Velodyne Digital Drive DD-15+ Subwoofer Review

[admin]

Based on our exhaustive testing, it's clear that Velodyne's new Digital Drive Plus series of subs deliver as promised and even exceed some of their own output claims made to us. You stick a robust 15" driver in an inert sealed enclosure with a hulking power amp and masterful servo and compressor, and you've got the receipt for good subwoofing which very few sealed competitors can compete with both in sheer output and pristine fidelity. The DD-15+ has proven to be a worthy successor to the venerable DD-15 that started the whole Digital Drive series nearly 8 years ago. The hefty price tag is about the only downside to this fabulous product which the end user must decide if it's worth forking over the cash to don the Velodyne name in their theater room. If I were their competition, I'd be worried that Velodyne has just put most of them in checkmate with this very impressive line of well engineered Digital Drive Plus subwoofers. Highly recommended!

Discuss "Velodyne Digital Drive DD-15+ Subwoofer Review" here. Read the article.

 

[kevon27]

Wow.. impressive sub. But for $5000, that's a bit much. If someone has the space, the Elemental Designs subs should be able to best the DD+ easily, but they are not pretty and weigh in at 200+ lbs (A7-350 to the monster A7-900).

 

[jvgillow]

First sub I have seen with an Ethernet port on the back. But you pay a pretty penny for all those integrated features.

I don't see these becoming real popular with the AH/AVS crowd, but I bet custom installers will like them.

 

[lsiberian]

Wow.. impressive sub. But for $5000, that's a bit much. If someone has the space, the Elemental Designs subs should be able to best the DD+ easily, but they are not pretty and weigh in at 200+ lbs (A7-350 to the monster A7-900).

I'm pretty sure you can get a custom built TC sub for $5000, but that's MSRP.

 

[templemaners]

I'm pretty sure you can get a custom built TC sub for $5000, but that's MSRP.

Looks like way less than $5000 to me.

 

[kevon27]

Can someone achieve similar low distortion with their currently owned sub by adding and external compressor limiter between the sub out on the receiver and the sub input.
Something like this:

http://www.behringer.com/EN/images/lightboxphotos/MDX1600_P0177_FrontTop_XXL.jpg

 

[jinjuku]

The short answer is yes. Nothing special. Now getting servo control is an entirely different matter and obviously has a lot to do with it's low distortion #'s.

I wonder what you could do with 2 or 3 Rythmiks vs one DD+.

 

[gene]

Velodyne upper end products have NEVER been about value. These are sold through the customer install channels for a reason. The retail price of the DD-15 and DD-15+ is pretty much the same. Considering that the DD-15+ offers significant performance advantages over the previous model, I'd say that's pretty substantial.

The point of the review was to showcase its excellent performance for a sealed subs which few in its size class can match. If you are a smart shopper you can usually find a better deal on their subs if you really want one.

 

[rnatalli]

Looks like a fine sub, but I would still take two Submersives over it

 

[kesando]

How does a Rythmik F15HP, HSU ULS15 or SVS SB13plus compare to it?

 

[haraldo]

Impressive sub this is, but not close to meeting specs, none of the measurements indicate anything close to a -3dB point at 9 Hz..... so is Velodyne cheating us by publishing specs like this

 

[Warpdrv]

I agree haraldo.....

Paradigm publishes specs the same way and IMO its a joke unless this or those subs are placed in closet....

I have said and will say it again, I'm not sure why Paradigm even states that their subs have a stated measurement that reaches these depths but they don't have PBK or ARC showing response below 20hz... whats the point of having/stating measurements such as this to the consumer.

 

[mattburk]

Who makes the amp for this? Looks like a nice amp for a diy sub.

 

[haraldo]

I agree haraldo.....

Paradigm publishes specs the same way and IMO its a joke unless this or those subs are placed in closet....

I have said and will say it again, I'm not sure why Paradigm even states that their subs have a stated measurement that reaches these depths but they don't have PBK or ARC showing response below 20hz... whats the point of having/stating measurements such as this to the consumer.

The it's a rip-off.... doesn't matter how good or bad products are... if specs are fake it's a rip-off.... never listened to Paradigm or Velodyne subs so I cannot comment on their performance but the simple fact that they charge so much and is not even close to meet specs is enough for me....

Stay away.....

ha ha it's more like 9Hz - 200 Hz +3 / -25 dB

 

[BBF]

Gene, nice, thorough review... I can never find fault in your technical reviews, but I have to disagree with one statement:

Like a fine wine, their musicianship gets better with age, especially in an era where no talent *ss clowns like Lady Gaga thrive in pop culture.

Wow! really Gene, tell us what you feel. Unfortunately you're judging a book by its cover... like you, I originally thought that Lady Gaga was a wannabe Madonna, but after watching the 60 minutes interview with her, I began to dig deeper and found that she's actually a classically trained pianist that was accepted to Juilliard (but didn't go).

http://www.biography.com/articles/Lady-Gaga-481598
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/05/60minutes/main20066912.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

BTW I still dislike her pop music though, but no longer think of her as a no talent hack, like most of the current pop stars.

Pre-Lady Gaga videos of Stefani Germanotta playing the piano while singing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM51qOpwcIM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8CUn2VsgzU

She's not in the same class as Diana Krall or Jennifer Warnes when it comes to singing, but definitely not a "no talent *ss clown".

 

[basshound]

Impressive sub this is, but not close to meeting specs, none of the measurements indicate anything close to a -3dB point at 9 Hz..... so is Velodyne cheating us by publishing specs like this

How do you figure? Take a look at the detail sheet on the Velodyne web site and you will see 9Hz clearly listed as the overall frequency response. The next line below that you will see 14.6Hz listed as the -3dB point. Hopefully that clears it up.

I have a single 10" version for right now and I will say that it is one of the most impressive sounding subs I have ever owned, not the cheapest, but impressive sounding.

 

[gene]

Wow! really Gene, tell us what you feel. Unfortunately you're judging a book by its cover... like you, I originally thought that Lady Gaga was a wannabe Madonna, but after watching the 60 minutes interview with her, I began to dig deeper and found that she's actually a classically trained pianist that was accepted to Juilliard (but didn't go).

http://www.biography.com/articles/Lady-Gaga-481598
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/...in;contentBody

BTW I still dislike her pop music though, but no longer think of her as a no talent hack, like most of the current pop stars.

Pre-Lady Gaga videos of Stefani Germanotta playing the piano while singing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM51qOpwcIM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8CUn2VsgzU

After seeing Lady GaGa on Howard Stern, I have a new found respect for her. I admit I misjudged her and thus replaced her name with "EMINEM". There is nothing you can say about him that will make me change my mind

Checkout this Gaga Performance on the Stern Show, pretty impressive:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_GMgkcc2KM&hd=1

 

[bikdav]

True

First sub I have seen with an Ethernet port on the back. But you pay a pretty penny for all those integrated features.

I don't see these becoming real popular with the AH/AVS crowd, but I bet custom installers will like them.

You're right about that. Considering its size, features, and price, subwoofers like this one have a very limited audience. That said, I'd like to hear it if I find a dealer in the Boston area.

 

[jinjuku]

After seeing Lady GaGa on Howard Stern, I have a new found respect for her. I admit I misjudged her and thus replaced her name with "EMINEM". There is nothing you can say about him that will make me change my mind

Checkout this Gaga Performance on the Stern Show, pretty impressive:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_GMgkcc2KM&hd=1

Meh

Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tracy Chapman, Tori Amos... Well they don't have to dress like they are participating in three ring circus to get people to notice their talent. It's sad you have to dress like a circus seal to get any major exposure in today's music scene. Nora Jones is the only recent act I have witnessed that didn't. I guess she slipped through the cracks (sadly ironic).

I'm not saying that Ms. Germanotta isn't a talent, but I as a singer / song writer she isn't hitting in the same weight class as the others I mentioned IMO.

 

[screen_x]

Comparison to B&W DB1

I wonder how this would stack up against a B&W DB1?