Subwoofers — Paradigm Electronics Seismic 110

The Seismic 110 is a compact sealed subwoofer that Paradigm Electronics of Canada sold within its Reference range for USD 1,399 in the United States. Instead of a rectangular wooden box it uses a curved, cylindrical monocoque shell cast from metal, and it came in a single Satin Black finish. The small footprint was planned around a high-power amplifier and a long-throw 10 inch driver.

Key specs that matter

A patented Ultra-Class-D amplifier is built in, rated at 850 W RMS with 1,700 W dynamic peak. On-axis response is 17 Hz to 250 Hz within 3 dB, and low frequency extension reaches 18 Hz by the DIN method. Its low-pass control sets any point between 35 Hz and 150 Hz and can be defeated, and phase runs from 0 to 180 degrees. Inputs are single-ended RCA at 10 kohm or balanced XLR at 20 kohm, with 100 mV mono sensitivity. The enclosure is 343 mm high, 298 mm wide and 320 mm deep, with a total weight of 16.8 kg.

Engineering and use context

The 254 mm driver uses a mineral-filled co-polymer polypropylene cone with RCR resonance-control ribbing, held by an overmolded, inverted and corrugated Santoprene surround whose shape was optimised by finite element analysis. Behind it sits a 38 mm split voice coil with 60 mm coil lengths on high-temperature Apical formers, two Nomex spiders and dual 12 mm top plates. The motor is a triple ceramic ferrite magnet of 4.5 kg mounted in an AVS die-cast chassis that also works as a heatsink. Paradigm states that the driver is capable of 51 mm of full travel, and it describes the split-coil arrangement as an ultra-low-distortion design. The enclosure is fully sealed, with no port or vent. Amplifier protection covers soft clipping, electrical shorting and thermal overload, and a USB port is provided for connection to a computer.

Pairing

The balanced XLR socket accepts the sub output of processors and preamplifiers that offer a balanced connection, while the RCA socket covers receivers with a single-ended LFE jack. Power switching can follow the incoming signal through the Auto-On/Off circuit or respond to an external Trigger On/Off line from the main processor. The high filter ceiling allows use with small satellites such as compact on-wall or bookshelf speakers, and the deep extension makes it suitable for film soundtracks.

Alternatives

The Paradigm Defiance X15 is a larger ported subwoofer with a 15 inch ART driver and a 900 W RMS amplifier.