Elemental Designs released a $350 sealed subwoofer some time ago, but I hadn't had a chance to give one a listen. Finally, this week I got my chance. Having heard several of eD's ported designs, I was curious how this sealed design would stack up. The sub was hooked up to an Onkyo 606 receiver and in a room about 12 x 18 x 8.
Ordering
Ordering went pretty smoothly. Luckily, a couple of units were coming off the line so I had a FedEx tracking number in less than a week and the sub 10 days from its order date. I was surprised that eD left a message for me the day the unit arrived asking if everything survived shipping and if they could be of any help. The only thing I would suggest to eD is an email at ordering time and along the way as to the lead time of the unit on order. Other than that, customer service was what I've come to expect from ID companies.
Packing
eD uses some of the toughest foam I've seen for packing; not a chance of the it breaking or coming loose. I was a bit disappointed that the sub was single-boxed and it also wasn't wrapped in any plastic. I've noticed this trend with many manufacturers, but not sure of the cause; probably to keep cost down and not have to raise prices. Regardless, it arrived intact with no signs of problems. The grill for the sub shipped separately so still waiting for that to arrive. Both were schedule to ship the same day, but I'm betting FedEx only picked up the big heavy box and forgot the second piece. No biggie as the sub's driver is very pleasing to look at.
Build Quality
Build quality on the eD is excellent. It measures 14.25" on all sides so not an eye sore in most rooms. It's interesting that eD uses EFS instead of MDF, but to my eye, it looks like your typical black finish in this price range which is a good thing. I prefer the seamless finish all around to something like the HSU STF-2 which you clearly see where the top screws down. eD does offer wood veneers for many of their subs and will also custom stain units so give them a call if you need something specific. The back of the sub sports the usual connections like phase, low-pass filter, gain, and L & R ins and outs. The fuse finds itself conveniently located under the power cord socket and the feet on the bottom are not your usual plastic spikes, rather rubber. The amplifier is 300 watts RMS. The overall weight of the sub is over 30lbs. eD didn't cut many corners building this thing.
Sound
I placed the eD in a corner and ran through Audyssey for setup. After fighting off a ground loop and tweaking, I started up easily by listening to some music. To my ear, the eD sounded more articulate than their typical ported designs and a little better than the HSU STF-2 which says a lot. With the gain at 9 o'clock and the receiver at 0, the sub still has enough gain to stay on at even the lowest of volumes. With everything dialed in and sounding good, I reached for my War of the Worlds DVD and fast forwarded to when the pod emerges. This sub did not disappoint. It reach low with authority and maintained its articulation. When the death ray starts blasting, you certainly feel it instead of just hearing it like with so many subs that won't dig below 30hz. The output of the eD was impressive shaking the entire room without breaking a sweat. I would say it has more output and hits a little lower than the HSU STF-2 which surprised me considering the STF-2 is a ported design.
Conclusion
The eD hits hard, low, and is articulate. All for $350 shipped. What's not to like? I think the A3S-250 replaced the STF-2 as my favorite at the $350 price point. The eD is cheaper to boot as it includes shipping. Its footprint should keep the WAF under control and it doesn't stick out too much. I recommend giving one a listen.
