Subwoofer Reviews

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Tower Speaker ReviewsSubwoofer Reviews
Bag End Infrasub-12 powered subwoofer
Robert Deutsch  |  Nov 07, 2004  | 

Of all the subwoofers I've reviewed over the years, the one I remember as being the most satisfying overall is the Bag End Infrasub-18. It went lower than any sub I've had in my system, and its integration with the main speakers was the most natural. At any level that I could tolerate, the low bass had an authority that left other subwoofers sounding just a bit strained.

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Subwoofer Reviews
Way Down Deep III
Keith Yates  |  Oct 18, 2004  | 
After six months of pushing, pulling, schlepping, measuring, and listening, Keith Yates wraps up his in-depth, three-part look at some of the most ambitious subwoofers on earth. We gave him a break last month, but now he's back to have a look at the final four candidates. For your room-shaking pleasure, he gives you the scoop on state-of-the-art contenders from CoDrive, Snell, Triad, and Velodyne.
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Subwoofer Reviews
Bass Is Big. Bass is Good.
Geoffrey Morrison  |  Oct 08, 2004  |  First Published: Sep 08, 2006  | 
From the car next to you at the stoplight to the rattle of your neighbor's dishes on movie night, bass is everywhere.
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Subwoofer Reviews
Way Down Deep II
Keith Yates  |  Sep 12, 2004  | 
In Part II of the perhaps most ambitious report on subwoofers ever to appear in print, Keith Yates gives you the lowdown on four more contenders, from one that uses a water-filled membrane in its design to a model popular for producing gut-wrenching rumbles on theme-park rides.
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Subwoofer Reviews
Way Down Deep I
Keith Yates  |  Sep 12, 2004  | 
In this multi-part review, home theater designer Keith Yates gets down and dirty with some of the most ambitious subwoofers on the planet. Six months, 5000 measurements, four dozen batteries, three sore backs, and two big bare spots on the lawn, all for one thing: to get to the bottom of the bottom end, to separate Real Wallop from Codswallop.
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Tower Speaker ReviewsSubwoofer Reviews
MartinLogan Descent subwoofer
Fred Manteghian  |  Mar 12, 2003  | 

The adage goes something like this: "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all." I'm guessing Gayle Sanders, president of MartinLogan, heard that one a lot while growing up. As the leading manufacturer of hybrid electrostatic speakers, MartinLogan's product line has been largely silent on the subject of subwoofers, with the notable exception of the two imposing subwoofer stacks packaged with their flagship Statement system. But their dealers have said plenty, recommending third-party subs that satisfy the primal urges of home-theater natives.

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Subwoofer Reviews
Velodyne CHT-10 Subwoofer
Chris Lewis  |  Feb 24, 2003  |  First Published: Feb 25, 2003  | 
Nice little sub, nice little price.

It's funny when I think back now about how long I resisted getting a cell phone. Maybe it had something to do with living in Los Angeles and watching people in their spotless, scratch-free SUVs: latte in one hand, cell phone in the other, chattering away to someone they want us to think is their agent but is more likely their dog's therapist—or no one at all. Now that I have one, though, I don't know how I lived without it. The same

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Tower Speaker ReviewsSubwoofer Reviews
Hsu Research VTF-3 powered subwoofer
Robert Deutsch  |  Dec 28, 2002  | 

Doing one thing well is an effective strategy for success in business, and one that appears to have been followed by Hsu Research. Headed by Singapore-born, MIT-trained (Ph.D. in civil engineering) Poh Ser Hsu, Hsu Research has been in business for more than 10 years now, and has not wavered from its single-minded mission of offering high-quality, low-cost subwoofers to the public. Hsu produces subwoofers and only subwoofers, resisting the temptation to come out with a line of speakers, cables, amplifiers, digital processors, etc. They have also stuck to the principle of offering products that the average audiophile can afford, selling factory-direct with prices staying below $1000.

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Tower Speaker ReviewsSubwoofer Reviews
Earthquake SuperNova MKIV-15
Steven Stone  |  Sep 09, 2002  | 

Boom. Thud. Crash. What would a movie be without low-frequency effects? Even non-macho films like <I>Sense and Sensibility</I> have their share of carriage-wheel rumblings and horse-hoof thuds. Without a serious subwoofer that extends down to a solid 30Hz, and preferably even lower, a home-theater system can hardly be called "high-end."

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Subwoofer Reviews
Earthquake Sound SuperNova MKIV-12P Subwoofer
Kevin Hunt  |  Dec 29, 2001  |  First Published: Dec 30, 2001  | 
Meaty, beaty, little, and bouncy.

The Earthquake SuperNova could be the world's most dangerous end table. No amount of Krazy Glue will repair the heartbreak of the unwary soul who dares place the family-heirloom Tiffany lamp or Waterford vase on this compact subwoofer. This is not a New Age sub disguised as a fine piece of furniture, a veneered life-style block

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Subwoofer Reviews
Pinnacle AC Sub 100 Subwoofer
Kevin Hunt  |  Mar 31, 2001  |  First Published: Apr 01, 2001  | 
The Search Is Over: Pinnacle's AC Sub 100 subwoofer is the perfect fit for many systems, not just budget ones.

Get a load of those feet. Someone slipped a set of solid-brass isolation cones on Pinnacle's AC Sub 100, a working-class $350 subwoofer dressed humbly in black vinyl. So what's with the magic slippers? Another Cinderella story perhaps? Or is it merely a Mr. Blackwell- caliber fashion faux pas, like matching Prada with Wrangler? Well, the AC Sub 100 isn't a thing of beauty, but you can take it to the ball—or put it in your entry-level home theater—without embarrassment. This 13-inch cube can dance a bit. The AC Sub 100 resides at the low end of Pinnacle's subwoofer line, and its feet are hand-me-downs from the company's more-exotic designs. They're standard equipment on, among others, Pinnacle's $1,200 Digital Sub 600. Is there another manufacturer that fits such fancy footwear on its nickel-and-dime subwoofers?

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Subwoofer Reviews
Face Off: Sub-$1,000 Subwoofers
Clint Walker  |  Aug 27, 2000  |  First Published: Aug 28, 2000  | 
A trio of subwoofers under $1,000 go head to head. See who's left standing.

Last month's Home Theater featured an in-depth look at subwoofers. I hope that you were left with a feeling of understanding rather than confusion. If I hit my mark, you should not only be a more-knowledgeable consumer, but you should enjoy the inner workings of your theater more.

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