Audio Pro B1.36 review

The Audio Pro B1.36 is still a worthy choice if you want plenty of thump from a compact box, but newer products have overtaken it Tested at £400.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

Still a worthy choice if you want plenty of thump from a compact box, but newer products have overtaken it

Pros

  • +

    Still a well-made and cleverly designed sub with lots of output

Cons

  • -

    Its lack of agility with music, always an issue in times past, is a real problem now

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

It's been four years since we first reviewed this compact sub from Swedish firm Audio Pro, but despite its age, it's still competitive enough.

The finish is great, and it's been thoughtfully engineered: its integral 'spreading lens' plinth is designed to control airflow from the downward-firing port and so avoid bass 'pooling' under the sub.

Wired and fired, there's plenty of output here: the B1.36 provides considerable extension with action movies, and devours the biggest excesses of Cloverfield with genuine authority given its modest dimensions.

But much as we first observed in our earlier test, music proves to be its undoing, the Audio Pro becoming too confused by the mind-numbing pace of The Prodigy's Warrior's Dance. Other, newer rivals are notably better in this regard.

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Read more about how we test

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