, would also affect the magnetic field of the other voice coil, and vice versa – and my initial thought that it would probably do this adversely. 

KEF’s engineers obviously realised this straight away, and I suspect this is one of the main reasons a very comprehensive ‘White Paper’ has been posted on the company’s website that explains the operation of the driver. It turns out that KEF says it has eliminated interaction between the two coils by placing a large aluminium cylinder between them that acts as a low-resistance shorted-turn. 

Not only this, but the cylinder apparently also dramatically drops the total inductance of the Uni-Core driver as well as reduces variations in inductance caused by the physical location(s) of the coil(s) in the fixed magnetic field, compared with a geometry where two completely separate drivers are used (as in, for example, the KEF KC92.) 

This quite amazingly beneficial outcome is shown graphically in KEF’s White Paper, so I have included that graph below so you can be as amazed by it as I was. 

The graph above shows a completely unexpected result, but I guess that’s magnetism for you – it’s a strange force that in order to totally understand, you need to have a very good grasp on the principles of quantum mechanics. 

And although things have progressed somewhat since Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman said: “If you think you understand quantum mechanics, then you don’t”, I am still going with what Neils Bohr (also a Nobel prize-winning physicist) said, which is: “Anyone not shocked by quantum mechanics has not yet understood it.” 

KEF’s White Paper also includes mention of Hofmann’s ‘Iron Law’, which is so important in the context of subwoofer design that I would like to discuss it in some detail, but if you’re not interested in the physics, feel free to skip the following section and move on to the heading ‘Construction.’ 

Hofmann’s iron law

All subwoofers have to conform to Hofmann’s Iron Law and the KEF KC62 is no exception however KEF’s White Paper states that “Iron Laws cannot be broken, but they can certainly be bent.” So I guess we should take a look at Hofmann’s Iron Law and how it applies to the KC62! 

Hofmann’s so-called ‘law’ of low frequency reproduction was coined by Joseph Anton Hofmann, who was one of the three founders of KLH Loudspeakers, a company that in its hey-day was the largest loudspeaker manufacturer in the world. 

In fact, the first letter of Hoffman’s surname is the ‘H’ in KLH. The other two initials were contributed by Henry Kloss (who helped found Acoustic Research before KLH and later founded Advent), and Malcolm Scollay Low (who had also helped found Acoustic Research and after leaving KLH would go on to found Evans and Sutherland Computer Corporation and become a pioneer in digital recording and computer graphics.) 

It’s important to use Hofmann’s middle name because his father was none other than Josef Casimir Hofmann, one of the greatest pianists who has ever lived. And if that sentence made you stop in your tracks, consider that no less a pianist (and composer) than Sergei Rachmaninoff said Hofmann was the ‘greatest pianist alive’, Ralph Berkowitz said he “had the greatest technique of any pianist” he’d ever heard, and Anton Rubinstein thought that Hofmann was such “an unprecedented talent” that he took him on as a student – the only pianist he would ever teach. 

On the merely ‘technical’ side, Josef Casimir Hofmann was also one of the first pianists ever to be recorded (on an Edison cylinder) and was also a prolific inventor, with more than 70 patents to his name, including patents for pneumatic shock absorbers for cars and airplanes, windscreen wipers, and a device to record dynamics in reproducing piano rolls (unfortunately invented just as piano roll companies went out of business). He also patented improvements to piano actions that were later incorporated into Steinway pianos. 

His son Joseph Anton Hofmann’s “Iron Law” essentially states that three important attributes of any loudspeaker system are inextricably linked: low-bass reproduction, enclosure size and sensitivity (efficiency) in such a way that it is impossible for a single design to satisfactorily deliver all three. 

He said that optimising any two of these attributes would inevitably compromise the one that remained. “A designer who wants good, deep low-frequency sound and high sensitivity can obtain these goals, but they will have to use a large speaker enclosure,” he said. “Similarly, if a designer is forced by space constraints to use a very small cabinet, and they aim to get good, deep low-frequency sound, sensitivity will inevitably be compromised.” 

It’s really a variation of an old business adage, one that’s so well-known you’ve probably seen it on a sign in a business in your neighbourhood: “We offer three kinds of service: Good – Cheap – Fast. You can pick any two.” Meaning that if it’s fast and good, it won’t be cheap. If it’s fast and cheap, it won’t be good. And, of course, if it’s good and cheap, it won’t be fast. 

If you studied project management at college, you probably learned these principles as the ‘triple constraints’ of any project: time, cost, and its scope or quality. 

Of the three variables in Hofmann’s Iron Law, the one that’s the hardest to bend is the one that involves ‘good, deep, low-frequency sound.’ This is because of a very basic law of physics which states that if a bass driver can produce a sound pressure level of 90dBSPL at a frequency of 50Hz by moving back and forwards a particular distance (say, x), then for that same driver to produce 90dBSPL at 25Hz, the cone would need to move backwards and forwards a distance of 4x. 

That is, when the frequency is halved, cone excursion must be increased FOUR times (not two, as you might have guessed). 

The factor of 4 comes about because sound pressure is a result of a cone’s acceleration. So it’s the rate of change of its velocity. The rate of change of a sine wave increases with its frequency: the faster it oscillates, the more change. So the rate of change of excursion (i.e. velocity) increases with frequency of oscillation. Half the frequency also halves the rate of change. Acceleration is the rate of change of rate of change, hence the factor of 4. 

The problem for a typical cone speaker is that a good Xmax for a high-quality bass driver would be about 10mm. So if it were using this Xmax to deliver a 50Hz signal at, say, 90dBSPL, it would need to travel 40mm in order to deliver exactly the same SPL at 25Hz. Clearly impossible. 

If, on the other hand, you decide to use the driver’s Xmax to deliver a signal at 25Hz, this means that in order for the response to be flat down to this frequency, the cone will only move 2.5mm at 50Hz. This won’t be very loud at all. So you can get flat response between 50Hz and 25Hz, but only if you accept that undistorted sound pressure levels will be compromised. 

So, in the words of KEF’s White Paper: “When designing a small subwoofer, the choice has to be made between high efficiency and low frequency extension. Both are very desirable features for a subwoofer. To create a subwoofer that can deliver the maximum performance for the minimum of space, KEF R&D worked to push the compromises as far as possible. After all, Iron Laws cannot be broken, but they can certainly be bent.”

Construction

The surround of the Uni-Core driver is a new one for KEF, which it calls ‘P-Flex.’ It was invented to solve a problem that affects all small subwoofers with sealed enclosures. And that’s the same problem no matter how many drivers might be fitted to the enclosure. That problem is that whenever the driver cone(s) moves ‘inwards’ the air pressure inside the cabinet will increase. Whenever it moves ‘outwards’ the air pressure inside the cabinet will decrease. Either way, the air pressure in the listening room will remain a constant. 

The problem here is that the natural way of things is that nature would prefer it if the air inside the cabinet were at the same pressure as the air in the room, so it will attempt to equalise the two pressures. It can’t do this because the cabinet is sealed, so it will look for the ‘weakest link’ in the cabinet, which is the roll surround, and therefore will exert considerable pressure on this surround with the result that the surround will deform and no longer act in a linear manner. 

In the past, the solution to this problem has been to increase the thickness of the surround to make it so strong it cannot buckle under the pressure generated, but this has two problems. The first is that the thicker the surround, the more energy needs to be exerted by the magnet/voice-coil in order to make the cone move, which reduces overall efficiency.  The second problem is that the increase in the stiffness of the surround reduces the low-frequency response of the driver, which is the exact opposite of what you want to happen in a subwoofer. 

KEF’s ‘P-Flex’ surround, for which the company has applied for a patent, has ‘pleats’ in the roll that, to use the exact wording in KEF’s ‘White Paper’ “resist the deformation caused by the changing internal air pressure of the cabinet, whilst allowing extended, linear movement of the driver, without the issue of buckling at higher excursion.” 

Interestingly, surround technology is going through something of a renaissance at the moment, possibly because of improvements in materials, moulding technologies and the increased use of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in loudspeaker development so many different manufacturers are releasing drivers with unique surround profiles. 

KEF’s P-Flex is as exciting a development as Purifi’s ‘Neutral Surround’ surround material, whose effective radiation area remains constant throughout the entire voice coil excursion. (Which solves the problem that affects traditional half-roll surrounds, which is that the radiation area decreases during ‘inward’ cone movement and increases during ‘outward’ cone movement.) 

Interestingly, two of the inventors of the ‘Neutral Surround’ – Lars Risbo and Bruno Putzeys – are referenced in KEF’s ‘White Paper’, but not in relation to the P-Flex surround but instead to a paper they co-authored titled ‘Force Factor Modulation in ElectroDynamic Loudspeakers’, which was presented at the 141st meeting of the Audio Engineering Society Convention. 

The fit ‘n finish of the control/connection plate fitted to the rear of the KEF KC62 is astoundingly good. It simply oozes quality. At the very top of the plate is an ‘Expansion Port’ that allows customers to add features they might like by plugging in optional devices. 

The first of these to become available was the ability to send audio signals to the KEF KC62 wirelessly, which is made possible only by means of purchasing a separately available wireless kit (KW-1). This kit also allows you to interface the KC62 with other compatible KEF products, such as powered speakers… although you can already do this, as we will discover later in this review. 

Immediately alongside this Expansion Port is a vertically-arrayed set of four DIP switches (DIP stands for “dual in-line package”) that are used to set the filter characteristics for the line output terminals of the KC62 (the terminals are located at the bottom right of the control/connection plate). 

The available turnover frequencies for this filter are 40Hz, 45Hz, 50Hz, 55Hz, 60Hz, 70Hz, 80Hz, 90Hz, 100Hz, 110Hz and 120Hz. You can also use certain of the DIP switch settings to force the output to be mono, rather than its default of stereo. 

To the right of the DIP switch is a simple two-position slider switch for phase (0° or 180°) and to the right of this is a five position ‘EQ’ slider switch with positions (from top to bottom) for ‘Room’, ‘Wall’, ‘Corner’, ‘Cabinet’ and ‘Apartment’. 

The reason for KEF including an Equalisation switch is that a subwoofer’s output volume is affected more dramatically by where it is positioned in your room relative to the walls, floor and ceiling than any other type of loudspeaker, due to the wavelength of the frequencies it’s reproducing being longer than those of ordinary loudspeakers. 

(The lower the frequency of any sound, the longer the wavelength. A 170Hz sound has a wavelength of two metres, while a 17Hz sound has a wavelength of 20 metres.) KEF’s EQ settings allow you to adjust its output to ensure the KC62 will deliver its best performance no matter where in the room you end up putting it… even if you put it inside a cabinet. 

But while the Room, Wall, Corner and Cabinet modes are self-explanatory, what about that ‘Apartment’ mode? What’s this for? Glad you asked… 

Because of their long wavelength, low frequencies are far better at travelling through walls than higher frequencies, which tend to be reflected from hard surfaces, so if you live in a home unit, or a flat or an apartment (and, in the same manner as quantum physics, it must be said that only real estate agents know the difference between these three types of dwelling!), there’s an excellent chance that your neighbours will be also be enjoying (or not!) the low-frequency sounds made by your subwoofer even more loudly than you are in your own apartment. 

So if you are using the KEF KC62 in an apartment, setting its EQ switch to ‘Apartment’ mode will increasingly reduce the volume level of low frequencies as they get lower in frequency, starting at 40Hz. So the further the frequencies fall below 40Hz, the more the KC62 will reduce their level. 

Of course this won’t only reduce the chance of your neighbours hearing these frequencies – it will also reduce the volume levels in your own room, so that you may not be able to hear them as well either. So although such a switch might obviously be very useful at maintaining neighbourhood harmony, it does seem to defeat the reason for buying a subwoofer in the first place! 

To the right of the Mode switch is another two-position slider switch, with the upper position labelled ‘Manual’ and the lower position ‘LFE’. When this is set to ‘Manual’ the rotary ‘Crossover’ control to its right becomes active, and allows you to set the high-frequency roll-off to best-suit your main speakers. It’s a rotary control with calibrated positions at 10Hz intervals from 40Hz up to 100Hz, after which there’s one calibration at 125Hz and a final one at 150Hz. 

When the ‘Mode’ switch control is set to its LFE (Low Frequency Effects) lower position, the ‘Crossover’ control is disabled, so that the highest frequency the CD62 is able to deliver is instead controlled by your AV receiver’s LFE output. Since this is effectively a ‘Bypass’ circuit, if your AV receiver doesn’t filter its LFE output, the KC62 will operate ‘full range.’ 

The KEF KC62 has both speaker level (high) and line-level inputs, but the speaker-level inputs are not the usual large multi-way binding posts. KEF has instead provided a custom four-pin plug to which you connect your speaker wires, and it’s this plug which then connects to the small rectangular socket on the control/connection plate. 

This makes for a very neat installation, but does rather limit you to using speaker wire diameters that will actually fit into the connector. So you may instead prefer to connect the KC62 using the line-level inputs which are provided in the form of two standard gold-plated RCA terminals, the left-most of which is for LFE connection and is so labelled. The right most RCA terminal is labelled ‘Smart Connect’. For connection to a preamp or similar, you’d use both terminals.

 To the right of the LFE/Smart-Connect inputs is the pair of line-level outputs I mentioned earlier in this review. These can be set so the audio signals that appear there are simply a ‘loop-through’ from the line-level inputs, or you can route the audio signals through a high-pass filter (set by the DIP switch) to remove low frequencies before they appear at this output. 

The main power switch is obviously wired to make sense to owners in the USA, because pressing the top of it inwards switches the subwoofer on (the exactly opposite of mains power switch operation here in Australia and in the UK). There’s a small tell-tale dual-colour LED above the switch that glows red when the subwoofer is off but power is available and green when it’s operational.  

The KEF KC62 is available in one or the other of two colours – ‘carbon black’ and ‘mineral white’. Either way, it will weigh 14kg, which is amazingly heavy when you consider how tiny it is, at just 246×256×248mm. That’s barely bigger than the proverbial shoe-box! 

Power and distortion 

The KC62 has two Class-D amplifiers inside – one amplifier for each voice-coil – with each amplifier rated at 500-watts, for a total power of 1,000-watts! A great deal of this power is used just getting the cones to move because, since the KC62 enclosure is sealed and has a volume of only a few litres, a great deal energy is expended simply forcing the driver cones to move and alternately compress and rarefy the air inside the enclosure. 

However, despite this, the 1,000-watts on tap is still more than sufficient power to push the cones beyond their most linear excursion point, at which point distortion would increase considerably. 

To prevent this from happening, KEF includes its so-called ‘Smart Distortion Control Technology (SDCT) in the KC62’s circuitry to make sure the cones do not go beyond this point. Rather than use a physical sensor to monitor cone excursion, KEF instead uses a current sensor to directly and instantaneously monitor the current flowing in the voice coil. When the current being drawn indicates that distortion has increased, drive voltage to the voice-coil is instantly reduced. But KEF’s SDCT circuit is not only reactive, it is also proactive. 

KEF uses a digital signal processor to modify the audio signal delivered to the driver to ‘pre-compensate’ for known limitations of the Uni-Core driver’s operational parameters, effectively ‘pre-correcting’ for distortion that would otherwise be introduced by the driver (some of which could be a function of the geometry of the unique driver itself, as discussed previously). 

The DSP circuitry works in concert with the current-sensing circuitry in such a way that KEF claims the combination of these technologies reduces THD by up to 75 per cent (below 50Hz). 

Listening sessions

Despite the welcome inclusion of equalisation circuitry to compensate for room position, you will still get best performance if you position the KEF in the place in your room where it is the best acoustic match with your room. (Which is true of all subwoofers, but becomes increasingly important as the subwoofer gets smaller in size.) 

To establish the best position, place the KC62 where your head would be when you’re listening to your system (which is particularly easy to do since it’s so small!) and then, when using some music with deep bass on an A–B loop, crawl around your room. At some points you’ll hear quite loud bass and at other points you’ll hear very little bass at all. 

Pick one of the points where the bass was loud and put the KC62 there. After that, set the EQ switch to the setting that best reflects this location or, using the same A–B bass loop, sit in your listening position and have someone else switch through the different EQ settings and choose the one whose balance you most prefer. 

• How to set up your subwoofer

I started my sessions with the KC62 with one of my favourite albums, obviously because of the music, but mostly because of the lovely walking bass lines, from which the album (Quincy Jones’ ‘Walking in Space’) does not actually take its name.

Right from the very first track, Dead End, I could hear the KEF ‘doin’ its stuff’ and really fleshing out the Ray Brown’s double-bass. That ‘distortion’ you can hear at the end is not the KEF, by the way, it’s recorded. 

The KEF continued to impress with the title track, plus there’s the kick drum sound as well. The justifiably famous Killer Joe, let the KC62 shine too, but it’s Love and Peace that perhaps showed its talents to the greatest degree, as well as demonstrating how well the subwoofer integrates with the main speakers – there’s really no confusion at all at the point of acoustic crossover. 

If you’d like to hear the KC62 perform with electric bass, you won’t have a better demo track than Whole Lotta Love from Led Zeppelin II, with John Paul Jones on the fret board and John Bonham on drums. The truly great bass riff and the insane drumming were delivered marvellously well by the KEF KC62. 

I checked the speed of the KEF KC62’s bass with Michael Jackson’s Wanna Be Starting Something, the opener on his fantastic album ‘Thriller’. The video clip for the title track is still one of my all-time favourite clips. (Actually, thinking about it, I think it is the best I’ve ever seen). This would be a good track for your crawl-around, by the way. 

The KEF was impressively fast – didn’t miss a trick, actually. I wasn’t sure if the KC62 could deliver the subterranean deep bass FX on Beat It, but it proved it could… as well as the authentic instrumental bass lines. All this great performance comes with one proviso, which is that it’s most impressive at lower listening levels, and becomes less so as you wind up the volume. The KEF KC62 is certainly great at producing a rabbit out of the hat, but not a kangaroo! Equally, its bass is more impressive in small to average-sized rooms than it is in larger ones.  

• 25 of the best tracks for testing bass

Verdict

One aspect of the KC62’s performance that KEF’s ‘White Paper’ does not mention when it’s talking about ‘Iron Laws’ is that ‘bending laws’ costs money! And the additional costs involved in doing that are considerable and clearly evidenced in the build quality required in order to enable the KC62 to deliver the high levels of performance that it does. 

For example the KEF KC62 has to have an expensive aluminium cabinet to withstand the high pressures involved, rather than an inexpensive wooden one. It also has to have two enormously powerful amplifiers inside, rather than a single less powerful one. 

It also has to have an extremely complex, very difficult-to-build ‘Uni-Core’ driver inside, rather than two ordinary drivers. Plus it needs to have unique and complex ‘Smart Distortion Control Technology’ built-in in order to control the motion of that expensive Uni-Core driver, whereas many subwoofers have no ‘smart’ technology built-in to them at all. 

All of which means that in the end, someone has to pick up the tab for ‘bending the laws’ in order to deliver the bass you’ll hear from a KEF KC62. But if you want this level of performance from subwoofer of the KC62’s size, you really have no other option. 

You can also rest safe in the knowledge that you are investing in an award-winning subwoofer, because the KEF KC62 was recently announced as the ‘Best Product’ in the Hi-Fi Subwoofer Category (2021–2022) by the Expert Sound and Imaging Association (EISA), which is comprised of expert reviewers from more than 60 technology magazines and websites based around the world.

Laboratory test report

Newport Test Labs first tested the KEF KC62’s frequency response using a near-field technique for all settings of the subwoofer’s equalisation control, at both maximum and minimum settings of the crossover control, the results of which are shown in Graph 1, below. 

You can see that the flattest and most extended response is returned when the KEF KC62 is set for Room Eq, with the maximum crossover setting being shown by the black trace and the minimum setting by the red trace. You can see that overall, at the maximum setting, the KC62’s response extends from 17Hz to 150kHz ±4dB and between about 23Hz and 100Hz, it’s even more linear, at around ±2dB. These are truly excellent results. 

When looking at the other traces on this graph (as well as the traces on Graphs 2 and 3) you need to bear in mind that these traces were measured with the subwoofer in the centre of a room, not in the positions it would be for the relevant equalisation settings. This means that for the ‘Wall Eq’ setting (the green and blue traces), the offset downwards in level that’s evident would be compensated for by the subwoofer’s output being boosted by the proximity of the wall, which KEF’s engineers calculate would elevate the traces to that of obtained in the Room Eq mode. 

The same would be true of the Corner Eq (purple and blue traces) and the Cabinet Eq (dashed black and dashed red traces) modes. The traces on Graph 1 that have a completely different appearance are those for the Apartment Eq mode (dashed green and dashed light blue traces) where the low-frequency response has obviously been deliberately rolled off far sooner than for all the other Eq settings.  

Graphs 2 and 3 are subsets of the full set of frequency responses that are shown in Graph 1, so you can see the effect of the equalisation more clearly, with Graph 2 showing a set with the crossover at its maximum setting, and Graph 3 a set with the crossover at its minimum setting.

In Graph 4, Newport Test Labs has used a pink noise test signal to measure the KEF KC62’s far-field in-room response, using the Room Eq mode and maximum (black trace) and minimum (red trace) settings of the crossover control. Unlike the other frequency responses, where the subwoofer had to reproduce just a single frequency for each graph point, this test requires the subwoofer to reproduce all frequencies across its pass band simultaneously and is thus an extreme test. 

Nonetheless you can see the KC62 still delivered excellent performance, with the response at the maximum crossover setting extending from 35Hz to 180Hz ±4dB and, with the crossover set at minimum, from 15Hz to 100Hz ±4dB. The increased linearity and extension when the crossover is at minimum reflects the reduced workload on the drivers due to the crossover network reducing the level of the high-frequencies.  

The by-pass frequency response of the KEF KC62 is shown in Graph 5 and you can see that it’s exceedingly flat across the audio band, being just 0.5dB down at 5Hz and about 0.18dB down at 20kHz. However, it appears there is a low-pass filter built in that attenuates frequencies above around 22kHz. 

The effect of the KEF KC62’s high-pass filter is shown in Graph 6, with the bypass response without any filtering depicted by the yellow trace. The effect of the filter is shown for all its settings: 40Hz (purple), 60Hz (light orange), 80Hz (light grey), 100Hz (light blue), and 120Hz (black).  As you can see, it’s a beautifully designed ‘classic’ high-pass filter. 

Newport Test Labs measured the maximum volume level of the KEF KC62 with pink noise test signals as being 98dBSPL at one metre, which was a limit imposed by the KC62’s in-built protection system due to the wideband nature of the test signal. When using a single 80Hz test tone, the KEF KC62 was able to deliver 106dBSPL at the same distance, which is 1dB better than specification.

M&K Sound has launched a range of new compact subwoofers, and while they might be small, they promise to pack a pro-level punch.

The V+ Series comprises three models: the V15+, V12+ and V10+. Each's name corresponds to the size of its driver, so the range-topper has a 15-inch driver. The V15+ and V12+ have earned THX Certification too, meaning that given the right conditions, they can achieve professional cinema reference levels.

The V15+ achieved THX Certified Ultra status when used in a pair, while the V12+ is THX Certified Select. That means in order to hear pro-grade audio, you need to use a pair of V15+ in a room of up to 3000 square feet in size, and the V12+ as a solo sub in a room of up to 2000 square feet.

The V+ Series has the edge on M&K's standard V Series subwoofers in terms of power. The V12+ packs 400W over the V12's 300W, while the V10+ offers 300W to the V10's 200W. Both of these models have had their deep bass frequency extended from 25Hz on their predecessors down to 20Hz, too, while the V15+ is the V family's first 15-inch driver enclosure.

Inside each sub are single drivers with newly treated, reinforced paper cones in sealed, anti-resonant enclosures, Class D amplifiers and M&K's proprietary 'front end' input stage. You can tweak the sound from the V15+ and V12+ using the M&K App on your smartphone, too.

Design-wise, they offer new curved and tapered external housings, along with newly developed and magnetised front grilles. All three come in a black satin finish, while the V10+ and V12+ also come in white satin. They're available from next month, with the V15+ costing £2695 ($3199, AU$3499), the V12+ £1795 ($1899, AU$2999) and the V10+ £1295 ($1499, AU$2499). 

MORE:

These are the best subwoofers on the market

How to set up your subwoofer: our expert guide to room placement and controls

Check out the best speaker packages

18 of the best Dolby Atmos movie scenes to test your home cinema sound

M&K Sound has just unveiled a new X+ Series line of THX Certified reference subwoofers. The self-proclaimed 'inventor of the subwoofer' has overhauled the firm's X Series with three new X+ Series models, including the company’s first THX Dominus Certified 15-inch X15+ subwoofer. 

On that claim of having invented the subwoofer, it is up for debate, although one of the earlier commercially available subwoofers was developed by Ken Kreisel in the late 1960s, the former president of the Miller & Kreisel Sound Corporation in Los Angeles. When Kreisel's business partner and high-end audio shop owner, Jonas Miller, told Kreisel that a few electrostatic speaker buyers had complained about a lack of bass response, Kreisel designed a powered woofer that would reproduce only those frequencies that were too low for said speakers to convey. So there we are.

In total, there are three brand new subwoofers: the X15+, X12+ and X10+, all now with THX certification. Each also boasts M&K Sound’s signature push-pull driver configuration, built on the company’s former X Series. All of them have achieved coveted THX status, with the X15+ being the company’s first 15-inch push-pull subwoofer to gain THX Dominus class certification, whether used as a single subwoofer or as a pair. 

As well as introducing the company’s first ever 15-inch subwoofer, M&K Sound’s engineering team has added numerous upgrades to the original X Series to create the X+ range, including big RMS and peak wattage power hikes to enable cleaner performance over the former X10 and X12 models, care of brand-new Danish designed and built ICE Class D power amplifiers. The new X15+ boasts 700W RMS / 1400W Peak; the X12+ promises 600W RMS / 1200W Peak (up from 400W RMS / 700W Peak in the X12)  and the X10+ lists 500W RMS / 1000W Peak (from 450W RMS / 600W Peak in the older X10). 

Also updated and redesigned are the woofers themselves, with new carbon fibre cones plus 30 per cent larger voice coils and magnets (in the X12+ and X10+) to facilitate the substantial power output of the new subwoofers. The range also promises ‘feel it but can’t hear it’ bass frequencies as low as 16Hz (X15+), 18Hz (X12+) and 20Hz (X10+). 

On to those certifications. THX's gold seal of excellence promises the consumer they can expect movie soundtracks “as the director intended” – after all, THX was founded by iconic filmmaker George Lucas in 1983. The (dual 10-inch driver) X10+ has gained THX Certified Select status, the (dual 12-inch driver) X12+ is THX Certified Ultra, and (dual 15-inch driver) X15+ boasts THX Certified Dominus, endorsements which should mean movie and music lovers can enjoy professional cinema audio reference levels in their living rooms of up to 2,000ft³ 3,000ft³ and 6,500ft³ respectively. 

M&K Sound’s push-pull subwoofer architecture and ‘reversed double driver’ non-isobaric configuration means that both drivers in the cabinet are ‘exposed’ to room air. Consequently (and like the X-Series before it) the X+ Series models are effectively two subwoofers in one cabinet, boasting a further associated reduction in distortion. This is made possible by having one inverted driver in relation to the other cancelling non-linearities to produce symmetric waveforms.

The X15+, X12+ and X10+ all feature full 25mm MDF construction and bracing to further minimise panel vibrations or cabinet resonances, and increased venting at the base of the woofers to mitigate distortion due to air turbulence. These milled cavities also act as convenient carrying handles for installation efficiency.

Cosmetic makeovers for the X+ Series arrive in the form of flush-mounted front baffles and convenient invisible magnetic grille attachment mechanisms.

The M&K Sound X+ Series will be available in January 2022 from authorised M&K Sound dealers, priced $4499 / AU$6499 for the X10+, $4999 / AU$7999 for the X12+ and $5999 / AU$8999 for the X15+ (so, starting at approximately £3410 for the smallest X10+, although official pricing is not yet known).

MORE: 

See M&K Sound V10+ shows how low a compact subwoofer can go

Read our pick of the best subwoofers: deep bass for music and movies

Also, Magico's Titan 15 subwoofer promises 6500W of earth-shaking bass

High-end loudspeaker giant Magico has unveiled a 6500W subwoofer that could add some add some serious oomph to your set-up... and leave a serious dent in your finances.

The monster Titan 15 uses two 3200W Class D amplifiers to power a pair of 15-inch drivers. The newly designed, dual-opposed drivers boast stiff aluminium cones which promise maximum output levels of 136dB and minimal distortion at low frequencies.

Magico says it "meticulously engineered" this monster sub to be "the best deep bass speaker" money can buy. Hence the solid, sealed, aluminium enclosure (650 x 760 x 650mm) and the ability to extend performance well beyond the bandwidth of human hearing at  >20Hz.

"Whether listening to the lowest pipe organ note at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City or the earthshaking steps of a dinosaur in the movie Jurassic Park, the Titan 15 is designed to reproduce low frequency sounds with realistic force and energy," said a spokesperson.

• 25 of the best tracks for testing bass

Need a hand manoeuvring the Titan 15 into place? Don't call us. This beast weighs 177kg or 390lbs (around 27 stone!). Still, what's a few torn ligaments in the pursuit of unparalleled low bass performance?

When it comes to placement, the Titan 15 has the brains to match its brawn. The combined electronic crossover and Magico-designed DSP control centre enable the user to precisely calibrate the sub to the main left/right speakers in a stereo or surround sound system.

As for price, those familiar with Magico will know that it aims high. The firm's 'affordable' Catch 22 speakers debuted at £12,000, while the 2.3m-tall Ultimate III cruised into our list of the 12 of the world's most expensive loudspeakers.

As for the Titan 15 subwoofer, it's due on sale at Absolute Sounds in the first quarter of 2022 with an RRP of £37,998 / $32,000 / AU$50,500.

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Our pick of the best subwoofers: deep bass for music and movies

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M&K Sound has released a new version of its compact V10 subwoofer, with the dimensions of the new V10+ radically squashed from a former vertical-standing design to a new neat, tapering design that's 34.5cm square at the front and narrower at the back. 

At the same time its available Class-D power has been raised from 200W to 300W, with its lowest bass output extended to 24Hz at -3dB and a potentially visceral 20Hz at -6dB. And that's despite retaining the advantages of a sealed cabinet design, which includes easier placement together with, in general terms, a tighter and more articulate bass with punchier and lower distortion performance than ported designs.

• The best subwoofers for music and movies

The tapered cabinet here is both compact and attractive in black or white satin finishes, with a matching magnetically attached grille over the forward-facing 10-inch driver which, incidentally, employs a new stiffer treated-paper cone.

The rear panel can be rearranged but retains all the inputs and controls of the previous V10, with dual line-level inputs and looped outputs, fully variable volume, crossover and phase dials, and the option to invoke auto-triggering. 

Also retained is M&K’s proprietary fully-discrete analogue input stage, designed to integrate ideally with the enclosure, crossover and driver to deliver the company’s ‘signature’ bass performance.

The new V10+ will arrive in Australia in January 2022, priced at RRP AU$2399 (about £1400, $1700) with other regions' availability yet to be announced. 

Why M&K claims “the choice of professionals” 

If you need a backgrounder to M&K Sound, consider this. The Lord Of The Rings trilogy was mixed on M&K speakers. Stars Wars Episodes I, II and III – mixed on M&K speakers. King Kong, The Incredibles, Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk Down – all mixed on M&K speakers. And another thing those movies all have in common? They’re all Academy Award winners for their sound. Hence M&K’s catchphrase of “the choice of professionals”. 

M&K Sound, aka Miller & Kreisel, was an American firm for three decades after its founding in 1974, and has claims on creating the very first subwoofer-satellite system, the ‘David and Goliath’ released back in 1976, and the first self-powered subwoofer in 1977, the Servo Volkswoofer. 

• How to set up your subwoofer: our expert guide to room placement and controls

Equally legendary was the birth of the company following Ken Kreisel’s commission from Steely Dan’s Walter Becker to design a tri-amped studio monitoring system, including balanced-drive 12-inch subwoofers, used for the mixdown of the Pretzel Logic album in 1973/4. 

For the last decade M&K Sound has been based in Denmark, delivering a string of successes and award winners; we still rate a Sydney demonstration of a full M&K Sound S300 system in the early days of Dolby Atmos by Lars Johansen (ex-Peerless with work on JBL, Harman Kardon, Klipsch, Jamo and other brands) as one of the top 10 surround experiences we’ve ever heard for power and purity.

Trailer alert: THX Dominus

We note also that M&K Sound has put out a brief trailer for an upcoming X+ 15-inch push-pull subwoofer that will be THX Dominus-certified. Dominus was announced in 2020 as the newest and ‘largest’ performance class of THX Certification. 

Dominus certification requires specifications that enable speakers to reach cinematic THX Reference Levels in rooms of up to 184 cubic metres and up to a 6-metre viewing distance, achieving 120dB sound pressure levels with distortion below THX minimum levels. 

Or as THX puts it in plain English, “beastly speakers that produce a massive wall of sound that’ll immerse everyone in your theatre or hi-fi listening room, no matter where they’re sitting, with beautiful, distortion-free sound”. This new THX loudspeaker category is designed to bridge the gap between large home theatre speakers and those used in movie houses worldwide.

So far the only speakers we’re aware of so certified are from Perlisten Audio, a new company teaming US engineers with none other than Lars Johansen, who exited M&K Sound in 2000. Perlisten introduced two models at the virtual CES 2021 and had planned to demonstrate a full system at the recent CEDIA Expo 2021 in Indianapolis, until Covid forced the company’s withdrawal from the event.

The M&K X+ subwoofer might therefore make the company only the second one to achieve certification in this new THX ‘beast’ of a category.   

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I have become so accustomed to receiving shoe-box sized subwoofers for review (they being the flavour of the month, what with all the apartment buildings going up in Sydney) that when Klipsch’s SPL-150 arrived on my doorstep, I had one of those Crocodile Dundee moments, you know, that one where he mocks a New York mugger: “You call that a knife? This is a knife!”

I had exactly the same feeling once I’d unpacked it and discovered that gigantic copper-coloured bass driver. In a world where most subwoofers sport much smaller 254mm diameter bass drivers, or 305mm drivers, Klipsch has fitted a massive 381mm diameter bass driver to its SPL-150. That makes a difference to the amount of air the SPL-150 can move. A big difference.

• The best subwoofers available today

Equipment

Since I have already told you that the SPL-150 is big, I won’t tantalise you any further by withholding its actual size until later in this review, as I usually do. It measures 546×495×566mm (HWD), so if you can imagine a cube that’s half a metre in every direction, you’d be just about spot-on size-wise. 

Despite this size, the SPL-150 weighs only a little more than 34 kilos, so Klipsch is obviously keeping the weight down by using just a single-walled MDF cabinet. It’s also keeping costs down by using a standard black vinyl finish.

As for that copper-coloured cone I mentioned, Klipsch says it’s a “long-throw copper spun cerametallic” cone but the cone is not made from copper. “Cerametallic” is a trademark rather than a description of the material, so we asked Klipsch what it was made of. 

“The cone is made by first forming the cone shape in aluminium, after which a unique patented process is then used to ‘grow’ a skin of alumina on each side of the aluminium core,” is what we were told. 

Our source went on to say: “The resulting laminate is less dense and less brittle than traditional ceramics, yet at the same time is significantly stiffer than both metallic and non-metallic cones… plus it has the practical advantage that its properties are not affected by humidity or moisture.” 

Given that the scientific definition of a ceramic is that it be ‘non-metallic’ it would seem to me that the SPL-150’s cone would be more accurately described as being made of anodised aluminium.

Klipsch’s representative went on to tell us that “an important technical advantage of the cerametallic cone over a standard metal cone is that while metal cone drivers are superior to polypropylene and paper cones across their operating band because they operate as perfect pistons across that band, they have deleterious resonances at higher frequencies. 

"Coating a metal cone with the ceramic material almost doubles the speed of sound through the cone, which in turn moves these resonances much higher in frequency, where they can be effectively ‘removed’ by the crossover network.” 

Such a description would also apply to the properties of an anodised aluminium cone, but of course in a subwoofer the cone does not deliver higher frequencies, so this particular advantage doesn’t apply.

Whatever the technicalities (and the practical and technical advantages) of the process used to make the Klipsch SPL-150’s cone, and irrespective of what it’s actually made of, the process certainly results in a beautiful-looking cone with attractive coppery sheen. 

Overall the driver is 381mm in diameter (15 inches in old currency), but the diameter of the cone is of course necessarily smaller, at 310mm. However the important Thiele/Small diameter which gives the effective cone area (the area available to push air) is 345mm, which gives a cone area (Sd) of 934cm². 

This is not a number to be sniffed at, because even small differences in cone diameter make an enormous difference to cone area. By way of example, a typical 254mm bass driver has a cone area of only 346cm², so you’d need to use three 254mm bass drivers to get the same cone area as a single 381mm diameter bass driver. 

Or, to put it another way, a single 381mm bass driver will move the same amount of air as three 254mm bass drivers (and more air than two 305mm diameter bass drivers).

The grille that can be used to cover this driver if you want (but why would you want to?) is acoustically transparent and also visually transparent as well, so you can always see the small green LED glowing underneath it whenever the subwoofer is on. 

The grille does not cover the bass reflex slot at the bottom of the subwoofer, which I thought a bit odd. Maybe the appearance of the subwoofer when you’re using the grille might have been better if it had, but then again, maybe not. It’s a tough call. 

I have to say that I think that Klipsch rather over-eggs its description of the design of its bass reflex slot. The description on its website says: “Klipsch SPL subwoofers leverage proprietary internal-flare geometry that minimises port noise for clean undistorted low frequencies.” 

From what I could see, the port on the SPL-150 is a industry-standard slotted bass reflex design with a rectangular internal cross-section that has been bevelled at its exit. As for the cross-section of that internal rectangular section, it’s 25mm high and 440mm wide. 

Klipsch is using a Class-D amplifier inside the SPL-150, which it rates with a continuous power output of 400-watts. Input to this amplifier is via two line-level RCA inputs, one of which doubles as an LFE input. 

Signal phase can only be set for normal (0 degrees) or inverted (180 degrees) via a two-position switch. High-pass frequency is continuously variable, using a rotary switch that can be adjusted from 40Hz to 120Hz, with the most clockwise position of the control being labelled ‘LFE’ – a setting that presumably by-passes the crossover network entirely. 

The volume control (marked ‘Gain’) is also rotary and has only two calibrations: Min and Max. All these calibrations are identified by grey lettering, which is extremely difficult to read against the black alloy of the amplifier plate.

Below the two RCA inputs is a multi-terminal female connector labelled ‘WA Port’. I have to confess that I had absolutely no idea what this might be for and the manual was no help at all because not only does it not have an illustration of the SPL-150’s terminal plate, it doesn’t actually even mention the SPL-150 at all, making reference only to the two smaller subwoofers in Klipsch’s range.

It wasn’t until I looked at Klipsch’s website that I discovered that the connection is a ‘Wireless Access Port’ to which you can connect an optional Bluetooth module that allows you to send LFE signals wirelessly from your system to the SPL-150. 

This being the case, it seems a bit disingenuous of Klipsch to state on its website “Both the RCA and wireless inputs can be utilised, giving you the ability to use a single subwoofer with multiple system in the same room. For example, you can use the wireless input for your home theatre set up and the RCA input for your two-channel system, without needing to switch inputs when changing between systems.”

Yes, you could do this, and it’s certainly a very useful benefit, but only if you also purchase the optional WA-2 Wireless Subwoofer Kit.

Klipsch has been an American company since its beginning in 1946, when it was founded by Paul Wilbur Klipsch, but in 2005 it purchased Danish brand Jamo, and the following year Canadian manufacturer Audio Products International (whose brands included Mirage, Energy and Athena). Then in 2011, Klipsch was itself purchased by Audiovox Corporation (a company wholly owned by Voxx International). 

Although Klipsch speakers are designed and engineered in Indianapolis, and certain of its models are made in the USA, notably the Heritage models, most are now manufactured in China, including this SPL-150.

• Our expert subwoofer guide to room placement, controls and setup

Listening

If you have experienced the bass from small subwoofers with equally small drivers, you’ll heave a sigh of relief when you hear the bass issuing from the Klipsch SPL-150. Whereas the bass from small subwoofers sounds forced, the bass from the SPL-150 is absolutely effortless. There’s a smoothness and grace to the bass delivery that makes it the aural equivalent of slipping on a comfy pair of slippers.

More importantly, smaller subwoofers just do not deliver the depthy bass that you’ll hear when you audition the Klipsch SPL-150. The low-frequency response of smaller subwoofers, most especially those with smaller drivers – even if they have several of them – inevitably starts rolling off below 30Hz or so. The Klipsch just keeps powering down to at least 15Hz according to my listening sessions. That means you’ll get an octave more extension from the SPL-150, which is significant.

Sure, there’s not a lot of music down below 30Hz, due to the simple fact that very, very few instruments can play this low. For example, the lowest note that can be played on a four-string double bass is E1, which is around 41Hz. The lowest note that can be played on a five-string bass, is either C1 (≈33Hz), or sometimes B0 (≈31Hz), depending on how it’s tuned.

Of course there are some stringed instruments that play lower, one famous example being the octobass, whose lowest playable note is A1 (≈27.5Hz). However, there are very few of these in existence, due to their size (3.6 metres high), their cost (don’t ask!) and the fact that they are very, very difficult to play, because you can’t reach the fingerboard and play the strings simultaneously – there’s instead two sets of levers operated by the octobassist’s hands and feet that push the strings down to create notes. You can see (and hear!) one in action here: www.tinyurl.com/AHFoctobass

As for more conventional instruments, the lowest note that can be played on a standard 88-key piano is A1 (27.5Hz), though some grand pianos go lower, such as the Beleura, made here in Tasmania by Australian piano manufacturer Stuart & Sons. It was the world’s first nine octave piano – a 3.0 metre 108-key piano whose lowest note is C0 (16.35Hz) and whose highest is B8 (7.9kHz). Its range is almost two octaves more than a standard 88-key piano.

But even though there are few fundamental musical notes down low, there are resonances and there are acoustics, so when music is recorded live, the ‘sound’ of the venue in which the music was recorded is largely determined by the presence of low frequencies. 

When a system is capable of low-frequency reproduction, you actually ‘hear’ the venue itself, as well as the music, and the less the low-frequency extension, the less you hear the venue (though you’d still be able to hear the music).

I started with the Klipsch SPL-150s underpinning the bass of a pair of large floor-standers, with the crossover control wound back to the minimum 40Hz and the increase in extension was immediately noticeable, despite the floor-standers already having excellent bass extension of their own. 

The Klipsch SPL-150 not only added depth and solidity to the upper bass, it boosted the low bass that was being rolled off by the floor-standers, and added sub-bass that they weren’t reproducing at all. The overall effect was revelatory.

Listening to Jean Guillou play Bach’s famous Toccata & Fugue in D minor (Dorian DOR90134) it was one of the very few times I’ve truly heard a recording of the St Eustache Organ in Paris sound like it did when I was in Paris actually listening to it. 

It may be an over-played work, but at least you can usually be guaranteed to hear performances of it when you’re on holiday in Europe. Not that I’ll be doing that in the near future, thanks to Covid-19.

It wasn’t just the thunder of the organ pipes either, nor the way the SPL-150 reached down into the bass, it was that I could hear the acoustic of the church, the reverberation as notes that had been sent to the far corners of the nave bounced off and returned to increase the complexity of the nearer sound-field. It was also the ‘fullness’ of the sound of the larger, longer pipes. I heard a richness and depth to the sound that I just don’t hear with small subwoofers.

Paired with smaller pair of two-way stand-mount loudspeakers, with the crossover set at 120Hz, the deepest bass from the SPL-150 was still totally satisfying, but I thought the upper bass from the Klipsch didn’t have quite the sonic agility of the bass from the stand-mounts, with the result that it wasn’t quite a perfect match, so I switched these out for another pair of stand-mounts with larger bass drivers, wound the crossover back a little and tried again. This time, I was more than happy with the overall sound, which became seamless. 

I guess that if you have a really small pair of two-ways, you’d probably be happier with Klipsch’s smaller SPL-120 or SPL-100 models, with their smaller and more agile (but still large!) bass drivers – at least you will if you mainly use your system for listening to music.

On the other hand, if you mainly use your system for watching movies, either with three front channels, or with a complete 5.1-channel (or more) system, your choice of subwoofers will not be quite so clear-cut, because the Klipsch SPL-150 does such a fantastic job reproducing low-frequency sound effects that I really didn’t notice any kinks higher up.

Watching the depth charge attack scene in the movie U-571 (whose cast includes not only Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton and Harvey Keitel but also Jon Bon Jovi!), it’s not just the depth of the low frequencies the SPL-150 delivered, but also the unbelievably high forces in the listening room it was able to generate. I could literally feel the air in the room being pressurised by the depth charge explosions.

Final verdict

I just had to laugh at Klipsch’s promotional tag line for the SPL-150. It says “Large and in charge, the SPL-150 fills even the largest spaces with explosive, deep bass. We’ve been pissing off your neighbours since 1946 – why stop now?”

I laughed because yep, if you want to annoy your neighbours, deep bass is a great way to do it, particularly at any time after midnight, and you’ll not be experiencing any shortage of deep bass when it comes to the SPL-150. 

In fact I can just hear the engineers at Klipsch muttering to themselves while they designed the SPL-150: “You call that a subwoofer? This is a subwoofer!” 

Lab test results

Newport Test Labs first measured the frequency response of the Klipsch SPL-150 using a near-field technique that removes room-related effects, effectively obtaining the same response that would be measured in an anechoic chamber. 

This technique requires that the output of the bass driver be measured separately from that of the bass-reflex port, which is the reason for the two traces shown on Graph 1.

The black trace on Graph 1 shows the frequency response of the SPL-150’s bass driver when the crossover control is set to approximately ‘half past 10’, which the lab reported was the setting that gave the ‘flattest’ response when conducting this test. You can see that the response is within ±3dB from around 23Hz up to 90Hz, which is an excellent result.

The red trace shows the output of the front-firing bass reflex port and you can see that it peaks at around 18–19Hz and rolls off very smoothly either side, so that its output could be characterised as 14–28Hz ±3dB.

Klipsch’s engineers have done a very good job on this, because you can see that the output of the bass reflex port starts rolling off above 20Hz and the output of the bass driver starts rolling off below 30Hz, with the two traces crossing approximately midway. 

This means that the outputs of the two would sum complementarily across this bandwidth such that the overall combined response would be approximately 14Hz to 90Hz ±3dB. 

(I note that Klipsch claims 18Hz to 125Hz, but since it doesn’t mention the dB level variation across this range, I can’t speculate on any differences between Newport Test Labs’ measured results and Klipsch’s specifications).

Graph 2 shows the room response of the Klipsch SPL-150, measured at a distance of three metres using pink noise. This time, the black trace shows the frequency response of the SPL-150 when the crossover is set to maximum and the blue trace shows the response when it’s set to its minimum.

You can see that set to minimum, the response extends from around 13Hz to 50Hz ±3dB. The maximum setting shows a frequency response of 16Hz to 180Hz±3dB, but at the expense of a bit of a peak in the response centred at around 90–100Hz. 

Backing off on the crossover a bit would flatten this response out, but would also truncate the extension somewhat, so it would be closer to Klipsch’s specification, leading me to guess that the company is probably stating a room response with a ±3dB window for its published spec.

Graph 3 shows the set of near-field responses for the Klipsch SPL-150 that Newport Test Labs measured for various settings of the crossover control. You can see that the port’s output is very well-behaved at both minimum (solid red trace) and maximum (dashed red trace) of the crossover, though as you’d expect, there’s more high-frequency leakage from the port at the maximum setting. 

The black trace on Graph 3 shows the frequency response of the driver when the crossover is set to 40Hz (minimum); the blue trace shows the response when the crossover is set to LFE, and the green trace shows the response when the crossover is set to the ‘12 o’clock’ position. 

These traces suggest to me that maybe Klipsch should have labelled the minimum setting on its crossover control as being 60Hz.Newport Test Labs was not able to test the maximum sound pressure levels of which the SPL-150 might be capable (Klipsch claims a 122dBSPL) but it did confirm that this subwoofer is capable of delivering levels in excess of 110dBSPL at 40Hz without audible distortion, which will be far more than is required for any domestic application.

Overall, Newport Test Labs’ measurements of the Klipsch SPL-150 show that it’s capable of delivering seriously deep bass at seriously high sound pressure levels

• The best speakers on the market: from budget to premium

Velodyne’s 'Deep Blue' subwoofer series, of which this DB-12 model is a part, is the first new range of subwoofers from this famous speaker maker following its sale to German company Audio Reference two years ago (see section later in review titled ‘Velodyne in Germany’). 

David Hall, who was Velodyne’s founder and chief engineer, decided to sell the brand so he could concentrate on his other company, which makes sensor equipment that’s used in autonomous vehicles, such as those manufactured by Tesla and Google. 

Entering the lidar industry might have seemed like a bit of a left turn for Hall, but in fact his inventive genius and technical expertise are such that during the time he owned Velodyne it was granted more patents for subwoofer design than any other subwoofer manufacturer, including such important patents as for a servo-controlled subwoofer (1984), sealed accelerometer (1984), dual-tandem voice-coil (1995), and an Energy Recovery Class-D amplifier.

Velodyne also introduced the world’s first single-driver subwoofer with a volume of less than one cubic foot (28-litres), the first remote-controlled subwoofer, the first subwoofer to use a digital accelerometer and the first subwoofer to employ digital, one-touch room bass equalisation. The Stereophile Guide to Home Theatre once wrote of the company: “When Velodyne announces a new subwoofer, the earth trembles – literally.”

It seems that with this new DB-12, Velodyne is playing it safe, because it has only a few of Velodyne’s patented technologies inside it. It’s not servo-controlled, it’s not remote-controlled, it has no adjustable equalisation and rather than use an Energy-Recovery Class-D amplifier, it has a conventional linear Class-A/B amplifier inside it. And although it’s not large, it does have a volume of rather more than 28-litres.

• The best subwoofers we've reviewed

Equipment

The unique technology the new DB-12 does have inside it is Velodyne’s famous double-vented high-excursion bass driver with its four-layer voice-coil and dual ferrite magnet. As its model number suggests, the bass driver has a nominal diameter of 12 inches (305mm), which makes it the second-largest bass driver in the ‘Deep Blue’ series – the other models being the DB-8, DB-10 and DB-15.

Despite Velodyne rating the DB-12’s bass driver with a diameter of 305mm, it’s actually rather larger again than this, because I measured its overall diameter at 310mm. However it’s the Thiele/Small diameter (the distance from the middle of the surround suspension on one side to the middle of the surround on the other) that is the most important specification because this is what determines the volume of air in front of the cone that will be turned into sound waves. On the DB-12, this is 250mm, which puts the effective cone area (Sd) at 490cm². 

Sd is an important specification because it means the Velodyne DB-12’s cone can ‘drive’ nearly half a square metre of air! By way of contrast, a typical 254mm (10-inch) diameter cone has a cone area of around 230cm², which means that two DB-10s won’t move as much air as a single DB-12. So sometimes, size is more important than quantity! 

The DB-12 introduces a new industrial design for Velodyne, which sees the bass driver recessed into the front baffle and covered by a circular grille that is also recessed into the baffle so it ends up sitting flush with it, which makes for a really classy look.

 The only impediment to these good looks is that Velodyne has fitted a tiny cloth tag to allow you to easily remove this grille if you wish. This tag hangs out from the grille and, to my mind, looks a little silly. You could easily improve the looks by tucking the tag in or cutting it off entirely, but both tactics would then make it difficult to remove the grille. 

As you can see, the bass driver occupies nearly the entirety of the front baffle, which is about 35cm on each side, which means that when standing on its four rubber isolation/damping feet, the DB-12’s top will be 37cm above floor level. 

Around the back of the DB-12 is the 200×230mm amplifier plate that doubles as the heat-sink for the Class-A/B amplifier inside it that Velodyne rates with an output of 350-watts, so this, too, occupies nearly the entire rear of the subwoofer. Which means there isn’t any room on the front or the back for a bass reflex port, which in turn means that Velodyne’s new German owner is sticking with Velodyne’s philosophy of building only subwoofers that have sealed enclosures. 

And why wouldn’t Velodyne want to stick with building subwoofers with totally sealed enclosures? On the technical side, the frequency response of a subwoofer with a sealed enclosure will be flatter across the pass-band with a superior and smoother roll-off below that pass-band than that of a bass-reflex enclosure, or even one that uses an auxiliary bass radiator. That response will also exhibit less phase shift, lower group delay and reduced ringing in the time domain. 

On the physical side, sealed cabinet subwoofers are more forgiving of poor room placement, can be placed optimally in more positions in a room and, most importantly depending upon where in the world you live, there is no way for small animals to enter the cabinet and live inside. 

Here in Australia, that could be any one of several different small native marsupials. Also, the electronics inside the cabinet are more isolated from the atmosphere, so there’s less chance of any rust or corrosion. And, of course, sealed subwoofers tend to be smaller in size physically and work better in smaller rooms. 

Finally, and for some most importantly, sealed subwoofers generally sound more convincing when they reproduce the sound of low-pitched musical instruments, with most audiophiles reporting that they hear superior tonal quality, tighter and more articulate bass and reduced overhang.

The amplifier plate has three pairs of inputs. There’s a pair (left/right) of line inputs via chromium-plated RCA terminals, a pair of terminals labelled ‘Subwoofer/LFE’ (about which more later) using the same terminal types, and a pair of speaker level inputs using ‘budget’ spring-loaded plastic ‘press-to-lock’ speaker terminals. 

Control of the DB-12’s operation is entirely manual. The topmost of three plastic-knobbed rotary controls on the amplifier plate is a volume control which has a smooth operating action over its stated range of 0 to 100 with ten dots spaced evenly around it to enable different settings to be recorded if necessary for different applications. 

Below the volume control is a phase control which, being rotary, allows you to continuously adjust phase between 0° and 180° rather than just switch between the two extremes. Again, there are ten dots spaced evenly around it so you can easily regain a particular setting. 

The bottom-most of the three rotary controls is the low-pass filter, which is calibrated from 50Hz up to 200Hz with those self-same ten dots around the circumference.  

I have to question why Velodyne elected to use dots rather than screen-print actual values, such as 50Hz, 60Hz, 80Hz, 90Hz etc. on the low-pass filter control. Having values, most particularly on the low-pass filter, would have made much more sense in helping owners with an initial rough setting on the way to a complete calibration. 

Alongside the two-pin 240V fused mains input socket is a standard on/off rocker switch but you have a little more control over power settings than this single switch would seem to indicate. 

A small three-way toggle switch lets you set the power so that the DB-12 is ‘Doubly Off’, always ‘On’ or in ‘Auto’ mode so that it switches itself on whenever necessary and to stand-by at other times, depending on whether or not the on-board signal-sensing circuitry detects an audio signal at one of the three inputs.  

A small LED above the toggle switch will glow red, orange or green to indicate the Velodyne’s current power status. This LED is labelled ‘Power LED’, which seemed a little strange when simply the word ‘Power’ would have been sufficient – we don’t really need to be told that it’s an LED! 

• Empty list

Velodyne in Germany

After 36 years of US ownership, the founder and owner of Velodyne, David Hall, sold his company to Mansour Mamaghani, the owner of Germany’s Audio Reference, in a deal that was inked on November 22nd, 2019. 

Hall was keen to sell the company so he could concentrate on his new company, Velodyne Lidar, which makes lidars for autonomous vehicles, which he saw as the future. For his part, Mamaghani was keen to purchase Velodyne because his company had been the German distributor for more than two decades and he was a huge fan of the brand. The deal included all Velodyne’s stock, spare parts, patents, designs and tooling. 

“We are very excited with the opportunity presented by the Velodyne purchase,” said Mamaghani at the time. “Our goal is to reinstate Velodyne as the market leader for compact high-powered subwoofers. We understand this will take some time, but we have already brought the Velodyne design team back together to review the existing product line and also our expectations for the future.” 

Velodyne’s global operation is now based in Hamburg, in Germany, with the subwoofers being manufactured in China.

• 25 of the best tracks for testing bass

Listening sessions

Sealed subwoofers might be easier to position and calibrate than ported (bass reflex) ones, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to put some time and effort into ensuring they’re in the best physical location in your room to ensure their maximum (and smoothest) output, but also that they are optimally interfaced with whatever piece of electronics you are using to drive them. 

Rather than go into all the detail about how to do that in this review, I will instead point you in the direction of our expert guide (linked below) that tells you exactly what you have to do and how to go about it. 

• How to set up your subwoofer: our expert guide to room placement and controls

I would strongly recommend you follow exactly the information contained in it because if you don’t the DB-12 will not be operating in your room as well as it should – advice that applies no matter what brand or model of subwoofer you use. 

If you position the world’s best subwoofer in the incorrect position in your room and/or fail to set its volume, phase and crossover controls correctly, it will definitely not perform at its best and could potentially sound awful. 

You will, of course, also have to work out which of the three inputs you’re going to use. The only difference between the line input and the speaker input is that the line input is designed for voltages of less than one volt or so, sourced from a line output on your amplifier or AV receiver, whereas the speaker-level input is designed to be connected to your amplifier’s speaker terminals (or to the terminals of your speakers themselves, whichever involves the least wire). 

In both cases, the DB-12 will get a full-range audio signal and you’ll have to use the DB-12’s own crossover control to roll-off the subwoofer’s output at the frequency that best-suits your main speakers. 

The ‘Subwoofer/LFE’ input, on the other hand, is intended to be used in conjunction with an amplifier or AV receiver (or pre-amp) that has an LFE output. Such an output should have a filter to ensure that it will only deliver low frequencies to the DB-12. 

In most of the subwoofers I have seen that have a separate LFE input, any signal you input via the LFE input will bypass the subwoofer’s internal crossover control so you don’t have two sets of high-cut filters in the signal path. The Velodyne DB-12’s crossover control remains in-circuit all the time, irrespective of which line-level input I used, so its Subwoofer/LFE input is really just a duplicate of its Line Input.

Telarc’s Bachbusters is always a good album to get a subwoofer’s amplifier warmed up and its bass driver’s suspension loosened, and it was obvious right at the outset that I was going to be writing a positive review of this new Velodyne DB-12 because the bass I heard right from the outset, while the amp was stone-cold and the bass driver’s suspension was ‘as new stiff’ was totally extended into the bottom-most octave and incredibly clean. 

Most importantly, there was none of the ‘tizz’ that you can get from subwoofers which have bass-reflex ports – the sound was uniformly taut and even right across the operational bandwidth. 

When I turned up the volume, the DB-12 responded beautifully: the volume levels in my room simply became greater, pressurising the air in it perfectly, with no distortion, and no ‘boom’ at all – just clean, powerful sound. 

And, though I listened very carefully, I never once heard any unwanted ‘hangover’ of sound when one deep bass note was followed quickly by another. The precision of the Velodyne’s delivery of fast bass runs, whether those are created by a keyboard or a fretted instrument, is impressive. 

There are very few ‘must have’ non-classical albums that have low bass, but if you count Dark Side of the Moon as one of them (and why would you not?), you may not know that the intro track, Speak to Me/Breathe, has frequencies on it that are below 30Hz. Listen to that track with the volume of the Velodyne DB-12 cranked up and you’ll not only hear those frequencies but will also feel them, as the air in your room – and maybe even objects in your room! – vibrates.  

It’s not quite the same bass you would experience at a live concert, but it’s a very impressive approximation, and since no-one will be attending concerts any time soon, that will have to be good enough. 

Jennifer Warnes’ Famous Blue Raincoat likely won’t be on your ‘must-have’ list, but it will be in most audiophiles’ collections, so I’d suggest using the track Joan of Arc, where she duets with Cohen, to audition the Velodyne’s low-bass capabilities, because you’ll be listening to 34Hz.  

And if you haven’t heard this album for a while, do take the time to re-listen to First We Take Manhattan and Song of Bernadette with refreshed ears. I took the time to listen to the entire album and was consistently impressed by the sound quality of the Velodyne DB-12 while I did. I had no doubt at all that it is a very musical subwoofer, delivering the music exactly as it should whilst at the same time not drawing any attention to itself. 

For almost the entirety of this review I used the Velodyne DB-12 as an add-on to a conventional stereo system, using the same electronics, but three different pairs of speakers just to see how well it integrated with them. 

If you have a pair of small two-way stand-mount speakers (whether you’re using them on stands or on shelves) you most certainly should consider adding a DB-12. With the DB-12’s crossover set to maximum position, the improvement in the sound was unimaginable. All of a sudden it was like I was listening to a pair of large floor-standing loudspeakers.  

Bass that was simply not present previously suddenly presented itself — bass lines appeared from nowhere, kick drum sounds that had previously just been ‘sounds’ suddenly became viscerally real. And even though I obviously knew where the DB-12 was, because I’d positioned it myself, if I closed my eyes, I could not locate it – its output was fully included within the cohesive image presented by the stand-mounts. 

Trialled with a pair of three-driver 2.5-way speakers the addition of the Velodyne DB-12 was almost as dramatic. I needed to turn back the DB-12’s crossover control to around the 9 o’clock position to ensure a seamless transition, but once I’d done this, it was once again as if I was listening to a pair of much larger loudspeakers.  

This time it was only the deepest bass that improved, but the important word to note there is ‘improved’. The bass took on more depth and solidity, and became more real. But there was also added low-frequency extension – the DB-12 delivered frequencies that were beyond the capabilities of those loudspeakers. 

When I used the Velodyne DB-12 in conjunction with a very large pair of four-driver, three-way loudspeakers, this time with the crossover set to minimum, I no longer had that ‘wow’ experience of hearing bass I was not able to hear with those speakers on their own, but when I listened in A–B mode, switching the subwoofer in and out while I listened, I was maintaining an 8 out of 10 score for preferring the sound quality when the Velodyne was playing.  (The missing ‘2’ was simply because the music I was using on those occasions didn’t contain any low bass). 

In a 5.1-channel home theatre system, using only small two-ways all around (that is, three identical speakers across the front, and two at the rear) the DB-12 proved to be more than up to the challenge of reproducing the deepest sounds contained on any of the movie soundtracks I own, and it did so at totally realistic and completely authentic levels.  

The low-frequency sound effects on Jurassic Park, for example, sounded absolutely sensational. The same was true when I watched NASA’s DVD Ascent – Commemorating Shuttle and listened to the sound of the shuttle launches, which contain prodigious amounts of energy below 30Hz. The power of the sound from the DB-12 was almost overwhelming. 

I also used the DB-12 when watching Gaspar Noé’s Irreversible. Not to watch the movie, of course (it’s so awful that many cinema-goers walked out at its premiere) but to listen to the soundtrack, because the first 30 minutes of it has a 28Hz sine wave signal mixed in. Listening via the Velodyne DB-12 I could hear it quite clearly yet the level is so low that if you’re not using a subwoofer, you likely won’t hear it at all.  

Why did Noé add the sound? Producers often add low-frequency sounds to their movies to induce a sense of foreboding in viewers and ramp up the tension, but it’s said that in this case it was done simply to drum up publicity as a result of reportage about people leaving the theatre. 

But don’t fall into the trap of thinking subwoofers in 5.1-channel systems are all about reproducing movie sound effects. Indeed most of the movies I watch don’t have any real sound effects at all. 

But if you watch a movie with the DB-12 switched off, then watch it again with the DB-12 switched on, you’ll find that everyday sounds (footsteps on wooden floors, doors closing, traffic noise and such-like), have low-frequency components whose realism is enhanced by using a subwoofer that can deliver them realistically – and the Velodyne can certainly do that! 

So subwoofers aren’t always about space shuttles, submarine depth charges, and low-frequency sine waves. And of course most movies have a musical soundtrack of one sort or the other, and you’ll find that if you listen with the DB-12 you’ll discover that the lower-pitched instruments are being reproduced rather well, with a fullness and richness you may not previously have experienced without a subwoofer – and that will be true no matter whether sound is orchestral, or somewhat more sparse.

• 20 of the best film scenes to test surround sound

Final verdict

By keeping it simple, and playing to the brand’s strengths, Velodyne’s new owners have delivered a definite winner. The DB-12 is not only an outstandingly good subwoofer, it’s also available at a price so low that I didn’t believe it at first, and had to go back to double-check it. Bargain! 

In-depth lab test results

Graph 1 shows the frequency response returned by the Velodyne DB-12 when Newport Test Labs used a nearfield microphone measurement technique – one that simulates the response that would be obtained if the subwoofer were measured in an anechoic chamber. 

The black trace shows the result obtained when the rotary crossover control was set to the 11.00 o’clock position and the red trace when it was set to the 10.30 position. 

You can see the two responses are the same up to a frequency of 40Hz, after which the black trace climbs a dB or so before starting to roll off at 70Hz, while the red trace falls a few dB before rolling off a little prior to 70Hz. 

You don’t need me to tell you that these are spectacularly flat frequency responses! Overall, I’d put them as being 16Hz to 95Hz ±3dB with the crossover control set to either of these positions.

Graph 2 shows the nearfield frequency response of the Velodyne DB-12 across a range of different settings for the crossover control, including the maximum and minimum settings. With the crossover set to minimum (dark blue trace), the response is 16Hz to 80Hz ±3dB. 

In the maximum setting (black trace) you can see that there’s a lift in the response that peaks at 70Hz which extends the upper 3dB down-point of the overall response. With the crossover control at this setting, the response extends from 22Hz to 140Hz ±3dB, a result that’s pretty much in line with Velodyne’s own specification of 26Hz to 140kHz ±3dB. 

Graph 3 is identical to Graph 2, except that all crossover settings other than the maximum and minimum have been removed, for clarity.

Graph 4 shows the in-room frequency response of the Velodyne DB-12, this time measured with pink noise, rather than a swept sine signal. Pink noise is rather more demanding than a swept sine signal, as it requires the subwoofer to produce all frequencies within its passband at the same time. 

This additional acoustic load seems to have smoothed out the peak in the response shown in the nearfield response of Graph 1 for the maximum setting of the control. Shown as the green trace here, the in-room frequency response measured for the DB-12 was 13Hz to 200kHz ±3dB. 

Overall, the Velodyne DB-12 subwoofer returned excellent results across all the acoustic tests carried out by Newport Test Labs.

• 15 of the best Dolby Atmos movie scenes to test your home cinema sound

Definitive Technology has announced two new models joining its Descend Series of affordable subwoofers designed for both music and movies.

The additions to the line-up, the DN8 and DN12, are compact subs comprising 8-inch and 12-inch drivers respectively.

Both of the new models utilise a Definitive specific technology called ‘3XR Architecture’, which employs a symmetrical dual-radiator array to increase the amount of bass-producing surface area compared to that found in a traditional ported subwoofer. Definitive claims that the unique design of the two radiators, which are the same size as the woofers, generates a deeper bass sound and higher output levels from within a small form factor. 

The Descend DN12 is powered by a 1500-Watt Class H sliding rail amplifier, which offers bass extension down to 25Hz, and uses 56-bit digital signal processing. It features three built-in performance EQ modes (Flat, Deep, and Loud), to accommodate different spaces or personal listening preferences and there’s also the option to tweak the phase with a full 360-degrees of customisable phase adjustment. 

A slim remote and built-in front LED display lets you control volume, phase and EQ settings while a 12V trigger and IR pass-through enables integration with 3rd party control systems.

Meanwhile, the more discreetly sized (just over 30cm-squared ) DN8 uses a 500-Watt Class D amplifier matched with custom drivers and the same 3XR dual-radiator design found in the 12-inch mode. It offers built-in controls to adjust output level, low-pass filter and phase (0/180°). 

The Definitive Technology Descend Series subwoofers will be available from August with the Descend DN12 costing £999 / $999 (about AU$1700) and the DN8 priced at £499 / $499 / AU$899. Both models are available in Midnight Black while the DN8 also comes in Glacier White.

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B&W’s latest DB Series subwoofer, the DB4S, is something of an enigma. Although the lowest-priced model in the series, it’s not the smallest. So does it have the smallest bass driver? Nope, its low-frequency driver is actually larger than the one in the model in the range that’s above it. So maybe it has a lower-powered amplifier? 

Again, nope. With a rated output of 1000-watts, the DB4S's amplifier has exactly the same rated power output as two other models in the range (though only half that of the range-topping DB1D, whose internal amplifier is rated at 2000-watts).

No, what the new DB4S does not have is the ‘dual balanced’ low-frequency driver configuration that’s an integral part of the design of B&W's DB1D, DB2D and DB3D models.

• Best subwoofers: deep bass for music and movies

Equipment

As you have probably gathered, the DB4S subwoofer is something of a surprise appearance in B&W’s long-running DB range. The three subwoofers above it have followed the usual arrangement of having their cabinets scaled down in size with each successive model. 

This means that the top-of-the range DB1D has an internal volume of 81 litres, the DB2D has an internal volume of 59 litres and the DB3D has an internal volume of 34.5 litres. 

Because of these existing models and the progressively smaller cabinets I was expecting the DB4S to be even smaller again, but it is in fact larger than the DB3D, with an internal volume of 50 litres.

A clue to the enigma lies in its model number.

The three other subwoofers are all double-driver subwoofers, fitted with two low-frequency drivers working in what B&W calls a ‘dual balanced configuration.’ This is where the ‘DB’ comes in... or so I previously thought. Now it appears that it’s the ‘D’ at the end of the model number that signifies there are two low-frequency drivers in the cabinet.

So although this new DB4S is a part of B&W’s ‘DB’ subwoofer range, the DB4S has only a single driver. And that single driver is actually larger than the driver in the DB3D. In fact, it’s the same driver that’s used in the DB2D: a 250mm diameter Aerofoil-coned unit. 

The trick here is that with a diameter of 250mm, the driver in the DB4S has an effective cone area of around 490cm², and it’s this figure (along with the driver excursion) that dictates how effectively the driver will deliver bass frequencies into your living room. But because the DB3D has two drivers, the total cone area is around 628cm², so it can actually push more air than the DB4S.

B&W is one of the few manufacturers in the world that makes its own subwoofer cones, and the one in the DB4S is a real beauty! The cone is made from a material B&W originally developed for its flagship 800 Series Diamond loudspeaker. 

The construction of the cone is very similar to that originally used for B&W’s ‘Rohacell’ cones, which sandwiched a foam core between two skins of woven carbon-fibre; however, unlike the ‘Rohacell’ driver, whose foam core is the same thickness everywhere across the cone, the core in the ‘Aerofoil’ cone is not constant over the cone’s diameter, but varies depending on the distance from the point at which it attaches to the voice coil former. In fact the curvature is not dissimilar to that of an aeroplane wing – which is, no doubt, the reason B&W calls them ‘Aerofoil’ drivers.

B&W says of its Aerofoil cones: “these light, ultra-stiff drivers resist bending and flexing far longer than conventional cones, delivering controlled bass with outstanding precision.” 

Driving the Aerofoil cone is a custom version of a 1000-watt Class-D amplifier from Dutch amplifier specialist Hypex, whose Class-D modules can be found in a great many of the world’s most famous powered subwoofers… and in quite a few of the world's most famous audio amplifiers as well.

The founder of Hypex was Bruno Putzeys, sometimes called the modern ‘father’ of Class-D design due to his designs both for Hypex and for Philips, where he worked prior to founding Hypex. 

Putzeys was the first to best-solve the problems that prevented Class-D amplifiers from being used in high-performance products, even though the Class-D concept had been around since 1958. 

Because of the many myths that surround Class-D, I should point out that the ‘D’ in Class-D does not stand for ‘digital’. In fact all Class-D amplifiers are analogue amplifiers, and when properly implemented (and here I must stress ‘properly implemented’), Class-D amplifiers have many significant advantages over the more usual Class-A and Class-AB designs, such as higher power output, lower power consumption, higher thermal efficiency, smaller physical size and more. 

If the B&W DB4S is sounding pretty special to you so far, just wait until you read the next sentence. It does not have any physical controls. 

Take a look around the back of a DB4S and you’ll find a pair of balanced inputs (via XLR), a pair of line-level RCA inputs (which are labelled as ‘phono’, but no, you cannot connect your turntable directly to them), a pair of 12V trigger inputs, for remote switching operations, an RS-232 connector to facilitate the DB4S being used in remote-control home automation systems, and a 240V input socket along with its associated power/standby button. That’s it. 

There is no volume control, no crossover frequency selector... none of the controls you’d normally expect to find on a subwoofer… except for a single mains power switch with a chameleon LED on it that glows red for standby and green when on.

• How to set up your subwoofer: our expert guide to room placement and controls

But despite the paucity of controls on the subwoofer itself, owners will have total control over the DB4S, because all functions can be accessed via your mobile phone, with B&W providing the necessary apps for both iOS (Version 10 and later) and Android (Version 5 and later) phones.

As well as ‘total control’ (over volume, crossover frequency, phase, high-pass filter slope and more), B&W’s app also allows you to use your phone’s microphone to help adjust the frequency response of the subwoofer to best suit both your listening room and your main speakers.

But if you don’t like the calibrated frequency response, you can use the built-in five-band equaliser to adjust the sound to your liking, maybe by adding a bit of extra ‘kick’ in the ultra-lows. And if you’d rather not fuss around with calibrations at all, you can also use the ‘ready to roll’ frequency response to which the DB4S defaults.

Calibration settings are stored in memory, so you don’t lose one when you switch to another, and so you can always switch back if you prefer – or switch between settings depending on whether you’re listening to music or watching a movie, or to different types of music and movies.

However, there is a much easier way to have settings that switch between, say, music and movies, because if you connect, say, your hi-fi amplifier to the XLR inputs and your home theatre receiver to the RCA inputs, then you can program different settings to be used for each of them. Very neat!

Although both iOS and Android phones can be used to operate the DB4S, the auto-calibration process is (at the time of writing) supported only in Android by the following phones: Samsung’s Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, S8 and S9, and Google’s Pixel & Pixel 2. If you don’t have one of these phones, B&W suggests that, since it only needs to be done the once, you should borrow a compatible phone to do the calibration, then after use your own phone for day-to-day control of the subwoofer.

B&W provides two sets of feet with each DB4S. There's a set of four small rubber bullet-shaped feet for use on hard surfaces and a set of four spiked feet for carpeted surfaces. It is important to use these feet, firstly because they will isolate the subwoofer's cabinet vibrations from the floor and secondly because they enable the airflow necessary to cool the internal amplifier.

The DB4S is available in a number of different finishes. It comes in B&W’s usual superb piano lacquer finish in either gloss black or gloss white, plus it’s also available in a real Rosenut wood veneer. And, whereas once B&W’s DB-series subwoofers came with only a black grille, you can now choose between black or grey. And, in a great design move, the grille now attaches to the baffle magnetically, so there are no pegs to break off and, if you prefer to use the DB4S without a grille, there are no unslightly fixings to be seen on the baffle, just that impressive-looking driver and that flawless painted finish.

B&W's DB4S measures 377x360x368mm (HWD) and weighs 26kg. It draws less than 0.5-watts in standby mode, so the only time you'd bother actually physically switching it off is when you go away on holiday for more than a week.

• 25 of the best tracks for testing bass

Sound

One advantage of having only a single bass driver, no bass reflex port and no requirement to access physical controls is that of all the subwoofers in B&W’s DB Series, this new DB4S is the easiest to position, not least because you can push it right back against a wall.

But I would recommend you at least evaluate all the ‘best’ positions to put the subwoofer by using the article at www.tinyurl.com/WHFsubsetup, and put your DB4S in one of the recommended positions before running B&W’s calibration process because although equalisation is a great tool, it’s not a universal panacea. And, as with all subwoofers, it’s best if the subwoofer is located roughly in the same plane as your left and right speakers, or slightly behind that plane. 

Calibration will be much easier if you are integrating the DB4S with B&W loudspeakers because presets for most of these are pre-programmed into the DB Subwoofer app. If you are not using B&W speakers, you will have to choose the ‘Other Speaker’ setting, which allows you to set low-pass frequency (25Hz to 150Hz), crossover slope (12 or 24dB/octave) and phase (0–270°). All this should be done before you run the calibration.

I auditioned the B&W DB4S with stereo music that covered everything from Beach Boys to Beethoven, and in multi-channel using movies that included comedies, period dramas, science fiction and action. I also partnered it with several different loudspeakers that included a pair of small two-way stand-mounters and a largish pair of three-way, four-driver floorstanders.

No matter what music I played through it, or which speakers I paired with it, I was entirely satisfied with the performance of the B&W DB4S. It delivered rich, full-bodied bass throughout my sessions, and showed no signs at all of overload even when played more loudly than would usually be warranted in a home environment.

I could not hear any distortion when listening at any sensible volume level, and the DB4S’s frequency response was as smooth as silk, being even and controlled with no undue emphasis on any specific region of frequencies. It was all just smooth, controlled bass from the lowest audible frequencies up to where the main speakers took over the sonic responsibilities.

• Best hi-fi speakers 2020: from budget to premium

Verdict

The B&W DB4S is an object lesson in the swings and roundabouts of subwoofer performance. In building this new DB4S, B&W has been able to deliver a budget-priced subwoofer whose performance comes very, very close to that of its fabulous DB3S, though to take advantage of the significant cost saving, you will need to accept that the cabinet is larger. But the cabinet is not all that much larger, and B&W’s cabinet finishes are so attractive you’ll likely be proud that it’s a part of your room’s décor.

And while you can potentially get a more extended bass response and higher volume levels from the larger models in B&W’s DB subwoofer range, you will really only be able to take advantage of this potential if your room is much larger than the average Australian lounge room, because low-frequency sound waves are so long that you they need space to properly propagate.

I am happy to be able to conclude this review with the statement that, without any shadow of a doubt, the B&W DB4S is yet another great subwoofer from this great British company*.

*Although B&W is a British company and has research, development and manufacturing facilites in the UK, it is now owned by Canadian company Sound United, which is also in control of such brands as Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio. 

Full lab test results

The in-room frequency response of the B&W DB4S subwoofer measured by Newport Test Labs is shown in Graph 1, below:

You can see that the in-room frequency response remains within a 5dB envelope from 20Hz right up to 200Hz, which is an outstanding achievement. Using a more conventional ±3dBdB envelope, this response is 14Hz–280Hz ±3dB.

Graph 2 (above) shows the frequency response of the DB4S for four different settings of the crossover control and 12dB/octave filter slopes when measured by Newport Test Labs using a nearfield microphone technique that essentially delivers the response you'd expect to get in an anechoic chamber. 

All traces were measured after the subwoofer's response had been equalised using B&W's Android app. The black trace shows the frequency response for the 150Hz setting and you can see that the response extends from 14Hz to 200Hz ±3dB. This is an excellent result.

The green trace on Graph 2 shows the response of the DB4S at the 100Hz 12dB/octave setting. You can see that, as you'd expect from the setting of the crossover control, the response rolls off earlier, to be 3dB down at around 120Hz. 

The pink and red traces on Graph 2 show the accuracy of the DB4S's crossover calibration, because when it's set to 50Hz (purple trace) the response is 3dB down at 45Hz and when it's set to 25Hz (red trace) the response is 3dB down at 30Hz. These are certainly 'near enough' to the design target at these low frequencies.

Graph 3 is essentially the same as Graph 2, except that Newport Test Labs set the crossover slope at 24dB/octave, rather than at 12dB/octave as in Graph 2. You can see the steeper roll-offs, and this time, the 150Hz trace is exactly 5dB down at 150Hz, the 100Hz trace is exactly 5dB down at 100Hz, the 50Hz trace is exactly 5dB down at 50Hz and the 25Hz trace is 3dB down at 25Hz. 

Because of the amount of control you have over the crossover frequencies, the crossover slopes and, of course, the five-band equalisation, these responses show that you'll be able to properly integrate the DB4S with any main speakers, no matter how large or small they may be.

The difference in roll-off slopes for the B&W DB4S subwoofer's 12dB/octave and 24dB/octave settings is clearly shown in Graph 4 for two frequencies: 25Hz and 100Hz. 

Graph 5 shows the effect on the low-frequency response of the DB4S of the two pre-set equalisation filters, Music and Movies. The black trace shows the very low-frequency response with a custom EQ setting but without Music or Movies EQ applied. 

You can see that the Music EQ setting rolls off the lowest bass a little earlier at around 50Hz, while the Movie EQ setting rolls off at around 35Hz. The effect the Music and Movie EQ settings has on the DB4S's response is so subtle (less than ±1.5dB between 20Hz and 200Hz) that I would imagine that in many rooms it would barely be audible.

It is obvious from Newport Test Labs' tests that the frequency response of the B&W DB4S is outstandingly good, with low-frequency extension one rarely sees in such a small subwoofer. 

This performance, along with the excellent control enabled over both the crossover frequency and the crossover slopes, and the inbuilt five-band equaliser mean that you'll be able to use it to good effect with either very small bookshelf speakers, or very large floorstanding loudspeakers to increase the quality and depth of the bass response of your system, be it two-channel or multi-channel. Overall, excellent performance from an outstanding design.

• 10 of the best movie scores to test your system

I don’t think Magico’s latest top-of-the-range M9 speaker is going to sell very well here in Australia, for the very simple reason that a pair of M9s will cost you around one and a quarter million dollars, depending on the prevailing exchange rate with the US, where Magico loudspeakers are made.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that Magico’s ASub subwoofer, while not exactly inexpensive, is going to cost you a good deal less than one hundredth of that figure, yet it has much of the same DNA, which includes the fact that, like all Magico speakers, its enclosure is made from 10mm-thick sheets of solid 6061 T6 aluminium that’s internally braced and damped.

But I have even better news.

Magico’s ASub is not only a phenomenally good-sounding, high-performance subwoofer, which has by far and away the best and most flexible room tuning and speaker matching circuitry I have ever seen, it’s also the most fun to use.

Fun? Yep, fun! And lots of it: I have never, ever, had quite so much fun setting up, playing with, tuning and (eventually!) listening to a subwoofer as I did with the Magico ASub.

• Best subwoofers: deep bass for music and movies

Equipment

If you have ever read any interviews with Magico’s founder, Alon Wolf, you won’t have to ask whether his ASub is a bass-reflex or a sealed design, because you’ll already know that he’s railed against bass-reflex enclosures for many years, intimating that (and I’m paraphrasing here, based on his spiels at CES show demos) that you “get more boom than bass extension”. But if you want an on-the-record quote, Wolf once told Stereophile’s Jason Victor Serinus concerning bass extension that: “Many audiophiles, including reviewers, are fooled into thinking that most ported speakers extend far lower than they do.”

As for the material the ASub’s cabinet is made from, it is, as I suggested in the introduction, 6061 T6 aluminium. Magico makes much of its use of 6061 T6 aluminium in its advertising and promotional material, but it would actually be surprising if if didn’t use this type of aluminium, because according to the people who actually make the stuff, it’s the most versatile of all the heat-treatable aluminium alloys, being strong, resistant to corrosion, easy to weld, easy to extrude and widely available in a huge variety of sizes and forms. Indeed it’s the second-most popular grade of aluminium alloy.

First developed in 1936, 6061 aluminium is a precipitation-hardened alloy that uses magnesium and silicon as its major alloying elements. The ‘T6’ designation means that it’s 6061 alloy that has been tempered, solutionized and artificially aged, whereas the standard ‘O’ type is not: It’s only annealed. (There is another grade, called 6061-T651, which is not only tempered, solutionized and artificially aged but also stress-relieved.)

6061 T6 aluminium’s most common use is in the manufacture of bicycle frames, but possibly its most unusual use was when NASA used it to create the plaques carried inside the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 space-craft that have pictorial messages in the event that they’re ever intercepted by aliens. These plaques depict the nude figures of a human male and female along with several symbols that are designed to provide information about the origin of the spacecraft (i.e. where we are!) These nudes were the first human-made human images ever to reach interstellar space.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that because it is made from aluminium the Magico ASub does not weigh much. Despite its relatively compact dimensions (it measures just 458x369x447mm) it weighs 49kg which, as the courier who delivered my review sample told me grumpily, “is heavier than my wife.”

But forgetting the weight of the courier’s wife and continuing on with my aluminium theme, or should that be Magico’s aluminium theme (though Magico of course uses the American spelling: aluminum), you most likely won’t be surprised to learn that Magico makes the cone of the ASub’s driver out of… yep, you guessed it, aluminium. 

But although the cone is made from aluminium, the very large (120mm diameter) dust-cap at its centre is, I think, made from woven carbon-fibre. Magico claims that many of its cone drivers are so strong that you can drive a motor vehicle over them without them collapsing, but I would not suggest you try this at home.

Magico rates the diameter of the ASub’s cone as “10 inches”, which translates to 254mm (at least it does if you’re weren’t involved in the design of the Columbia space shuttle), but in fact this dimension is actually the distance between the mounting holes across one of the driver’s diameters rather than the overall diameter, or even the Thiele/Small (T/S) diameter.

Confusing though it might be, almost all the world’s loudspeaker driver manufacturers use this same system to specify driver diameter. It would make more sense to use the T/S diameter, which is the distance across the driver from half-way across the roll surround on one side of the driver to half-way across the roll surround on the opposite side.

It would make more sense because it’s this dimension that gives the effective cone area of the driver, technically known as Sd, and it’s the Sd that informs how much ‘grip’ the driver has on the air in front of it. It’s also the dimension that loudspeaker designers plug into their computer programs when they’re designing a cabinet to house a specific driver: They certainly don’t plug in the distance between the mounting holes!

As for that roll surround, it’s a standard inverse profile and appears to be made of some type of rubber compound, so it should be very long-lived. (Driver roll surrounds that are made of foam will inevitably fail at some point in the not-too-distant future.)

If you purchase a standard Magico ASub, you’ll be looking at that driver quite a bit, because the ASub doesn’t come with a front grille. And if you’d prefer a grille, you’ll need to dig out $695, because that’s the RRP.

The data sheet for the Magico ASub rates its internal amplifier with an output of ‘500-watts’ but doesn’t go into any detail about the amplifier’s design. However, seeing that it’s powering a subwoofer it doesn’t need much in the way of bandwidth and out-of-band noise will not be an issue, so it really doesn’t matter what ‘Class’ of amplifier it might be – Class-A, Class-B, Class-A/B… even Class-H – but given the stated power, the lack of any obvious heat-sinking and the fact that the plate ran so cool during all the time I was reviewing the ASub, I’m putting my money on it using a Class-D topology of some variety.

There are two ways of getting audio signals into the Magico ASub, both involving wire. You can input a balanced signal, via a single XLR female socket, or an unbalanced signal, in which case you have the choice of two gold-plated RCA sockets, or both. 

Why only a single XLR input but dual RCA inputs? Magico’s logic is that all stereo systems and home theatre receivers have RCA unbalanced outputs and use short cable runs, so unbalanced connections are all that’s required. It anticipates that the XLR balanced input will be used only when customers are running a very long cable to the ASub, as would be the case in very large home theatre systems and professional sound systems. “On more expensive subs we have only two XLR inputs since we almost always have XLR outputs on pre/processors in the matching price-point,” said Yair Tammam, CTO at Magico. “We didn’t see the need for two input XLRs on this product.”

You may be able to tell from the photograph below on this page that there actually are two XLR sockets on the rear panel of the ASub. The second one (a male XLR) is actually an output or, as the label on the rear panel more accurately identifies it, a ‘Through’ socket. This means that whatever signal you input to the ‘Analogue In’ XLR input will appear unaltered at the ‘Through’ XLR output. In other words, it won’t be filtered or modified in any way. This is to allow you to easily and conveniently ‘daisy-chain’ multiple subwoofers. (Magico strongly recommends using two subwoofers, rather than just the one, presumably to more effectively deal with room modes).

I was intrigued about the orientation of the two XLR fittings. 

The female fitting is oriented so the earth pin is the lowest of the three pins, while the male fitting is oriented so the earth pin is the highest of the three. This seems a bit strange, and a tad illogical, but means that if you do use both fittings the XLR plugs will look a bit odd, as one will appear to be ‘upside down’.

Alongside the RCA inputs is a vertical array of four LEDs, plus a small press-button. The topmost (red) LED is labelled ‘Pro’, while the lower three green LEDs are labelled Pre1, Pre2 and Pre3. The press-button allows you to choose which of these three Preset crossover filter set-ups you’d like to use.

So far, I have not mentioned the elephant in the room here, which is that there are no actual user controls on Magico’s ASub. No volume control, no low-pass filter control, no phase control… no nothing. This is because you have to use a computer to control it, for which Magico provides a ready-made software package that it supplies on a USB stick.

That said, you can actually get up and running with the ASub straight away without having to connect a computer at all, because the three presets all come factory pre-programmed with an 80Hz, 24/dB/octave low pass filter. However to do this you would have to be able to control volume level externally, because there’s otherwise no way to do it without connecting a computer. Computer connection is via a USB Type A mini-jack, a type that seems a bit outdated these days. I would have thought for such a premium product, USB-C would have been a better choice. I was also perplexed as to why Magico puts exactly the same filter on all three presets. I really think that two should each have a completely different filter, and the third should have no filter at all.

Preset 1 should come with a 50Hz low-pass filter (which would be perfect for the Magico A3). Preset 2 should come with a 60Hz low-pass filter (which would be perfect for the Magico A1) and Preset 3 should not be filtered at all, to cater for those who will use their AV receiver’s crossover software to pre-filter any signals sent to the ASub.

Pre-programming the filters in this way would be very, very easy for Magico to do, and Australian Hi-Fi editor Greg Borrowman says he has discussed it with the company already, so don’t be surprised if it has been done by the time you read this. But if it hasn’t, never fear, because it’s super-easy to do yourself… or at least it is once you know what you’re doing.

• How to set up your subwoofer: our expert guide to room placement and controls

Computer control

The software Magico provides on its USB stick is a customised version of software originally developed by famous Netherland-based company Hypex to control various of its Class-D amplifiers, one of which is obviously what powers the Magico ASub. I am not giving away any company secrets here, because you will be informed of Hypex’s involvement as an integral part of the software installation process. When your Windows user account controller asks if it’s OK to install the ASub software on your computer, it not only shows the program name as “Magico Sub Control Installer” but also the name of the Verified Publisher as “Hypex Electronics BV.”

The installation process is rather arcane, so unless you get your hi-fi dealer to do it for you (which I’d recommend) you will certainly have to use Magico’s “Quick Set-Up Guide” to do it. This actually wasn’t on my USB stick but apparently will be by the time you are reading this review. 

The version I received after asking for it appeared to me as if it was an early draft rather than a finished work, because the descriptions in it didn’t really reflect what I was seeing on-screen during the installation and filter set-up processes and some essential steps were incompletely described. 

After a few emails I was then sent a video that walks the viewer step-by-step through the entire installation process, after which I had no trouble finishing the install… though adding a voice-over to the otherwise silent video would have been a nice touch. I understand this video also will in future be included on the USB stick that comes with the ASub. Again, if it’s not there, ask your dealer for a copy.

Low pass filter

To ensure correct crossover from the ASub to your main speakers, you need to set the ASub’s low-pass frequency and phase, both of which are usually achieved via rotary controls. On the ASub, the easiest way to do this is load a config.xml file from the Resources Folder on the USB stick.

This will load a preset filter, the turnover point of which will be indicated by a blue dot. Clicking on this will turn the dot green and a small box with “BQ1 on/off” and “BQ2 on/off “will come up. Click on BQ1 and a dialogue at the left of the screen will open to show you the frequency at which the filter is currently set. You then just then type in the frequency you want into the “Cut-Off Frequency” box (say, 90Hz) and press “Return”. 

The blue dot will then move to 90Hz and turn green. You will then see a second blue dot appear back at the 80Hz vertical. You then need to click on this second blue dot and repeat the process just outlined. This is because what you’re actually doing is constructing and joining two separate 90Hz 12/dB octave filters to create a single 90Hz 24dB/octave filter. Once you’ve done this, you click anywhere on the page and you’ve made your filter. 

However, in a trap for new players, you have neither saved your filter, nor actually loaded it into the subwoofer.

Load or save? I’d recommend doing both. 

Save it using an obvious filename (e.g. “90Hz LP filter 24dB per octave”), then just click the “Load filter to DSP” button and you’re done – the 90Hz filter will be loaded into Preset 1. You could then repeat this entire process, but set the low-pass frequency to 100Hz low-pass, save it as such, but load it into Preset 2. Do this and then whenever you press Preset 1 on the rear panel of the sub you’ll load your 90Hz filter, and whenever you press Preset 2, you’ll load your 100Hz filter. After this you’ll have no more need for the computer (unless you want to change volume). It’s really that easy.

More advanced users might want to add extra filters (such as a high-pass filter in order to remove frequencies below, say, 30Hz, so you could use the ASub late at night and not upset the neighbours. (Settings such as this are sometimes called ‘Apartment Mode’, or ‘Night Mode’).

You can also adjust filter slope, Q, phase, in fact pretty much any parameter of the filter you like, and everything you do will be shown graphically on your computer screen. Like I said, it’s not only flexible, it’s fun!

But if you’re not a fun kind of guy, and you like your filters to come ready-rolled, it has been suggested to Magico that it should think about creating and loading a complete set of ready-made filters with different turnover points into the Resources folder on the USB stick to make it even easier to do. But it would not be nearly as much fun.

Parametric equaliser

In order that you can take advantage of the extremely powerful DSP processing inside the Magico ASub to compensate for any deficiencies in your room’s acoustics, the ASub has a nine-band parametric equaliser built in, which you access by pressing the “EQ” button on the Magico Sub Control Screen.

Initially the nine equaliser bands are set at 20Hz, 40Hz, 60Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz, 140Hz, 160Hz and 180Hz, but you can change these frequencies to whatever frequency you like to suit the correction curve you want to use. You can do this by ‘click and dragging’ to the frequency you want, or by clicking followed by keyboard entry.

If, for example, you find your room has excess energy at 85Hz so you want to reduce the volume level the ASub delivers at this frequency, you’d change the 80Hz filter to 85Hz, then enter the reduction in level you wanted (–6.5dB, for example), then set ‘Q’ of the filter to adjust how much the frequencies either side of 85Hz will be affected (large numbers for a steep-sloped filter, low numbers for a shallow-sloped filter). 

The shape of the filter you’ve designed will then be shown on the computer screen, so you will easily be able to see which frequencies the filter affects, and by how much each one is affected. The screenshot of the filter page shown below shows a notch filter that has been created to deliver a 12.5dB notch at 100Hz. The effect this filter had on the Magico ASub’s response is shown in Graph 4 in the Test Results section of this review.

Of course in order to adjust the parametric equaliser, you need to know which frequencies you need to attenuate (reduce) and by how much. This means you will need to measure the subwoofer in your own room. (And remember that you should always be  using the EQ to attenuate, not to boost!)

Magico suggests you should do this by purchasing a microphone and installing in your computer a free loudspeaker measurement program called Room EQ Wizard, (the name of this program is usually abbreviated to just ‘REW’). If your computer does not have a suitable soundcard, you will need to purchase a suitable external USB audio interface as well. This REW software not only allows you to measure the ASub’s in-room frequency response, but also to create a filter that will correct for it which can then be loaded directly into the Magico ASub.

This all sounds like a great idea – and it is a great idea! – but my personal opinion is that if you are not already familiar with the theory and practise of loudspeaker measurement it would be necessary to put some time and effort into becoming conversant with REW before you would be able to make useful measurements in order to create suitably effective equalisation curves for the ASub.

However, if you watch the Magico video I mentioned earlier, it will take you step-by-step through the entire measurement and curve-creation processes, so you’ll be able to judge for yourself how difficult you might find it to do simply by watching the video. And if it turns out that you are at all uncertain about your ability to do it, you could then instead ask your hi-fi dealer to do all the measurements and equalisation for you.

But I’d also suggest you could use another method entirely, which is to do it manually, using a real-time analyser app on your mobile phone – either Music & Audio’s AudioTool (Android) or Studio Six Digital’s AudioTools (IOS) – and a pink noise source (www.audiocheck.net/testtones_pinknoise.php) which will allow you to adjust the filters and equalisation in (almost) real time. Admittedly this method isn’t as slick or accurate as the one Magico recommends, but it’s cheap, accurate enough and possibly a bit easier to do.

• Best hi-fi speakers 2020: from budget to premium

Listening sessions

I have to say that initially I was a bit put out that the ASub was not equipped with a physical volume control but once I became more familiar with the software, and had everything up and running, I realised I had no need to use the control at all, either when the ASub was installed in my two-channel audio system or when it was installed in my multi-channel home theatre system. 

Once you have calibrated it, there is no further need to make any adjustments. And if you do prefer to use slightly different settings for movies than you do for music, you could simply make those settings in advance, then program them into the presets. But if you didn’t want to fiddle with the presets, you can adjust volume by connecting a computer to the ASub and using the main screen to adjust it.

If the computer you connect is already switched on and loaded with Magico’s software (which it would have to be, of course!), you could use it to adjust volume in less than 60 seconds. Incidentally, there are no restrictions on the number of times you can install the software, so you could leave an older computer permanently connected to the ASub if you wanted instant access. But like I said, I can’t see why you would.

However, if you follow Magico’s recommendation, which is to use your AV receiver’s LFE circuitry to adjust the volume of the signal going to the ASub (as well as take care of filtering, etc), you can ignore my previous two paragraphs entirely, because you will have total control of the Magico via your AV receiver and its remote control.

I always like to start my subwoofer evaluations with a Bach organ work, so because it hadn’t had an outing for a while, I dropped the stylus on his spritely Fugue in G Major (BWV 577). OK, so it doesn’t quite have the bass of his famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor or even his gorgeous Passacaglia in C Minor, but it’s a lovely work, and there’s a goodly assortment of 16-foot pipes in the finale. 

The advantage of it being a gigue is that it was able to prove to me the speed and transient abilities of the Magico ASub, and I can report that the ASub performed brilliantly. I heard instant responses to both keyboard and pedals, with no unwanted overhang whatsoever and when the 16-footers did come in at the end, the depth and quality of the low bass was impressive.

Of course you don’t have to be a pipe organ aficionado to benefit from the extended bass afforded by adding a subwoofer to your system. All the lower notes of the larger orchestral instruments will be improved by using a subwoofer (percussion, harp, double-bass, cello, and so forth) and when playing rock, jazz and other popular genres, the sound of drums, bass guitar, electric guitar, and all keyboards will also benefit. 

You can demonstrate this for yourself with a track you’re bound to have in your own collection, which is Speak To Me/Breathe from Dark Side of the Moon. Those ‘heart-beats’ are at a frequency of 27Hz. You’ll probably also have Jennifer Warne’s Famous Blue Raincoat in your collection, so listen to the Magico ASub playing Joan of Arc, and revel in the quality of the low bass at 35Hz.

If you’d rather experience the Magico’s superior bass performance with a movie, it’s worth digging out Steven Spielberg’s version of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds if only for the scene where the Martian machine emerges. The ASub delivers this sound effect with startling realism, as it then also does with all the FX later on in this movie, including the death rays and the plane crash. 

And if you haven’t experienced the Lightcycle Battle, from Tron:Legacy, you owe it to yourself to experience it with the Magico ASub. Do watch the volume levels, but be prepared to be seriously impressed. The tympanic bass line and the pulsing super low frequencies add to the battle sounds to deliver a sonic masterpiece.

• 25 of the best tracks for testing bass

Verdict

I know that I have already said it once, but Magico’s ASub is just so good that I just have to say it again: it’s not only a phenomenally good-sounding, high-performance subwoofer, and one which has by far and away the best and most flexible room tuning and speaker matching circuitry that I have ever seen, it’s also the most fun of any subwoofer I have ever reviewed. But I don’t want one... no, no, no... I want two!

Full lab test results

Newport Test Labs first measured the frequency response of the Magico ASub using a near-field technique that effectively gives the response that would be obtained in an anechoic chamber, without the contribution of room effects. This technique does however, remove the beneficial effect of an in-room response, which is a boost in volume level at the very lowest audio frequencies.

Graph 1 shows the result of this test for three different filter settings and for when no filter is used at all. Looking first at the unfiltered response (the black trace) you can see that it is superbly linear, extending from 35Hz to 500Hz ±2dB. Below 35Hz the low-frequency response rolls off at 12dB per octave, exactly the slope loudspeaker enclosure theory predicts for this alignment. I should point out that despite this exceptionally linear and extended high-frequency response, you should always roll off the Magico ASub’s response at 200Hz or lower, so the sound is not too directional.

The pink trace on Graph 1 shows the Magico ASub’s frequency response when the low-pass filter is set at 200Hz and you can see that relative to the driver’s output at 60Hz, the response is around 9dB down at 200Hz. The light blue trace shows the response with a 120Hz low-pass filter and relative to 55Hz the response is around 6dB down. If you look at the slope of the response resulting from this filter between 200Hz and 400Hz (which is one octave) you can see that the slope is exactly 24dB/octave. The red trace on Graph 1 shows the response with a 40Hz filter and you can see that response rises to a maximum output at 35Hz before rolling off, putting the overall frequency response at this setting as 17Hz to 55Hz ±3dB.

Graph 2 shows three of the same traces that are shown on Graph 1, but the green trace shows the response with an 80Hz 24dB/octave low-pass filter and a 27Hz shelving filter. The shelving filter could be used to attenuate super-low frequencies to avoid them transmitting to another dwelling.

The in-room response of the Magico ASub, measured at a distance of three metres without any filters or equalisation, is shown in Graph 3 (green trace). This time Newport Test Labs has used an upper measurement limit of 200Hz as this is a little higher than the maximum frequency you’d normally expect any subwoofer to deliver. You can see the in-room response even without equalisation to compensate for room effects is very smooth, extending from 30Hz to 200Hz ±3dB. When equalisation is added, the response becomes even smoother and even more linear, which is shown as the black trace. This response extends from 18Hz to 200Hz ±2.5dB.

Graph 4 shows the frequency response of the Magico ASub without any filters or equalisation (black trace) and with a filter with a centre frequency of 100Hz, attenuation of –6dB and a Q of 12. The setting of Magico’s equaliser that was used to obtain this graph is shown in the screenshot published earlier in this review. It’s a very good demonstration of the power and accuracy of the software.

Self-evidently, the frequency responses returned during Newport Test Labs’ tests were outstandingly good, easily exceeding Magico’s specifications, but these same frequency responses also show the enormous power and flexibility of the digital filtering and equalisation enabled by Magico’s software-driven DSP module.

In sum, the Magico ASub offers more effective room tuning and equalisation than any subwoofer I have ever seen, irrespective of size or price.

• 10 of the best movie scores to test your system

KEF has released an absolutely tiny (246x256x248mm) powered subwoofer, KC62, that uses three new KEF technologies to deliver unprecedented levels of deep bass.

"KEF's new 1,000-watt KC62 subwoofer surpasses traditional expectations of what a subwoofer can achieve based on its size," said Nigel Ng, of Advance Audio, which distributes KEF in Australia.

"KEF's engineers have used proprietary patented force-cancelling and Uni-Core technologies in a brand new approach to subwoofer performance, allowing maximum bass in a minimum space, so that the KC62 delivers unprecedented depth and breath-taking accuracy."

• Best subwoofers for music and movies

Uni-Core technology combines force cancellation with a single enormous magnet and two completely different concentrically arranged voice coils (one for each driver). KEF says the Uni-Core technology allows cabinet size to be reduced by over a third while equalling or exceeding the driver excursion of a much larger subwoofer.

The two 165mm diameter driver cones are fitted with what KEF calls 'P-Flex' or 'Origami' surround suspensions. "P-Flex is a brand-new patent-pending driver surround that resists the acoustic pressure inside the cabinet without limiting sensitivity in the way traditional half-roll surrounds do," says Ng. 

"KEF also calls this an 'Origami' surround because its shape and appearance are so evocative of the Japanese art of paper folding. 

Whichever name you'd like to to use, the result is the same: it allows the drivers to move with greater excursion, resulting in deeper bass extension and more accurate bass reproduction with vastly reduced distortion."

The new KC62 also uses KEF's patent-pending 'Smart Distortion Control Technology' which is a unique sensorless, motional feedback system that corrects even the slightest signal abnormalities and transients.

"Essentially the circuit continuously monitors the current in the voice coil, detecting, and then correcting any non-linear distortions," says Ng. 

The SDCT works in concert with KEF's in-house designed DSP algorithms iBX (Intelligent Bass Extension) and SmartLimiter to ensure the two 500 watt Class-D amplifiers that power the drivers deliver the perfect signal."

• How to set up your subwoofer – an expert guide

Versatile connection options include compatibility with KEF's KW1 wireless adaptor kit, and KEF's SmartConnect eliminates connection issues. There are five Room Placement Equalisation presets, allowing the performance of the KC62 to be optimised no matter where you put it in your room – next to a wall, in a corner, within a cabinet, or on display right out in the open. 

A high-passed line output means it can be partnered with external powered speakers, such as KEF's flagship compact LS50s.

Available in Carbon Black and Mineral White finishes, the KEF KC62 Uni-Core Force-Cancelling Subwoofer retails for £1400 ($1500, AU$2495).

• 25 of the best tracks for testing bass

Sonos is rolling out updates to its system to allow two Sonos Subs to work in tandem within a single Sonos AV set-up. As ever, it's not quite available to everybody. There are stipulations.

The first is that at least one of the Subs in the set-up has to be a third generation Sonos Sub which has the required processing to make tandem home cinema bass work. The second is that your AV system needs to be orchestrated by one of the main Sonos devices such as a Sonos soundbar (Arc, Beam, Playbar or Playbase) or the Sonos Amp.

Lastly, you'll need to make sure that you're using the S2 version of the Sonos app. If you can satisfy all of that lot – none of it too strenuous – then you should probably hop to the shops and look for the best Sonos deals.

• Take a look at the Best subwoofers: deep bass for music and movies

The Sonos Sub is a little pricey for what it is but there's no denying the simplicity and convenience of a Sonos home theatre system. With no cables to worry about, it leaves the front and rear speakers as flexible for positioning as you need then to be.

On top of that, going Sonos for your AV means that your living room speakers will be tied right into the rest of your home's wireless music system which is as simple and effective as multi-room gets.

If you are looking for a higher quality of home cinema sound, then take a look at our choice of the best AV receivers and best home theatre speaker systems. You will have to put up with cables, though, and convince any housemates to do so too.

Those wishing to dive into the deep end of the Sonos AV pool should look out for some Sonos bundle deals. World Wide Stereo do some good Sonos specials in the States. There are plenty of Sonos offers at Richer Sounds in the UK too.

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Getting very loud, very low-frequency, distortion-free bass from a subwoofer is very easy. The only problem is the size, cost and number of bass drivers you’d need to use to do it, and the fact that the cabinet you’d need to accommodate them all would have to be so big that it would take up a good deal of the available space in the average-sized living room.

The various parameters – size, cost, number of drivers and so on – can certainly be manipulated, but ultimately the final result will always be governed by the immutable laws of physics… and you can’t get around them.

Not that subwoofer manufacturers haven’t tried… and KEF has tried harder than most. In order to ensure that one of its smallest-ever subwoofers could deliver deep bass it even invented an innovative circuit it called ‘Intelligent Bass Extension’ or IBx for short.

IBx is essentially an algorithm built into a DSP controller that counteracts the natural tendency for a bass driver to roll-off at low-frequencies but at the same time monitors what that driver is doing to ensure its safe operating parameters are not exceeded. KEF’s IBx circuit was so successful – and so popular with its customers – that KEF decided to use it in its larger subwoofers and, most recently, in this new KF92.

• Best hi-fi speakers 2020: from budget to premium

Equipment

The cabinet of the KEF KF92 is completely sealed, which has a number of advantages over the more common ‘ported’ or ‘bass reflex’ cabinet. The first and most obvious of these is that whereas bass reflex ports can sometimes create audible noises – usually ‘chuffing’ sounds, but sometimes whistling sounds – you won’t ever get these noises with the KEF KF92 because there is no port.

Another advantage is that because the cabinet is sealed, all the internal metal components are protected from corrosion, which can be a problem in hot, humid environments. 

Yet another advantage is that – all other things being equal – a sealed enclosure has a smoother, more extended low-frequency roll-off and lower distortion than a ported enclosure. (Ported enclosures also have advantages over sealed enclosures, but we’ll deal with those a little later.)

Finally (but far from least, depending on where in the world you live) small furry (or non-furry) ‘critters’ cannot decide the inside of your subwoofer would make a very warm and comfortable home to which they could gain access via the bass reflex port.

As you might be able to see from the photographs, the KEF KF92 has two bass drivers, mounted on opposite sides of the cabinet. It’s very important to note that unlike many subwoofers that use a similar mounting arrangement, both KEF drivers are connected to amplifiers. 

Many subwoofers that appear to have two – or more – drivers have only one of those drivers connected to an amplifier: the other so-called ‘drivers’ are not drivers at all, but simply ‘drone’ cones or passive radiators that contribute very little to the main output of the subwoofer. 

KEF appears to be using its own, custom-designed 230mm bass drivers in the KF92: These have hybrid cones made from aluminium-coated paper pulp. According to KEF, using paper pulp to form the cone keeps the mass low and ensures an accurate response, while the aluminium skin over the pulp increases the strength of the cone and provides damping.

Although KEF rates the driver with a diameter of 230mm, the design of the driver is such that the Thiele/Small diameter is 175mm, which gives an effective cone area (Sd) of 240cm² per driver, or 480cm² for the system. 

This means that had KEF wanted to move the same amount of air with a single cone, rather than with two, it would have had to have had a Thiele/Small diameter 247mm, which would have translated to a specified diameter of 332mm.

So why does KEF use two drivers, rather than just one? The most obvious (but wrong!) reason is that since the cabinet is only 330mm wide overall, a driver that was 332mm in diameter simply wouldn’t fit! KEF uses two drivers for several very important reasons. 

Perhaps the most important of these is that the thousand watts of amplifier power that KEF provides is far too high for a single driver’s voice-coil to dissipate. Spreading this power across two voice-coil assemblies is a far more reasonable engineering proposition.

The second-most important reason for using two drivers – though from reading the promotional literature, I have formed the impression that KEF thinks that it’s the most important reason – is that it effectively eliminates cabinet vibrations.

This is because the unwanted vibrational forces created by the drivers are equal to each other but also exactly opposite in phase to each other, so they cancel out. This is what KEF is alluding to with its claims for the use of ‘force-cancelling’ technology. 

Also significant is that by using two 500-watt amplifiers, each one dedicated to a single bass driver, rather than connecting both drivers to a single 1,000-watt amplifier (which would at first glance seem to be the obvious method of doing it), is actually a far better idea. 

Using this ‘single amplifier per driver’ approach as KEF has done with its KF92 means that the electromotive forces (EMF) generated by one driver cannot affect the other, or vice versa. Very clever!

The control/connection plate fitted to the rear of the KEF KF92 is very obviously made by KEF, and the fit ‘n finish is absolutely astoundingly good. It simply oozes quality.

The very high power of the two 500-watt amplifiers is evidenced by the expanse of the heat-sinking, though most of this is obscured by an artfully contrived silky-smooth cover plate. Who was it said that Class-D amplifiers don’t generate heat? They obviously do if each one is rated with an output of 500-watts and there are two of them!

At the very top of the plate is an ‘Expansion Port’ that allows customers to add features they might like by plugging in optional devices. The first of these is the ability to send audio signals to the KEF K92 wirelessly, which will be enabled via a separately available wireless kit (KW-1).

This kit will also allow you to interface the K92 with other compatible KEF products, such as powered speakers… although you can already do this, as we will discover later. The KW-1 (or some later kit) may also allow you to control the volume remotely, but unfortunately we were unable to test any of this functionality, because the KW-1 kit was not available at the time this review was written..

Below the Expansion Port are two rotary controls, the left-most to set the KF92’s low-pass frequency, which can be anywhere between 40Hz and 140Hz, and the volume control. Both are high-quality stepped devices, so you can set frequency and level very easily and precisely and just as easily re-set them to the same exact levels if the settings are for any reason disturbed.

Below the two rotary controls are four slider switches that control (from left to right), Crossover Mode (Internal or External), Equalisation mode (Room, Wall, Corner, Cabinet and Apartment), Phase (0°/180°), and Ground Lift (On/Off).

The correct position of the Crossover Mode switch will depend on where you are sourcing the audio signal you’re using to drive the KF92. If it’s from a component that is supplying an audio signal that has already been through a low-pass filter (such as the LFE output of an AV receiver, for example) you’d set this control to ‘External’. If you’re sourcing from an ordinary line-level or speaker-level output, you’d set it to ‘Internal’, and then set the low-pass (crossover) rotary control to the appropriate frequency.

KEF’s equalisation mode control is fascinating. I don’t think I’ve seen its like before. Yes, I’ve seen EQ mode controls that offer two or three modes, (usually ‘Off’, ‘Wall’ and ‘Corner’) but I have never seen one that offers five modes… and I had absolutely no idea what the ‘Apartment’ mode might be used for – indeed I had to consult KEF’s Owners’ Manual to find out.

The reason for the EQ control is that because a subwoofer operates at such low frequencies – which means the wavelength of the audio signals are inordinately long – its output is dramatically affected by where it is positioned in your room relative to walls and furniture. KEF’s EQ settings adjust its output to ensure the KF92 will deliver its best performance no matter where in the room you end up putting it… even if you put it inside a cabinet.

As for that ‘Apartment’ EQ mode, the excellent instruction manual supplied with the KF92 contains the following advice about it: ‘Low frequency sound can travel through walls and be heard in adjacent rooms.

To avoid disturbing neighbours, set the EQ to ‘Apartment Mode’ to reduce the level of very low frequencies (below 40Hz).’ I can see how this would be very useful for apartment dwellers… even though it does kind of defeat the purpose for buying a subwoofer in the first place.

The phase control does the obvious, but I think that on such a high-quality subwoofer a rotary control would be a better choice than a simple phase reversal switch. As for that ‘Ground Lift’ switch, its sole purpose is to eliminate mains hum, should it be present. You should start with it in the Off position and, if you hear any hum, first check and re-arrange all your cables and check mains earths. If the hum persists, moving the switch on ‘On’ should reduce or eliminate it.

The KEF KF92 has both speaker level (high) and line-level inputs. The line-level inputs are provided via gold-plated RCA terminals, the left-most of which is for LFE connection: the right-most is essentially a duplicate. For connection to a preamp or similar, you’d use both terminals.

KEF has been very cunning with its speaker level inputs, because rather than provide bulky speaker terminals, it’s instead provided a custom four-pin plug to which you connect your speaker wires, which is then plugged into a small socket on the plate. This makes for a very neat installation, but does limit you to using speaker wire that will actually fit into the rather small connector.

Below the LFE/line-level inputs is a pair of line-level outputs. These can be set so the signals that appears there are simply a ‘loop-through’ from the line-level inputs, or you can route the audio signals through a high-pass filter to remove low frequencies before they appear at this output.

The available turnover frequencies for this filter are at 40Hz, 45Hz, 50Hz, 55Hz, 60Hz, 70Hz, 80Hz, 90Hz, 100Hz, 110Hz and 120Hz. Filter turnover frequency is selected by appropriately setting the four switches on the DIP switch located to the left of the line-level output. The same DIP switch can also be used to either let the output be stereo, or force it to mono.

The main power switch is obviously wired to make sense to owners in the US, because pressing the top of it inwards switches the subwoofer on (the exact opposite of switch operation in Australia and the UK). There’s a small tell-tale dual-colour LED above the switch that glows red when the subwoofer is off but power is available, and glows green when it’s operational.

The KEF KF92 is available in either a gloss white or gloss black painted finish. It measures 353 x 330 x 361mm (HxWxD) and weighs 20kg. You won’t have to worry about support spikes marking your polished wooden floor, because the KF92 comes with four conical rubber feet pre-fitted to it.

• 25 of the best tracks for testing bass

In use

The KEF K92 comes with a small (A5) but comprehensive 22-page User Manual in seven languages, though almost all the information is intended to be conveyed graphically, via images, rather like Ikea’s DIY furniture assembly instructions. It’s probably just me, but I found these very difficult to follow, despite the fact that KEF’s manual is a better-than-usual example of the genre. 

Nevertheless, it has all the information you need to install the subwoofer, correctly position it in your room, and connect it to another subwoofer (if required) a pair of KEF powered speakers (such as the LS50S/LSK) or a pair of small unpowered speakers via a separate amplifier. Despite the accuracy of the instructions, you would benefit by positioning and calibrating the K92 by using our subwoofer setup guide to room placement and controls.

I first used the KEF K92 in conjunction with a small pair of bookshelf speakers. Nothing could have prepared me for the sound that resulted. It was as if I were listening to a pair of huge, floor-standing loudspeakers. The bass was awesome! 

I have heard KEF subwoofers previously, and I’ve always been impressed by them. This is a company that has been building speakers for a very, very long time, and subwoofers for a long time, so it knows what it’s doing. But with the KEF K92 the company has nailed it.

The first of my ‘deep-bass’ CDs I fired up was Telarc’s Bachbusters (CD80123). The bass from the KEF K92 was deep, powerful, and exceptionally taut, so there was no unwanted ‘hangover’ from one deep bass note to the next (an issue that mostly affects subwoofers with bass reflex cabinets). The K92’s bass was also incredibly clean.

The tonal quality of the deep bass (and the extension) was then proved even more when I played hi-res recordings of Bach’s most famous organ works, which require the organist to play notes so low they’re below the limit of most people’s hearing. The sound of the organ pipes was full, rich and textural and pitch differences were immediately evident, just as they should be.

The ‘tautness’ of the bass was again clearly evidenced. The KEF also made it easy to hear the sonic differences between the different pipe organs being played… no mean feat!

If you’re not into organ music, but you want a great demo of the depth and level of the bass the KEF KF92 is capable of delivering, listen to the ‘heartbeat’ on Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ – preferably from a hi-res format rather from ordinary Red Book CD. The ‘pulse’ is incredible… you’ll feel it echoed in your own body.

But you don’t have to listen to deep bass to appreciate what the KEF KF92 can do for your music, because I think one of its greatest strengths is in the lower music region where notes played by instruments such as bass guitar, double bass, and French horn are found, basically from around 60Hz to 120Hz (this also includes percussion and keyboard, of course!).

Whereas most subwoofers sound a little ‘thick’ when reproducing sound across this octave, the KF92 was entirely musical with a light, deft touch. There was no sense of ‘ponderousness’ to the sound at all.

I then swapped out the stand-mount speakers and swapped in a pair of large, floor-standing speakers to use in conjunction with the KEF KF92… which, of course, meant re-calibrating the volume and crossover frequency controls all over again. Luckily, the app makes this a quick and easy process, and I was able to skip the subwoofer positioning step entirely.

This time, rather than use the KEF’s internal crossover as I had with the floor-standers, I ran the main speakers full-range, so I was really using the KF92 to reinforce to the main speakers’ own output, plus extend the bass downwards even further. In this role the little KEF KF92 again excelled. I found it impossible to hear the point at which it took over the deepest bass, so it was essentially a seamless integration.

The only real difference was that whereas with the stand-mounters the KF92 kept up as I turned the volume up, I thought it struggled just a little bit at very loud volume levels when used with the large floor-standers. 

However, to inject some reality into this comment, I was listening at very high volume levels in a very large room. In a typically-sized suburban lounge room I don’t think you’d run into this issue, even at high playback levels.

This reminded me that (not living in an apartment, and therefore having no reason to think of it!) I had not tried out the ‘Apartment’ setting of the EQ control. So I flicked the switch. No difference at all.

I played one track after another. All the low bass was still present, and still perfectly reproduced. Huh? Then I twigged. I was playing regular music tracks. So I switched to a movie soundtrack (Jurassic Park). Now I heard a difference.

Those thumping footsteps of the Tyrannosaurus? Greatly muted. The other low-frequency sound effects? There, but effects that usually rattled the walls no longer did so. When I switched back to ‘Room’ (the EQ setting I used throughout the entire reviewing process), it all returned.

• 10 of the best movie scores to test your system

Final verdict

The only issue with wrapping up this review is that I’ve already wrapped up because, as I wrote earlier, the bass from the KEF K92 is awesome! 

This is a subwoofer from a company that has been building subwoofers for a long time, and hi-fi loudspeakers for a whole lot longer, so it knows what it’s doing, but with the KEF K92 the company has excelled itself… it’s really nailed the brief.

I know this is a big call in a crowded market, but I’d say KEF’s K92 may be the best small subwoofer of them all.

Test lab results

Newport Test Labs first measured the frequency response of the KEF KF92 in a room, using pink noise as the test stimulus, with the EQ setting set to ‘Room’, the result of which is shown in Graph 1.

The black trace on this graph shows the response with the low-pass crossover set to maximum (140Hz) and you can see the flatness and extension of the response is exemplary, extending from 14Hz to 160Hz ±3dB. Across the region from 16Hz to 125Hz the response is ±1.25dB, which is extraordinarily linear for a subwoofer. 

Looking at this graph you can see that maximum output is at 65Hz and the trace is 12dB down at 10Hz and 10dB down at 200Hz. With the low-pass crossover set to its minimum (40Hz) position (red trace) peak output is at 22Hz and the response is then 3dB down at 35Hz and 10dB down at 55Hz. The roll-off is beautifully smooth and linear.

Graph 2 shows the anechoic frequency response of the KEF KF92 for the LFE (bypass) mode (green trace) and the maximum (black trace) and minimum (red trace) settings of the low-pass crossover control. 

Again, the linearity across the pass-band is outstandingly good, such that the frequency response in the KF92’s LFE mode extends from 17Hz to 200Hz ±3dB. With the crossover control at maximum (140Hz) so the KEF is actively rolling-off the high-frequency response, the response extends from 17Hz to 130Hz ±3dB. 

With the crossover control set for a 40Hz turnover, the response peaks at 23Hz and is 3dB down at 18Hz and 35Hz. The truncated low-frequency extension is due to the anechoic measurement.

Newport Test Labs measured the effect of the EQ control on the KEF K92’s frequency response, the results of which are shown in Graph 3. As expected, the ‘Room’ EQ mode – which assumes the subwoofer is not getting any assistance from nearby walls – delivers the maximum output at low frequencies (black trace). 

The red trace shows the effect of the ‘Wall’ EQ mode – which assumes the subwoofer is getting assistance from a nearby wall – effectively reduces the output of the K92 by about 6dB at low frequencies. ‘Corner’ EQ (green trace) drops output at low frequencies by a further 6dB, while ‘Cabinet’ EQ drops it by yet another 6dB. 

All these EQ modes have roughly similar equalisation curves, with the turnover for all taking place at around 70Hz. The ‘Apartment’ EQ on the other hand, has a completely different equalisation constant applied to it that means it will deliver more bass above 30Hz than the Cabinet mode, and more above 40Hz than both ‘Cabinet’ and ‘Corner’ modes, but its low-frequency response cuts off very steeply below 25Hz.

Graph 4 is very similar to Graph 2, but on it Newport Test Labs has added traces for the response when the low-pass crossover is set at 100Hz (mauve trace), 80Hz (green trace) and 60Hz (blue trace). You can see that all three traces are around 6dB down at 100Hz, 80Hz and 60Hz respectively, so KEF’s calibration points are spot-on.

The black and red traces on Graph 5 are identical to those on Graph 1, but Newport Test Labs has extended the frequency range covered by the graph to allow it to add in the frequency response via the LFE input (green trace) measured using the same acquisition technique.

Overall, Newport Test Labs’ measurements show that the KEF KF92 is an exceedingly well-designed subwoofer which returns excellent performance across all its operating modes.

• Best subwoofers: deep bass for music and movies

ISE 2020 doesn't start until next week, but some eager beavers, like Origin Acoustics, are getting out of the traps early. The American company has announced three new subwoofers ahead of the show, all part of its Performance Subwoofer Collection.

The new models all have coated paper woofers, high-powered digital amplifiers and a lightly textured, brushed finish. The firm claims they outperform its previous builder-focused subwoofers 'in all facets'.

They're supposedly capable of delivering lower frequencies from their smaller cabinets. They have an extra down-firing passive radiator too, lending them extended bass frequencies and volume without using any more power.

They come in 8-, 10- or 12-inch configurations and will land in March for as-yet-undisclosed prices.

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Best subwoofers: deep bass for music and movies

ATC's new C1 Sub Mk2 is a real wood veneered subwoofer, built to provide a dynamic, low-distortion bass foundation for ATC’s Entry Series speakers, its C1C and C3C centre speakers, HTS Series on-wall speakers and, according to the firm, "all but the largest satellite speaker systems". It incorporates a hand-built 12-inch (314mm) ATC bass driver and ATC 200W MOSFET power amplifier. 

Designed to replace the Mk1 version (found in the ATC C1 5.1 speaker package – which gained five stars from this publication) and for both music and cinema applications, the new C1 Sub's design includes reworked low-pass filter circuits. The Gloucester-based company promises this re-engineering facilitates the best possible integration with both ATC speakers and those from other manufacturers. And it is relatively compact, at 45cm high and less than half a metre square including the feet.

Controls on the new model include a continuously variable low pass filter, a continuously variable all-pass filter and polarity switch, speaker level L/R inputs, independent L/R RCA line inputs and a summed line output RCA connector to enable daisy-chaining with multiple subwoofers.

Under that real wood veneer, there's a hand-built, 12-inch ATC bass driver and 3-inch ribbon voice-coil – which is hand pressed and assembled. 

If you want to kit yourself out with a complete ATC setup, the company recommends that a single C1 sub partners speakers up to the SCM19 and HTS11, and that two subs partner the SCM40 and HTS40 – though that won't be essential for all room sizes. 

The C1 Sub Mk2 is available from November 2019 with a recommended retail price of £1650. It's available in four real wood finishes: Cherry, Black Ash, Satin Black, Satin White to match Entry Series speakers, centre speakers and HTS Series on-wall products. Oh, and you'll also get ATC’s standard six-year warranty.

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Best subwoofers 2019

Q Acoustics has just announced a new subwoofer, the Q B12, which will be available from November in the UK and January in the US. 

Not typically the case for a product that has only just been publicly revealed, we can already vouch for it. The Q B12 has recently received a five-star review from the What Hi-Fi? team for its punchy and powerful performance. “It isn’t just brute force, though: it’s precise, detailed and really rather dynamic,” to borrow a quote from it.

Designed to work within the British brand's Award-winning 3050i 5.1, 3010i 5.1 and Concept 5.1 speaker packages as an upgrade to the older Q Acoustics 3060S sub, but also ready and willing to take place in another set-up, the Q B12 powers its 30cm driver with 220 watts of Texas Instruments TPA3255 Class D amplification.

The amp’s proprietary PurePath technology works to minimise distortion, while a custom die-cast aluminium heat sink on the rear panel works to keep the sub cool. A 0-180 degree phase switch typically allows the user to optimise integration between the left and right speakers, too.

Q Acoustics has worked to improve rigidity and thus reduce resonances by fitting a ‘dart brace’ to the MDF cabinet, and the option of adjustable spikes and rubber feet caters for both carpeted and hard-surface floors.

The Q B12 can be purchased separately for £499 ($599) in black and white vinyl to match the Q Acoustics 3000i speaker range, or for £649 ($799) in black or white gloss to match the Q Acoustics Concept speaker range. 

The Q B12 also comes as part and parcel of the company’s 5.1 packages, the Q Acoustics 3010i 5.1 Plus (£1049/$1295), Q Acoustics 3050i 5.1 Plus (£1499/$1845) and Q Acoustics Concept 5.1 Plus (£2275/$2999).

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There are three things to consider before you get your wallet out to buy a QB12 subwoofer: space, your budget and your neighbours. Because if you’re in the market for a plus-sized Q Acoustics surround speaker package, or aiming to upgrade the low-end response in your current home cinema set-up, those are the only things standing in your way.

Compatibility

It is designed to work with Q Acoustics’ 3000i suite – the 3010i and 3050i surround packages that have just won What Hi-Fi? Awards again – as well as the Concept 5.1 speaker range. Improving on a class leader is a tall task, but the QB12 proves it has precisely what it takes.

Beneath the grille is a 30cm driver powered by a 220W Texas Instruments TPA3255 Class D amplifier, more than ready to shake the floor of your living room. 

A custom die-cast aluminium heat sink on the rear panel supports and cools the amplifier and power supply, while Q Acoustics has also fitted a brace inside the MDF cabinet to provide mechanical stability to the driver and reduce unwanted vibrations and resonance of the unit itself during playback.

To the rear, you’ll also find a 0/180-degree phase switch as well as level and crossover dials to help integration with the rest of your speaker package, though of course, you’ll also need to go through set-up on your AV receiver for the best results.

• How to set up your AV receiver and get the best sound

Build

Take care when lifting this 21.5kg beast from the box. It’s impeccably built, with a sealed cabinet that makes positioning a little less fussy than it would be with a ported design. The price above gets you a black or white vinyl finish, such as on the 3000i range of speakers, while gloss versions to match the Concept range are available for a £150 premium.

The QB12 is almost cube-shaped and pretty big – so will take some hiding if you want it completely ignored. Part of the beauty of the 3060S, which comes as standard with the 3010i and 3050i 5.1 Cinema Packs, is its slim-line design; you can slot it tidily among the front three channels, or even beneath the sofa. The QB12, on the other hand, is liable to stick out, hence the need for space.

Sound

Q Acoustics promises power, and the QB12 more than delivers – used without care, it is likely to annoy your neighbours.

But while the 3060S is able to provide a solid sonic foundation for the rest of the package to grow from, the QB12 smashes through the action like a steam train, hitting you right in the stomach and taking your whole body along with it.

It isn’t just brute force, though: it’s precise, detailed and really rather dynamic. You can quite happily while away a few hours watching a regency costume drama and barely notice the QB12 is even there, but perhaps for some bass work in an orchestral score; it feels no shame in dialling back or sitting out when delicacy or humility is required.

But the reason you get a subwoofer this size is for the explosions, the high-speed crashes, the intergalactic space battles: it’s about feeling the action as if you were there, and that is a service the QB12 is well equipped to provide.

Verdict

Integration is key of course, and that’s another area in which Q Acoustics has succeeded. We’d be more inclined to include it in the 3050i package than the 3010i, where the original 3060S does more than enough to complement the two pairs of standmount speakers, but this is the kind of performance that should slot easily into any comparably talented speaker set-up.

As long as you have the space, budget and amiable enough neighbours, we say go for it. Just be prepared to host movie nights from now on.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Compatibility 5
• Build 5

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Read our Q Acoustics 3010i 5.1 Cinema Pack review

Read our Q Acoustics 3050i 5.1 Cinema Pack review

If you're looking to add some serious bass to your home cinema set-up, KEF would urge you to check out its new high-end subwoofer. 

The KF92 boasts an incredible 1000 watts of power, which should add some serious rumble to proceedings.

It bodes well that the KF92 uses the same bass driver from KEF's very well reviewed R series. The R3 earned the full star set, while the R5 floorstanders and R300 standmounters are a respectable four-star efforts.

It's a hybrid aluminium/paper twin 9-inch driver, with a huge motor system and vented design voice coil. The resulting low distortion means it should pick up on every detail, no matter how low the volume.

It also uses the same heatsink tech from KEF's LSX and LS50 Wireless speakers to keep the innards in cool, optimally working condition.

Speaking of cool, the KF92 will cost a cool £2000 when it goes on sale in November.

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Fresh from their world debut at Denver's Rocky Mountain Audio Fest last week, PSB's new pair of Alpha DSP-controlled, powered subwoofers have now moved across town to the CEDIA Expo site.

Designed to give a bass boost to your music and movies, the PSB S10 ($549/£499) and S8 ($449/£399) join the rest of the Alpha speaker range, which was unveiled earlier this year at CES in Las Vegas.

Both subs feature long-throw drivers and bass reflex enclosures with a rear port. Digital signal processing (DSP) is used to "deliver the flattest frequency response and powerful bass extension", says PSB, and power is provided by a 150W digital amplifier.

The S10 uses a 10in woofer with a polypropylene cone and rubber surround, while the S8 uses a smaller 8in woofer, as their names imply.

On the back panel you'll find volume and crossover controls, a phase switch, low level input, auto on/standby switch, gold plated RCA connectors and a USB socket fo connecting wireless accessories.

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There's no time like the present to get up and running with one of the most predominant surround sound technologies in home cinema, Dolby Atmos. Especially when it's pretty affordable. 

Richer Sounds is currently offering a bundle deal on a Sony Atmos AV receiver and Focal Atmos speaker package for just £1178 – £420 less than its RRP price.

The Sony STR-DN1080 AV receiver is a What Hi-Fi? 2017 and 2018 Award winner, so you know it's a superb piece of kit. 

It supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, and is complete with six HDMI inputs (plus two outputs) that can pass through 4K and HDR video, Google Chromecast built-in, Bluetooth wireless pairing with NFC and Apple AirPlay. 

But most of all, you'll get fantastic, room-filling sound...

...Which is where the Focal SIB EVO 5.1.2 Atmos package comes in. It comprises five satellite speakers, two of which have upward-firing drivers to bounce Atmos' height-channel sounds off your ceiling and towards your listening position. Although best placed on stand or wall-mounts, they're designed to be happy dotted around and even on shelves – a great option if your lounge isn't the size of an actual theatre. 

There's an external subwoofer, too.

Don't have the budget or desire for Atmos? The UK retailer is also offering the excellent Sony receiver with the also-Award-winning Wharfedale DX2 5.1 speaker package for just £749 – which we'd confidently say is money well spent on a great non-Atmos home cinema set-up, too.

MORE: Best AV receivers 2019: Brilliant home cinema amplifiers

Best home cinema and AV deals – June 2019

Dolby Atmos: What is it? How can you get it? What speakers do you need?

One of the most distinctive-looking 5.1 speaker packages on the market has had a refresh.

The Cabasse Eole 4 is, unsurprisingly, the fourth iteration of the company's spherical speaker system.

All five satellites use a coaxial driver, consisting of a 29mm dome tweeter and 10cm mid/bass driver.

New for the Eole 4 are the grille and mounting base designs. The grilles have a more open profile to help transparency and high frequency response, while the new magnetic base design gives the owner greater flexibility over positioning - you can rotate the speakers and get them firing in the exact direction required.

The cherry on this system is Cabasse's new slimline 400W subwoofer, called Lipari 21. At only 15cm wide, it can be positioned tight to a wall and even under furniture.

The Cabasse Eole 4 is available now in either black or white for £899.

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Fact. The DB1D is the most powerful active subwoofer B&W has ever made. And if that fact doesn’t get your blood racing, how about that it has a low-frequency response that stretches down below 9Hz, as well as the ability to comfortably generate a sound pressure level of 92dBSPL across the pass band with negligible distortion?

Equipment

If you know something about subwoofers, you’re probably wondering how B&W manages high SPLs, low distortion and extended low-frequency performance simultaneously, since the three are usually mutually exclusive, as in if you optimise any two, you can’t expect the third.

When you see a DB1D in the flesh, and read the spec sheet, you’ll immediately know how B&W managed it. First, the cabinet is not exactly small! (It’s not exactly large, either, but it’s probably rather larger than you might have imagined.) In fact, the cabinet is exactly 460 by 429 by 410mm (HWD). Second—and you really can’t tell this from the photographs, the bass driver is a full 300mm in diameter, which is ‘way bigger than the drivers fitted to most subwoofers. Moreover, although you can only see one bass driver in most of the photographs, the B&W DB1D has TWO bass drivers (the second one also being 300mm in diameter). The Thiele/Small diameter for each cone is 250mm, which gives a total cone area of 981cm².

At this point, you’re probably thinking to yourself: ‘So what? Lots of subwoofers have two drivers.’ And if you’re thinking that, I have to tell you that you’re wrong. Although many subwoofers ‘appear’ to have two bass drivers, often only one of those two is a real driver—one with a voice coil, a magnet and all the trimmings. The other so-called ‘driver’ is actually a passive radiator, or ‘drone cone’, which does not have a voice coil, or a magnet—and sometimes not even a spider suspension. It’s just a cone. How could such a driver work? When the active driver’s cone moves ‘backwards’ into the cabinet, it compresses the air inside the cabinet, which in turn drives the cone of the passive driver outwards. When the active driver’s cone moves ‘outwards’ it rarefies the air inside the cabinet, which causes the air pressure in the room to force the passive driver’s cone back inside the cabinet. It’s this oscillating movement of the passive cone that creates sound.

Obviously, using a passive radiator is ‘way cheaper than providing a second driver but more importantly it also works completely differently, performing an entirely different function to an active driver. A passive radiator does not increase the overall sound pressure level, or the subwoofer’s power handling ability. It just provides some additional output over a very limited range of low frequencies, but in so doing, it ‘sucks’ some power from the main driver, which is then only able to deliver reduced output at those frequencies… so it’s a case of swings and roundabouts.

So why do some subwoofer manufacturers use one driven cone and one passive radiator? Frankly, one reason is that they’re hoping that many buyers will think they’re getting two drivers, and thus getting more ‘bang for their buck’. 

The other reason is rather too technical to go into in the limited amount of space I have available for this review, but fitting a passive radiator means the manufacturer can make the cabinet a bit smaller than it would otherwise have to be, which makes the subwoofer a more attractive sales proposition, since most buyers prefer small subwoofers.

Providing two bass drivers, as B&W has with the DB1D, means twice the power handling capability, a 3dB increase in sound pressure level, minimal cabinet vibration due to the ‘equal but opposite’ action of the cones, which effectively cancels vibrations, reduced distortion (because the voice coils operate in the most linear region of the magnetic field) and a greatly increased ‘grip’ on the air in the room, due to the increase in the cone area. To get the same cone area from a single driver would require that single cone to be 40cm in diameter.

As for the cones in the drivers in the DB1D, they’re made from a brand-new material B&W originally developed for its flagship 800 Series Diamond loudspeaker. The construction of the cone is very similar to that originally used for B&W’s ‘Rohacell’ cones, which sandwiched a foam core between two skins of woven carbon-fibre however, unlike the ‘Rohacell’ driver, whose foam core is the same thickness everywhere across the cone, the core in this new ‘Aerofoil’ cone is not constant over the cone’s diameter, but varies depending on the distance from the point at which it attaches to the voice coil former. The curve is not dissimilar to the curve of an aircraft wing, which is no doubt the reason B&W calls the new driver an ‘Aerofoil’ driver. B&W says of these aerofoil cones: ‘these light, ultra-stiff drivers resist bending and flexing far longer than conventional cones, delivering controlled bass with outstanding precision.’

If you’ve been following my description so far, you will have realised that in the DB1D, because the polarity of the cones is the same, both cones move outwards at the same time, and also inwards at the same time (a complementary motion B&W describes in its literature as being ‘balanced’.) This means that each driver is working in the opposite direction to the other, and thus working ‘against’ each other, which requires the amplifier driving them to work very hard indeed. Or it would have to work hard if it were not sufficiently powerful to be able to manage this task with ease, and since the amplifier B&W is using inside the DB1D is rated with a power output of 2,000-watts, I’d be the first to say that it was sufficiently powerful to accomplish this ‘with ease.’

To deliver this kind of power, B&W is using a Hypex Class-D amplifier designed by Bruno Putzeys, who is sometimes called the modern ‘father’ of Class-D design. (Class-D amplifiers have been around since before Putzeys was born, but he was the first to produce efficient, cost-effective designs suitable for use in consumer electronics components.) I wasn’t prepared to pry open the DB1D’s cabinet to check the type of Hypex module that’s being used, so it’s a total guess that it’s a Hypex UCD2K, and a further (and possibly even wilder) guess that it’s driven by a 3KA700 switch-mode power supply (which is also made by Hypex).

If you’ve been looking at the photos of the B&W DB1D that accompany this review you should have noticed something quite strange. It has no controls—no volume control, no crossover frequency control, no phase control… in fact none of the controls you’d usually find on a powered subwoofer. ‘Ah!’ you say, having noticed that RS-232 port, ‘it’s controlled from your computer, like B&W’s earlier DB Series subwoofers.’ Well, no, that’s not true… you cannot control the DB1D using your computer (Actually, you can, but that RS232 interface only enables the DB1D to be incorporated into a remote control home automation system).

No, the reason there are no controls (and no remote control either, for that matter) is that B&W has gone all ‘appy’ and the DB1B is now controlled via Bluetooth using a phone or tablet, with the B&W ‘DB Subwoofers’ app, available for iOS or Android, but you must be running iOS Version 10 (or later) or Android Version 5 (or later). This app gives you control over volume, crossover frequency, phase, plus the slope of the high-pass filter (12dB/octave or 24dB/octave).

But B&W’s ‘DB Subwoofers’ app does much, much more than this. By using the microphone in your device, and test tones built into the subwoofer, it can equalise the frequency response of the subwoofer to deliver a flat frequency response at your listening position, almost irrespective of where you position the subwoofer, or the size and shape of your listening room. 

Once you’ve equalised the response, you can then choose to listen to the equalised response, a ‘flat’ response, or a response that you’ve tailored to suit your personal preference, using the 5-band equaliser built into the B&W DB1B.

Despite being powerful, I don’t think the app is particularly well-designed. Firstly, it’s certainly not intuitive. You’re really going to have to download the manual to get a grip on what’s going on. Perhaps my biggest issue is that it doesn’t show the choices you’re able to make. Here’s an example: When the AUTO ON display shows < Enabled > you can’t see the three choices you have for this option, which are ‘High Sensitivity’, ‘Low Sensitivity’ and ‘Disabled’. Here’s another: Where the screen shows INPUTS you can only see a choice between XLR and RCA. Hidden behind this façade are Stereo, LFE and Disabled Choices, and layered beneath these are Input Gain adjustments (–10dB to +10dB) and layered beneath these, the manual EQ functions. I also don’t think the control layering hierarchy is logical… but that could just be me. Remember though, that I didn’t have the luxury of having the DB1D’s features demonstrated to me by a hi-fi dealer in the same manner that a normal consumer would be, so I was starting from scratch. Luckily, I had B&W’s excellent Owner’s Manual in front of me to help out, in which you’ll find pictures of all of the ‘screens’ of the app, and where they’re located.

The DB1D loaned to me for this review by Bowers & Wilkins Australia was flawlessly finished in a superb piano black lacquer. Your other options are a white piano lacquer or a real wood Rosenut veneer. No matter what colour you choose, the cloth on the two grilles will be black.

Automatic room equalisation

The provision of automatic room equalisation makes the B&W DB1D far less sensitive to room placement than if the EQ were not fitted, but sensible room positioning will minimise the need for equalisation and result in better overall performance. The process for determining this is fairly simple, but the explanation of how to do it fairly lengthy, so you’d be best advised to read the article at www.tinyurl.com/subwoofer-placement which will explain how to go about it. However, when you end up with your list of suggested positions, you should disregard any where one of the two drivers in the DB1D would be close to a rear or side wall. Also, use only positions that are forward or off to one side of the listening position, not behind it. And if one or more of the suggested positions is in the same plane as the left and right speakers, prefer this position over all the others.

Once you have determined the best room position, you then use the automatic equalisation calibration system built into the DB1D which is controlled by the app. I ran into a problem here, because the calibration system didn’t work with my Android phone. This is due, according to B&W to ‘microphone incompatibilities’. A list of phones that don’t have ‘microphone incompatibilities’ can be found on B&W’s website. Luckily my better half uses an iPhone, so I loaded the DB Subwoofer app onto that and in a few more moments we were away!

B&W’s calibration system allows you to optimise the DB1D’s frequency response for the prime listening position only (the ‘sweet spot’), for a ‘couch’ (two or three listeners sitting alongside each other) or for an ‘average’ that ensures the low frequencies will be ‘averaged’ over the entire room. But the first thing you have to do is ‘calibrate’ your phone’s microphone, which you do by placing the phone very close to the cone of one of the DB1D’s two bass drivers (it doesn’t matter which one). This is a ‘near-field’ test that allows the app’s circuitry to generate a correction file to compensate for the phone microphone’s frequency response. 

After then selecting your preferred calibration technique you press ‘Next’ after which the DB1D generates a series of test tones, during which you position your phone at the positions advised on your phone’s screen by the app. I was rather surprised to find these test tones were sine sweeps (repeated over and over if you’re testing multiple positions) rather than band-limited pink noise, which I would have thought was far more suitable for low-frequency testing (sine waves are particularly susceptible to room modes), but I guess B&W’s engineers know what they’re doing.

Once the calibration is complete, pressing ‘Next’ takes you to a final screen on the app which advises the frequencies at which the DB1D has applied compensation. Unlike some subwoofers where you have to use the calibrated setting, the B&W DB Subwoofer app allows you to switch between a calibrated setting and an uncalibrated one. You can also create your own ‘DIY’ frequency response by manually adjusting the DB1D’s equaliser. If you decide to do this, I would recommend putting a real-time spectrum analyser app on your phone, playing pink noise through the DB1D, then adjusting the equaliser for the flattest response. There’s plenty of room for adjustment, since the equaliser has centre frequencies at 20Hz, 28Hz, 40Hz, 56Hz and 80Hz, each one of which is adjustable over a 15dB range (–10dB to +5dB).

Of course it’s not only about matching the DB1D’s response to the acoustics of your room, you also have to match the high-frequency roll-off the subwoofer to the low-frequency roll-off of your main speakers. If your main speakers are made by B&W this will be super-easy, because the low-frequency roll-offs of all current (and quite a few older) B&W models are already pre-programmed into the DB Subwoofer app. If you’re not using B&W speakers, you have to choose the ‘Other Speaker’ setting, which then opens a dialogue that lets you choose select the low pass frequency anywhere between 25Hz and 150Hz (or Off if you’re connecting the DB1D to an LFE output), the crossover slope (12dB/octave or 24dB/octave, as noted previously) and the phase (0°, 90°, 180°, or 270°).

Listening sessions

Being by nature an experimenter, the very first thing I did after unpacking the B&W DB1D and positioning it in the optimal position in my listening room was see if it was possible, using a professional real-time analyser, a high-grade microphone and a pink noise source, as well as the manual equaliser controls built into the DB1D, to improve on the result of B&W’s own automated calibration process. Not surprisingly, I could… BUT (and I put the word ‘but’ in capitals because it’s a big but) my own calibration was for only a single position (the sweet spot) and it took me a long, long time. B&W’s calibration worked better for both ‘couch’ and ‘room’ settings.

The other part of that big BUT is that although my calibration gave a visibly flatter response on my spectrum analyser, my ‘sweet spot’ calibration was not audibly superior to B&W’s automatic calibration. I really couldn’t hear the difference between the two responses, even when switching back and forth between them… something B&W’s app lets you do. So the moral of this story is to let B&W’s automatic calibration circuitry perform its magic on the sound… don’t mess with the Zohan! If you want some personal input, you can adjust the frequency response later by choosing one of two pre-programmed settings: ‘Music’ and ‘Movie.’

The sound of the B&W DB1D is, quite simply, amazing! And I think I’ll add stunning… and magnifique… for good measure. Just for starters, it goes lower than any subwoofer of the same size I have ever heard, either in my own room or at any hi-fi show I’ve ever attended. I threw all of my finest and deepest ‘infra-bass’ recordings at the DB1D and it just turned them into powerful, accurate bass sound. It didn’t even flinch. So for good measure, I played a WAV recording I own that has tracks whose frequencies step down to 8Hz. I could hear the DB1D powering away all the way down to 12Hz… and then it was my hearing that stopped responding, not the DB1D. I knew this because at 10Hz I couldn’t hear the 10Hz sine wave, but everything in the room was rattling, so I knew the B&W was still powering away. At 8Hz the room’s walls seemed to be vibrating, and I had to turn the volume down before anything vibrated off my shelves.

But it’s not just that the B&W DB1D’s response goes lower than you’re ever going to need (or be able to hear!), no matter whether you’re using it for music, or for movies, it’s that the sound you do hear is tight and insanely realistic. Sustained pedal notes from pipe organ recordings (I can highly recommend Dorian’s recording of Jean Guillou playing Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Stravinsky’s Three Dances from Petrouchka on the Town Hall organ in Zurich, Switzerland. This magnificent organ has two 32-foot pipes that allow thunderous 16Hz fundamentals, reproduced to grand effect by the DB1D. Despite the hall having been built in the 1800s—Johannes Brahms conducted his Triumphlied, Op. 55 for its opening in 1895—the organ is new, having been built by Kleuker-Steinmeyer in 1988.) If you’re not a fan of Mussorgsky or Stravinsky (and I could easily understand why you might not be), you can find many other wonderful recordings made using this organ at www.tinyurl.com/k-s-zurich. It’s worth searching one or more of these recordings out, because the venue is considered to be one of the most acoustically superb in Europe, with no less an authority on acoustics than the late, great Leo Beranek pronouncing its acoustics as being ‘excellent.’

If you’re not into organ recordings, just use the B&W DB1D to listen to any album with a well-recorded bass guitarist (or double-bassist) and drummer… in any genre from rock to jazz or anything in-between. You’ll be startled every time the kick-drum’s pedal hits the skin by the visceral impact of the punchiness of the sound of it in your room. You’ll also revel at the way you instantly hear the exact pitch of every note played on a bass guitar or double bass the second the sound waves reach your ear… no momentary puzzlement here waiting for more of the waveform to arrive! The bass depth and power is exemplified in the superb (and superbly named) track ‘I Can’t Do That, My Wife Will Kill Me’ which is the intro track on Bob Spencer’s album ‘Saints & Murderers’—an album which proves that the old rocker (think Skyhooks, The Angels, Choirboys or more recently, Rose Tattoo) is still rocking despite the cancer, and has grown a wicked and grown-up sense of humour with the passing of the years… as the track As White As Jesus (I wish that I could be as…) proves beyond any doubt. For a guitarist, Spencer seems very pre-occupied with drums, with appearances on the album by Rick McCann, Peter Heckenburg, Jacob Cook, and Peter Maslen, drummers all. Maslen’s work on Who Are These People drives the bass and the lead riffs beautifully. And you’ve got to love the lyric to Spencer’s Why Don’t You Stick To Music.

The sheer speed of the bass from the B&W DB1D is almost surreal, and means that despite being a large subwoofer, with massive cones, you can easily pair it with the smallest pair of bookshelf speakers you can find, and the transition will still be seamless. Usually, big-coned subwoofers work best with big-coned floorstanding speakers. The DB1D is obviously the exception that proves the rule. However, if you do own a pair of large floorstanding speakers, the B&W DB1D will improve and extend the bass you’re currently getting… and I don’t care how low your main speakers go, the B&W DB1D goes lower. Guaranteed. It’ll also go louder. Louder than you’ll ever need. Guaranteed.

Verdict

Famous though B&W is, the company is not renowned as a manufacturer of high-end subwoofers… and that’s despite the DB1D’s predecessor (the DB1) being a fixture in Stereophile magazine’s ‘Class A’ product listing. The appearance of the DB1D shows that B&W has decided to pull out all the design (and engineering) stops to change all that. If you want state-of-the-art deep bass from a sensibly-sized—and very attractive—cabinet, buy the B&W DB1D: It’s a truly superb-sounding and fully-featured subwoofer.

Laboratory test report

Newport Test Labs measured the frequency response of the B&W DB1D after calibration, and with the low-pass filter set to 150Hz plus a 12dB/octave filter slope, the result of which is shown in Graph 1.

You can see that the response is amazingly flat across the pass-band, essentially measuring from 15Hz to 200Hz ±1dB. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a subwoofer with such a flat response. I also don’t think I’ve seen a subwoofer with such an extended low-frequency response. You can see the output of the B&W DB1D is only 3dB down at 10Hz. Note, too, that 10Hz is the graphing limit… the B&W’s DB1D’s response extends further downwards, so that it’s –6dB at 8.5Hz. The overall normalised frequency response measured by Newport Test Labs for the B&W DB1D was 10Hz to 240Hz ±3dB… and that’s with the low-pass filter on, which is effectively limiting the high-frequency response. The response with the filter switched off (not shown) is 3dB down at 350Hz and 6dB down at 520Hz.

Graph 2 shows the ‘raw’ un-calibrated near-field frequency response of the B&W DB1D showing the effect on the response when the low-pass filter is set to 15Hz and also to 150Hz for both the 12dB/octave and 24dB/octave settings. You can see that for the 150Hz (12dB/octave) setting, peak output from the drivers is at 45Hz and the response is still remarkably flat even without equalisation, extending from around 17Hz to 150Hz ±3dB. For the 15Hz (12dB/octave) setting of the controls, the response extends from 12Hz to 50Hz ±3dB, which is again excellent. The fact that the responses are so flat without equalisation means that only minimal equalisation needs to be applied to correct the response, so B&W’s equalisation is better-able to correct for your room’s acoustics.

The final graph (Graph 3) shows the difference in the frequency response between the movie (green trace) and music (red trace) equalisation settings. You can see the differences are only between 15Hz and 100Hz and are fairly minor, with the maximum difference occurring at 40Hz, where the music trace is boosted 3dB above the movie trace.

The B&W DB1D returned outstanding measured performance in Newport Test Labs’ tests, delivering an amazingly flat and extended frequency response.

Back in 2012 when we heard there was a new product from Sonos in the offing, we wouldn’t have guessed a wireless subwoofer.

The addition of a sub to the wireless multi-room specialist’s range showed the company cared about sound, not least home cinema sound, and perhaps recognised the slight weakness of its small-but-effective Play:3 and Play:5 systems.

Design and build

The simply named Sub is heavy at 16kg, and fairly large. The novel design allows it to stand upright or laid flat.

Connections are minimal. There’s a power supply, an ethernet input should you prefer to make a wired connection, and that’s your lot.

The Sub will work wirelessly with any Sonos speaker, Sonos Amp, or Connect:Amp, so you can add it to a music system or one aimed more at home theatre. 

A press of the button on the front connects it to your existing Sonos network. And set-up is suitably Sonos-simple. 

Performance

We connect the Sonos Sub to a pair of Play:3 speakers working in stereo, and we’re impressed.

A similar sonic character ensures the Sub integrates well with the Play:3s, and the extra weight, power and scale is obvious. 

Play Swindle’s Air Miles and the bassline is controlled nicely, albeit a little on the fat side. Flick the Sub on and off, and the differences in dynamics are apparent. 

Verdict

We like the Sonos Sub. It’s easy to get up and running, sounds good and improves your system.

It’s expensive compared with standard subwoofers, but then it’s wireless and built specifically for the Sonos system – itself not a cheap proposition.

Ultimately the Sonos Sub simply sets out to add bass to a system probably built around the Play:3 or Play:5. And it does a very decent job of it.

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