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Sunfire True Subwoofer EQ Reviewed


  • October 21, 2008

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sunfire_true_subwoofer_eq.jpgAhhhhh ... the subwoofer that started it all.  Before Bob Carver cooked up the idea of putting a crazy-powerful digital amp into a small box with an ultra-long excursion driver, the concept of truly loud and deep bass from a small subwoofer cabinet was thought by most to be physically impossible.  Bob Carver doesn't believe in impossible, as he reads a lot of comic books and has superpowers that can turn a Folgers can into a 1000-watt power amp.  I wouldn't mess with the guy, as he might have laser beam eyes, too.  I am seeing a spec script for Heroes shaping up here.

Slightly smaller than the Sunfire True Subwoofer EQ Signature, the Sunfire True Subwoofer EQ ($2,095) is 11 inches square, as opposed to the 13-inch square of its larger relative.  This middle brother in the Sunfire line can output a very, very respectable 110 dB of volume and can rock your music and home theater "point 1" LFE track with enthusiasm.  Unlike the original Sunfire True Subwoofer, the new offering comes with room correction, complete with a small testing microphone that can help everyone get the most from their woofers, most importantly, in specific rooms.  The new designed subwoofers also come with a grille to make for a subtler look.  Internally, you get a 1,500-watt Bob Carver (Sunfire) tracking downcoverter amplifier, which is the heart and soul of any Sunfire Subwoofer.

High Points
• Two inches is two inches any way you look at it and that is just how much room you save (squared) if you pick the middle grade Sunfire subwoofer.  In the end, you don't give up too much output or low-end reach for the compromise.
• This is the original small subwoofer and there is a reason why it has sold tens of thousands of units.  Tell your wife it is the "little black dress" of the subwoofer market.  She will understand (let's hope).
• The new grille helps the woofer look a little less conspicuous in the room.  The original subwoofer really presented the driver boldly.  The Sunfire True Subwoofer EQ looks a little slicker when installed in a room.

Low Points
• There is no rosewood option on the Sunfire True Subwoofer EQ, as there is on the Signature model.
• You can find the end of this subwoofer if you drive your system to insane limits (as I am apt to every once in a while).  This issue is only for extremists and is the exact reason why there is a bigger and significantly more powerful Signature model.

Conclusion
If you were making a list of the ten most influential audiophile products of all time and you left off the Sunfire True Subwoofer, you would be a schmuck.  This woofer proved to nonbelievers that magic was possible, while showing audiophiles that you could get real bass into your system in ways other than coffin-sized floor-standing speakers.  The Sunfire True Subwoofer EQ is an absolute classic.

Keywords

Sunfire subwoofer, Sunfire Signature EQ Subwoofer Review. Sunfire True subwoofer, Tracking downcoverter amp, Bob Carver, Digital amp, 1500 Watt amp, small subwoofer reviews

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