Subwoofer Reviews

Fathom f212v2: Powered, sealed-box subwoofer. Drive-units: two 12-W7 12" cone woofers with 3.5"-diameter voice-coil and 3" peak–peak excursion. Effective piston area: 168 in3. Magnet weight: not specified. Low-pass filter: variable, 30–130Hz, 12 or 24dB/octave. High-pass filter: not supplied. Inputs: stereo or mono balanced (single XLR connector), stereo or mono unbalanced (single RCA connector). Input modes: Master, Slave. Outputs: single balanced (XLR) to additional subwoofer. Input impedance: 50k ohms (RCA), 100k ohms (XLR). Input sensitivity: 166V for 105dB SPL. Front-panel controls: Power (On/Off/Automatic Signal Sensing); Digital Automatic Room Optimization (Demo/Defeat/Calibrate, with supplied calibration microphone); Level (Reference, Variable); Master Level (variable, full mute to +15dB over reference); lights (on/off/dim); Low-Pass filter (–12dB/–24dB/Off); Extreme Low Frequency (ELF) Trim (variable, –12dB to +3dB at 25Hz); Polarity (0°/180°); Phase (variable, 0–280°, at 80Hz). Amplifier: switching, class-D, 3600W RMS short-term. Frequency response (anechoic): 20–97Hz, ±1.5dB; 19–110Hz, ±3dB; 15–157Hz, ±10dB. Distortion: <6.5% THD at 50Hz, 124dB output at 1m, 0.15V RMS input, Level control set to maximum.
Accessories: included: detachable AC power cable; well-written, well-illustrated 70-page user's manual in English and Spanish on thick, glossy paper; pair of white gloves; sliders to place under speaker.
Dimensions: 31.96" (812mm) H by 14.92" (379mm) W by 20.39" (518mm) D. Effective cabinet volume: 574 in³ (9.4 liters). Weight: 224 lbs (102kg).
Finishes: High Gloss Black.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 000125HB, 000115HB.
Price: $7000.

CR-1 Crossover: Standalone electronic crossover. Frequency range: 30–150Hz, variable; independent high- and low-pass filter frequency controls on front panel. Crossover slopes: 12 or 24dB/octave, Linkwitz-Riley, selectable via front-panel switch. Subwoofer/satellite balance control: ±12dB, fully variable via front-panel knob. Filter Damping controls: Q:0.3–1.4 at 12dB/octave, Q:0.16–4.0 at 24dB/octave; for either slope, Q=0.5 at top dead center "0" mark. Maximum input voltage: 8V RMS (+18dBV). Input impedance: 50k ohms (RCA), 100k ohms (XLR). Maximum output voltage: 8V RMS. Output impedance: 150k ohms unbalanced, 300 ohms balanced. THD+noise: <0.002% at 8V RMS/10k ohms, 20Hz–20kHz, 90kHz bandwidth. Signal/noise: >115dB, ref. rated output voltage. Low-pass frequency response: +0/–1dB, 5Hz to ¼ of filter frequency. High-pass frequency response: +0/–1dB from 4x filter frequency to 80kHz. Power consumption: 30W typical, with or without signal.
Dimensions: 17.4" (441mm) W by 3.8" (97mm) H by 15.67" (398mm) D. Weight: 22 lbs (10kg).
Finish: Brushed aluminum.
Serial number of unit reviewed: 960011000156.
Price: $3000.

Both:
Approximate number of dealers: 200. Warranty: 2 years, parts & labor, nontransferable.
Manufacturer: JL Audio, 10369 N. Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL 33025-3921. Tel: (954) 443-1100. Fax: (954) 443-1111. Web: www.jlaudio.com.