What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Good enough to earn five stars and ideal for many buyers – but not a true all-rounder
Pros
- +
Formidable bass depth for its price
- +
well-equipped
Cons
- -
Musically, not the best in this test
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.
There ain't no substitute for cubic inches, or so our American cousins would have it – and in subwoofer terms, here's your proof.
American brand Velodyne can readily deliver great bass from a small enclosure, but with its Impact-12, it's adopted a more traditional approach.
This is a big ol'box designed to deliver big ol' bass, the cabinet being some 12cm deeper than the Tannoy TS-12, even though it's fitted with a similarly hefty 30cm drive unit.
In action, the Velodyne sounds reminiscent of one of its forebears, the CHT-12R. It serves up no-fuss, max-fun bass, its extension and sheer sofa-shuddering weight eclipsing even the excellent B&W ASW610.
However, switch to music listening, and there's a subtle lack of fluidity to its approach, a tangible slowness that hinders the attacking drive of Audioslave's Revelations.
That makes this fine sub more of a movie than a music classic.
