Sonance i12

Sonance i12: 30 cm Impact subwoofer

Reaching down to 22 Hz requires a sizeable driver and amplification that retains headroom at high levels. The largest subwoofer in the Sonance Impact series combines both in a black lacquered cabinet standing 46 cm tall, then leaves room adaptation to a measurement app. It connects to a home cinema amplifier or a stereo system, by cable or wirelessly.

A 30 cm high-excursion driver

At the heart of the subwoofer is a 305 mm driver with a fibreglass cone supported by a rubber surround. Its excursion is very long: the cone can move forwards and backwards over a wide range, allowing it to displace a large volume of air and produce deep bass without distorting as soon as the volume rises. Fibreglass provides the rigidity needed for the cone to move as a single unit, without deforming under stress.

The driver faces forwards, behind a black fabric grille. It is paired with a port (an opening that extends the driver’s output in the lowest bass frequencies) whose profile, which Sonance calls Laminar Flow Port, guides the air smoothly. The benefit is tangible: at high levels, a poorly designed port produces chuffing noises, whereas smooth airflow lets you hear the note, not the rush of air.

Four hundred watts and controlled bass down to 22 Hz

The built-in amplifier delivers 400 W RMS, with peaks of 800 W. The first figure corresponds to the power the subwoofer can sustain continuously, the second to the reserve available for an explosion or a bass drum strike. Sonance has chosen a low-distortion, wide-bandwidth amplifier mounted on an airtight plate, isolated from the air moving inside the cabinet.

The stated response ranges from 22 to 250 Hz, within plus or minus 3 dB, meaning a barely perceptible variation in level across the entire range. 22 Hz is lower than the lowest note on an electric bass or double bass: this lowest octave is mainly used for film soundtrack effects, which you feel in your body as much as you hear them, and for large pipe organs. In a small room, this much reserve can easily be dialled back; it is in a large living room or dedicated room that it comes fully into its own.

Three ways to connect it to your system

The line input accepts the subwoofer output (LFE) from a home cinema amplifier or preamplifier, via a standard RCA cable. The speaker-level input caters for stereo amplifiers without a subwoofer output: you connect the wires running to the speakers, and the subwoofer takes what it needs. A selector on the rear determines the active input.

The third option is wireless. The receiver is built into the subwoofer, and all you need to add is the Sonance Wireless Transmitter, sold separately, to the amplifier’s subwoofer output. Its range of around 9 metres and low latency (the transmission delay remains too short to put the bass out of sync with the picture) allow you to place the subwoofer where it sounds best, rather than where the cable runs. You still need a mains socket nearby.

For adjustments, there is a filter that sets the frequency above which the subwoofer gives way to the speakers, a phase control that aligns the subwoofer with the front speakers according to their respective distances, and a bypass setting. This bypasses the internal filter when the home cinema amplifier already manages the split between speakers and subwoofer, avoiding filtering the same signal twice.

Acoustic correction handled by SonARC

A room is never neutral in the bass range: depending on its dimensions, it boosts certain frequencies, which start to boom, and attenuates others, which almost disappear. SonARC, short for Sonance Advanced Room Correction, measures these variations from the subwoofer’s actual position, then applies an automatic 16-band equaliser to compensate for them. The result is more even bass, where every note retains its weight instead of some standing out and others fading away.

Setup is carried out step by step in the app, which controls the subwoofer wirelessly and then gives you access to the 16 bands to fine-tune the sound to your taste. The app is available on Apple’s App Store: an iPhone or iPad is required for initial setup.

Dimensions, finish and position in the Impact range

At 407 mm wide, 457 mm high and 413 mm deep, the subwoofer forms a substantial cube weighing around 25 kg (31.5 kg packaged). The gloss piano black finish and black fabric grille make it unobtrusive beside a TV cabinet or in a dark room.

The Impact series comprises three sizes built on the same principle: the i8 with a 20 cm driver and 200 W, the i10 with a 25 cm driver, and the i12, which has the largest driver, the most powerful amplifier and the deepest low-frequency extension. All share the wireless receiver, the three input types and SonARC correction, so the choice comes down to room size and the desired level, rather than features.

Technical Specifications

Components

• 300 mm ultra long-throw speaker
• Fiberglass cone
• Rubber surround
• High-excursion fiberglass woofer

Audio Specifications

• Frequency range: 22 Hz - 250 Hz ± 3 dB
• Power: 400 W RMS, 800 W peak
• Low-distortion, wide-bandwidth amplifier

Connectivity

• Inputs: line level, speaker level, low-latency wireless
• Built-in wireless receiver (optional SWT transmitter)

Signal Processing

• Digital Signal Processor (DSP): SONARC, automatic acoustic correction application
• Settings: active filter, phase, and bypass
• 16-band automatic equalizer

Installation and Setup

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

Physical Characteristics

• Dimensions (W × H × D): 407 × 457 × 413 mm
• Weight: 31.5 kg