GoldenEar Supersub XXL review

SUPERB SAGA OF THE SUPERSUB XXL SUBWOOFER

The GoldenEar Technology SuperSub XXL is the first model in a new line of high performance, compact subwoofers brought to us by GoldenEar Technology co-founder Sandy Gross and his development team.

It aspires to bring high levels of low octave bass which is both tuneful and powerful to your listening environment. The design brief also specified that the final product be of a relatively modest size and have an attractive finish to suit any décor. GoldenEar’s solution incorporates some novel twists on subwoofer technology, some of which, we’ve experienced in their ForceField line of subs. Sandy and his team have garnered an enviable reputation for delivering products with exceptional sound quality at approachable prices. Have they done it again with the SuperSub XXL? Let’s have a look shall we?

 

THE HIGHLIGHTS

• Powerful, clean, and detailed bass reproduction for both movies and music
• Strong response right down to 20 Hz
• One sub is potent enough for a medium to large size room
• Compact size allows for easy integration of multiple subs
• Novel use of dual opposed drivers on the horizontal axis and dual opposed passive
  radiators on the vertical axis
• May require a little extra care in placement for optimum results

 

INTRODUCTION

GoldenEar has a thing for bass. Don’t get me wrong, it’s quite obvious that they work hard to achieve a high quality, well balanced sound in all of their products that I’ve encountered. A quick listen to any of their Triton speakers will get that point across pretty clearly. But GoldenEar does have a knack for extracting surprising levels of bass from speaker and subwoofer enclosures with sizes that would cause you to expect otherwise. One of the ways they accomplish this is through their clever, and unconventional, use of passive radiators in place of traditional porting schemes. In regards to subwoofers, I noted how effective I thought these strategies were in my review of the GoldenEar ForceField 5 last year.

 

The SuperSub XXL looks to take the formula of the ForceField 5 and effectively double most of the parameters while keeping it all in a single box with a manageable footprint. That’s two long throw 12 inch diameter drivers firing in a horizontally opposed orientation (left and right if you will). This isn’t such an unusual arrangement in subwoofers these days but adding a pair of large passive radiators, also in an opposed configuration (firing up and down), is something a little different.

Add in a significantly more powerful amplifier, a good deal of increased DSP processing horsepower and a larger (but not too large) well braced box, and you have all the ingredients for a very compelling low octave sonic generator. The fine folks at GoldenEar were kind enough to send two of these little beauties for my review as I like to run twin subs in my stereo setup and in my home theater.

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