If it needs to be small as possible then SB1000 Pro is very hard to beat as you also get further discount from forum advertisers (American Audio UK). DB10 at same price doesn´t give you same performance with the 10" driver, phone app control, support/service is still one of the best with SVS with daily chat/emails that gets responded fast and also 5year warranty same as with Arendal. I see Velodyne only gives 2 year warranty for this new range, that is not competetive enough for such high cost product. The specs are similar to REL hifi ranges, quite underwhelming and the finish/look is cheap. Look the speaker level inputs on the amp, those push press terminals from 90s. They couldn`t spend few £ more to put something better like SVS has done?!
Arendal costs 719£ and the DB-12 price is 1295£. Even with discounts i can´t see you getting it at 1k£ so not sure why you said Arendal is too expensive, you listed DB12 as option so you should have higher budget. Size wise Arendal is few cm taller and deeper, but narrower (31,5cm) with side firing driver. SVS SB1000 Pro wins size wise, but performance wise it is not on par.
This guy has been testing many subwoofers and wasn`t that happy what he heard and saw when he looked inside etc, cheap lively cabinet and many product he compares this DB-12 on the video clip this Velo just can´t keep up with them in build quality or sound quality. For me this isn´t suprise as i have seen in the past these cheap Velodyne/Paradigms doing poor job in this price class. They should stick with the high cost ranges where they excell or they need to lower the prices of this DB range big time. SVS, Arendal, REL offer better products at the +/- 1k£ region. JL Audio has D110 cheaper than DB-12 and new models coming from them early next year. Another premium brand which makes compact sized woofers.
This review is an outlier, No other review has criticised or been anywhere near, so cutting about the Velodyne DB range.
So much so, that WhatHiFi Australia (Sound+Image) gave DB-12 product of the year.
If you would like a 'peek behind the curtain' so to speak.
The reviewer in question was urked about the finish of the Velodyne and its lack of app support. and decided to take no notice to the fact that all the cost went into the very high quality componants in the product.
Throw into the mix the subwoofer was supposed to be sent to a second reviewer in the states right after this review but the shipping cost was so so much that it was cheaper to leave the subwoofer with the reviewer than to bring it back to the UK, or to then ship it on to the other reviewer. This reviewer decided to take this as an insult or that he was being paid for a good review.
This was not the case and he was told that...
The end result is what you see in this video.
Having heard the DB along side SVS models in question and alongside the competing REL's and also taking on board countless reports from stores and dealers who have heard them side by side too. I can safely say the DB is a superb subwoofer for music and movies and either matches or beats any of the above products with ease.
Just not for finish. But then again, it is an audio product.
Velodyne is well known from the DD+ range which are no doubt superb, but these low cost models just doesn`t have anything special going on for them over the usual market leaders, at least for HT use in mind. Arendal is king at 719£, shame the driver orientation doesn`t work out.
