Paradigm UltraCube 10 and 12 Subwoofers

Not often I get to review two products on the same page, these two subwoofers however, share the same basic design and electronics. As a consequence it is easy to compare them relative to each other and the competition without resorting to two separate reviews.

In the picture, it doesn't matter whether its the UltraCube 10 ($1899) or the UltraCube 12 ($2399) 'cause without a reference to judge the size, they look identical. I'll start with the electronics since they share the basics -
650 Watt RMS Continuous output.
1500 Watts Dynamic Peak.
D Class Switching Amplifier.
Auto on/off, Soft Clipping, Thermal Protection.

This is a serious bit of electronics. The soft clipping is especially important with such a large available output as it reduces the chance of blowing the crap out of the cones at the start of Terminator 3 (yes folks - we've actually done it on a couple of different subs). The signal delivery appears to be sharp and immediate with no overrun. There's no override on the auto on/off thingy but as I couldn't detect the on/off cycle it obviously doesn't matter. Heat is not an issue as I ran the test sub. at home very. very loud for over 2 hours without any sign of thermal distress. The size of these subwoofers is the thing that really amazed me. The UltraCube 10 is 33cm(H) X 29cm X 29cm at 13.3kgs - almost small enough to put in your pocket (I have large pockets) with the UltraCube 12 measuring 38cm (H) X 36cm X 36cm at 16.3kgs. Finish is in Black Ash only. A single high excursion driver is used in conjunction with two passive radiators in an effort to move way more air - and it works! Forget the fan in summer, just play the ELO Zoom DVD loud and the breeze will waft all around the room.

My review was done mainly using the UltraCube 12 as the room I use is 9 X 5 metres so the more air movement, the merrier. There was no way this diminutive box could replace my Yamaha YST-SW1500 or the M&K MX-350 which preceded it. Both are large obtrusive items which can be aesthetically challenging. Surprisingly enough, the little Paradigm outperformed both units in overall subwooferbility (don't laugh, that may just be in Webster's next year). Let me explain - The M&K moves a great deal of air and if it was used just for movie effects sound tracks it would win hands down, unfortunately it lags when playing music and it annoyed me so much, I couldn't wait to get it out of the house. The Yamaha YST-SW1500 is still the best value subwoofer on the market (taking in to account the discount prices I can offer on it) but when the price is taken out of the equation, the Paradigm creams it. The Paradigm goes way louder than the Yamaha, is just as musical and is almost half the size. Of all the subwoofers I've tested at home, the Paradigm has the best performance in regards to movies and music in the under $4000 price bracket - and that includes the now superseded Paradigm Servo 15!

Dusty Springfield Live at the Royal Albert Hall was my test music DVD - the bass came out cleanly, without lag and integrated with my main speakers (currently Paradigm Studio 100's) to the extent that I wasn't aware of the subwoofers presence until it was turned off - then, even the big Studio 100's, seemed flat. To reproduce the bass in music, the little Paradigm hardly seemed to be working at all and yet was still punchy. Next I tried the Doom DVD, whilst not my choice for movie of the year, the bass in the soundtrack is quite extraordinary. The bass reproduction was absolutely awesome - furniture was moving, paintings were falling off the wall and the filaments in the light globes broke. The passive radiators on each side of the subwoofer appeared to be moving in and out around 5cm from the mean point and looked as if they were about to self destruct. They didn't. OK, it's not the cheapest subwoofer on the market ($2399) but I have to say that, as of this time, there is no other subwoofer I'd rather have gracing my lounge room. It has a low frequency extension of 19Hz (-3dB) which is very, very good (remember, most subwoofer manufacturers quote -10dB figures).

The UltraCube 10 is the baby brother and if overall volume is not an issue, then the size/performance ratio should seduce the most critical buyer. I tested one in the same situation as the 12 and musically, they were identical. The low frequency extension is 22Hz (-3db) and, as the lowest note in music is 27.5Hz (with only a 64' organ pipe getting lower - moot, really) this is not an issue. When it came to movies, the limits of the little 10 was reached, albeit at ear splitting levels (I never reached the limits of the 12) and would suit 80% of buyers, only the deaf and adventurous would appreciate the extra grunt and lower frequency extension of the 12. I guess it's a matter of size and price, I can certainly fit the 12 in my room without it being obtrusive so I'll stick with it. If I had the set up in a smaller room I'd probably opt for the 10 but in the larger room the 12 fills the void with less effort, greater dynamics and goes a little deeper to give that through the floor rumble. The bottom line is, for the money, I don't believe I've heard or tested a better subwoofer than the Paradigm UltraCube 12, the UltraCube 10 is a very slight compromise but given the minute dimensions and the $500 saving, the UltraCube 10 looks like getting the majority of sales.