Paradigm Defiance V12 Subwoofer Review & Comments

Great review, thanks Steve . I have a 4m x 3 m room so I guess this would be ideal for a smallish room like mine . I like the room correction app aswell 👍
 
There is better performing subs for the price, but the ARC app is of course bonus. The same could be said for Elac subs which comes with similar eq tool. If one has Denon with MultEQ XT32 / Antimode / miniDSP then the eq part of the app is not needed.

Looking the measured performance this doesn´t come anywhere close to SVS PB1000 (10" 300w) at 519£ or XTZ 12.17 Edge (12" 700w) at ~600£. Distortion rises at 31hz and below when pushed close to limits. No passing score for 20hz either, PB1000 has down to 16hz.

But the compact size, app control & eq and the fact that it sounds good is enough for some. Audioholics gave it Medium room rating meaning it´s best in 1,500 ft^3 to 3,000 ft^3 rooms.

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No internal bracing in the cabinet.

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The room correction is useful, especially if used in a stereo system with no built in room correction in the amp.

The Rel HT1205 is designed for home theatre and does not have high level input. Most people would use the AVR for room correction.

The BK 300 is older tech, no digital processing, not as efficient as it's not class d, designed for stereo and av use. IF The stereo amp has not built in room correction, then that would add another £150-200 at least for an external room correction device such as an Anti mode, but those would only work if the stereo amp has a sub/low level output.

Wireless connectivity would be useful for some.
 
What sub would be better for the price? This is very tempting though
BK subs have a reputation for being good value for money but they are older tech, don't have any digital processing, class ab rather than more efficient class d and dont have room correction built-in. If your amp doesn't have any room correction and you need it then it'll add to the cost, something this paradigm has.
 
BK subs have a reputation for being good value for money but they are older tech, don't have any digital processing, class ab rather than more efficient class d and dont have room correction built-in. If your amp doesn't have any room correction and you need it then it'll add to the cost, something this paradigm has.
My amp does it’s the Sony strdn1080 I have a Bk Gemini 2 atm but looking for some with more oomph was looking at the Q Acoustics 2070s got some good reviews I’d like the Qb12 by Q Acoustics but think it would be too much
 
Ive never listened to a gemini 2 but I used to own a bk xls200 mk2 and i much prefer my qa 2070s, under £200 it's a bargain and very underated.
 
Ive never listened to a gemini 2 but I used to own a bk xls200 mk2 and i much prefer my qa 2070s, under £200 it's a bargain and very underated.
Very tempted to get that one how do you find the LFE for films?
 
I use my 2070s in my main setup mainly for music concerts and films. Goes very loud and thumps hard, shakes the floorboards and radiators with ease. I also have a £700 rel but i prefer my 2070s.

Im using an antimode with mine a it gets a little boomy/strong at certain frequencies in my room.

If you do a search on this forum you'll find other satisfied members.

The sub reviewed looks decent value for the price. A class d amp with room correction.
 
How do you manage to use a 12" subwoofer if you don't live in a detached house? Do they have some kind of technology where the sound fills the room but doesn't carry through the party walls?

I have an 8" sub, turned way down to just about audible for the sake of being a good neighbour.

Every time I read a sub review, I wonder if I'm missing a trick, because I am neither in a position to move nor to install some soundproofing 🥲
 
I use my 2070s in my main setup mainly for music concerts and films. Goes very loud and thumps hard, shakes the floorboards and radiators with ease. I also have a £700 rel but i prefer my 2070s.

Im using an antimode with mine a it gets a little boomy/strong at certain frequencies in my room.

If you do a search on this forum you'll find other satisfied members.

The sub reviewed looks decent value for the price. A class d amp with room correction.
No worries what’s an antimode? Thanks
 
Like the music mode's response, see little point to the others. Since when does 50Hz not propagate through walls and wake or disturb people? My last system's sub had a mute. Mute on the AVR controls and a mute button on its remote. I took it for granted that subs would have mute options these days, but it seems many don't. I see this one appears to not have one. A mute for a sub is so necessary in homes it should almost be a legislated requirement that no subs be approved for sale without a mute option, plus the ability to turn it down to zero, using a remote or app. What's up with companies selling below 20Hz subs into urban and suburban domiciles with no capacity to press a button to turn the thing on or off? Don't they realize most people don't want a sub on all the time, when everything that makes sound is connected to it and pumping out deep sound 24/7? Don't they realize the wife will lose it if we bring home a sub that can't be muted? = no sale.
 
No worries what’s an antimode? Thanks
A subwoofer can sound different in different rooms depending on the room acoustics, sub position, room shape, room size. The same sub can sound very different in different rooms and one may find certain frequencies too strong. An antimode is one of a number of devices that can 'smooth out' or flatten the frequency curve. An antimode is popular as is easy to use, just plug and play, and the device equalises the signal automatically.


The Paradigm doesn't need such device as it has it built in.

Alternatively, if the amp has built in room correction you won't need it.
 
Like the music mode's response, see little point to the others. Since when does 50Hz not propagate through walls and wake or disturb people? My last system's sub had a mute. Mute on the AVR controls and a mute button on its remote. I took it for granted that subs would have mute options these days, but it seems many don't. I see this one appears to not have one. A mute for a sub is so necessary in homes it should almost be a legislated requirement that no subs be approved for sale without a mute option, plus the ability to turn it down to zero, using a remote or app. What's up with companies selling below 20Hz subs into urban and suburban domiciles with no capacity to press a button to turn the thing on or off? Don't they realize most people don't want a sub on all the time, when everything that makes sound is connected to it and pumping out deep sound 24/7? Don't they realize the wife will lose it if we bring home a sub that can't be muted? = no sale.

Isn't that what Night Mode in AVRs is for?

And you can buy a power amp and speakers and stick them in a flat without any requirements for max levels or mute buttons, why would subs be any different? It's up to people to purchase what's appropriate and use it appropriately. You might be in a flat with very accommodating neighbours, or only play content during the day.
 
My amp does it’s the Sony strdn1080 I have a Bk Gemini 2 atm but looking for some with more oomph was looking at the Q Acoustics 2070s got some good reviews I’d like the Qb12 by Q Acoustics but think it would be too much

Sony 1080 / D.C.A.C EX doesn`t eq the sub, it will just set level and distance (delay) which is typical for these lower cost room correction softwares. What you mean QB12 is too much, as in too expensive or too much bass? Price has gone up and there is better options like SVS PB1000 for same price or less if forum advertiser still gives -10% discount. That will give you some serious "oomph" as i have owned Gem II and heard SVS. If you want noticeable upgrade then don´t be afraid to look something larger and bit more expensive. You won´t regret it!
 
Sony 1080 / D.C.A.C EX doesn`t eq the sub, it will just set level and distance (delay) which is typical for these lower cost room correction softwares. What you mean QB12 is too much, as in too expensive or too much bass? Price has gone up and there is better options like SVS PB1000 for same price or less if forum advertiser still gives -10% discount. That will give you some serious "oomph" as i have owned Gem II and heard SVS. If you want noticeable upgrade then don´t be afraid to look something larger and bit more expensive. You won´t regret it!
I meant as in I think it will be overkill from reading reviews it’s a massive sub and not easily accommodated,if budget will allow I’ve been looking at the KLH Windsor 12 seems to have good reviews on here if not think I’m gonna get the Q Acoustics 2070s as that seems to have favourable reviews too I’ll have a look at the SVS subs too
 
Don't they realize the wife will lose it if we bring home a sub that can't be muted? = no sale.
Every sub has an 'off' option which surely achieves the same thing?

I don't recall ever seeing a sub with a mute function but nor do I see any real need for one.
 
I meant as in I think it will be overkill from reading reviews it’s a massive sub and not easily accommodated,if budget will allow I’ve been looking at the KLH Windsor 12 seems to have good reviews on here if not think I’m gonna get the Q Acoustics 2070s as that seems to have favourable reviews too I’ll have a look at the SVS subs too

Can you make new thread with more information about your room and equipment, plus budget. This is getting off-topic. :)
 
Really good read. Will be looking for a new sub later in the summer and something of this price, that can be wireless and has ARC is ticking all of the boxes
 
Anyone know what retailers stock these or are they specialist dealers?
 
What is not clear from the review is how does the app connect to the sub. is it via Bluetooth connection? or does the sub need wifi access
 
Isn't that what Night Mode in AVRs is for?

And you can buy a power amp and speakers and stick them in a flat without any requirements for max levels or mute buttons, why would subs be any different? It's up to people to purchase what's appropriate and use it appropriately. You might be in a flat with very accommodating neighbours, or only play content during the day.

Not at all, night-mode is volume leveling compression, it is not sub=off. It allows you to still hear quieter sounds when the volume is low. That's its function.

Sub frequencies resonate wall materials and their cavities, and thus propagate easily through walls. Other frequencies are reflected and absorbed or strongly attenuated by passage thorough a wall. The higher the frequency the less you hear through a wall, the lower the frequency to more of it you hear through a wall.

Sub frequencies also propagate much further in the open air than highs do. High are absorbed very quickly by air molecules. But they don't absorb lows, those tend to drop away closer to the inverse squares law with radial distance.

When you hear the low volume level of the audio system of your neighbor across the street, at 1 AM, you only hear the lows, you do not hear any other frequencies at all. If their sub has a mute enabled you would literally hear nothing.

I don't live by myself on a farm, like 90% of modern humanity, I live in a city or a large town, and if I use my audio system without the sub-muted, at 1 AM, I am going to have a lot of rather unhappy neighbors. Why pretend this is not so?
 

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