Emotiva Ultra 12 Subwoofer Review

Emotiva Ultra 12 Introduction

"Subwoofer" - it's like a magic word around here and makes all of us audioholics have little dreams of black boxes that cause our walls to crack, dishes to rattle, and rock our children to sleep... from the other end of the house. Some people think a good subwoofer will go down to 2 Hz, cost $200 and live in a box the size of a small laptop computer. Others go for size, wanting nothing less than a small refrigerator that will smack them around like a rag doll. We prefer a slightly more balanced approach, so when Emotiva announced their affordable Ultra Sub 12, we were intrigued.  A 12” high quality driver mounted in a modest sized sealed enclosure with a meaty power amp for under $500 sure sounded like a winner to us.  Could their reasonably sized black box deliver good bass and punch at an affordable price?  Read our review to find out.

Emotiva Ultra Sub 12 Subwoofer Video Review from Audioholics.

Build Quality and Features

Can an under $500 12-inch subwoofer really compete? We weren't sure, so we got one and hooked it up. And we began our evaluation by looking at the features of the budget-minded 12-inch sub. First off, the Ultra Sub 12 uses a high efficiency power amplifier with high current switchmode power supply. I don't know about you, but when amps are concerned, the nice thing about Emotiva is that it's not just grabbing the nearest model off the shelf. The company knows amps, and the Ultra 12 has a 300W Class-D amp with 500W of peak output that is quite sufficient to drive the sub to its limits (see our measurements section). When you get a look at the circuit board of the included plate amplifier, particularly with regard to its layout and complexity, you really get the sense that this company knows what it's doing.

As far as the driver is concerned, Emotiva used a 12-inch long-throw woofer with a robust, almost overbuilt (were it not a subwoofer) die cast frame and one massive motor assembly. They paid attention to a lot of details, like the woven tinsel leads and a heavy-duty butyl rubber surround that looks like it will last far beyond the practical life of the sub (remember the days of simple foam surrounds?) The tinsel leads eliminate the worry of lead slapping against the driver during high excursion while also proving more travel.  The woofer is constructed out of a triple-woven synthetic product used in bulletproof vests. We didn't shoot it, but in fairness we're pretty certain they're going for stiffness, not defensive measures. The design is front-firing, with a sealed enclosure that is tuned to reproduce frequencies as low as 25Hz at astonishing levels of output for its size and cost.

Emotiva Ultra 12 Sub Driver (notice cast basket and tinsel leads)

Speaking of the box, it's constructed out of MDF with a 1" thick baffle and extensive bracing and dampening throughout to ensure the sub only makes noise from its driver and nothing else - even the grill mount includes rubber boots so it won't rattle. The bracing is even rounded off on the interior corners providing additional reinforcement. The rounded braces are a nice touch and you can tell that Emotiva has a pride in workmanship that you don't always see with subwoofer manufacturers. The sub includes both rubber and aluminum feet, so you can use it on carpet or hardwood and tile floors. The cabinet passed our knuckle rap test with flying colors. It's built very well, and really its boring black wood laminate finish was the only stand-out disappointment.

After mentioning this to Emotiva, the company quickly alerted us that it is now shipping the Ultra 12 in a new Studio Black Satin Lacquer. Gene received one of the new units and it is a marked improvement.  For only a modest $50 cost adder, we think it’s well worth it as it adds a nice touch of class to the product.

The Ultra Sub 12 is essentially a compact 15" cube and weighs 38lbs. It has usable in-room extension down to the mid 20Hz region and Emotiva specs typical in-room output at about 112dB. We measured this to be much higher at frequencies above 40Hz. Our listening tests revealed that the USub 12 sub really has a satisfying sound that plays low enough to hit you in the chest, but never sounds distorted or boomy. This sub is tight and will do well in any type of room we can imagine - check out our listening tests.

On the back you've got both balanced (a rare find on any consumer subs, especially at this price) and unbalanced inputs. There is a Low Pass Filter switch to defeat the internal crossover, which goes from 50-150Hz. Variable volume and phase adjustment are also available, as is a switch for setting the sub to continuous, off, or auto-sensing mode. In Auto it draws 2 watts and goes standby after 10 minutes of no sound. One problem we found with this sub (which Emotiva promises to fix) is that it doesn't have an auto-muting function, so it "pops" each time you connect or disconnect a cable to the inputs.  In normal day to day operation this would never be an issue but more of a pet peeve to folks like us that hot swap cables to test multiple products at any given time.  We recommend powering down products before disconnecting them despite the fact we don't always practice what we preach. 

Emotiva Ultra Sub 12 Backpanel

About the only thing you won't be able to do with this subwoofer is feed it speaker level inputs or use it to crossover full-range frequencies to a pair of satellite speakers (there are no speaker level inputs or outputs whatsoever). With a modern AV receiver this shouldn't be a problem, but if you have a lower-tech integrated amplifier or a true legacy system or audiophile rig, you may need to look into an external crossover.

Emotiva Ultra 12 Listening Tests

 We queued up some Asia, particularly the track "Sole Survivor" and listened to the trailing bass notes as the track approached the bridge. As this rolled out, the kick drum and matching bass lick came in and we really felt the power of this relatively inexpensive subwoofer dominate our 4800 cubic feet of listening space (including an open adjacent room). We almost immediately took back what we had said earlier about needing more sub to fill a larger space. While that's always a good idea, we had no idea just how much output a sub of this size and price could deliver.

"New York Minute", a favorite test song of mine from the Eagles' album Hell Freezes Over, was next. We found that we had put the bass up just a little too high - when the introduction kick hit, it almost knocked the Christmas decorations off our fireplace mantel. Making a few adjustments, we got the output to a more reasonable (but still accentuated) level. This song just sounds awesome on a good sub, and the Emotiva did perhaps the most impressive job I'd heard in this room in a long time. There is a lot of tactile energy in this song, and the Ultra 12 got an extra bass boost of power from being placed next to a wall about 1/4 way into the room.

After listening to some more music, and being just as impressed with techno bass as we were with rock and roll and jazz, we moved on to some movies. How to Train Your Dragon was excellent test material and we quickly found that the sweeteners put into the sound of the wings and the fly-bys was perfect fodder for our output-happy Ultra 12 Subwoofer. There were a ton of low frequency hits during the raids on the town and the Emotiva sub ate them up, spitting out beautifully dense and tactile output worthy of a much higher-priced product. Slapping in an oldie but goodie, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, we jumped over to the "Bridge at Khazad Dum" chapter and let 'er rip. I hadn't seen this chapter in over a year (which is far too long) and it was remarkable how well it tests out a sub to its capacity. If your sub is going to bottom out, this scene will do it. What we found was that the Emotiva Ultra 12's limiter did a nice job of preventing distortion - even on this complex and "dangerously low" scene. We've bottomed out many a sub on this disc and it was nice to see the Emotiva retain its composure and plow through it unscathed. This is an excellent sub.

Emotiva Ultra 12 Measurements and Analysis

Emotiva USub 12 1 Meter Groundplane Measurement

All tests were conducted using 1 meter groundplane technique outdoors. The mic was placed on the floor firing at middle of the cabinet surface containing the 12" driver. The grille cover was removed during this testing. All tests were conducted using continuous sinewave sweeps which produce RMS SPL outputs as opposed to CEA2010 burst testing which produce max SPL outputs 3dB higher than RMS equivalent measurements (at the products maximum output limit). Sweep tones tend to really stress a subwoofer as the motor structure warms up and pushes the sub out of its nominal operation like it would in real world usage but they don’t allow for the ability to find max SPL per discrete frequency like the CEA2010 test method. In the future, we will conduct both types of measurements to get a clearer understanding of product performance and limitations.

Emotiva USub 12 SPL vs Frequency (1 meter groundplane)

Don't expect a sub this small to give you flat bass extension down to 20Hz at high SPL output.  It's physically impossible.  However, I did find the -3dB point of this sub to be around 30Hz for the baseline measurement.  The USub 12 was able to hit a whopping 114dB SPL which is 1dB higher than what Emotiva claims is typical in a real-room.  Realize that 1 meter groundplane measurements lack room reinforcement which can be anywhere between 12-15dB.  This is pretty darn loud, especially for a product of this size and asking price.  The USub 12 has a very linear response above 80Hz for those wanting to cross over the sub higher to better match small satellite speakers. The frequency bump at 20Hz was due to measuring on a windy day and should be ignored.

During my max SPL sweep testing, I found the limiter kicked in at around 50Hz with a 12dB/oct slope.  This means at 25Hz, the subs output response was 12dB lower than it was at is highest output frequencies (50 to 70Hz region). What is interesting is the amount of limiting that occurs on the USub 12 is dependent on the output level it is being driven at.  So the limiter is not simply just fixed at a single frequency or rolloff rate.

Since my measurements were continuous RMS sweeps from 20Hz to 500Hz and not 1/3 octave burst tests like CEA2010 at discrete frequencies, the Emotiva USub 12 was not being driven to its limits above 60Hz, where there was still more available output capability.  Instead my measurements illustrate max SPL data below the product's compressor circuit which was around 50Hz during the highest output sweeps.  Based on my measurements, it's clear that the USub 12 is more amp limited than driver excursion limited.  It would be interesting if Emotiva were to up the amplifier power a few hundred watts in their next version offering. 

Not once during any of my testing, did I hear the driver lose composure, cabinet vibration or any other sonic nasty typically heard when pushing a subwoofer to its limits using RMS sweep tests. To get an idea of how good the performance is on this product, I took the highest SPL sweep data measurements of three other subs I recently measured using the exact same test rig, measurement location and distance and compared them directly to the Emotiva USub 12's measured performance.   All measurements for each subwoofer were conducted using RMS sine sweeps until the maximum audible distortion free output could be achieved.  The reader is encouraged to check out our dedicated review of each of the products in this comparison for a more elaborate discussion of how each product performed. 

Editorial Note about Continuous Sweep testing vs CEA Burst Testing

Our sweep tests were conducted at a constant input level across the entire bandwidth whereas CEA burst tests are typically conducted at discrete frequencies (ie. 20Hz, 25Hz, ...etc) by varying input voltage until max SPL per a fixed distortion limit is achieved at each test frequency.  Our tests reveal max SPL where the subwoofers begin to compress but there is typically more output left above the compression point of each subwoofer if the subwoofer under test is not amplifier limited. For more info on this, read our 2010 Subwoofer Shootout Measurements Overview article.

          1 meter groundplane measurement RMS SPL Sweep Comparison Results

Note: None of the SPL data tabulated or represented in sweeps have been re-scaled to account for the doubling of output produced by the 2nd virtual image of the sub that the mic sees via groundplane measurements.  If you want to know the true 1 meter 4pi SPL output for each sub, simply subtract 6dB from all of the measurements tabulated above.

As you can see in this comparative table of measurements, the Emotiva USub 12 dominates SPL above 50Hz with a 4dB advantage over the JL f110 and a whopping 10dB advantage over the Axiom EP400.  The Axiom is clearly tuned for low extension which of course kills system efficiency and hence lowers the available output in the higher usable band of the subwoofer.  Because of its small driver compared to the 12" Emotiva driver, it doesn't really yield any output advantage over the Emotiva below 25Hz.  In fact, the Axiom's brickwall filter eliminates frequencies below 20Hz so one could arguably say the Emotiva USub 12 still provides more usable low frequency bass extension than the Axiom EP400.  It is noteworthy to mention that Axiom did an incredibly good job of getting so much usable low end extension from such a small driver and their clever DSP kept the frequency response of their sub more linear than any of the others in this comparison at low output levels before the limiter kicked in. 

The JL f110 stomps all of the other subs in this comparison below 30Hz with a whopping 6dB over the Emotiva, but at five times the cost, one should expect this.  The JL f110 also has the largest dimensional box volume and bigger is almost always better in terms of low frequency extension.  The JL f110 is at an output disadvantage over the Emotiva above 50Hz as previously stated partly because the driver has such a massive voice coil that its own inductance is its worst enemy.  That being said, it's still the mightiest sub we've tested for its box size and also the best constructed an arguably the sexiest of the bunch.

The Aperion Bravus 10D isn't even competitive below 40Hz with any of the other subs in this comparison.  Having dual active 10" drivers in such a small enclosure greatly diminished usable extension in this product.  Since our review, Aperion has redesigned this product (Bravus II 10D) with a single active and dual 10" passive radiators which we have yet to test but eager to do so.

Looking closer at the comparative results here, the Emotiva USub 12 is in my opinion the best of the four subs for blending into a system consisting of small satellite speakers.  If space weren't an issue, I would also take four USub 12's over a single JL f110 or two Axiom EP400s any day of the week not just for their collective higher output capabilities but for the advantages that multiple subs offer when properly placed in a room yielding smoother more consistent frequency response for every listening seat.  The very fact that the USub 12 is competitive with three higher priced, higher profile products, speaks volumes for just how good this "Budget" subwoofer is.  If I were SVS, I'd be worrying should Emotiva one day decide to make a larger, high output subwoofer.  That being said, we also wonder how the new SVS SB-12NSD ($599 + shipping) would fair against the Emotiva. This is something we will have to investigate shortly. 

Emotiva Ultra 12 Conclusion

At the price Emotiva is selling this sub for, both its specs and performance are pretty compelling, even more so after we heard the Ultra 12 in some of our reference rooms. It's nice to see that a company known for its amplifier design can branch out and make an equally compelling subwoofer product. What's really amazing is its output capability; this sub literally rocks the house. There are few comparisons and when you factor in value, it's one of the best deals available on the market - bar none. At the time of writing this review, Emotiva had this sub on sale for $429 with FREE shipping.  Nothing at this price can touch this.  Also consider that they normally only charge $20 for shipping anywhere in the USA, while much of their online competition makes 40-50% margins on their shipping rates, Emotiva is really providing true value to their customers.

We can recommend the Emotiva Ultra 12 Sub to anyone interested in a value product that will deliver tight, musical bass in almost any size room. If you think you want more output or your room opens up and is on the larger size, then by all means buy two. For the rest of us, this is the sub to beat for manufacturers everywhere. It somewhat redefines value and raises the bar significantly - so much so that it just might embarrass most if not all of the competition.

Emotiva Audio Corporation
135 Southeast Parkway Court
Franklin, TN 37064
877-EMO-TECH (877-366-8324)

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About Emotiva
Emotiva is a company comprised of true audio enthusiasts, engineers, and product specialists. We run a lean organization without excess overhead and redundant levels of management. Everyone in the company from the engineering team, to the manufacturing group, to the support staff, has your ultimate home entertainment experience in mind. This is what makes Emotiva different from many other home entertainment manufacturers. Our people are passionate enthusiasts who enjoy the experience of using Emotiva products equally as much as designing and building them. Bottom line; we love the home entertainment experience as much as you do. When we are not designing and building Emotiva products, we are more than likely at home enjoying them with our families and friends.

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
Build Quality
Appearance
Bass Extension
Bass Accuracy
Dynamic Range
Performance
Value