MartinLogan BalancedForce 212 Subwoofer

 

MartinLogan BalancedForce 212 subwoofer

I like huge bass, however I can't lie Tubby thumpers need not have any significant bearing Also when a speaker drops in with itty-bitty bass It puts a disapprove of my face I get mooched . . . —Sir BassaLot, first audiophile rapper, 1992 A few people put a couple of shelf speakers on remains in their room and are cheerful as mollusks. I envision that they envision the missing bass and never think about it. Not me, and maybe not you. A few of us need to hear it and feel it, similarly as we would genuine instruments. We need sex in the room. My mission for reasonable bass started a fourth of a century prior—I purchased my first subwoofer, a Velodyne ULD-15, in 1989. The ULD-15 highlighted a detachable speaker and hybrid, and servo-control plan to fix everything up. What fun it was. With the right music—for instance, the Doors' "Hanging tight for the Sun" or Genesis' "Squonk"— the Velodyne added an actual aspect that just went MIA from most full-reach or shelf speakers. It wrenched up my listening adrenaline. At the point when, a couple of years after the fact, I exchanged up my smallish speakers for a couple of MartinLogan Quests, I let the Velodyne go, imagining that the 'Logans' 12" woofers would be fine (likewise, I wanted the money). However, no—however the bass was sufficient, the actual effect was generally gone, and alongside it, a portion of that fervor. The Quests were in the long run supplanted with my present speakers, a couple of MartinLogan Prodigys, however this time I intended to several subs when spending plan allowed. A couple of years after the fact, the cash saved, I purchased a couple of MartinLogan Descent I controlled subs. I was back in the bass business. Then, in January of this current year, I perceived ML's two new BalancedForce plans at the yearly Consumer Electronics Show. Subsequently, John Atkinson informed to ask with regards to whether I'd be enthusiastic about examining one of them. For sure, why might it matter? Should be straightforward, no? Maybe ML had improved the Descents. MartinLogan had at first expected to submit for review the more humble of its two new BalancedForce models, the 210 ($2995 each), with twofold 10" drive-units. However, resulting to explaining that I recently had two Descent I's in the system and a truly enormous room (23' significant by 32' wide by 11' high), they agreed that two of the greater BalancedForce 212s ($3995 each), each with two or three 12" cones, would be all together.

In a two-channel framework, a couple of subs enjoys three upper hands over a singleton: they smooth out standing waves extensively, assist with keeping flawless directional signals and the soundstage, and make conceivable more powerful headroom with less twisting, as each sub should deal with just one channel. Following quite a while of experimentation, I've chosen what's known as a flanking subwoofer setup: each sub is situated to the outside and marginally behind a Prodigy. Some case that the scope of frequencies a subwoofer is approached to imitate is too low to even think about influencing soundstaging. However, I've observed that, in any event, when the sub's low-pass channel is set to 60–80Hz, the sound is as yet directional enough that, when I shut my eyes, my ears can distinguish the actual area of each container (if not the genuine soundwaves they produce, which are connecting with the room). In one visually impaired test, I have somebody arbitrarily turn on just one of the two subs and play some music, and I attempt to figure which sub is on. Music with enthusiastic bass makes this simple—my head and body, if not my ears, can see which sub is dynamic each and every time. Assuming that you have a multichannel home-theater framework, different subs daisy-anchored together (this game plan is here and there called double mono) can appear to be legit—film soundtracks are blended in with mono bass for the " The subs' hybrids hence need to restrict the subs' upper-recurrence reaction so the subs' results mix appropriately with that of the primary speakers, which I like to run full reach with no additional hybrids in the sign way. More with regards to MartinLogan's novel method of dealing with this in a little.

Showing up and Unpacking

MartinLogan messaged to say they expected to send the BalancedForce 212s by semi truck. This sounded somewhat alarming—and invigorating. I carry on a few miles up a winding street so steep that few vehicles' brakes have flopped on the way down. A couple of years prior we lost a waste vehicle and, tragically, its driver. Furthermore toward the finish of our impasse road there's little space to pivot. So I requested a short semi, if conceivable, to make it more straightforward on the driver. ML additionally let me know that "conveyance" doesn't generally incorporate schlepping subs into the house (however that can be set up). All things being equal, they place the powerful bundle at the carport. Fortunately for me, it came down on conveyance day. The driver charitably took out his rock solid hand truck, and we painstakingly wheeled the in excess of 320 lbs of boxes, on two wooden beds, into the carport, where they sat until I could get some assistance. This isn't a task for one individual. I thought about which individuals from our neighborhood sound club look as though they lift loads in their extra time. A couple messages and a couple of days after the fact, Dan, an ex-prison guard and jock, and Craig, in his brand name butch hair style and battle boots, appeared. In the wake of mistreating the containers into the listening room, we opened them and began to unload the BF212s.

Cabinet Fever

Seen from the top, the BalancedForce 212 is somewhat trapezoidal: it tightens toward the front, while its two 12" woofers are mounted on inverse sides of the fixed bureau, inset at points with the goal that they are entirely corresponding to one another. The BF212 weighs 140 lbs and is generally 22+" square (estimated at the focal point of each side), while the BF210 weighs 96 lbs and is about 19" square.

Regarding those woofers: MartinLogan says that they fire one after the other—in what ML refers to a BalancedForce setup, working in accurate resistance as "to invalidate contortion causing bureau vibrations and convey unadulterated bass energy." And, indeed, the cupboards kept very still as the cones frantically moved huge measures of air. The BalancedForce idea originally showed up in 2007, and was additionally utilized in the Descent models. I've forever loved this plan, contrasted with subs that stone back each time their single woofer hits hard.

The front of the BF212 has a serious shine dark completion; the top comes in dark, white, Walnut, or Dark Cherry (custom completions are additionally accessible). The woofers on each side are covered with dark material on an edge that adjusts attractively properly and never shaken being used. The base is made of cast-aluminum, and is ribbed for strength, and a solid hold when the sub is moved around. Inset in the base are screw openings for four feet, of sharp metal or adjusted elastic.

We hadn't utilized ML's Perfect Bass Kit adjustment rig yet—like children with recently opened birthday presents, we needed to start playing with them immediately.

Yet, prior to moving the Descents, we'd paid attention to a progression of tracks so everybody could get a feeling of the framework's sound with them set up. Presently, with the BalancedForce 212s ready for action, Craig requested to hear his beloved bass test, Dead Can Dance's "Tune of the Stars," which we'd paid attention to an hour sooner. We as a whole grinned, taking note of a quick improvement. Dan said there was less sprout however extra actual sensation, and Craig believed that the new subs "secured" with the Prodigys—despite the fact that we hadn't yet introduced the Custom EQ Filter settings through USB (more with regards to those later)