Reaction Audio PS-15X & PV-15X Subwoofer Preview

Reaction Audio is a small up-and-coming contender in the subwoofer market that we’re keeping an eye on. They have our attention due to a simple philosophy which we expect many bassaholics find appealing: offer as much bang for the buck as possible. With their latest and greatest subwoofers; the PS-15X ($799.99) and PV-15X ($999.99), Reaction Audio is aiming to redefine what can be achieved for less than $1,000. To back up their claims, they sent both the PS-15X and the PV-15X in to Audioholics’ subwoofer guru Josh Ricci for a full battery of testing.

Design Overview

Before we look at the measurements, let’s talk about what goes into the PS-15X and the PV-15X. The PS-15X is a medium-sized, front-firing sealed subwoofer measuring 18”W x 20”H x 20”D (sans grill, feet, and amplifier), and boasts a long-throw 15” driver backed by the 950W Dayton SPA-1000 amplifier. Looking at the driver itself, it appears to be a very capable unit featuring a treated paper diaphragm, 12 spoke cast aluminum frame, a meaty half-roll surround plus large-diameter spider for large excursions, and a 3” voice coil for high power handling. To help ensure that the only sound you hear emanates from the driver, the cabinet is built with ¾” MDF and uses full panel internal bracing.

The Reaction Audio PS-15X; that meaty looking driver can deliver one-way excursion in excess of 30mm.

Moving on, the PV-15X is the side-firing, vented counterpart to the PS-15X. While it sports the same driver/amplifier combo, the PV-15X is quite a bit larger at 18”W x 22”H x 29”D (again, sans grill, feet, and amplifier). The enclosure volume along with a large slot port achieves a tuning frequency of approximately 18Hz.

Side view of the PV-15X sans the grille.

The Measurements

Check out Josh Ricci’s full battery of measurements and analysis for the PS-15X and the PV-15X.

The cliff notes: overall, both the PS-15X and PV-15X deliver a heck of a lot for their modest price. Looking at base frequency response, both the PV-15X and the PS-15X have a 6dB window of approximately 35Hz-120Hz, which is in part affected by an inductive hump centered around 50Hz (we’re told by Jeremy of Reaction Audio that production units feature a notch filter at 55Hz to flatten response) . Glancing at the time domain measurements, there is nothing of audible significance for the PS-15X on either the group delay or the waterfall charts. The vented PV-15X does display a bit of ringing around port tune, and cracks the 1.5 cycle mark for group delay. However, given that this occurs below 20Hz, it’s not a serious issue.

Now for everybody’s favorite part: output. There’s not much question in looking at the results of the CEA2010 burst tests that both the PS-15X and the PV-15X are very powerful subwoofers for the money. Applying the Audioholics Subwoofer Room Size Rating Protocol, the PV-15X largely meets our Bassaholic Extreme criteria, but falls just a hair short with 1.6dB less output than our requirement at 31.5Hz. Meanwhile, the results for the smaller PS-15X place it solidly in our Bassaholic Large category.

Summary

Just how much performance can you expect for less than $1,000? If you buy a subwoofer from Reaction Audio, the answer is more than you might expect. While Josh’s measurements did uncover some room for improvement in the future, there are few comparably priced subwoofers than can approach the measured clean output of either the PS-15X or the PV-15X. With these two subwoofers spearheading their lineup, we can only expect that Reaction Audio has a bright future ahead of it.

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