Subwoofer Reviews

The only feature lacking from this subwoofer is built-in room correction, which is starting to appear now even in some mid- and budget-priced subs. This is a feature that JL offers in their expensive Fathom and Gotham lines. Granted, most buyers in this price class will forgo it, or use the room correction in their A/V receiver or preamp/processor, but that solution doesn’t always handle the lowest frequencies optimally. Another feature, app-based control via Bluetooth, is also starting to catch on now with subwoofers, and is hopefully something JL is looking at for future models. It’s a great convenience to do setup and make on-the-fly adjustments from your money seat without having to walk across the room.

Pick One…No, How About Two?
JL Audio sent me two d110s for my review, and given their dainty enclosures, I fully expected that I’d go with the subs positioned next to each other to allow mutual coupling to boost the output. But it turns out that size can be deceiving, and I never felt the output lacking in the majority of my listening tests when I had the d110s in my two subwoofer sweet spots: the front left corner of my room and about halfway down the right wall. My home theater is just under 5,000 cubic feet, so generally speaking, it takes quite a bit of output to adequately fill the full audio spectrum—something the pair of d110s did quite well.

Considering its sealed enclosure, I expected the d110 to have the taut attack and lack of mudiness prized for music, and my suspicion was confirmed repeatedly. Regina Spektor’s “Fidelity” (from Begin to Hope) is the most successful song in this artist’s career. The track features some fantastic bass that complements the catchy tune, and the d110 never broke a sweat, even when I listened at high levels. The bass blended perfectly with my M&K Sound S150 studio monitors— especially after a full Audyssey calibration from my Marantz AV8802A pre/pro. Listening to only the front left d110, instead of the pair, wasn’t quite as fulfilling, as I found the bass a bit too localized to the front of the room. However, when I engaged the second sub (and adjusted the subwoofer volume accordingly), I found the bass response much more satisfying and even.

I’m not sure what Taylor Swift has more of: No. 1 singles or ex-boyfriends. Regardless, she knows how to write engaging music, and “Blank Space” is no exception. The song has an airy feel to it and harks back to the year in the title of its host album, 1989, with a synthesized beat that draws you in from the first note. But when the young lady starts to sing, the bass track kicks hard—really hard—and again, the d110s shined brightly. The bass response was tight and articulate, and it didn’t linger in the room for even a moment longer than it was supposed to. Impressive would be an understatement.

After hearing the d110s display such prowess with music, I was very intrigued about what they could do with movie soundtracks, which generally dig deeper than pop music and end up being the Achilles’ heel of small-enclosure subwoofers. I can’t seem to get enough of Game of Thrones, as I’m in the middle of watching the series for the third time. “Blackwater” (season 2, episode 9) is one of the best installments of the entire series. Not only does it have drama and intrigue, but it showcases that Tyrion is a master tactician. As Stannis Baratheon’s fleet arrives to sack King’s Landing, Tyrion sends out a lone ship to meet the armada. Little does Baratheon know that the ship is loaded with “wildfire” propellant and, at the right moment, will unleash hell upon the invaders. When the moment comes, the Dolby Atmos track engulfs your listening room with flames, as the bass plumbs the depths.

Surprisingly, the d110s delivered copious amounts of bass, and they even had enough energy to shake my subfloor! While my reference SVS PC-Ultra and Hsu Research VTF-15H MK2 subwoofers are much larger and capable of far more output below 20 Hz, I honestly didn’t expect the dual JL Audio subs to have such a visceral impact in this scene. Not only could I fully hear the explosion of the ship, but I could feel it vibrate the room. It’s true that my reference subs can shake the floor to a greater degree, and I can feel it in my chest—something the dual d110s couldn’t quite match. But overall, I came away quite impressed.

Next up was a trip down memory lane with Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Specifically, chapter 28: the asteroid field. Jango and Boba Fett aren’t too happy with Obi-Wan tracking them to Geonosis, so they decide to drop a couple of seismic charges on the Jedi knight. Once again, the d110s surprised me with their exploding-bomb bass. The room filled with energy, and I could feel the explosions through the subfloor due to the kinetic energy from the dual subwoofers. Solid performance, indeed.

Conclusion
I’m very impressed with the Dominion d110 for the amount of bass produced from such a small enclosure. While it doesn’t go as deep or hit quite as hard as my reference subwoofers—nor should it, given the physical constraints of its diminutive size—it impressed me enough to make it my go-to recommendation for those who have concerns about space and aesthetics. If that’s you, be sure to put the d110 at the top of your audition list. While a pair of these were definitely preferred for my copious listening space, more average rooms would likely have no problem being similarly energized by a single d110. Of course, two of them would sound even better and be a lot more fun.