Сабвуферы — Velodyne Deep Blue 15

The Deep Blue 15 is the largest model of Velodyne Acoustics' Deep Blue subwoofer series, which replaced the compact sealed SPL series and is offered with 8, 10, 12 and 15-inch drivers. Velodyne built its reputation on subwoofers, and the Deep Blue platform introduced a new industrial design, new driver technology and a new amplifier. The 15-inch model is aimed at large rooms and dedicated home cinemas.

Key specs that matter

The Deep Blue 15 uses one front-firing 15-inch (381mm) high-excursion driver with a reinforced polypropylene membrane, a double-vented basket, a dual ferrite magnet motor and a four-layer 75mm (3-inch) voice coil. The Class AB amplifier delivers 450W RMS and 1,000W dynamic. Overall frequency response is 13Hz to 200Hz, and 23Hz to 120Hz within +/-3dB. The low-pass crossover adjusts from 50Hz to 180Hz at 12dB/octave, and phase from 0 to 180 degrees. Inputs are gold-plated stereo RCA line, LFE and nickel-plated high-level speaker inputs, with an LFE/RCA output for linking a second subwoofer, and the power switch offers Off, Auto and On. The cabinet measures 42.5 x 44.5 x 48.8cm including feet and connectors and weighs 23kg, in black.

Engineering and use context

The cabinet is a sealed MDF box, rigidly braced, with a front baffle 52mm (2 inches) thick. A sealed enclosure rolls off more gradually than a ported one and has no port to generate noise at high excursion, and it is more tolerant of corner and boundary positions, which makes the subwoofer easier to integrate in a room. The very thick baffle carries the 15-inch driver's reaction forces without flexing. The double-vented basket lets air escape from behind the dust cap and around the motor, reducing air pressure and turbulence noise when the cone moves far, while the four-layer voice coil packs more conductor into the magnetic gap and handles high power without thermal compression. Two ferrite magnets stacked in the motor strengthen the field that controls the large cone. Velodyne chose a Class AB amplifier rather than the Class D designs common in subwoofers. The Auto power mode switches the subwoofer on when a signal arrives and back to standby after it stops.

Pairing

The LFE input connects the Deep Blue 15 to an AV receiver or processor, while the stereo RCA and high-level inputs connect any two-channel amplifier, including models lacking a sub out. The LFE output allows a second Deep Blue to be daisy-chained for smoother bass across a large room.

Alternatives

Velodyne Acoustics' own Deep Blue 12 uses the same platform with a 12-inch driver in a smaller cabinet.