SPEAKER SUPPLEMENT: REDLINE
BUILDING THE RIGHT BASS Are you missing out on the most important piece of your audio puzzle? Why does your system fall flat? When it comes to making the most out of your audio budget, bass is (more often than not) an after-thought. In many cases subs are put where they can be fitted and not where they need to be. Surprisingly, many consumers do not really understand the need for bass. They think of bass as loud and annoying. This is a misconception that has evolved over the years. It steers opinion leaving many people with poor sounding, unsatisfying systems that seem impossible to fix. I only wish I had a pound for every time I have heard someone say “Why do I need a subwoofer? I don’t want to play the system loud.” Bass is one the most fundamental parts of audio reproduction for music and media. Bass is the key to unlocking the full potential of your system and is the bedrock of the vast majority of modern program material. Bass is a Chameleon, adding subtle warmth to quiet passages of music while improving mid-range openness and listenability. Bass underpins TV and Film, providing invaluable acoustic information and not just loud bangs and crashes. When specified and deployed correctly, bass gives a breadth of scale, emotion and involvement to audio that just isn’t achievable without the integration of a quality subwoofer. The most obvious problems with having dedicated bass in your system are, of course, the size, and correct location. That big eyesore, sitting in the corner of the room rumbling away does not have to be there. If volume and sound pressure are the name of your game and you simply must have the best
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of the best, Velodyne’s passive SCIW-DVR should be on your short list. Its highly regarded ‘T’ shaped drive unit is capable of delivering the effortless weight that mid-size in room subwoofers are known for, while being housed within a wall/ceiling or within joinery. The only part of the subwoofer that is visible is the small designer grille or slots giving away its location. There are indeed a plethora of industrious options capable of superb results without the big box problem. Subwoofers like the all new Velodyne DB10. This super compact 10” in room subwoofer has a deft of touch, delivering superb timing with speed and subtlety as well as grabbing the room in a vice like grip during your favourite action film. All is this is packed into a 316 x 296 x 348mm cabinet. Artison’s Reactance Cancelling RCC160/320 MK11 subs offer outstanding speed and clarity and feature one of the smallest bass ports on the market. They produce no physical vibration allowing them to be placed in locations that have previously been out of bounds to subs. These units are ideal for media-rooms and multi-room bass support. They have been designed to be used in multiples (up to 8 units driven from a single amplifier) to give an excellent even pressure load. The world-renowned Totem Acoustic throws its hat into the subwoofer ring with the all new ‘Tribe Solution’ Sub. Offering superb timing and musicality from a very svelte, attractive package. At only 115mm deep (cabinet only) this Super slim dual 8in active unit can be stand mounted in room or, when placed on its back using the included rubber feet, slid under pretty much anything. From a bed to a sofa, giving far more placement options than a conventional sub.
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Should you like to keep the much-lauded Totem Acoustic sonic pedigree but would prefer something a little more hidden away, their range of passive in-wall options in either dual 8” or dual 12” could be the perfect complement to your system. Giving stellar sonics while keeping a minimal look and completely removing that in-room Subwoofer box clutter. Obviously if the space and size limitations do not apply to you, we still have a stunning array of in room bass options from World Class suppliers. From the mighty Velodyne DD-18+, capable of delivering bass from the deepest, darkest depths of the frequency spectrum. To the all-new, mini but mighty MicroVee-X. A small powerhouse of bass if there ever was one. Here at Redline we take bass seriously and have a fantastic range of bass solutions to fit all budgets and rooms. Maybe it is time to show bass the respect it deserves. Redline red-line.co.uk
SPEAKER SUPPLEMENT 2021 17
