Funk Audio FW18.0 Conclusion
I
admit at first I was curious as to whether the FW18.0 would be able to pull all
of its impressive parts together into a cohesive finished product. There is no
doubt that the FW18.0 is a pretty face full of high tech goodies in a sea of
black cubes. The TSAD18v1 driver is a monster, the M3 amplifier is not only
powerful but also intelligent and the cab is well designed, well finished and
solidly constructed… But in the back of my head I wondered, how tightly matched
the driver and amplifier would be, whether the limiter and compressor circuits
were dialed in well, or whether there would be some hiccups along the way? This
aspect of active speaker designs really is one of the little talked about things
that can make or break the performance and many do not quite live up to their
potential. After my time with the FW18.0 I can say that Funk Audio has
obviously spent numerous hours developing this system, working with the DSP and
dialing in the protection circuits because the FW18.0 was rock solid with
everything I threw at it. I was able to
get it to briefly mute itself using the 10Hz CEA-2010 burst cranked up for
everything it was worth while I was testing the output in room, which I subsequently
mentioned to Nathan. A few weeks later he had updated the presets and DSP
slightly and sent the files back to me. After I updated the DSP settings I
could no longer replicate the protection cycle with the 10Hz burst signal.
Perhaps it was just a fluke to begin with…I don’t know. Either way how is that
for service? This also illustrates how nice it is to have the usb interface
with the amplifier as you can potentially get updates to the system protection settings
and it will future proof the FW18.0 to a large extent. In fact I could write a
few more pages just on the DSP built into the amplifier. The end result is a
powerful and articulate subwoofer that measures well in all of the important
metrics and sounds as good as any other subwoofer I have reviewed. Due to my
previous experiences with Funk Audio I was confident that they could and would
deliver a very capable product. I had no doubts that the build quality,
components and materials used would all be exceptional and they were. For most
a subwoofer that costs roughly $3K is certainly not considered a small purchase.
However the TSAD18v1 driver in the sub alone is one thing to consider not to
mention; the materials used in the enclosure, the powerful DSP possibilities,
the easy to use computer interface to control the amplifier and the immense
customization possibilities that will give “your” FW18.0 a good dose of
exclusivity. Consider the fact that it
also delivers excellent performance in a relatively compact and attractive form factor the $3234 asking price starts to seem reasonable if not
a bit of a bargain. And, it is, compared to some of the FW18.0’s direct
competitors. Funk audio has developed a product worthy of being included on the
short list of high end subwoofers to consider.
The Funk Audio FW18.0 is a powerful high output subwoofer and meets the required output thresholds to receive the Audioholics Bassaholic Extreme Room rating. The Extreme room rating indicates that this sub is recommended as maintaining adequate headroom in rooms or spaces of over 5,000 cubic feet and/or for users who usually listen at high volume levels and require lots of headroom. For further information in how we make these recommendations see the full article here.
See: Audioholics Subwoofer Room Size Rating Protocol
Funk Audio FW18.0 Review
MSRP: $2995 (Shipping Included)
The Score Card
The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:
Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating
Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.
Audioholics Rating Scale
— Excellent
— Very Good
— Good
— Fair
— Poor
Metric | Rating |
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Bass Extension | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Bass Accuracy | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Build Quality | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Fit and Finish | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Ergonomics & Usability | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Features | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Dynamic Range | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Performance | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Value | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
See also:
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Recent Forum Posts:
Steve81, post: 986362They actually look pretty nice, not quite as nice as the curved cabinet, but pretty sexy nonetheless. Here are some pictures.
FYI, looks like Funk is offering a lower cost variant of the 18.0 in a simpler 20“ x20” x 20" cabinet with rounded corners. Price is $2,550, which is a pretty substantial discount.
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