Velodyne CHT-8Q review

A cracking subwoofer – Velodyne’s strongest budget offering in ages Tested at £445

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Cracking – Velodyne’s strongest budget offering in an age

Pros

  • +

    Automatic installation, potent sound, value for money

Cons

  • -

    A little slower than some, but not enough to cause too much heartache

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Velodyne has been working hard to maximise the competitiveness of its affordable subwoofer range.

To that end, the new CHT-Q line-up (available in drive-unit sizes from 20cm up to 38cm) includes digital power amplification, coupled to impressive onboard DSP (digital signal processing).

Together with a microphone-based automatic calibration system, this is designed to ensure an optimised sound regardless of your system and your room's acoustic properties.

Combined with a remote control and an LED display, the result is a subwoofer anyone can configure in moments – and as proper configuration is 90 per cent of the battle of setting up any subwoofer, that's an asset that really shouldn't be underestimated.

Serious bass stomp

The CHT-8Q belies its status as the baby of the range with 180W of output and a gutsy, potent sound: for many real-world rooms, its bass will be more than adequate, especially since the Velodyne's relative agility makes it more suited to music use than some of its forebears.

True, a B&W ASW610 is faster still, but for outright stomp – and for ease of use – this Velodyne more than merits a five star rating.

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

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