Subwoofers — Velodyne Impact X 12

The Impact X 12 is the middle size of the Velodyne Acoustics Impact X line, sitting between the 10 inch and 15 inch versions. It combines a 12 inch front-firing woofer with a bass reflex port in an MDF box, and Velodyne presents the series as an active subwoofer for both music and movie use. Crossover range, preset count and the connection panel are the same as on the Impact X 10, so the step up buys cone area, cabinet volume and amplifier power.

Key specs that matter

Amplification is Class D with 300 W RMS and 600 W dynamic ratings. The published frequency response runs from 29 Hz to 180 Hz at the 3 dB points, widening to 23 Hz to 250 Hz at the 10 dB points. Crossover frequency is adjustable from 50 Hz up to 180 Hz with a 12 dB per octave slope, and a two-position phase switch selects 0 or 180 degrees. The enclosure measures 36 x 42 x 51 cm and weighs roughly 18 kg, with a shipping weight of 20 kg. Two colour choices are listed, black and white.

Engineering and use context

For the woofer Velodyne uses a coated paper cone, stiff for its mass, mounted on a broad surround that allows a lot of travel before the suspension limits motion. Behind it sits a double ferrite magnet and a 52 mm voice coil wound in four layers, a motor size shared with the smaller Impact X 10 but driving a larger cone here. An anti-clipping stage in the amplifier limits distortion when the input level runs too high, and the unit powers up on its own when a signal is detected. Cabinet panels are 20 mm thick MDF, giving the driver a stiff, low-resonance mounting. Four DSP presets are stored in the sub, each one editable, and all of them are reached from the included remote rather than from knobs on the back, while a small display on the front shows the current volume setting.

Pairing

Connection is by gold-plated RCA sockets for stereo or LFE signals, plus a nickel-plated high-level input for speaker cable. An RCA output lets the signal continue to a second subwoofer or another device in the chain. For surround use, the LFE channel from a multichannel receiver plugs straight into the RCA input. In a stereo system the speaker-level input means a power amplifier or integrated amplifier with no preamp output can still drive it, and the high upper crossover limit covers small two-way speakers whose own bass rolls off early.

Alternatives

The Velodyne Impact X 15 tops the same line with nine DSP presets, a 15 inch driver, 550 W RMS and a 3 dB response reaching 23 Hz.