Klipsch Subwoofer 12

Review by Douglas Olson : This is really a 12 inch subwoofer!!!

In spite of Amazon listing this as a 10" subwoofer, this is really a BIC America model V1220 12" subwoofer. It is only apparent by the 23180 hz in the product specs at the bottom. The range of the speaker is a satisfyingly low 23 hz to 180 hz. When working this is a great speaker. When not working the manufacturer's support is wonderful. The hotline is a direct line to a live technician who actually works in Ohio and not India. This is the reason that even though I had to send the amp back for warranty service I still give them 5 stars.

Review by C. Slocum : Best bang for your buck!

I'm amazed at the sound quality this sub has for its price point. Many reviews talk about the break in time, but this thing sounds amazing right out the of the box, blows away any home theater in a box subs, let alone most home subs I've heard. I have mine set at 3/4 volume, my room is 15x30, and it still rocks the whole house. I haven't heard any bad sounds come from the sub, and I've given it plenty of test tracks and movies. I also have BIC America ceiling speakers so I'm a believer!

Review by S. Schwalm : Better for home theater than music

In the past I've mostly used my stereo for listening to two channel music. I like a variety of types of music, but I am not particularly enamored of rap nor do I frequently want to create the feel of a nightclub in my home. For general music listening, I've always believed a good pair of mains to be superior to small mains + subwoofer (I still do), so I've never previously bothered with a sub. However, I got to playing around with the idea of extending my stereo to home theater last year and couldn't resist.I purchased the BIC V1220 without auditioning it based on the many positive reviews I'd read and the fact that it was relatively inexpensive for a 12" subwoofer. I'm pretty happy with it, in part because I didn't want much from it. I have it crossed over at the amplifier at 60Hz, and at that frequency it blends well with my mains (a pair of Kef 104/2) for music and adds significant rumble to movies. It's terrific fun when watching an action movie, and adds just a little bit of thump to the percussion when listening to music.That said, when I move the crossover up to 80Hz, which is popular for many systems, I find the bass to be noticeably distorted compared to my mains when sampling a variety of bass heavy music (organ, percussion, etc.). Therefore, I do not recommend this subwoofer if you are looking to mate it with mains that can't dependably carry the weight to 60Hz (almost no bookshelf speakers can), although you may be satisfied with such a system if it will not be used primarily for music listening. I also don't recommend it to anyone living in a wood frame building with shared walls, floors or ceilings - that's just not neighborly!A couple other details to consider. First, as has been commented on previously, the only feet provided are sort of plastic carpet spikes and might be awkward on a wood floor. Also, the finish is kind of a charcoal gray, so it doesn't blend perfectly with typical "black ash" gear, in case that is important to you.Pros: Price, power, excellent explosionsCons: Limited range for critical listening

Review by JLD "stereo junkie" : Great low tone, great low price...

Pros: 1) very low freq. response 2) adjustable cross 3) multiple input options Cons: 1) a bit large Personally I'd toss out a piece of furniture to get this sound, and so the "con" is for those who want a compact design. I could care less about its size, just give me that tone!! A month before I purchased this unit, I bought 4 Alesis M1 Mk2s'. They have a low freq. cut-off around 50hz. The adjustable cross on the sub was important, and blends it perfectly into the sound of my system. Love it!! By the way, this is NOT a 10" sub, it's the 12" model... Very happy, JLD

Review by M. Smith : Does its job without drawing attention to itself

The BIC V1220 is a 12" powered subwoofer that adds a solid low end to music and home video setups without making the sound heavy or boomy. My main speakers, a pair of restored Dyanco A-25s, have very smooth bass and go down to about 60 Hz. I was looking for a subwoofer that would fill in the lowest frequencies without muddying the sound of the A-25s. The V1220 does so nicely. The BIC subwoofer adds impact to movie sound effects -- even unexpected things like when Dorothy's house falls into Munchkin Land have a surprising impact, while the earthquake at the beginning of "Lora Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life" rattles my windows. All in all, movie sound effects are handled well. Movies aside, the subwoofer also does very well with music recordings. The string bass on Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" (from Time Out) has a solid impact when first plucked, yet the twang of the vibrating string is not obscured by boominess. The big bass drum at the end of Telarc's recording of "The Firebird Suite" rattles my windows as much as Lora Croft's earthquake. As a bonus, the fact that the subwoofer is not in the same location as the main speakers seems to smooth out the bass response of my listening room. With the subwoofer in the center of the front wall, a Radio Shack sound level meter shows the subwoofer has useful response down to 31 Hz (it would go somewhat lower if the speaker was in a corner). 31 Hz may not seem very low, but is actually good response for a real speaker in a real room -- as opposed to ideal test conditions, though pipe organ enthusiasts may want to look elsewhere. Setup is quite flexible, with continuously-variable adjustments for volume level and crossover point (40-180 Hz), a two position switch for phase, and a switch for Dolby 5.1 or Dolby Prologic receivers. There are both line level and speaker level inputs. The setup instructions are clear and should give good results if followed closely. The V1220 is relatively large (18 1/2 X 17 x 14 inches) and weighs 41 pounds, so this is not a shoebox you can hide under a piece of furniture. The tradeoff in size is very smooth and powerful bass. The speaker is finished in black wood grain laminate, and seems well-made. The bass port is on the side, so the speaker can be positioned against a wall without obstructing the vent. Another reviewer was concerned that the spike feet might damage floors. I have hardwood floors and agree that the spikes, though rounded, could do damage if dragged over floors. I positioned the speaker first, then gently lowered it without dragging. The BIC V1220 does everything I wanted: impact on movie sound effects, plus a solid non-boomy low bass with music recordings. The subwoofer does its job without drawing attention to itself -- it's there when it's needed, and not there when it's not needed. At just over $200, it's a bargain.

Review by L. Jones : Good sub at a great price.

I bought this sub to replace a JBL PB12 so I wanted something quality. The PB12 lasted at least 7 years so I expect this one to do the same. So far so good. It is a compact 12 inch sub which is good for space reasons but it does not skimp on the sound. It is down-firing which usually I have found, gives you more bass punch. It has all the hookups that you want from speaker wire to LFE sub in which means no matter what level of setup it will work. Not too crazy about the finish (it is like a pale ash veneer) but that is about it. It does rock if you turn it up: good deep bass with depth but not as "boomy" as the PB12 it replaces. The speaker has a polypropylene woofer cone which is usually a sign of quality for most sub-woofers since it translates to minimal cone flex (shortens cone life) and maximum sound output. Just plug it in and you're ready to go. The PB12 amp/electronics was (from what I read) poorly designed by some company that longer exists which is why it just dies on you. This sub electronics is made by a very reputable company that has been around a long time. What is not to like?

Review by dsrussell "greyhater" : Impressive for its size and price.

Note: Believe it or not, I've cut this review almost in half (I'm long winded, especially when it concerns audio). There is an excellent article on subs (and dead zones) that explains these issues much better than I: [...] This is the first subwoofer I have owned (it was a Christmas gift from my son), so I'm not what you'd call an expert on this particular subject. However, I've owned high-end audio equipment since the 70s, and I try to keep informed. I admit that I was very hesitant about an inexpensive subwoofer. How can a sub at this price be anything but trouble, or worse yet, a headache? I do not like (actually, I despise) boomy, muddy or distorted bass. Now that I've gotten the basics out of the way, let's talk about BIC and this subwoofer ... and there is a lot to talk about. BIC America (formerly known as British Industry Corporation) has been around since the 60s, first as audio distributors, then began designing and manufacturing speaker systems in the early 70s. Matter-of-fact, I remember when BIC's first speaker systems hit the market. They were known for solid sound on a fairly tight budget back then, and apparently that may be the case today. My BIC V-1220, although designed in the U.S.A., was built in China (there is no escape...). It is an 8 ohm, 12-inch down-firing design that is rated from 23 Hz to 180 Hz (but no plus/minus dB range was given). The 23 Hz spec came as a big surprise, but omitting the dB range left me suspicious. It comes with a 200 watt RMS continuous power BASH-designed amplifier (430 watt RMS peaks). This too was a big and very pleasant surprise, especially for a sub in this price range. The fit and finish (it's darker than what is pictured, at least mine is) is certainly good, but not exceptional (there are many subs with beautiful cabinetry work and wood finishes, which obviously ups the price accordingly). I consider the enclosure size on this model about medium sized or a bit below. It weighs in at just over 40 pounds, which makes it fairly easy to handle. It comes with coned feet to help isolate the sub and keep vibrations at a minimum when placed on hardwood floors. This sub is not magnetically shielded, so it's a good idea to keep it a foot or two away from your TV. Besides this 12-inch model, BIC also has 8, 10 and 15-inch models in the V-series line, and all have what BIC designs and calls a "Venturi" vent (eliminates port noise). BIC warranties these speakers for 7 years (2 years on the amplifier). I found the manual (that covers the 8, 10 and 12-inch versions) to be clear and concise and their customer service responsive (they immediately answered all my email queries). The V-series comes with a fairly wide range of inputs and controls. There is an RCA sub input port. This is what I and most people will use with a receiver's sub output port (often referred to as an LFE or Low Frequency Effects port). There are also speaker wire connections (often referred to as high level inputs) to connect from one's receiver and out to one's front speakers (for those that may have older receivers without a sub output port). There is a volume or gain control as well as an adjustable variable crossover control (from 40 Hz to 180 Hz). It comes with an "off", "auto" (automatic signal sensing), "on" toggle switch (I use auto signal sensing mode). There is a two-position toggle switch for one's receiver type (Dolby Pro-Logic or Dolby Digital/DTS 5.1, 6.1, 7.1). Also included is a simplistic two-position Phase Control switch ("0" or in phase or 180-degrees out of phase). One may need to use this depending upon speaker and sub placement, as well as crossover overlap. Have someone toggle between the two settings as you listen. So how does the BIC V-1220 sound and feel? First realize that speaker selection is highly and personally subjective, far more so than any other component or piece of electronics. And what I like and you like can be quite different (which is why I don't like recommending speaker systems, that and my audiophile days are behind me). What I'm saying is, audition any speaker system (if you can) before buying. You also need to realize that this sub requires a break-in period (suggested by owners to be around 40 to 60 hours) because of the butyl rubber in its surround construction (butyl rubber, while very flexible and more resistant to aging and weathering than other materials, is obviously heavier and denser than the foam used in many surrounds). I was surprised that BIC does not mention a break-in period, but anyone owning a BIC speaker system will tell you not to judge it until you've used it for several weeks or more (I've owned this sub for over a month now). Once I went through the break-in period (which took a little over two weeks), and once I experimented with the location (and dead zones), the gain and crossover (which took another week or so of tweaking and futzing around), this sub began to really perform. The LFE contained in movies came alive. Thunder was thunderous and, more importantly, there was no muddying, no booming or tubbiness, nor did it bottom out. It took awhile, but this subwoofer began putting a smile on my face. Better yet, it seems to be getting a little better as the weeks pass (I was told this would happen, and would continue to happen for several months ... we shall see). As of right now, I find the BIC V-1220 fills most (there are dead zones) of my average size, open-ended room (12 x 15 feet with a 10-foot high ceiling) with solid, tight low frequency sound, and offers some serious impact that one can readily feel. Thankfully, I also find this sub musical (it's not just for listening to LFE content in movies). I was especially impressed with Roger Water's concert dvd, IN THE FLESH. How do I rate it? While I believe this subwoofer is an excellent value (perhaps even exceptional), I'm hard pressed to give it 5 stars. Why? Because I haven't heard the competition (I have listened extensively to my son's 15-inch sub, but that is not a fair comparison) and I'm reluctant to praise it too highly in the blind (although I think I've already done so). What I will give it is an 8 out of 10, or a solid 4-star rating. Make no mistake, this is a serious subwoofer (where the term "sub" actually means something), which is hard to imagine in a sub this size and price level. Am I still suspicious of the 23 Hz rating? Not nearly as much, but I won't pass final judgement until several more months have elapsed. One last note. I haven't talked about the high-end subwoofer market. Just know that many of these great subs would probably smoke this BIC (some are rated FLAT below 18 Hz). But we are talking apples and oranges here. High-end home subwoofers begin at around four or five hundred dollars, average between seven hundred to a thousand dollars, and can even top four thousand dollars (and often weigh sixty, eighty and up to a hundred pounds or more). For instance, take a look at one of the Thiel subwoofers (I believe it's the SS4 with 1,000 watt amplifier rated from 10 Hz to 300 Hz). It has two 15-inch woofers, special circuitry and weighs in at just under 300 lbs (with a price tag of around 9 grand). Like I said, apples and oranges (and the law of diminishing returns)..

Review by Thomas R. Addor "shreiker" : BIC subs ROAR!

Astonishing bass power with clarity and strength to spare. Packaging and support are complete and the setup was simple. The compliment of bass is exquisite for music or home theater applications. Playable very loud and clean, with solid sound reproduction and accuracy. Would definetly buy BIC America products..

Review by Joe : Its OK, but not musical

Bought this for a system for my bedroom where I primarily listen to music. When comparing side by side to previous subwoofers I've bought (Polk PSW505 and PSW125), I'm finding that to get the same performance out of the BIC, I have to have the volume at near full. The other problem I have with the BIC is when listening to songs with deep bass, it distorts in ways that the the other two don't. For home theater this sub is great. The effects are loud and it will shake the windows. But for music if you are looking for tight bass, pass this by and spend the extra 50 -100 dollars for a better sub..

Review by charles nichols : great for the price.

Over the past two years I have been upgrading my parents home theater system for them. This Christmas I decided to finally upgrade their sub. After much research I decided to try out the BIC. This thing blowes their old HTIB sub away. Actually it also destroys my Polk sub as well. Once you tune this to your rooms acoustics you will get plenty of lows with any movie you watch. Gladiator, Cars, Star Trek and Transformers all come alive with this sub. I would highly recommend BIC subs to anyone now. Great price/performance..