Review of the Sonic Soundlabs Subsonic10

[sonicsoundlabs 0]

This review is in the current issue (September 2011) of Performance Auto & Sound Magazine and it was performed by Gary Springgay.

If you are the type of person that takes your bass seriously, the crew at Sonic Soundlabs will understand where you’re coming from. Sonic Soundlabs is a subwoofer company based in Homosassa Springs, Florida and they build some of the most intense subwoofers available anywhere at any price. With six different series of woofers available, you can bet they will have a woofer that’s just right for your level of commitment. The Sonic Soundlabs woofers are hand assembled here in the U.S.A, and are deliberately overbuilt to exceed their customer’s expectations. This time, we thought we’d take a look at what they refer to as one of their entry level woofers, the Subsonic S10.

Features

Right out the gate, you know this isn’t your average 10” woofer. I mean, the thing has a magnet assembly that weighs fifteen pounds! Entry level? Wow.

The first thing you’ll notice is the tall and wide oversized foam surround, which is treated to be resistant to ultraviolet light damage. The fat surround provides plenty of excursion capability, and is mated to a very rigid multi-layer pulp paper cone, and a high dome style dust cap formed of the same material but finished in a “wet-look” coating that gives it a cool high-gloss look. The dust cap is so large on the 10” woofer that it actually meets the cone at the same point as the surround, so all you really see is the dustcap. The business side of the Sonic Soundlabs S10 woofer is constructed around a cast aluminum basket which is finished in black powdercoat. The woofer is rated to handle 500 watts continuously, or 1,500 watt “peak” power levels. With that much power handling, you know that a lot of attention has been paid to heat dissipation and venting the voice coil. In fact, the S10 woofer uses a cooling system Sonic Soundlabs refers to as “Air Force” cooling, where cool air is forced directly onto the voice coil area through six radial vents in the former itself, and vented through eight separate holes in the bottom plate, located on the outside diameter of the voice coil. In this way, pressure buildup under the dustcap is eliminated while maintaining plenty of air flow to keep things cool and under control.

Speaking of the voice coil, the S10 uses a full 3” former to carry the dual 2 or dual 4 ohm coils. The four layer copper windings have a winding length of 45mm, so you know this woofer is going to have excursion capability! To control the excursion and provide linear motion at all frequencies, a low compliance, multi-layer poly-cotton spider assembly is used.

Connections to the woofer are made via two pairs of nickel plated spring-loaded terminals that will easily accept 8 gauge wire. The amplifier power is delivered to the voice coils via ultra heavy duty 12 gauge tinsel leads that are covered in a silicone dielectric jacket. Overall, the woofer is built like the proverbial brick outhouse, and looks far more expensive than its $249 (US) price tag would have you believe.

Listening

Reading through the supplied literature, I learned that for the S10, Sonic Soundlabs recommends either a sealed or vented enclosure. So after the usual period of break-in, I mounted the S10 woofer in a 1 cu ft. sealed box and got ready to do some listening.

In the sealed enclosure, well-recorded rock sounded great with a tight, articulate voice. Dire Straits “Heavy Fuel” and Marc Cohen’s “Walking in Memphis” had nice definition and tone, and virtually zero overhang on transients. Plucked bass was well defined and sounded nice and round, as it should. More bass heavy tracks like the 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” and *****cat Dolls “Don’t Cha” were reproduced with authority, and the S10 woofer showed no signs of stress or bottoming even though my instrumentation showed it had received brief signals in excess of 700 watts. I did note that the very bottom of the audible register was a bit subdued in the sealed enclosure.

Since the woofer is claimed to work in either sealed or vented boxes, I needed to find out which type I’d prefer if I were to install this woofer in my own system. Switching it over to a 1.25 cu ft. vented enclosure tuned to about 38Hz, it played louder overall (as expected) at the same power levels, but without giving up too much of the quick and tight sounding transient response. The bass remained well controlled and tight sounding, but now had significantly more output. Without being able to switch back and forth instantly it was hard to judge whether or not the vented installation gave up some definition and attack to the sealed system, but if it did, it wasn’t much. Regardless of the type of music I played, or the levels I played it at, the Sonic Soundlabs S10 handled it all and was always ready for more. I deliberately pushed the woofer hard, measuring brief periods of over 750 watts being applied, and the folks in the neighboring business will attest that the woofer had no lack of output!

After trying the woofer in both types of enclosures, I found that my personal preference leaned strongly toward the vented application, as the output was much greater, and I could certainly give up a tiny bit of control for what sounded like twice the volume.

On The Bench

After letting the woofer cool and settle overnight, the following morning I began the technical measurements. Beginning with measuring the actual Thiele-Small parameters of the woofer, I then took some 1 watt nearfield curves in both the vented and sealed enclosures to give you an idea of the actual output differences caused by venting the box. As you can see in the accompanying graph, the vented box develops significantly more output throughout the usual bandwidth of frequencies for a subwoofer system, with a lot more output from 30 to 70Hz, which is exactly the way I’d thought it sounded. You gotta love it when the listening experience correlates with the data!

Conclusion

The entry level Sonic Soundlabs S10 woofer is a high performance, ruggedly built woofer that many companies would be happy to have as a premium product. It not only handles a ton of power, but it also sounds good enough to satisfy even the most discerning user. Built to handle gobs of power all day long with great performance in very common enclosure volumes, it should be easy to install in virtually any vehicle. And if this is Sonic’s entry level, you just know that the rest of their offerings are going to be off the hook. For more information on all the other Sonic Soundlabs woofers, visit them online at www.sonicsoundlabs.com or at a dealer near you.

Electro Mechanical Parameters

Model: Subsonic 10

Coils in Series

Revc: 3.490 Ohms

Fs: 45.329 Hz

Sd: 0.0346 M²

Vas: 0.238 Ft³

Cms: 39.645 uM/N

Mmd: 307.251 g

Mms: 310.951 g

BL: 19.598 T·M

Qms: 2.275

Qes: 0.805

Qts: 0.594

Levc: 2.450 mH

No: 0.075 %

SPLo: 80.794 dB

EBP: 6.31

BL^2 divide Re = 110.05

Quick Tech Specs

Power Handling: 500 Watts RMS 1500W Peak

Frequency Range: 20-200Hz

Sensitivity: 81dB/SPL @ 1.0W

Nominal Impedance: 4 ohms (series coils)

Check out the link for more information at www.pasmag.com/soniclabssub

[ssh 924]

Perhaps I can add to the review?

I found a post on caco, "i have seen 4 of the supersonic 18's and mehhh u can tell they are hand built .. kinda sketchy .... they did sound good though" and "well hand drilled holes in basket for cooling i gues holes punched through cone behind the dustcap .. im guess to relieve pressure off the cap... the leads come through holes cut in the spider ............u can just tell its really shop assembled woofers and and hand built just not on a real quality level......... we did have 1 18 fail after about 15mins of play time... the cone came unglued from the former "

Oh and welcome to the forum, nice to see your not just here to advertise your product.

[jonbearsmt 919]

weird.. it seems like he is.. he is not a sponcer of the site.

[ssh 924]

weird.. it seems like he is.. he is not a sponcer of the site.

Sarcasm.

[jonbearsmt 919]

weird.. it seems like he is.. he is not a sponcer of the site.

Sarcasm.

ahhh <~~~ slow

[Kanaworm$ 292]

Send me some of the those for an independent non bias review!

[ssh 924]

weird.. it seems like he is.. he is not a sponcer of the site.

Sarcasm.

ahhh <~~~ slow

[TRP 42]

Yes the one post seems almost like all he did was come here to advertise the product!! I am sure mark and aaron have an eye on this and will address as they feel appropriate.

[slim2fattycake 85]

O shit I remember this company. It was talked about over on SMD. The BOLTS are made in the USA. They are almost like Fi audio...

[sonicsoundlabs 0]

Perhaps I can add to the review?

I found a post on ****, "i have seen 4 of the supersonic 18's and mehhh u can tell they are hand built .. kinda sketchy .... they did sound good though" and "well hand drilled holes in basket for cooling i gues holes punched through cone behind the dustcap .. im guess to relieve pressure off the cap... the leads come through holes cut in the spider ............u can just tell its really shop assembled woofers and and hand built just not on a real quality level......... we did have 1 18 fail after about 15mins of play time... the cone came unglued from the former "

Oh and welcome to the forum, nice to see your not just here to advertise your product.

Thank you for welcoming me to the forum and adding to the review, ohh and even the sarcasm.... I have been asked on the phone and on other forums about reviews of our subs and this was done by a third party source that reviews several hundred products per year and we have no decision or ability to adjust their review of the product. This was intended to be a third party review and to introduce people to our products since we are new. If this is not acceptable or is unwanted on this forum, then please delete this post and I will not post here again. I have sent an e-mail to Mark and Aaron about becoming a manufacturer sponsor on the site and I am awaiting for there return e-mail.

The Super Sonic 18 post that you found on the **** site was sent to a dealer in Winter Haven Florida and one of the 4 18's was damaged in shipping and the cone did break (it did not come unglued from the former). It was replaced within two days and it did a 150.8 sealed on the dash with 1 Audiopipe 3000.1 amplifier tuned to 40 Hz. and the wall was not closed of from the back of the Chevy Blazer.

Yes the subs are hand built and yes there is holes in the basket for cooling but they are not hand drilled. The cones are vented under the dust cap and the leads are ran between the spiders and comes out through the top spider at the edge of the basket. As for the quality level, we build everything with the best possible parts from top to bottom and everything is over built but everyone gets to have their own opinion of what quality is.

Edited September 5, 2011 by Sonic Soundlabs

[Randal Johnson 544]

Welcome to SSA !!!

[sonicsoundlabs 0]

O shit I remember this company. It was talked about over on SMD. The BOLTS are made in the USA. They are almost like Fi audio...

Well, are motor bolts are made in the US. Along with the voice coils, CA glue, cones, spiders, 12 AWG tinsel leads and dust caps. The only parts that are not is the baskets, gaskets, terminals, the steel in the motors and the ferrite magnets (the Neodymium magnets are made in the US as well). I don't know where the Fi commit comes in at, we are not like Fi or trying to be. If we were then we would have went to Scott and had him build are subs but this is not the case at all.

[sonicsoundlabs 0]

Welcome to SSA !!!

Thank you !!

[ford302redneck 15]

You are right, SS is nothing like Fi or anything Scott has built or current builds.

I actually made the post on SMD, after I had the time of my life reading the old website and tech section. Where it stated every detail made here, yet the main part is just assembled here.

How about the packaging? Cause I seen a unboxing video on youtube that didn't hardly have ANY packaging, the little it did have was swimming noodles. Which is fine for individuals to use, but a company that charges +$800 for a single non special sub?

And a entry level sub for $250?!?! Damn, is it Gold plated? Jesus, if "hand assembling in the USA" cost that much to do, maybe let china "robot assemble" them. Since it seems SS applies not all subs are HAND built.

And to those who think I'm bashing, I don't have nothing to gain by pointing out details about SS. And really my points aren't bias either as I'm not talking about how loud or how good or not they are. Just simple details about the company.

[ssh 924]

Perhaps I can add to the review?

I found a post on ****, "i have seen 4 of the supersonic 18's and mehhh u can tell they are hand built .. kinda sketchy .... they did sound good though" and "well hand drilled holes in basket for cooling i gues holes punched through cone behind the dustcap .. im guess to relieve pressure off the cap... the leads come through holes cut in the spider ............u can just tell its really shop assembled woofers and and hand built just not on a real quality level......... we did have 1 18 fail after about 15mins of play time... the cone came unglued from the former "

Oh and welcome to the forum, nice to see your not just here to advertise your product.

Thank you for welcoming me to the forum and adding to the review, ohh and even the sarcasm.... I have been asked on the phone and on other forums about reviews of our subs and this was done by a third party source that reviews several hundred products per year and we have no decision or ability to adjust their review of the product. This was intended to be a third party review and to introduce people to our products since we are new. If this is not acceptable or is unwanted on this forum, then please delete this post and I will not post here again. I have sent an e-mail to Mark and Aaron about becoming a manufacturer sponsor on the site and I am awaiting for there return e-mail.

The Super Sonic 18 post that you found on the **** site was sent to a dealer in Winter Haven Florida and one of the 4 18's was damaged in shipping and the cone did break (it did not come unglued from the former). It was replaced within two days and it did a 150.8 sealed on the dash with 1 Audiopipe 3000.1 amplifier tuned to 40 Hz. and the wall was not closed of from the back of the Chevy Blazer.

Yes the subs are hand built and yes there is holes in the basket for cooling but they are not hand drilled. The cones are vented under the dust cap and the leads are ran between the spiders and comes out through the top spider at the edge of the basket. As for the quality level, we build everything with the best possible parts from top to bottom and everything is over built but everyone gets to have their own opinion of what quality is.

I'm glad to hear a response back, in all seriousness.

I'm not in any way shape or form a mod / admin of the board, so nothing will be deleted heh. I'm just a schmuck, for lack of a better word.

Personally I wouldn't mind you joining the forum, helping people out, getting a section setup for your products and specs, and lastly advertising.

Just gets old when someone registers, advertises something, then leaves.

I've also read that you guys are really knowledgeable, so I hope you can stay and contribute.

[ford302redneck 15]

Perhaps I can add to the review?

I found a post on ****, "i have seen 4 of the supersonic 18's and mehhh u can tell they are hand built .. kinda sketchy .... they did sound good though" and "well hand drilled holes in basket for cooling i gues holes punched through cone behind the dustcap .. im guess to relieve pressure off the cap... the leads come through holes cut in the spider ............u can just tell its really shop assembled woofers and and hand built just not on a real quality level......... we did have 1 18 fail after about 15mins of play time... the cone came unglued from the former "

Oh and welcome to the forum, nice to see your not just here to advertise your product.

Thank you for welcoming me to the forum and adding to the review, ohh and even the sarcasm.... I have been asked on the phone and on other forums about reviews of our subs and this was done by a third party source that reviews several hundred products per year and we have no decision or ability to adjust their review of the product. This was intended to be a third party review and to introduce people to our products since we are new. If this is not acceptable or is unwanted on this forum, then please delete this post and I will not post here again. I have sent an e-mail to Mark and Aaron about becoming a manufacturer sponsor on the site and I am awaiting for there return e-mail.

The Super Sonic 18 post that you found on the **** site was sent to a dealer in Winter Haven Florida and one of the 4 18's was damaged in shipping and the cone did break (it did not come unglued from the former). It was replaced within two days and it did a 150.8 sealed on the dash with 1 Audiopipe 3000.1 amplifier tuned to 40 Hz. and the wall was not closed of from the back of the Chevy Blazer.

Yes the subs are hand built and yes there is holes in the basket for cooling but they are not hand drilled. The cones are vented under the dust cap and the leads are ran between the spiders and comes out through the top spider at the edge of the basket. As for the quality level, we build everything with the best possible parts from top to bottom and everything is over built but everyone gets to have their own opinion of what quality is.

I'm glad to hear a response back, in all seriousness.

I'm not in any way shape or form a mod / admin of the board, so nothing will be deleted heh. I'm just a schmuck, for lack of a better word.

Personally I wouldn't mind you joining the forum, helping people out, getting a section setup for your products and specs, and lastly advertising.

Just gets old when someone registers, advertises something, then leaves.

I've also read that you guys are really knowledgeable, so I hope you can stay and contribute.

They maybe, but I know one their old tech section showed a real lack of knowledge on there part.

I don't know exactly how it was wrote, but it applied vented t-yokes indirectly caused clipping. Which I'm not the most knowledgeable person when it goes to that sort of advance discussion, which I've never took the time to actually learn more about it, but basically telling your future/current customers, probably over 50% of the drivers ever made, with vented poles, caused clipping and since SS had a solid pole, they are superior in everyway.

Now, to me, cutting down a good portion of the whole industry's drivers just to convince and mislead customer to buy SS product seems really low.

At the end of the day, you can lie, cheap, and promote your product to death, but if the product can't speak for itself alone, you won't have a very successful company in this industry.

But what do I know? I have no company or do I design my own drivers. So more power to trying to hype up around the pretty much standard quality that's expected from a decent company. And that's about assembling in the USA with basically USA softparts. Which already plenty of companies already do, so its not like its real uncommon. And they even do it and sell their drivers cheaper.

[ssh 924]

Well only time will tell.

[Tirefryr 1,742]

Your first post on this forum will NOT be to spam your product. I don't care who did the review, you've already violated the TOS you agreed to when you joined the site. You can stay and contribute if you'd like, but no more pushing your product. If you want to purchase your own sub-forum, contact admin, but this shit won't fly.