The Bottom Line
My impression of the SB12-Plus is extremely postive, making this subwoofer a real winner. However, for optimum performance, a sound meter should be used in conjunction with the user manual setup instructions. The SB12-Plus is more than enough subwoofer for many home theater setups.
Pros
- Excellent bass response - tight and clear - not muddled or boomy.
- Small Cabinet Footprint
- Large Power Output
- Front Firing Sealed Design
- Good Price Point
Cons
- No wireless remote control capability.
- Extensive calibration required for best performance.
- Very heavy for its size - Use caution when moving or lifting.
Description
- Frequency response 22Hz-150Hz +/- 3dB. This means that extreme low frequencies are reproduced accurately.
- Power handling (FTC Rating): 450 watts RMS continuous. This means that the Sub12-Plus has a consistent high-power output.
- Crossover - Low Pass continuously variable from 40Hz-120Hz. High Pass - Low level inputs: 80Hz - High level inputs: 100Hz.
- The Subwoofer cone is 12-inches in diameter.
- Phase variable from 0-180 degrees; used to match in-out motion of the sub to the in-out motion of the rest of the speakers.
- Enclosure type Sealed/Acoustic Suspension; Front 12-inch Firing-firing main Driver.
- Input/Output - Two line level/RCA phono jacks, Two line level XLR jacks, Two sets of high level speaker in/out terminals.
- Controls: Gain, Phase (continously variable), Crossover (Defeatable), Auto-On, PEQ (Parametric Equalizer), Room Compensation.
- Dimensions - 13.5 inches High x 13.5 inches Wide x 13.5-inches Deep (w/o Grill) 14.5 Inches Deep with Grill
- Weight - 40 lbs.
Guide Review - SVS SB12-Plus 12-Inch Front Firing Powered Subwoofer
This subwoofer has extensive adjustments, including Phase (which matches the in/out subwoofer driver motion to the satellite speakers), Gain (volume level), and Crossover (sets the point at which you want the subwoofer to produce low frequency sounds, against the ability of the the satellite speakers to reproduce low frequency sounds), Room Size setting, and a Parametric Equalizer.
The controls allow precise matching to a variety of satellite speaker types. The only downside: All controls are on the back of the subwoofer panel, and there is no remote control that allows adjustments to be made from your listening position.
The SB12-Plus produced excellent, very deep, tight bass. This subwoofer proved to be an excellent match for the rest of the speakers. With Blu-ray/HD-DVD/DVD soundtracks that have LFE effects, such as Superman Returns, Alien vs Predator, King Kong, Master and Commander, Godzilla (1998), The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and U571, the subwoofer showed no fatigue or drop-off, producing all LFE effects at full impact.
On music-based material, the SB12-Plus reproduced clean bass response on several notable bass-notable cuts, such as the famous sliding bass riff on Heart's Magic Man, the Eric Kunzel/Telarc recording of the 1812 Overture, and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.
The subwoofer mixed well with the rest of the speakers in several test speaker setups, including one that featured a pair of JBL Balboa 30's, JBL Balboa Center Channel and two JBL Venue Series 5-inch Monitor speakers as rear surrounds. I also used the Klipsch Synergy Sub10 and Yamaha YST-SW205 Powered Subwoofers for comparison to the SB12-Plus.
