Emotiva Ultra 12 Subwoofer Review

Editor's Note: This is our video review of the Ultra 12 Sub. For our complete review with measurements, please see the Emotiva Ultra 12 Subwoofer Full Review.

"Subwoofer" - it's like a magic word around here and makes all of us audioholics have little dreams of black boxes that cause our walls to crack, dishes to rattle, and rock our children to sleep... from the other end of the house. Some people think a good subwoofer will go down to 2 Hz, cost $200 and live in a box the size of a small laptop computer. Others go for size, wanting nothing less than a small refrigerator that will smack them around like a rag doll. We take a slightly more balanced approach, so when Emotiva announced their affordable Ultra 12 sub, we were intrigued.
But can a $500 12-inch subwoofer really compete? We weren't sure, so we got one and hooked it up. But first we looked at the specs. The Ultra 12 sub sports a 300watt Class D amp that will put out 500watts of peak power. It has a die cast woofer frame with a huge magnet, and utilizes long throw drivers. The woofer is constructed out of a triple-woven synthetic product used in bulletproof vests. We didn't shoot it, but in fairness we're pretty certain they're going for stiffness, not defensive measures. The surround is constructed out of butyl rubber and the boxes are sealed, rather than ported.

Speaking of the box, it's constructed out of MDF with a 1" thick baffle and extensive bracing and dampening throughout to make sure the sub only makes noise from its driver and nothing else - even the grill mount includes rubber boots so it won't rattle. The sub includes both rubber and aluminum feet, so you can use it on carpet or hardwood and tile floors. The Emotiva Ultra 12 Sub comes in a Black veneer and honestly, it's nothing to write home about, but it works.

On the back you've got both balanced (a rare find on any consumer subs, especially at this price) and unbalanced inputs. There is a Low Pass Filter switch to defeat the internal crossover, which goes from 50-150Hz. Variable volume and phase adjustment are also available, as is a switch for setting the sub to continuous, off, or auto-sensing mode. In Auto it draws 2 watts and goes standby after 10 minutes of no sound.

The Ultra Sub 12 is essentially a compact 15" cube and weighs 38lbs. It extends all the way down to 22Hz with typical in-room output of about 112dB and it really has a satisfying sound that plays low enough to hit you in the chest, but doesn't sound distorted or boomy. This sub is tight and will do well in any type of room we can imagine. Your only limitation will be output and we recommend getting more than one if your room is larger or it opens up into a bigger space.

At the price Emotiva is selling this sub for, those specs are pretty compelling, even more so after we heard the Ultra 12 in some of our reference rooms. It's nice to see that a company known for its amplifier design can branch out and make an equally compelling subwoofer product. We can recommend this sub to anyone interested in a value product that will deliver tight, musical bass in small to medium-sized rooms.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.