Wrapping up the music sessions, it was now time to unleash the beast on some of the most popular low-end challenges now out there.

One of my favorites is the soundtrack behind the original Jurassic Park crunch & munch scene where T-Rex stomps into view to the accompaniment of lots of infrasonic energy, down to around 10 Hz or so. Sonically, there's little else going on, so any buzzing, chuffing, fluttering, general wind noise or other symptoms of a sub in distress will quickly make themselves known.

Again and again I'd play the clip, upping the gain on the sub a bit, seeing how it reacted. It was only at the highest playback levels I dared to drive it that the wind noise was audible, but you had to be seated near the sub to notice. If you sat apart from the sub, the noise from so many other things in the house shaking, jiggling, squeaking and so forth pretty much covered up any system noise!

One night I had a dinner party at my home and as these things tend to go, the guests spread throughout the house. Known only to a few, I had loaded up in the CD drive some T-rex-type infrasonic sound effects. Letting it rip, the sub shook the house and scared many a guest into hightailing it back to the kitchen area to find out what had just happened. Funnier yet was watching the kids launch themselves up the basement stairs saucer-eyed with fear, wondering what it was that just shook the house!

Another favorite clip of mine is the soundtrack accompanying the depth charge scene in U-571.

Now I have never been depth charged, so I can't speak from the vantage of a reference point, but I have nevertheless found this clip useful for getting a fairly accurate sense of how concussive a punch a subwoofer can deliver in the 10 - 25 Hz region.

The PB12 delivered a disturbingly tactile slam that well conveyed the metal-bending might of a well placed depth charge. A lesser sub simply wouldn't have been able to pull this off in the way the PB12-Plus/2 did.

Where it comes to a soundtrack like this it would be hard to overestimate how much a capable sub can contribute to the sense of realism that inevitably draws one into a movie, shifting ones perspective from that of witness to participant. A good sub helps develop a convincing sense of tactility, realism, drama, and involvement. In this respect the PB12-Plus/2 was able to deliver by the wagonload.

Last up was the soundtrack behind the Irene scene in Blackhawk Down.

Lasting about half a minute the engine & blade noise has lots of energy at around 18 Hz and - ominously - around 8 Hz, as well. The 18 Hz was just within the PB12-Plus/2's reach, but the 8 Hz simply wasn't in the cards. Now flying in helicopters is something I have done, so speaking from a point of reference I can say the PB12-Plus/2 does a very credible job of recreating the gut-churning thump of a helicopter blade spinning up.

Once in a while you encounter a product that simply excels in the value-for-dollar category. The PB12-Plus/2 is just such a product and as such comes with a strong buy recommendation if you're in the market for a sophisticated floor shaker.

Be prepared to make the effort and take the time to properly set up this sub in your listening space.Because you have in the PB12-Plus/2 a product capable of dissipating substantial amounts of power into your listening space, the architecture and construction of the walls, ceiling, floors and other room features such as fireplaces and so forth will play a roll in your final listening experiences. If anything within earshot of the PB12-Plus/2 has a fundamental resonance within the sub's range it will find it with surprising efficiency. Integrating it with your listening room and the rest of your system will take time, but is well worth the effort. I found doing so essential to getting the top-flight performance the PB12-Plus/2 is capable of delivering. Once done, get ready to have a LOT of fun with this sub.