Has WHF stopped reviewing subwoofers?

[Sliced Bread]

Has WHF stopped reviewing subwoofers?
I was looking through the reviews section today and I was surprised to see that the latest stand alone subwoofer review was from March 2013...so that’s 5 years ago.

Is this correct? If so are there any plans to start reviewing them again as subs are an important part of a cinema package.

i see that you do review packages that include subwoofers, but if other magazines are to be believed, these subs are not necessarily the best on market.

thanks

 

[CnoEvil]

It does seem a long time ago that I saw a Sub review....but I'm not sure much changes, in the sense of which Companies make great Subs.

The big difference, is the price increases of the good American brands, like Velodyne.

 

[Sliced Bread]

It does seem a long time ago that I saw a Sub review....but I'm not sure much changes, in the sense of which Companies make great Subs.

The big difference, is the price increases of the good American brands, like Velodyne.

Very true. It’s interesting to see too that very few subs on WHF have a 5 star rating but some of the Velodynes were the exceptions, .but if they’ve had a price hike...

Also there are a few new ones to market so it’ll be interesting to read up on them. Maybe even comparisons of existing ones like pv1d, vs ATC c1, vs Velodyne etc.

 

[CnoEvil]

I really rated the Velodyne SPL1200R....which I thought was better than the Rel Storm 5.

 

[Sliced Bread]

Looks good on paper. I'm a sucker for sealed subs though, so i'm biased.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

HCC still review them - might be worth checking out their website.

 

[Sliced Bread]

HCC still review them - might be worth checking out their website.

Yes that's true.

 

[Joe Cox]

We did discuss doing a few just recently. It's been a long while since we did them in any great number, and we did get bored of always recommending the PV1, but we'll see if we can get a couple in again soon.

 

[davidf]

They might as well wait for the ‘return of the King’ later this year... 😉

 

[Joe Cox]

Go on... 🙂

 

[Deleted member 2457]

We did discuss doing a few just recently. It's been a long while since we did them in any great number, and we did get bored of always recommending the PV1, but we'll see if we can get a couple in again soon.

I never get bored of the PV1 recommendations (proud owner).

 

[davidf]

😀

The problem with subs is that I think you need a subwoofer specialist in the team, someone who knows them inside out, and can accurately measure what they’re doing. I’m not making any assumptions about the WHF team there, but for some sub reviewers out there, it seems to be all they do!

There’s some pretty serious subs out there, which make a PV1 look (sound) like someone knocking on your front door. I appreciate what the PV1 is all about, and B&W have done very well catering for the market it is aimed at, and I know its strengths, but a subwoofer should really be catering for below 30Hz as well. There’s some great subs out there (and some dross), with much of the market filled with boxes designed to visually compliment a speaker range. Many of them aren’t cheap these days though, so maybe that’s one of the factors that have kept WHF away from them? Joe? The serious stuff seems to be £2k-10k nowadays, with the odd trend bucker under £2k.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

We did discuss doing a few just recently. It's been a long while since we did them in any great number, and we did get bored of always recommending the PV1, but we'll see if we can get a couple in again soon.

The new B&W subwoofers would be good reviews to do. For example these ones:

https://www.ortonsaudiovisual.com/index.php/speakers/speakers/subwoofers.html

 

[davidf]

I haven’t heard the new DB range, but the previous DB1 was a great little sub. I say ‘little’ as it’s fairly compact for its performance - not cheap, but a serious sub. I considered a DB1 for my room, and when the new subs were announced, considered a DB4 to save space, but left the B&W dealer I was working for, so that idea was left behind.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I haven’t heard the new DB range, but the previous DB1 was a great little sub. I say ‘little’ as it’s fairly compact for its performance - not cheap, but a serious sub. I considered a DB1 for my room, and when the new subs were announced, considered a DB4 to save space, but left the B&W dealer I was working for, so that idea was left behind.

HCC have reviewed 2 now and both get 5 stars. 1000 Watts they start of at too and go up. I see if the reviews are online.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Nope, I can’t see them online.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

WHF have a news bit on them but they only mention 3 of them I think there is 4:

https://www.whathifi.com/news/updated-bw-db-series-its-most-powerful-range-subwoofers-yet

 

[davidf]

I think there was only three at launch, so they may have added one later.

 

[jjbomber]

WHF have a news bit on them but they only mention 3 of them I think there is 4:

https://www.whathifi.com/news/updated-bw-db-series-its-most-powerful-range-subwoofers-yet

They took years thinking of names and finally came up with DB1D. DB2D, DB3D and DB4S. Presumably the first 3 are for the 800 Diamond series while the 4th is for the 700S series. That might explain the confusion.

 

[Sliced Bread]

We did discuss doing a few just recently. It's been a long while since we did them in any great number, and we did get bored of always recommending the PV1, but we'll see if we can get a couple in again soon.

Hi Joe

that would be great. I think theeews been a few new releases since then so it’d be great to hear your opinions 🙂

 

[Deleted member 2457]

WHF have a news bit on them but they only mention 3 of them I think there is 4:

https://www.whathifi.com/news/updated-bw-db-series-its-most-powerful-range-subwoofers-yet

They took years thinking of names and finally came up with DB1D. DB2D, DB3D and DB4S. Presumably the first 3 are for the 800 Diamond series while the 4th is for the 700S series. That might explain the confusion.

Yep, that’s now the 4 I was talking about. I think the DB4S has to be mentioned even if it’s for a different speaker pacakage.

 

[Sliced Bread]

WHF have a news bit on them but they only mention 3 of them I think there is 4:

https://www.whathifi.com/news/updated-bw-db-series-its-most-powerful-range-subwoofers-yet

They took years thinking of names and finally came up with DB1D. DB2D, DB3D and DB4S. Presumably the first 3 are for the 800 Diamond series while the 4th is for the 700S series. That might explain the confusion.

Yep, that’s now the 4 I was talking about. I think the DB4S has to be mentioned even if it’s for a different speaker pacakage.

I think it's because the subs finishing in "D" have dual drivers, while the sub finishing in "S" has a single driver. This is just an assumption though.

Out of curiosity, has anyone heard a DB4S?

 

[Alantiggger]

Hey when the likes of subs and speaker bars get to cost over a couple of hundred pounds, BELLS SHOULD start a ringing, yer being 'had' ?

 

[davidf]

Hey when the likes of subs and speaker bars get to cost over a couple of hundred pounds, BELLS SHOULD start a ringing, yer being 'had' ?

Sound bars I partly agree, but subwoofers?

 

[Alantiggger]

Yes, subwoofers also, the pricing has gone through the roof now, ver silly for a 'nice boom'.