Introduction MartinLogan is a company known for making high-end electrostatic speakers, a field which they have dominated for many years. Audio Revolution has reviewed many of their products over the years due to their value and competitive entry price into the true high end of music and theater reproduction. Up until recently, owners of MartinLogan speakers have been forced to find a subwoofer to complement their speakers from the other manufacturers. This all changed with MartinLogan’s much-anticipated release of the Descent subwoofer, which retails for $2,795. MartinLogan spent approximately eight years in development of this offering. I recall seeing a prototype at least three years ago and was quite excited when I learned a copy of the finished product would be heading my way. The release of a subwoofer by MartinLogan is a significant step into new territory, as the electrostatic speakers the company is known for are notoriously difficult to blend with a subwoofer. This is ...

Introduction The decision as to which subwoofer to buy is a difficult one to make for most AV enthusiasts. On the surface, they all look pretty much the same, cubed in shape, with a very common array of connections and adjustments. Sure, they vary in size, but not dramatically so for the most part. One problem is that you can go down to your local retailer and audition them solo, yet this evaluation is nearly impossible as, under these conditions, the subwoofers emit little more than a rumble that emulates a bad day on California’s San Andreas Fault. Most people simply purchase a sub as part of a package or one that the retailer says is the best match for their system, then go home and brag about the amount of watts that the subwoofer possesses, like a badge of honor. The fact is that size and watts provide little in the way ...

Introduction The Due is the latest creation from Gallo Acoustics, a company famous for making physically round AV speakers. The $599 Due’s name is derived from the fact that the speaker contains two spherical units, rather than the single sphere of past Gallo designs. The two spheres are joined in the middle by a cylindrical tweeter assembly that is unique to Gallo, resulting in a very stylish “un-speakerlike” speaker. Gallo paired the Due with their $750 MPS-150 woofer for low frequency reinforcement. This woofer is also very unconventional in design. The design features two short cylinders, one housing the 10-inch driver, the other containing a 240-watt amplifier and related electronics. The Dues are refreshingly small, measuring 11 inches tall, five inches wide and five inches deep. The Dues come with modernistic perforated steel grilles that can easily be removed. Removing the grilles leaves the speakers almost an inch thinner and reveals their unique dual spherical shape, ...

Introduction Sonance, long known as a dominant figure in the world of in-wall speakers, is the newest player in market of small and affordable subwoofers. The Sonance Son of Sub (SOS) is the smallest subwoofer in the Sonance line. It’s a self-powered sub with a 75-watt RMS amplifier and a 10-inch video shielded driver. This free-standing subwoofer measures 14 inches wide, 14 inches high, 13.5 inches deep and weighs 45 pounds. The Son of a Sub’s frequency response is listed as 35 Hz to 250 Hz. It has most of the standard features that you might expect from a powered subwoofer, such as speaker and line level inputs, speaker level outputs, crossover controls, a phase switch and an auto-on feature built into the amplifier. A neat auto-on feature automatically turns the amp on when a signal is present, and turns the amplifier off when no signal has been present for an extended period of ...

Introduction Several design philosophies differentiate today’s better subwoofers from one another, yet they share a very common attribute: they are designed to shake the fillings from your teeth. A high-performing subwoofer can supply the necessary energy to make the common onscreen outbreak at a local dinosaur park feel as if T-Rex has unmistakably made his way to your home. Subwoofers can range in size from monstrosities that resemble your refrigerator to products only slightly larger than a soccer ball. The SuperCube I is the most recent subwoofer offering from Definitive Technology. The SuperCube I is an ultra-compact powered cube that measures just a hair over 14 inches in any direction and is driven by a mighty 1,500-watt amplifier. Although small in stature, the SuperCube I weighs a dense 60 lbs. and has a retail price of $1,200. From a distance, the SuperCube I looks like many cube-style subwoofers. However, close examination reveals a couple of touches that ...