Recent Subwoofers Reviews

What do you do if you have a very small space for a sub or might even want a sub to slide under your couch? What if you aren't willing to sacrifice performance for such a sub? What if you want all aluminum baffle and back and a rack-mountable kilowatt amp? The Leon Speakers A10-UT is your answer. A $2,695 answer.

The Aperion Bravus 10D is an attractive, potent little subwoofer at a reasonable price. It certainly doesn't have the output and extension of its larger peers but that’s a tradeoff one must live with if they want a small box to better blend into their room décor. In that aspect the Bravus 10D is all aces. Given the diminutive size of the 10D, it would be very easy to place two of these in most family rooms without drawing much attention to them. There should be no excuses for NOT setting up dual subs in your theater room. Aperion Audio makes this very easy for you with their small, potent Bravus offerings.

The A7-700 is the newest in the line of eD's tall-boy subs. It stands a towering 45" tall while taking only a bit over 25" square on the floor. Sporting an overbuilt cabinet, dual 15" drivers, a forward-facing, front-firing, slot-style port, and a 1300 watt, B&O powered ICE amp, this one should have bass-heads slobbering.

Velodyne has once again demonstrated it could provide the most amount of bass per square inch that the laws of physics would allow. I love seeing the reaction in my friends' and family's faces when they sit down to hear my computer system - not realizing there is a MicroVee sub hidden behind my trash can providing all the low end boom. It blended well with my desktop system, transforming its sheer depth and soundstage by providing the much needed low end extension my small speakers were incapable of producing. If your crammed for space and need some bass, give the Velodyne MicroVee a try.

Epik Subwoofers is a relatively small, Internet-direct company that sells one type of product: subwoofers. Epik subwoofers are frequently recommended, praised and lauded on message boards and forums for their ability to deliver deep, impactful bass at comparatively low prices. The subject of this review is the Epik Sentinel: physically the smallest ported subwoofer offered by Epik. The description found on Epik's website promises "the most 20Hz output in the smallest possible cabinet." Epik also promises "musicality and sound quality that is found in similar subwoofers costing much more than the Sentinel." My experience is that the first statement holds true, but the second promise does not.

The A5-450 is a DIY sub kit. What you get when you order it is a driver, an amp, the wire to connect the two, and a flat-packed EFS enclosure. You'll be responsible for all the tools you'll need to put the sub together plus any veneer you may want to apply. Those afraid of veneer, wood glue, or just moving a 100 lbs+ sub from your workshop to your home theater need not apply. For the rest, you're getting an eD sub at a serious discount (not including what you'll spend on shipping, veneer, and chiropractic adjustments) that you can custom finish. We're sure this is going to to be a popular product with a select group. All we have to say is - Pics please!

The new subs are in the Classic line and have 8, 10, and 12" drivers (the CPS 8Wi, CPS 10Wi, CPS 12Wi at $399, $499, and $599 respectively) and are wireless-ready. This means that you'll need to purchase the transmitter separately for $79. Consumers surely will be interested in this wireless offering as it has a more traditional look than the discontinued model from Boston. But we're betting they are going to want the transmitter included in the purchase price.

When we checked out Paradigm's new sub offerings, we couldn't help but be reminded of a classic children's story well loved by us from our childhood. While lacking colorful illustrations and more talented writing, we tried to keep the spirit of that author alive through this first look of Paradigm's Reference Signature SUB 1 and SUB 2. So take this first look with a grain of salt, for the rhyming idea is really Paradigm's fault.

With all the subwoofer options out there, it is hard to stand apart. KEF has always had little problem in this arena with innovative and unique speaker designs. Their new HTB2SE-W wireless subwoofer is no different. Shaped like a gigantic coffee mug hot plate set on its side, the design may not appeal to all but it certainly stands out.

The A3s-250 is Elemental Design's attempt to build a reasonable sized sub. At just a bit larger than a 14" cube and a matte black finish, the A3s-250 should have little problems disappearing into a corner or shadow. Your spouse will like that. Of course, you'll like when it starts rocking your room and shaking the pictures loose. Sounds like a win, win to us.

B&W looks to have a solid contender with this sub. The ASW12-CM sub sports a 12" Kevlar/paper cone driver and a 500 watt amp. With its gloss black finish and sub 20Hz capability, those in love (or lust) with the B&W brand are sure to be salivating.

If you are anything like me, you've got Velodyne envy. If you don't have one, you want one. Even if you have a sub you are happy with, there is always that nagging question in the back of your mind… "What would a Velodyne sound like in my room?" There is no doubt that the Velodyne DEQ-15R delivers the bass. While the DEQ-15R may not do everything quite right, it certainly has enough going for it that I don't mind giving it a very strong recommendation.

When you are a company known for outrageously large subwoofers, you have to do something to expand your market base. The answer - vertical integration. Elemental Designs latest subwoofer offerings have had one thing in common - they are tall. The newest in the line is the A7s-650. This A7s-650 features two forward firing 13" drivers in an enclosure that only takes up a 16" square floor space but stands 38" tall and dips down to 16Hz.

The last several years have seen an increase of the number of options for room equalization at bass frequencies available to consumers. Following up on my A7S-450 review, I was asked to review an external parametric equalizer that Elemental Designs (eD) sells alongside its subwoofers. The eQ.2, can be purchased separately or as a bundle with one of the eD’s subwoofers at a slightly reduced price. The eQ.2 represents a usable parametric EQ solution but with some caveats. It is inexpensive and functional, but it is bare bones basic. For someone on a tight budget or the DIY types, the eQ.2 will certainly do the trick provided you take the time to set it up properly as I instruct in this review.