TX-SUB12 Review - Part 1
Introduction
The subject of this review is the Crystal Acoustics
TX-SUB12. The TX-SUB12 is a bass reflex subwoofer with a 12" front-firing driver and dual rear ports. The review unit measured 18.5"x13.75"x18.5" (HxWxD, not including grill) and weighed 64 pounds, essentially identical to what Crystal Acoustics publishes on their website. The amp is rated at 200 watts RMS, 400 watts peak. The quoted frequency response is 20Hz-200Hz anechoic, and 15Hz-350Hz in room. The warranty is 2 years. For passive speakers -- like centers, towers, etc. -- the warranty is an almost unheard of 10 years. The TX-SUB12 retails for $750.
Crystal Acoustics started in Greece 14 years ago (1998). They've been selling speakers in the US since 2006.
Ordering
Crystal Acoustics is an Internet Direct (ID) company. For the US and Europe all sales are done exclusively through their website, but for the rest of the world they utilize dealers and distributors. The review unit was supplied to me by the manufacturer, so I didn't go through the normal ordering procedure.
They offer a very generous 60 day in home trial for their US and European customers, which is double what most similar companies provide. Shipping to the customer is free.
Unboxing
For those who have read some of my other reviews you'll know that I consider how a company packages their products to be of vital importance. After all, if they don't care how (if?) your product arrives why would they care about how it was designed or engineered? Crystal Acoustics did something no other manufacturer has ever done with a review unit; made me sweat just to unpack it. Grab some of your favorite beverage and have a seat, because this is going to take a while to fully explain.
The shipping box was cover in shrink wrap and had "fragile" stickers -- some rather large -- plastered all over it. Once the plastic was cut away I found a surprise; the entire box was covered in bubble wrap. That's right, I had to cut off two layers just to get at the shipping box! Take a sip of your drink now, because we're just getting warmed up...
I open the shipping box and I find another box inside. Nothing surprising there, at least for a good quality subwoofer. So I slide the inner box out and cut that open, turn it upside down and pull it off to reveal the sub. Well, sort of; it's encased in a plastic bag, which isn't atypical either. So I remove the plastic bag, only to be confronted by a cloth sheet that completely covers the sub. I peel off the cloth sheet to find there are now foam sheets under the cloth. By this point I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever get to the actual subwoofer.
After removing the foam sheets I see that the painted surfaces are covers in a thin film of plastic. It's taken me over 10 minutes just to get this far, and I'm still not done! I remove the thin film half expecting to find something else, but mercifully there's nothing. Finally, I reach the TX-SUB12. For those keeping score that's 8 -- yes, 8! -- layers of protect. That doesn't even include the foam blocks used at all corners of the inner box. I find it hard to believe any shipping company could damage this thing even if they tried (which I sometimes wonder if they actually do). I worked up a sweat for sure, but I like Crystal Acoustics already; any company who goes to that extreme to protect their products during shipping is OK in my book.
The owners manual consists of a single booklet that covers several Crystal Acoustics products, and contains a lot of information about speakers in general. It's professional in appearance and layout, but I would have preferred something specific to just the TX-SUB12. The information it contains is pretty good though.
There weren't any accessories or options included except the power cord. There are no carpet spikes, just rubber feet which were already attached. The feet aren't very tall or wide unfortunately, being perhaps 1/4" tall and 1/2" across. For hard surfaces they would keep the sub off the floor, barely, but on carpet they simply disappear into the pile.
Initial Impressions
Let me start out by saying I really like the way this subwoofer looks. It projects a very elegant appearance, almost regal (if that's even possible). If nothing else it's classy. The paint finish was flawless, even under a florescent light (anyone who has professionally detailed cars, like I have, knows first hand that a florescent light will easily uncover even the most insignificant swirls or scratches). The vinyl sides panels contrast the paint beautifully and give it a unique appearance. The grill sits up off the front panel about 1/2", suspended by high-quality stainless steel pins in a brushed silver finish. The overall appearance is very stylish. Evidently design and appearance are very important to these folks.
The grill could be a little more sturdy; it's on a rather thin .5" MDF frame and flexes too easily. I wouldn't call it flimsy, but it could be a bit more rigid. The grill material is very transparent, and was attached to the frame perfectly. If you're not prone to taking the grill on and off frequently this probably won't be a concern for you.
The only other nit to pick with the appearance is there were two small bumps under the finish on the top panel. I had to move back and forth using the florescent light to actually see them, but they were there. Under normal ambient lighting they were almost invisible so I don't consider this an issue, but given the obvious attention to detail everywhere else I found that a bit surprising.
All the screws on the driver and amp were tight, with just a few needing the slightest twist. Essentially nothing was loose. Overall, I would rate the quality of materials and workmanship as excellent. It's apparent Crystal Acoustics wants to project a certain image, and I think they succeed.
The driver utilizes some type of hybrid foam/rubber surround that's larger then average. The cone itself is made of a stiff treated paper, and has an inverted dustcap. The magnet is huge, far more prominent then a lot of other subwoofers in this price range. It's fully encased too. The basket is stamped steel, with large voids to promote cooling. The driver is attached to the cabinet using threaded inserts, which is a good thing because it's rather heavy. The impression is of substance and heft.
The cabinet is cross braced and has damping material everywhere (including up against the back panel, where the amp is). The ubiquitous knuckle rap test returns a very solid and inert sounding dull thud. The amp is contained in a separate enclosure, which I always like to see.
Both rear-firing ports are 2.5" in diameter and run the entire length of the cabinet, from front to rear. There's a screen on the inner-most part, so nothing can get inside the enclosure and make itself a home. I like attention to detail. Check that; I
love attention to detail, and Crystal Acoustics does that in spades. The ports are flared and dimpled where they exit the back of the cabinet too, which is usually an effective way to eliminate untoward port noises. Unfortunately, it wasn't completely successful in this case.
Setup
The amp has but a single RCA connector; no speaker level input or outputs, no XLR. That spartan concept is continued with the remaining controls as well. The only things you'll find on the amp are the gain dial, a 0/180 degree phase switch, a VAR/THX switch (more on that later) and the power switch. That's it. The power switch only has settings for Off and Auto On, no Always On. I find that a bit of an odd omission, given how often people have problems with the Auto On functionality. Thankfully Auto On worked flawlessly, so it may not be an issue. There's also an LED indicator to visually determine what state the amp is in; yellowish orange for on and red for off.
The aforementioned VAR/THX switch should not be overlooked, because Crystal Acoustics believes heavily in THX certification. As a matter of fact, they've been a THX Partner since 2004, so they were one of the early adopters. In short, the VAR/THX switch enables the TX-SUB12 to act as either a "normal" subwoofer, or one that adheres to the THX standards. In the VAR setting the TX-SUB12's gain is enabled, so adjustments can be made. When set for THX the gain no longer functions and the subs output is attenuated 12dB, while the crossover is fixed at 80Hz. This allows it to operate within the THX guidelines which, in part, require multiple subwoofers. I left the switch in the VAR position for the duration of the time I had it, but even with that I found it needed to be run pretty "hot" in order to get sufficient output (1 o'clock on the subwoofers gain and +10dB output level for my receiver).
The switches, dials and lone RCA connection are clearly marked with very easy to read lettering. They're all quality pieces too. Oddly, the gain knobs position indicator is the exact opposite; it's basically just a thin groove cut into the knob, making it very difficult to read most times. Crystal Acoustics should do something to improve visibility there, because it was a bit too difficult to determine where it was set.
