Budget 12-inch Subwoofer Shootout. Infinity, Klipsch, Dayton, Jamo, OSD & Bic!

[@keepingupwiththejones2933]

Words without action are pretty useless. Measurements are the actions of subwoofers and speakers. Thank you for the work you do for the community. You are an under appreciated asset to the AV community ❤

[@jeremyhemp8241]

Purchased 2 12 Klipsch back in January for half off. They work really well in my basement theater room. Crossover and equalization is key!

[@jeffsloane8628]

YES, you said it. Find the sub with the flattest frequency response and no resonances, wait for it to go on sale and buy two. The benefits of dual subs not only make up for lack of output or distortion in a singe sub, but reduce stress on the amps (headroom) for the same output and reduce, if not eliminate, the dead zone where bass notes are canceled out in room.

[@tylerfabish5578]

Explain the dead zone part? I have it in my living room

[@jeffsloane8628]

@@tylerfabish5578 Because bass frequencies are so long, most rooms there will be one, or more, locations where the bass cancels out. This will likely be different for 30 Hz than for say 60 Hz. Positioning multiple subwoofers correctly can have a significant impact on reducing this scenario. If the subs are positioned in different locations where the nodes are not destructive and playing at essentially 1/2 of the volume of a single sub, then experience is more even bass coverage throughout the room with less strain on each sub.

[@tylerfabish5578]

@@jeffsloane8628 so rather than try to save up for a pretty nice single sub, maybe swing a bit lower in cost as long as it has good frequency response, and buy 2. Saving for this stuff takes time so I have to rock the solo sub for quite awhile, but if I have a 5.2 receiver then I'm future proofed. And by half the volume, I'd assume the YPAO setting on my yamaha receiver would automatically dial the trims back on the subs on its own when I calibrate because the mic can hear it better? or is this something i have to play with the gain knobs on each one until it sounds right

[@ftlbaby]

Stereo subs are the way to go, no doubt.

[@jamesjenkins1909]

I'm using treatment to get rid of standing base waves that my upper lower frequency is destroying before it gets to my sweet spot..

[@jebo4jc]

This is really useful info for the community. Maybe not as sexy as the $2500+ models but great bang for the buck. Thanks Erin!

[@bujfvjg7222]

If sexiness and air pressure had anything in common....

[@larryh.4629]

I'm all good with my jamo c912 I got for $164.64 tax included. Oct/22 so based on your review and the deep discount I thank you for your hard work and confirmation, waiting for a deal isn't fun but the rewards are.

[@Clobercow1]

One interesting discussion point, and something I highly recommend doing, is that you can buy a DSP, put it in front of the subwoofer, and you can really make these linear. You can get rid of the bloated upper bass, and it these 'cheap' subs really do shine. For $100 for a minidsp, it's hard to go wrong and still keeps you under the next tier of subwoofer in costs while offering some nice quality gains. So if you already have a DSP, and a Calbrated Mic (about $200 total) that you used for your mains, then you can get a lot of mileage out of these cheap subs, especially if you want to buy multiple and take advantage of multi-sub placement.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

For sure. I've been rocking miniDSP since 2009 or so. Killer stuff.

[@scienceguy7145]

@@ErinsAudioCorner What is a DSP?

[@BL-yj2wp]

For music sure, for home theatre where a lot of subbass is need though, this sort of sub won‘t cut it. The Infinity is the most powerful here, yet you‘d need 8 of them to match the 20Hz output of a single Monoprice 12“ THX Ultra and ~22 to match one 16“ Monoprice 16“.

[@joshuaoflaherty371]

Solid point I've never tried that actually

[@Clobercow1]

@@BL-yj2wp I never claimed they would cut it. But sometimes subbass isn't the goal.

[@Feliciano12v]

I recently purchased a second Elac 10” Per your previous subwoofer showdown. As it’s for my two channel stereo, I’m enjoying it. They don’t have low-end extension, but the type of music I typically listen to doesn’t require it. Thanks for another great showdown.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad to hear the suggestion worked for you. 👍

[@Gamez4eveR]

"the type of music I typically listen to doesn’t require it" that's what you think! even some lute recordings have that serious church air pressure you only get with serious subbass extension! regardless I've no doubt you've an enjoyable setup!

[@zackw4941]

I have a pair of the Dayton 12's. I used a coupon code I searched up online and one was an open box. I was able to get them both for $230 shipped, back when they were $150 each retail. For that price, I can't complain. They shake the walls when I turn up the system and they do pretty ok with movies. They do not have enough articulation to sound good with much music, other than techno. When I bought them, I was just running some Dayton T-652 Air towers with an SMSL AD18. They were well suited to that system. I later upgraded to JBL Studio 580's, which I highly recommend when they are on sale. Most recently I swapped out the AD18 for an Emotiva TA-1. By now the subs are really the weak link. If I'm just listening to music, I might even be better off unplugging them and setting the speakers to full range, depending on the genre. That said, I mostly use them for movies and they do work well enough up to 90hz to allow the speakers to benefit from the 90hz high pass. And they do benefit from that. So I would consider the Daytons definitely better than nothing in a home theater, perhaps even a solid choice for a budget system. But they will not grow with you as you make upgrades.

[@arogantech]

The amp on my Def Tech ProSub 1000 finally gave out after 15 years. I replaced it with a Jamo C912 and have been happy with it for the money. Thanks for the great review.

[@mndlessdrwer]

The Infinity PS-8 from back in the day is shockingly competent and musical, so I'm glad to see that their cheap 12" model seems to live up to the expectations I held for it.

[@valorantorion1588]

Now they are 500 dollars and discontinued lmao

[@mndlessdrwer]

@@valorantorion1588 Yeah, it's a bit sad that Infinity decided to abandon the home audio market. I guess it just wasn't profitable enough for them anymore and the Harman group needed to consolidate some brands since they already have JBL in that space. It's still probably worthwhile to try to find them on the secondary market if you can get them for a decent price. The PS-12 is still relatively common on the secondary market, though you'll probably have to narrow it down to local pickups in your area due to their weight making shipping uneconomical. Otherwise, just pick up the S810 from Jamo off Amazon. It performs reasonably well for its price and size, so you can put two of them in a room for less localization without utterly destroying your budget.

[@joshuaoflaherty371]

They also made a dual 6.5 ported sub called the "eps 100" looks like a center channel speaker almost.... Got it free off offer up just planning to snag the amp off it up temp fix my psw505. It sounds soooo good i couldn't part it out. Still use it in my bedroom to this day and i swear it hits harder, faster, and goes near 20hz absolutely flat and loud.... I still can't believe it sometimes. Ive had my share of trash to high dollar subwoofers and i prefer it to alot of subs made now in the $1000 range

[@ST4R1SM1NE]

I had the Klipsch and the Port Chuffling was so bad I returned it! Bought the BIC F12 and I couldn’t be more happier! Hits every note from movies to music! No Port Chuffling on the BIC F12

[@ryancorbell9520]

@Ryan Monaghan chuffing is referring to the sound that the sub makes when air moves in and out of the port. Generally the sound is created when the sub is pushing to large of air volume for the port to handle, thus you get a "chuffing" noise.

[@Iridiumcosmos]

Every Klipsch sub needs a horn slotted port badly. Or a flared port like how Polk does on their more expensive subs.

[@vforvendetta6193]

​@@IridiumcosmosYou are not up to date... are you? Polk has standard ports nowadays... While Klipsch has entered the high-end subwoofer game... Please do your homework and research before commenting naiv and dumb stuff... Check what both brands have changed... already for a few years... Your comment is like a few months old.. meaning, you didn't check any info.

[@jamesjenkins1909]

Those plates are nothing but failed plates. My infinity is 20 years old and it is still going hard. 21:35

[@caiz1411]

Well I have bought the same one and it because you have the game and low pass phase settings wrong

[@Mekkablood]

Man I just bought a subwoofer to go with my Revel m16's then you release this.... good thing I bought the infinity r12 :) Was only $170, love it.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Good choice!

[@powerguymark]

I appreciate the fact that you tried to actually collect data unlike most reviewers on KZbin. Thank you for that. I also agree that one should pay attention to the linearity looking for extreme peaks and valleys. Having said that these are BUDGET subwoofers. MEANING: people looking at this price point are trying to use them for both music AND movies in most cases. I'm not sure linearity should be the end all- be all. If this was strictly for a music application I would say yes, but since this is a budget subwoofer review, I'm assuming anyone in this price range is also straddling the fence wanting a system to work well for music AND home theater use. The curves that you chose as being the most linear appear to be the ones that also are lacking the most in the low end by several DB! That's going to suck when you're watching movies. Ironically, the subwoofer that you kept throwing out ( BIC America F12) showed pretty decent testing according to your tests and also extended MUCH further and deeper for more enjoyable low-end music and movies. I'm not sure why you had such bias against the BIC America F12, but it appears to me that on the low end it outperformed your top top picks by several DB. Maybe I missed something... I mean I did try to freeze the video and look at the data. Right now, the BIC America F12 can be purchased on Amazon for $250 And it has a peak output of 450w! That's going to be thunderous and very pleasing when watching movies. Rather than buy single $500 to $700 SVS subwoofer, I would buy a pair of these for $500 and have lower extending bass for both movies and music. I welcome a rebuttal. Anyway, thank you for the review.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I provided the results in a table, linked in the description. Per the results: @16Hz - Bic was tied for 3rd most output (Infinity and Jamo were 1st/3rd, Dayton was tied for 3rd) @20Hz - Bic was 4th @25Hz - Bic/Dayton/Jamo were all within a few tenths of a dB The Bic then picks up.... but is non-linear and more peaky in response. So, as I said, the other speakers I would recommend are more linear and have more output on the low end. Cheers!

[@Youthman]

#dontbethatguy :) Great shootout Erin. No one buy you knows just how much time you spent to make a video like this possible. Great job making the data easy to understand.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks, (youth)man. I appreciate that.

[@LuisRendonAudio]

It's great, very informative.

[@bigharm1204]

Thanks for what you do, Really enjoy your videos. I Have 2 of the Klipsch R-12SWI love them work great zero issues (they are not the ones available at Costco! But not quite the SPL's) they have built in wireless that works great and Detachable power cable. I dont use the wireless in my new HT room, mostly because of where I have them in the front corners now and because I use mogami W2497 interconnects for everything RCA and they sound great, specially for the price. They do feel a little bass boosted when using the wireless. When I was younger I kind of liked it but now I prefer it a little tighter and cleaner. Gotta them brand new for about a 170 bucks a piece shipping and all And I have been really happy with them. There are better, I own better but then again they do cost about 10 times as much.

[@dougbulldog9947]

Great shootout, I'm impressed with the matching infinity Reference 152 Bookshelf speakers, in my bedroom set up.

[@samwads.]

The Jamo does have auto stand-by, btw. After 15 minutes of inactivity, it goes into stand-by.

[@dieselphiend]

I have an Bic America F12 that's been running for like ten years. I've really enjoyed it, though my experience with subs is minimal.

[@christopherrios9252]

I have a Dayton audio 1500, that thing booms the whole house. great video I enjoyed it !

[@holmessph7]

From a stand point of used pricing, almost no body on the planet has heard of BIC I feel like. If you own a DSP (I do) the BIC subs you can get used for dirt cheap because it doesn't have a recognized brand. Two of these behind a DSP to give it a perfect curve for your room gives you a ridiculously cheap cost for what you're getting. For people who just want to buy a single sub and throw it into a corner somewhere, it's not the right sub. Great testing.

[@maheeinfy13]

Thanks for confirming with data why for years i felt Dayton sub1200 was underwhelming but similarly priced Infinity R12 impressed me. R12 performs similar to Klipsch R112sw which is $300 on sale

[@alphacapo]

I've had an 8 inch jamo sw1008 cinema sub in my bedroom closet running at about 1-3rd volume for 20 yrs. With a outlaw 1050 No problems atall. That jamo actually is great sub I think I paid 180 for it. I'd buy another jamo sub in a heartbeat

[@justinbeamon6624]

I would say for the budget range the Bic-F12 is the king. No port chuffing at all like the Klipsch and delivers all 150 watts rms with authority. Definitely needs EQ, it likes to peak a lot but once you control it it's a fantastic option. Still waiting for in depth review of the PL-300 by Bic.

[@joshuaoflaherty371]

Notable mention to BIC v1020 and v1220. Ive seen them almost new or new for 70-100$ and they sound similar to the f12

[@glengatt3941]

You pay wow you really love this hobby that is legit,I got 2 of the klipsh r 120sw I hear that they are basically the same the r 12 SW and the r 120 sw , money wise where I live everything expensive the klipsh is 450€ each I wish the prices are everywhere more or less the same

[@steveschwartz9421]

Fyi, the B.I.C. driver is a metal "looking" driver, It's actually a synthetic plastic (PP, PP/Mica) injection molded driver. Additionally, passive radiators are essentially the same as a ported box; they are both considered a “vented” design. As for the finishes, a veneer is anything that is laid over or pressed/glued to the surface of another. In these instances, most are either vinyl-wrap or a thin layer of real wood, painted or stained. These “veneers” are usually bonded to an MDF/Plywood/Particle board substrate which allows for the aesthetics of real wood with the sonic benefits and MUCH lower cost of the engineered substrate. Anodizing is strictly a treatment applied to (most often) aluminum, but always metal, not wood. ;)

[@dustinstelly6518]

I found a Yamaha subwoofer at a thrift store for $15 and it's sounded great for like a decade for me.

[@rennoc_88]

I got it at Costco for $170 and it works great! I have some videos on it playing lows. It can move my windows at 21hz although I do have a small room. It gets loud and low.

[@Audiomainia2310]

Great breakdown - I bought the Klipsh R12S sub from Costco at $149.99 / returned it the following day. They port chuffing was horrendous, and a noticeable hum from the built in amp - junk.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks for the info!

[@crazebane4394]

Damn is it really that bad. I was gonna order it for that same price 😔

[@Audiomainia2310]

@@crazebane4394 It really is that bad. Nasty port chuffing. And mine was brand new. A classic example of " your get what you pay for".

[@buffallopete]

@@Audiomainia2310 IDK man I have both Klipsch R12SW and R10SW. They slam pretty hard and tight with zero port noises . The R12SW goes really low. Maybe you had a bad luck run?

[@Audiomainia2310]

Its possible, but I went with an RSL Speedwoofer 10S and couldn't be happier. Cost more, but for sound and power output it was well worth the investment. Glad to hear you're happy with yours / that's what counts brother!

[@tomlees7477]

Can't wait to get the Infinity R12. Everywhere else are out of stock beside Amazon and it's not not really on sale for $249.

[@f1shb0n3d]

Thanks for your great work on this, it would be very beneficial for the community! Feeling good about getting 4x Infinity R12 for my home theater :) Now that R12 is the "winner", would you consider testing how it performs stock vs stuffed port in a separate video? I think it would be very interesting to see if FR linearity is hurt much and how much dB of output is lost with a stuffed port, essentially converted to sealed sub. When putting 4 subs in corners these rear ports are too close to the wall to be doing any good I think and with 4 subs you get plenty of output overall to be able to afford some dB loss from stuffing.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

If I have time I’ll try. But I’m so swamped with stuff (personal and hobby) that I can’t make any promises.

[@juswalte]

Ah man, you spoiled the video for me. I read this before watching hah. Glad to know the sub i bought already was the winner!

[@Roof_Pizza]

I'd rather 2 better ones myself.

[@f1shb0n3d]

@@Roof_Pizza Which 2 would you buy for $340 each (same price) and have better result than 4 R12s?

[@matsudakodo]

I don't recommend trying to "convert" a ported sub to sealed by stuffing the ports. Just turn the subs so the drivers are near the wall for the best response and keep a few inches of space for the port.

[@victormuriel7266]

Great video, loved the pink hair and the song when you said "from the windows..." hahaha. Cheers from Mexico 🇲🇽

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

haha. You're the only one who has noticed the song so far! :D

[@InfamazDre]

Thanks man I bought the white Jamo its on sale for $165 before tax on Amazon today!

[@dancontreras3628]

Glad to hear this. I have two of the infinity r12s in my system.

[@Luminated67]

Without hearing them purely based on the data I would have went with the Jamo, it’s more linear which should make for the more musical…. in theory. LOL

[@colbylaro9361]

Those are some good descriptive words..especially, "I feel firmly"

[@VGiena]

Finally, been waiting for the results. Thanks erin going to pick up one of the winners using the link. Support erin use the links !

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks for the support!

[@richgirl5625]

thank you i bought the jamo c912 sub based on the video review and i am satisfied, i covered the bass port with cotton socks as i dont want boomy bass

[@joeyxln2583]

infinity r12 replaced my svs sb13 and a pb2000. Neither of those subs could handle low volume. I had an R12 in the closet that I bought as a floor model for 75 bucks and it sat in the closet for years. After never finding the right settings with the SVS models and constantly fucking around with it for years, one day I said okay let's try this shitty 75 dollar sub I got and see what happens. Was blown away. It's been in the set up now for 4 years. Haven't had to fiddle with it once.

[@xKMA371x]

Just wanna say!. I run 3 klipsch Spl120 subwoofers. Not bad- But they do sound good for being almost 2yrs old...Have listened to lots of people saying that some klipsch amps have issues...With my subs no problem s yet!.

[@rynev3392]

I imagine if someone bought 2 or 4 of one of those subwoofers and using a miniDSP to correct the frequency response would have a decent sounding system

[@michaelcoakley3139]

Great video I have two hsu vtf-3 but want to even put the response around my seating and two infinity “end tables” might be the ticket

[@foreverendeavors6210]

I have some infinity "entra ones" from 15-20 years ago, they have preformed great for me, besting many other larger speakers I have had than gotten rid of, they are only bookshelf speakers, however the sound quality has just been solid! Finally the tweeters failed, so I installed some klipsch horns on top, and have been impressed with the performance and longevity, I know, the tweeters failed, however I have been running these speakers hard for a very long time, they have been my mids and highs along side 3 10" kicker subs, they were all new around the same time, and i have had to replace the surround on the kickers, I am impressed with these infinity speakers..

[@baronvonlimbourgh1716]

Infinity always was quality stuff.

[@hometheaterjoe9489]

How does my guy Erin NOT have a million subs??!! Love your work sir, BOOM

[@Fvission]

Glad I picked up 2 infinity's for my garage setup while they were on sale! They sound pretty good even while comparing to my Rythmiks!

[@AUClay]

I just subscribed after watching a review you did on the SVS SB-2000 Pro and SB-3000. Amazing review that literally made my decision.

[@dennisbohner6876]

I bought a Speedwoofer, it has superior speed but doesn't do deep. It was installed in the front. I bought a SVS 12" to whack the bottom, it went into a back corner. Neither motor bogs down doing what they would do badly and both can achieve what they are designed to do well. This was done by ME for ME and NO ONE has suggested this solution to ME. Heck, it even works aesthetically in my POV. If you have the ability to discern bass notes with great fidelity, you may find this unsuitable and you'll need a pair of identical bottom dwellers.

[@darling7595]

How would the monoprice budget 12 inch land on the list, would it compete with the infinity?, considering the drastic price different, would it compare with the jamo, that's a more even comparison.

[@shaolin95]

Same question I have

[@pgamez4077]

Your videos are very informational. budget stuff is fun to explore

[@TylerStout]

Good review(s)! Jamo being good definitely surprised me although with them being owned by Klipsch you wonder if the amp would have the same fate. Appreciate the work that went into this.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Thanks for watching. :)

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Infinity SUB R12: shop-links.co/chJC92yN2q2 Jamo C912: shop-links.co/chJC92AqjBY Dayton SUB 1200: bit.ly/3Cn8jNr Bic F-12: bit.ly/3Gttr7e Klipsch R-12SW: shop-links.co/chJC92qytcj OSD Trevoce12DSP: amzn.to/3BgXgUJ (above links are affiliate links which helps me earn a small commission at no additional cost to you)

[@AZRob.]

The Monoprice SW-12 just went on sale for $189.99 and that's the 400 watt one, not the cheapie 150 watt sub. Excellent reviews, thank you for helping me build my system! Cheers!

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

It was on my list to order but they were out of stock forever. Literally got an in-stock notification Friday and I had already created my video. Oh well. Plus, I’m tapped out on money after this. I need time to recover my losses.

[@yournightmare9999]

Yeah and now you can buy Monoprice 15" SW-15 600 Watt RMS 800 Watt Peak 25-30hz for $239

[@AZRob.]

@@yournightmare9999 I saw!

[@mikedinno8413]

The SW-12 is now Wirecutter's best budget subwoofer.

[@AZRob.]

@@mikedinno8413 I ended up with the Monolith M-12 V2 12in THX Ultra, it's a beast!

[@jb8097]

Gracias! Me encanta tu vídeo, recientemente compré un r 10sw de Klipsch, me parece bueno, pero ahora que leo los comentarios, creo que hay otras opciones también buenas o mejores, advierto que el uso de subwoofer es más en música.

[@SilenceMaz]

Yo estoy viendo comparativas, pros y contras de subwoofers de 12" porque deseo adquirir uno que sea realmente bueno, aun no me decido si Klipsh R12SW o BIC F12, solo los quiero para musica en mi cochera

[@PeteBasel]

Nice work again Erin. I'd be very curious to know where each of these are tuned in the bass. HSU used the phrase "True Subwoofer" way back when they got in the business meaning that if you are going to call it a subwoofer it should at least do 30 Hz or even 20 Hz well. They were usually tuned below 25 Hz because the vent significantly increases MAX SPL by decreasing driver excursion. Note that the Jamo has significantly lower output as compared to the others below 30 Hz. I consider 28 Hz as a good lower target for typical music, not including organ or synth, and given the increase in audibility threshold for humans with decreasing frequency we have to consider if the sub can produce enough output to make 28 Hz a reasonable target. These are big subs so they should all do it with authority. Getting to 20 Hz and below for organ, synth, HT effects, etc. is much more difficult due to the increase in required volume displacement combined with increasing human threshold of hearing at the listening position.

[@docwho10th88]

I have the 15 HSU's and these are entry level mid bass drivers compared to the large box heavy hitters.

[@TwistedAudio]

The pintbf 30 hz or belw is to feeeeeel the bass man its all part f the fun "experience" James been making massive subs and 3 ways and 400w 15" 3 ways as big as your washing machine, gd time use had with many an house party with a couple 365's and a couple cerwin vegas decks and some jungle techno rattling the building. Bout 94 that was, pure awesomeness. I was 13 yrs old n off me nut "shhhh😃🔉

[@JoshM7]

Not surprising with the Dayton. Even the SUB1500 I had was bad with low bass. (Rolls off too early) The finish on my friends SUB1200 I wasn't sure if he just abused it or what. But looks like it's just bad if it's peeling off from that level of handling you did in this video. I'm a sucker for Dayton Audio stuff. But those are just not great subs. If their frequency response claimed 30Hz as the low end extension I'd be less harsh on them. But 25Hz is not happening. (SUB1500 claims 23Hz but I'd say closer to 28-30Hz would be better marketing) Thanks for what you do! Been anticipating this video for a while.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Yea, I was kind of disappointed at that but you get a lot for the money.

[@tetradkepler3091]

Can anyone, including Erin, explain the key difference, besides the price difference of course, between the budget 12"'s and regular 12"s. e.g., SVS-SB1000 pro and Monolith 12" THX. I found that the regular 12"s has flat frequencey repsonse down to 25Hz, whereas all the budget subwoofers do not. Why? Are drive motors substantially different between the two classes? or presence/absence of a parametric equalizer? Thanks a lot for info, in advance.

[@yournightmare9999]

Now you can buy monoprice Monoprice 15" SW-15 600 Watt RMS 800 Watt Peak 25-30hz for $239-299 Or BIC Acoustech Elite Series PL-300 12" 15hz for $399-469

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Go figure, right? Dang thing came in stock the Friday after I started shooting this video.

[@GatesRapes]

I bought the Bic Actoustech, it's just ok

[@jamiemiller106]

Taj frame gets a follow......bmxer for life.......love audio stuff as well

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Awesome! Psyched someone recognized it. It’s signed by Mat and I’m sending it to Taj to get him to sign it hopefully soon. 👍👍👍

[@Fossillarson]

Love my R12sw ! With two r51 bookshelf and smaller 2 woofer 5" reference center I wanting to add a r100sw to it get that 10" punch and also adding r28pf towers soon also so 4 more 8" woofers pushing air definitely keep wife pist off 4 doors away lol

[@stopthefomo]

So in your own home theater room, given a $2300 budget: four R12 subs or one SVS PB4000 (or equivalent)?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I’d have to look up the numbers because I’m not familiar with the PB4000. But I’d almost always default to multiple subwoofers. Especially when you’re talking about 4 of them.

[@nate1829]

I'd say one fantastic quality subwoofer is miles better than four subpar r12s. Maybe consider getting two SVS PB2000S or two PB3000s. Otherwise one pb4000 should be fine.

[@MrChompenstein]

Four R12 vs one SVS PB4000 isn't even the comparison to make . . . the benefits of multi-sub are not restricted to 4 subs. The diminishing returns of multi-sub are a result of it being so effective at evening out the frequency response, the other part of this that doesn't diminish is the gain in SPL from more subs. For the same $2300 you can actually have (12) R12 subs AND a 2x4 miniDSP for 4 zones of equalization. With the amount of excess excursion and power from 12 units, you can EQ in more low-low bass. Size/space restrictions is the problem here BUT for the same money, (12) R12 wont just easily beat a single PB4000, it will embarrass it.

[@Audiomainia2310]

Budget / room size are the two key factors. More importantly, room size.

[@T4ish0]

R12 at the regular price of $500 is underwhelming and stomped in performance by Monoprice 10" THX Select. I wouldn't recommend a single sub though because it will be hard to get an even moderately flat frequency response.

[@steveschwartz9421]

Fyi, the B.I.C. driver is an aluminum "look", It's actually a synthetic plastic (PP) injection molded driver.

[@johnryan6658]

I'm starting to question any Klipsch product with an amplifier in it. They seem sketchy.

[@WarrenGaum]

I subscribed. Thanks for the video. Hope you reach 1 million subscribers 👍😁

[@acche-rc]

😊 the monoprice budget is not too shabby! 🎉

[@NemoPropaganda]

One of my subscribers sent me, cool vid, I think I'm gonna check out the Jamo for shits and giggles! Might fuck around and change the port tuning just for fun.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I'm not sure I see a need to alter what they provide but in-room results may benefit depending on room modes relative to the tuning frequency.

[@NemoPropaganda]

@@ErinsAudioCorner Yeah I hear ya, then again I don't see a need for any of this audio stuff lol

[@tjkadar]

Klipsch Killer should be your new nickname for Halloween.

[@Night_Watch413]

Awesome work! Im going to wait and upgrade my 8inch monoprice subs for the dual infinity 12s! When they go back on sale

[@jamesjenkins1909]

I been lucky to find 2 triad 600 dsp subwoofer rack amps i like to use in DIY subs. What size of sub would you suggest and would you have anything for sell rhat those amps can handle cheap as possible?!. I also have 2 of the 350 dsp rack amps from triad but i modded them with my DefTec 7004s and definitely sounds better then their backed in filters on those plates.

[@irchbarney7520]

I've wondered this for years: Why did speaker makers switch from cardboard woofers to the different plastics like polyurethane and such, and which is better? Thanks 😁

[@TwistedAudio]

Pro audio speaker company's and cabinet builders and speaker companies all use paper pulp or pressed paper pulp or non pressed paper pulp "cardboard?!" Not cardboard but it is and has allways been the best material for making speaker cones with. Any other material used is purely aesthetics and a marketing gimmic ourely based on what it looks like in your room gloss finnish bad ass black aluminium sub with a phat high roll surround and ish loads of pre loaded dsp settings. And if anyone tells you otherwise is lieing to you or does not care to help pointbyou in the right direction and help you research and enlighten yourself. Hope that helps and keep it turned up.🔉

[@number1pappy]

It's unfortunate Klipsch has not addressed and fixed the problem with its amplifier blowing in the 12 inch sub. What's the point of a discount sub if the amp is garbage?

[@aitchr8770]

So what were you covering you the front of the OSD Travoche? Looked like damage?

[@mikedinno8413]

Emotiva SE12 should be in another budget shootout if it's ever done again.

[@fredbloggs4829]

You should add affiliate links for UK buyers too - just to help the channel a little more. Great reviews BTW.

[@TT-df9hp]

Some of these are not available in the UK and if they are, they're overpriced compared to the US.

[@sandyearllarsen2820]

Absolutely well done mate. Very clear well presented videos that you do are really appreciated. Cheers

[@NickkaDUB]

What’s your recommendation for the $500-$1000 range?

[@osutx427]

I purchased the jamo c912 based on your recommendation. What are your thoughts on the Dayton DSP-LF for this sub?

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

I’m not familiar with the Dayton. I did look it up real quick and it looks like a nice tool to have.

[@at89c205124pi]

Thank you very much for the nice review. I was waiting for this video for weeks :)

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad it was helpful!

[@volkiruski1221]

I want to buy a new another bigger subwoofer, so I watch your video too, Thank you, ok, lets gooooooo!!

[@FoxAlky]

Yamo c912 have 75watt or 200watt rms, because jamo shop says 75 watt rms other shop says 200watt. Yamo j12 will be stronger than c912 or not?

[@SmoochieMcgoo]

Switch that Flip!

[@grewk2518]

yesss been waiting for this

[@joeyrdz1]

Erin what do you think of the ELAC SUB1225? Considering that sub or the Klipsch R-100SW or R-120SW

[@brentwhipple7578]

curious where the monolith 12" budget sub would stack up against these, appears the R12 is discontinued sadly

[@ro63rto]

I have an old but perfectly adequate (except sub) Sony HTK-215 surround sound system for the bedroom. It has an active SA-WMS215 50watt RMS Subwoofer which is ok at low volumes but lacks when I crank it up a bit. I want to replace it with a better active one but it's connected by a single RCA lead. What units do you suggest I look at ?

[@joecox9958]

nice but most are sold out, do you have a updated video thanks a lot!

[@Simon_Hawkshaw]

Thank you again so much for this helpful, in-depth review. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated.

[@-Good4Y0u]

was the monoprice 12 renamed to (or replaced by) the Monoprice 12 Inch 150 Watt (109723) (from the sheet)

[@unbiased2023]

I decided to buy a polk audio PSW12 what is you opinion

[@dhruvmeena96]

9:55 and ma bro erin looking legend with Pink hair

[@ZackCrain]

SVS has some compelling options, curious how they stack up

[@wallycunningham5090]

Great video! On a side note, you actually listen to people and take action from that and understand science; can you become a politician?

[@Mjaybird]

Don’t know if you said this but do you set each sub the same way in the receiver like LFE 120 and -3? What do you put the gain as?

[@evilmonstertruck]

I just wish the infinity had speaker level inputs

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

You're not alone with that wish.

[@user-fs4fd3gv3r]

Great video. You should review a BK electronics subwoofer. Budget price and great value for money

[@andronicus1949]

Great job, I've been waiting for this video to come out. Thanks

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Glad you liked it!

[@T4ish0]

Thanks for the test, finally a good budget choice for Europeans (Jamo c912, about 300 euro). Frankly, it makes the decision even harder. Otherwise, I would be forced to stretch my budget and buy 2x Monoprice 10" THX Select. The difference is there in the measurements, but do I really need it for a 20m^2 room?

[@skip741x3]

Really enjoyed this comparison! If I may suggest, showing the back plates of the amps as you did but zooming in more so the voltage and current draw ratings could be clearly seen...from what I could tell, some subs left off the current and or watts used while some others varied from only 100 watts actual to 300 watts draw..thats a hell of a difference and shows the real power of the amp available vs manufacturers inflated claims.. ..this would be Very helpful and I hope you include closeups of these plate ratings in the future... I was hoping to see the polk PSW505 12" as these are real 300watt rms amps that do strongly in the 30hz region...Curious to see how they did at lower freqs on ur graph..they are also cheap and have around 3500 ratings on amazon... maybe next time...

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Noted on the zooming request. The Polk PSW505 is $499. Way outside the realm of what I was testing here.

[@skip741x3]

@@ErinsAudioCorner The polk psw505 is Really expensive at the moment, but it Does go on sale on amazon ,bestbuy and newegg as low as 179.00...well at least it Used to! LOL That said, a recent check of amazon showed about 450 and newegg at 750! im shocked at the price increase!

[@mohammedisaa9952]

Price increase 🤬..... all manufacturers are jumping on the ×2 bandwagon...... they are seriously taking the p1ss.... Ok.... we wont buy, and we hold onto our money untill they come to their senses...... Wonder how their "business models" are doing with no income?......

[@HH5604]

Great vídeo! Greetins from Brazil.

[@ColocasiaCorm]

Erin what about dynamic compression measurements for subs?

[@alikanarya7505]

Thanks a lot for a wonderful review Erin. Could you have a chance to experince Polk's new XT12? Since it is new I couldnt find any review. I am a about to replace my dead sub, I am looking for a budget one and this one is in my list. The other candidates available in my country are Elacs Debut S10.2 & Polk PSW40. These are chepaer here, almost half of XT12. Looking for your comments. Thanks.

[@joesabato9736]

Good collection to review. FYI, HARMAN and JBL constantly rotate what is on sale on their sites, so perspective buyers should be patient and check constantly if they want the Infinity. Are you going to add these results to your master spreadsheet for subwoofers ( 2010 testing) It would be nice to have a master list with every sub on it.

[@ErinsAudioCorner]

Yep! It’s on the list. I just have to make it public again (had it set to private while I was adding these).