Subwoofers — Monitor Audio Vestra W12

The Vestra W12 is the middle model of Monitor Audio's Vestra subwoofer range, which also includes the W10 and W15 and extends the company's independent subwoofer line with more choice on budget and system matching. The series is intended to work alongside the Bronze and Silver speaker families in both stereo and AV systems. The W12 is priced at GBP 750 and carries a 5-year warranty.

Key specs that matter

A single 305 mm driver with a C-CAM cone - ceramic coated aluminium magnesium - is held by a triple suspension designed for high linear excursion. Its Class-D amplifier has 500 W RMS quoted as instantaneous output. Monitor Audio gives an in-room response of 17 to 200 Hz at -6 dB and a maximum usable peak level of 115 dB, measured to CTA-2010-B, Z-weighted, in half-space. The cabinet stands 385 mm high, 371 mm wide and 401 mm deep and weighs 18.3 kg, in matte black or matte white with a cloth-covered grille.

Engineering and use context

The enclosure is sealed, which Monitor Audio chose for the W10 and W12 because a closed box is easier to place around a room than a ported one. The C-CAM cone is light and stiff to limit flexing, and the triple suspension keeps the high-excursion driver under control at long travel. Crossover frequency is adjustable anywhere between 32 Hz and 200 Hz, and a toggle switch sets phase to 0 or 180 degrees. Three DSP presets named Impact, Movie and Music change the equalisation for different material. Auto Music Sensing wakes the unit when a line-level signal above 3 mV appears and puts it into standby after 20 minutes without one. The mains input accepts 85 to 265 V at 50 or 60 Hz, and consumption at one eighth of maximum output is 120 W.

Pairing

Connections are a stereo pair of unbalanced RCA inputs, a separate unbalanced RCA LFE input, a 12 V trigger and a 3.5 mm mono jack, with an input impedance of 47 kOhms. The LFE socket suits an AV receiver's subwoofer output, while the stereo inputs take the pre-out of an integrated amplifier or preamplifier in a two-channel system. The trigger allows the subwoofer to switch on with the amplifier. Monitor Audio designed the range with multi-subwoofer AV systems in mind, so two or more units can share the bass load in a larger room used for films, music and games.

Alternatives

The Vestra W10 is the compact sealed model in the same range, priced at GBP 600 with a smaller footprint than the W12.