Buchardt SUB10 Subwoofer

[gibbo9000]

Buchardt Audio's recently released SUB10 Subwoofer has been mentioned in a couple of posts on small form factor Subs. I have just had the first play with one and I am impressed.

 

It is a 10 inch active sub with Hypex 400 Watt RMS / 1200 Watt peak Class D amp and a claimed 20-300Hz +/- 1db.  All in a sealed enclosure just 490 x 330 x 160, making it very flexible to position .  Comes with full inbuilt DSP and App control. 

 

Enough of repeating the sales rhetoric.  My first impressions (see pics)

• It really is small - see pics where it is next to a headphone box as some kind of reference.  Very easy to move around the room to assess different positions.
• It weights in at around 14kg and box seems pretty much immune to vibration .  With no feet I expected it to go walking across the carpet, but it doesn't.  Feels very solid. 
• On basic tests it has some serious authority - almost home cinema style cone movement (but it is designed for stereo).
• It certainly gets down to 20Hz.

 

I have only done a quick integration and early observations are certainly lively and musical.  Use case is purely for very bottom end to unload drivers on mains (so operating below cross over at 50Hz).  Much more listening to do but in the 20 - 50 Hz range it seems to be giving a lot more than 12" Rhythmic or pair of SVS1000's and measures as much more solid in the 20 - 30Hz region without lots of artificial boosting.  Haven't used its inbuilt DSP other than to make sure it is all flat - use MiniDSP SHD to the crossover work (and to sub via DAC). 

 

Euro 1,300 shipped direct from Buchardt in Denmark (took 2 days to get here).  Certainly a contender in the small form factor and 10" inch sub market.

 

Gibbo

[Pebbles]

It’s an unusual design/shape. It looks unstable, are there mounting points for feet or spikes etc.? Regards

[gibbo9000]

16 minutes ago, Pebbles said:

It looks unstable, are there mounting points for feet or spikes etc.

No formal mounting points, but it does come with stick on rubber feet.  Install to suit your choice of vertical or horizontal mounting.

I would normally use spikes here (on soft underlay / carpet) so was bit worried.  But, in practice, it is very stable.  Has had a workout sitting behind the mains and doesn't vibrate or move.   
 

Will explore options.  It is the wrong shape of Iso-acoustics Aperta sub base.

[J5000]

Thanks for this review gibbo.

 

Have seen a few reviews online about this and it looks like a great little sub. This has been on my radar for a bit. I need a small form factor sub in white in this type of shape. I've also been looking at the Sigberg Audio Inkognito. But I haven't been able to find a lot of reviews on it. Plus the new version 2 is nearly twice the price of the Buchardt. I find I'm hesitant to buy something from overseas without hearing it first.

 

This is making me more lean towards the Buchardt now.

[gibbo9000]

21 minutes ago, J5000 said:

I find I'm hesitant to buy something from overseas without hearing it first

I have now worked through a more formal integration with X-Over at 50Hz and Dirac room correction on top and remain very happy - it is an enthusiastic little beast!

On the overseas buying risk just note Buchardt's 45 day return policy if you don't like their gear.  I know a couple of Buchardt active speaker users here who have had dialogues with Max about issues / special requests, and used the return service.  All seems very efficient.  Not as good as a local retailer but, as you say, there aren't a lot of similar form factor / performance subs around.

[OzBrit Audio]

Have you tried the room correction feature on this sub?

 

The idea of running your pre to power via the sub to apply room correction really appeals.  As long as that correction is transparent, apart from the correction bit of course.  You're running an Analogue to Digital and then vice versa.  I'm wondering if that process takes anything away?

[gibbo9000]

Short answer is I haven't used the inbuilt DSP for room correction other than some early testing using Room Equalisation Wizard to explore that they all worked as expected (an then, in my case, to ensure they were all effectively dialed out).

 

I use a digital front end based around Roon and miniDSP Studio out via digital to active speakers (mains) and the sub via a DAC.  Crossovers and room correction (PEQ, delay, Dirac room correction) duties are all handled by the miniDSP.   All I can say is the overall outcome is excellent and I sense no noticeable degradation from the DAC in line to Sub10.  The Sub is very responsive, lively and musical with a significant impact on expanding of sound stage and unloading the bottom end of the mains..

 

With previous subs I have used the DSP in my active mains and in prior subs rather than miniDSP (including multiple subs as well).  Result was good, but keeping things documented and tracking impact of changes etc. was too much effort.

 

From my colleagues experience with Buchardt DSP / Mastertuning I would expect that part of the Sub10 to be up to the task, and the DAC step to the sub to have little noticeable impact provided you use a reasonable DAC.

[David A]

To isolate that sub, I'd recommend a pair of large high density square AV Room Service EVP's with rubber top & bottom. That will grip the sub and provide effective isolation - https://avroomservice.com/evp-2/