Blumenstein Infrasub 12"
Now offered in Active and Passive versions.
The 12” Infrasonic sealed passive subwoofer offers industry leading power handling, clarity, and depth from such a small package. Frequency response is down to 8hz. Yes, you read that correctly. Power handling is 1000 watts RMS.
From Wikipedia:
“Infrasound is sound that is lower in frequency than 20 Hz (Hertz) or cycles per second, the "normal" limit of human hearing. Hearing becomes gradually less sensitive as frequency decreases, so for humans to perceive infrasound, the sound pressure must be sufficiently high. The ear is the primary organ for sensing infrasound, but at higher levels it is possible to feel infrasound vibrations in various parts of the body. The study of such sound waves is sometimes referred to as infrasonics, covering sounds beneath 20 Hz down to 0.001 Hz. This frequency range is utilized for monitoring earthquakes, charting rock and petroleum formations below the earth, and also in ballistocardiography and seismocardiography to study the mechanics of the heart. Infrasound is characterized by an ability to cover long distances and get around obstacles with little dissipation.”
The new 12” infrasonic subwoofer is suitable for use with any of my speaker models, Orcas, Marlins, Tritons, or Octopus. The 12” can be used on its own to augment these fullrange speakers (as a 2.1 or 2.2 system) or can also be used in addition to an 8” Chameleon sealed subwoofer system(s) at a nice, low 28hz crossover point. (as a 2.1.1, 2.2.1, or 2.2.2 system)
The new 12” Infrasonic Superwoofer is also well suited to the Tritons and Octopus at a ~50hz crossover point. The sole purpose of the new 12” Infrasonic is to attain uncanny realism in music or movie reproduction and to give generous power handling capabilities when used to support Octopus based PA systems. In the home, the new 12” model is a musical, yet also technically adept super subwoofer. A true wolf in sheep’s clothing. Due to it’s competition car audio credentials, it gets lower/louder than the vast majority professional 18” drivers from other brands!
Warning! If you do not exercise basic consideration with this superwoofer’s volume control you WILL annoy your neighbors within at least a single block radius. The claimed performance, if anything, has been understated. While the voice coil is technically rated at 1000 watts RMS, I have seen these woofers tested momentarily past 10000+ watts in car audio competition demonstrations. Even with a 1000 watt RMS amplifier, if you stand nearby it while it’s playing loud iit will raise the hair off your head like static electricity.
In order to provide true infrasonic capability, I have paired this woofer with the full 1000 watts that the dual voice coils are rated for. In general practice and typical music listening, however, you will be using far less than 1000 watts. If used responsibly, there is simply nothing else like a true Infrawoofer for covering the full audible frequency range with ease and aplomb. You won’t find a subwoofer quite like this anywhere else in the high end home audio industry.
This superwoofer has its design roots in the competition car audio scene rather than the typical high end home audio scene. I picked a driver that also happens to be a consistent winner of the sound quality category at many car audio competitions. So there really is more to these car audio “drag races” than meets the eye in the basic data. Musically speaking, the dynamics and delicacy are also there in spades. Stereo Integrity subwoofer drivers deliver the best of both worlds.
If used responsibly, the 12” Infrasonic subwoofer will give great frequency response and dynamics that work well with any kind of recorded music, movies, or even as a studio amp for deep bass musical instruments (like the Roland 808). You name it! Suffice it to say that this is a super powerful subwoofer that is not for the faint of heart. All that said, we are also thrilled with the low volume performance of this subwoofer and its ability to blend with the music and remain truthful to the source signal with the vast majority of musical styles.
If you are looking to add that last bit of realism to symphonic recordings, then this woofer is well suited to the task. As a musicologist I will admit that a woofer like this is not specifically necessary for the basic study of music (unless it’s pipe organ). Yet, for the deeper appreciation of the emotion in the music itself, for increasing the sense of anticipation, air, attack, and decay, the 12” Infrasonic superwoofer woofer gives a certain air and space around notes.
I actually became interested in infrasonic subwoofers due to my explorations in supertweeters. As it turns out, tweeters that respond well above human hearing (say, >35khz) actually sound much better than tweeters that respond just up to the limit of human hearing (~20-22khz). Similarly, a subwoofer that can respond well into the single digits has a much easier time getting to the lowest musical notes.
Our cabinet and driver compliment are arguably nicer than the vast majority of “high end” particle board speaker cabinets and bass enclosures due to the extensive solid wood internal bracing and overall fit and finish quality of our cabinets. The 12” Infrasonic sub was designed iteratively over the course of several years with lots of human input and many opinions and measurements weighed. I’d make a larger subwoofer if I felt it did a better job, but the fact is that the walls of small enclosures like this can be made practically as hard as granite. The sides of the enclosure do not flop around like subwoofers of yesteryear and this new style of bass is incredibly tight and musically engaging when properly tuned to the system and room. with the 1000 watt DSP amplifier we offer, the bass response can be tailored specifically to the room.
Size is ~ 13 1/2” cube. Weight is 55 lbs (cabinet only without amplifier)