Recently Filed in Subwoofers

French loudspeaker manufacturer Focal knows how to run the gamut when it comes to products, providing options from the low hundreds to the six-figure Grand Utopias. One thing that always signifies to me, when speaker companies carry such a wide range, is that you can trust their technology to be superb at just about any level, because those $180K whopper speakers don’t just come out of nowhere. So I kept that in mind when I recently had the opportunity to set up Focal’s chic Dome… View this story
Bookshelf Speakers • Speaker Systems • Subwoofers • Product News

Home theater audio applications continue to be intensified—from 5.1 surround channels to 7.1, to even 9.1 these days when you add new “height” speakers, plus you can accommodate THX certified systems and the latest lossless high-def audio codecs. Atlantic Technology tends to stay ahead of the curve—unleashing the likes of IP-ready speakers and those with THX Select2 certification—so it’s no surprise that the company has come up with three new and improved theater speaker systems, plus some new subwoofers, to get the latest and greatest… View this story
Speaker Systems • Subwoofers • Surround Sound • Product News

Last week, we were living in the world of exotic, high-performance speakers when we examined flagship products from Wilson Audio, Focal, Cabasse, YG Acoustics, Sonus faber and PMC. This week, we thought we would turn the tables and look at some speakers that most of us could afford or at least save up for and buy at some point. Comparing this group of speakers to the big flagship products from those high-performance manufacturers, these products are much smaller, as well as more conservative in their… View this story
Speakers • Subwoofers • Audio • Info and Answers • Slideshows

We hope your custom electronics professional is able to find the new speakers from Sonance when he opens the box—they’ll be part of the Invisible Speaker Series, so it could be tricky. Sonance, which specializes in architectural loudspeakers that blend in with your walls and ceilings, is now shipping its new Invisible line of products, which include the SA3 and SA1.5 omnidirectional loudspeakers and the SAW subwoofer. All three are highlighted by perfectly flat, acoustically transparent vellum overlay, which can be painted or even wallpapered… View this story
In-Ceiling Speakers • In-Wall Speakers • Subwoofers • Product News

The A7S-450 is a lot of subwoofer for the money. It performs well, blasting out a lot of deep bass, but not at the expense of musical nuance and subtlety. Contrary to its considerable size, it is also fully capable of disappearing, sonically, blending well in a properly calibrated and tuned system, handling quiet bottom end detail, and belting it out when called upon without giving its position away. That is unless you look at it; then the A7S-450 is hard to miss. If the… View this story
Subwoofers • Reviews • Audio • Product News

If you still prefer your whopping bass in the traditional style, Canadian manufacturer Paradigm has a couple of true boom boxes for you. The company recently intro’d a pair of architectural subwoofers, but went back to the bread and butter for the Sub 12 and Sub 15 that are sure to breathe bassy life into any audio-intensive theater. The Sub 12 features a 12-inch driver, with low-frequency extension down to 16 Hz; on the Sub 15 there’s a—you guessed it—15-inch driver, and low frequency down… View this story
Speakers • Subwoofers • Product News

Q. I have a Paradigm PW2200 subwoofer and would like to enclose it into a cabinet. Can I port it and speaker cover the front? - Charles, Ohio A. Placing the subwoofer in a cabinet will compromise the sound. The sub may sound great sitting out in the open now, but that will likely change if it’s moved into the cabinet. Here are some tips for your situation: Make sure the subwoofer fits tightly inside the cabinet. You don’t want sound booming inside there. To… View this story
Subwoofers • Audio • Ask a Pro

If you’re putting a compact 5.1 speaker system into your media room, you probably want to be immersed in the sound but not have to worry about the aesthetics of the room being compromised—a big reason why in-walls and in-ceiling models have become popular. British manufacturer Monitor Audio has taken the worries away with its Vector Series of compact speakers and subwoofer. They’re not in-walls, but they’re minimalist and classy in their styling so you don’t mind having them as part of your room’s decor.… View this story
Speakers • Bookshelf Speakers • Subwoofers • Product News

Subwoofers are the Rodney Dangerfields of audio: They get no respect. Sure, they make bass, but the speakers are the star of the show. Today, most sub manufacturers succumb to the pressure to make ever-smaller models, and while I’ve heard some impressive sounds coming from the better baby boomers, full-size subwoofers like RBH Sound’s 1010-SEN/R Signature Reference are in a different league. What can I say? Size still matters. How big is it? The 1010-SEN/R Signature Reference ($1,999, plus $924 for the amplifier), is large… View this story
Speakers • Subwoofers • Reviews • Audio • Product News

Bowers and Wilkins (B&W) has introduced its XT 8 mid-sized tower speaker at CES 2009 in Las Vegas. It uses proprietary FST (fixed-suspension transducer) technology for its mid-frequency accuracy. It also has a B&W Nautilus tweeter “pod” on the top, a metal-dome high-frequency driver that helps prevent acoustic diffraction. The XT 8 features twin 5-inch woofers and uses paper/Kevlar composite with bottom-octave extension of 34Hz. Available finishes: satin brushed aluminum or gloss black aluminum exteriors with black grilles. B&W’s XT 8 will ship in Q1.… View this story
Speakers • In-Ceiling Speakers • Subwoofers • CES • Product News

Paradigm is introducing its PCS Series Subwoofer line at CES 2009, the company’s first in-wall models. The PCS-80R, an in-ceiling subwoofer, and the PCS-80SQ, a square in-wall model, are the two entry-level units in the line. The PCS-80R has a round footprint and combination die-cast and GRIP (Glass-Reinforced Injection-Molded Polymer) chassis. Both the PCS-80R and PCS-80SQ feature:high-power voice coil assembliesmineral-filled polypropylene conepowerful magnet assemblies with symmetrical focused field geometry”If you’re implementing an in-wall audio system, you no longer need to accept poor bass performance from… View this story
Speakers • Subwoofers • CES • Product News

Surround-sound speaker systems for your theater room can range wildly. You can be happy with a 5.1 setup that’s right out of a home theater in a box, step up to more weighty cabinet and bookshelf models, or have a larger system that uses towers all over the place—including the center channel and surrounds. We asked our friends over on the AVS Forum for some recommendations that our readers can use for the holiday season. In our “AVS Recommends” series we’ve already discussed options for… View this story
Speakers • Bookshelf Speakers • Speaker Systems • Subwoofers • Surround Sound • Buyers Guides • Audio • Info and Answers • Slideshows • Research