Looking forward to the "new" pl-200 II numbers. ( Not regular pl-200, as I know it's been reviewed to death, but thanks for the feedback)
I know there's not gonna be a huge difference , but I know cabinet design, port numbers / size can have a significant impact .
So I wonder did Bic just relocated the ports , or was there actually a audio engineer behind this "refresh".
Even if it's a just small 3-6% improvement... At $279 you can't ask for much more.
I know this is an old post, but in response to the question of whether the changes made any improvement, the way I read Josh Ricci's discussions, that would be "no", it just looks better.
He says nothing about port noise being an issue which makes sense since he does say the driver is pretty timid. I don't think the output of the sub was in any being limited by the old port design.
BIC has a good product here in that it is inexpensive, performs decent for the price, and
it looks good! Dual ports moved to the front baffle make it look better and non informed people might think the dual ports are significant as an upgrade. It seems like BIC gave their engineers a budget and had them design a basic sub then followed with a cosmetic makeover. Again, smart marketing.
As far as added bracing, look at how narrow the gap is between the driver and the ports! I'm betting they
had to add bracing to reinforce the mdf in this area so it doesn't crack in normal assembly/handling!
I don't hold BIC in contempt for this, I think of them as being like Ryobi as compared to pro-grade tools. They do a decent enough job for the average homeowner and look good (as long as you can stand the green).