Velodyne SPL-1200R Subwoofer Review |
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Wednesday, 16 December 2009 | ||||
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![]() Setup As I unboxed the Velodyne SPL-1200R, I was immediately struck by the quality of this subwoofer’s beautiful, black lacquer finish. At a mere 57 pounds, it’s definitely no heavy-weight in subwoofer terms. At 14 inches high by 14 inches wide by 16 inches deep, it’s quite petite and its small size is downright shocking for a 12-inch subwoofer. The front panel has a black cloth grille that is removable and has a lighted, blue Velodyne logo. Setup couldn’t be easier. I disconnected my current reference subwoofer, which also has balanced (XLR) inputs, plugged in the power cord, ran the auto-EQ feature, adjusted the volume with the help of my Radio Shack SPL meter and had the subwoofer woofing within minutes. I’ll discuss the one button, auto-EQ feature later in the review, but I must say that I found the one button, auto-EQ feature of this subwoofer easier to use than with any other subwoofer I have ever used before. There aren’t many subwoofers on the market that have this feature, but I found it both invaluable and extremely simple to use. Features ![]() Besides the addition of auto-EQ, the remote control also comes complete with four listening presets for movies, R&B-rock, jazz-classical and games; a four position phase adjustment control; night mode setting which limits the maximum output of the subwoofer for late night listening; volume control and light control. I found the presets to be extremely helpful when selecting a listening choice, because there are four different presets, consisting of Movies, R&B - Rock, Jazz - Classical and Games. The presets provide the following characteristics for bass reproduction: Movies: Maximum output and impact for explosions and other action adventure movie content. R&B - Rock: Provides the driving bass found in today’s rock music. Jazz - Classical: The tightest, cleanest, lowest distortion bass. Games: Maximum loudness available for the impact of video games. All three models in the SPL-R Series subs are powered by a Class D (digital) switching amplifier delivering 1000 watts RMS and a whopping 2000 watts dynamic power! The drivers incorporate light, stiff Kevlar-reinforced fiber cones, massive 21 lb. magnet structures (on the SPL-1000R and SPL-1200R), 2.5” to 3” copper wound voice coils and vented pole pieces. The available finishes are black gloss, medium cherry or light maple. MSRP for the SPL-1200R is $1,899. More important than bass quantity, I wanted to listen for bass quality, pitch definition, tightness, accuracy and distortion levels. This is what many music lovers want in a subwoofer. With that said, this is a subwoofer review, so I also pulled-out some of the most punishing, teeth-rattling, bass-centric CDs and DVDs I could find to test this subwoofer. |