Sonance i8

Sonance i8: compact subwoofer with wireless reception

Placing a subwoofer where it sounds best often means running a cable across the room. This 20 cm model comes with a built-in wireless receiver (the transmitter is purchased separately), and the SonARC app automatically corrects its response to suit the room’s acoustics. Beneath its piano-black lacquer, a cabinet measuring around thirty centimetres on each side houses a 200 W amplifier and reaches down to 30 Hz.

A 20 cm driver that relies on excursion

The smallest of the three subwoofers in the Sonance Impact series (i8, i10 and i12) uses a 203 mm driver with a fibreglass cone supported by a rubber surround. Sonance classifies it as “ultra long throw”: its cone can travel a long way forwards and backwards, and this excursion partly compensates for its modest diameter, since it is the volume of air displaced that produces bass. Fibreglass provides the rigidity needed for the cone to move as a whole, without deforming, when working hard. The driver faces forwards and is supported by a vent called the Laminar Flow Port, whose name refers to smooth, turbulence-free airflow to prevent chuffing noises when the subwoofer is pushed hard.

The stated frequency response extends from 30 to 250 Hz at ±3 dB, meaning no level deviation greater than 3 dB across this entire range. For a cabinet measuring 305 × 355 × 311 mm, 30 Hz covers most musical content and a good portion of cinema effects; a large room or a strong preference for very low bass will point instead towards the larger i10 (24 Hz) and i12 (22 Hz). The cabinet has a gloss-black lacquer finish and a black fabric grille.

200 W in a sealed plate amplifier

The i8 is an active subwoofer: it has its own amplifier and does not take up any channel on the main amplifier. This electronics package delivers 200 W of continuous power (RMS) and 400 W peak power, the second figure corresponding to brief peaks, such as an explosion or a bass drum hit. Sonance describes it as wide-bandwidth, low-distortion amplification, mounted on a sealed plate that isolates the electronics from the air inside the cabinet and prevents leaks through the back of the subwoofer. Signal processing relies on a digital signal processor (DSP) controlled by the SonARC app.

Three inputs to suit the existing system

The line-level input, via an RCA socket, connects to the subwoofer output (often labelled Sub or LFE) of a home cinema amplifier, an integrated amplifier or a network player. With a stereo amplifier that has no subwoofer output, the speaker-level input takes the signal directly from the speaker outputs, which are connected to the subwoofer in parallel with the main speakers. The third option uses the built-in wireless receiver, paired with the separately sold Sonance SWT transmitter: all that is then needed is a mains socket near the subwoofer.

Three controls accompany these connections. The crossover sets the frequency above which the subwoofer stops playing, so that it complements the speakers without duplicating them. The phase aligns the movement of its cone with that of the speakers, a useful adjustment when the subwoofer is some distance from them and the bass sounds hollow at the listening position. The bypass disables the internal crossover when the home cinema amplifier already handles frequency distribution.

SonARC, acoustic correction configured from an iPhone

In a room, bass is never distributed evenly: walls reflect low-frequency waves, which reinforce one another at certain frequencies and cancel out at others, resulting in some notes booming and others fading depending on where you are. SonARC (Sonance Automatic Room Correction) analyses the subwoofer’s response in the room and calculates automatic 16-band equalisation, which can then be adjusted manually in the app. The app is free and works on iPhone, from the 6S onwards. This correction allows more flexible placement: a subwoofer pushed into a corner or tucked behind a sofa for layout reasons regains more even bass than with physical adjustments alone.

A complement to built-in speakers and living spaces

Sonance, a Californian brand based in San Clemente, primarily manufactures in-ceiling speakers and in-wall speakers. Installed at shallow depths, these speakers rarely reach low frequencies, and a floor-standing subwoofer adds the missing octave. The i8 also fits into a medium-sized living room, a bedroom or a small home cinema room, complementing bookshelf speakers by extending their bass. Its size allows it to sit beside a TV cabinet, and the wireless connection avoids running a cable along the skirting boards.

Technical Specifications

Components

• 200 mm ultra long-range speaker
• Fiberglass cone
• Rubber surround

Audio Performance

• Frequency range: 30 Hz - 250 Hz ± 3 dB
• Power: 200 W RMS, 400 W peak
• Low-distortion, wide-bandwidth amplifier
• High-excursion fiberglass woofer

Connectivity and Processing

• Inputs: line level, speaker level, low-latency wireless
• Built-in wireless receiver (optional SWT transmitter)
• Settings:
  • Active filter
  • Phase
  • Bypass
• SONARC digital signal processor (DSP) with automatic acoustic correction
• 16-band automatic equalizer

Installation

• Easy installation
• Three connection options
• Integrated acoustic correction application

Physical Characteristics

• Dimensions (W × H × D): 305 × 355 × 311 mm
• Weight: 18 kg