MacDirectory 63
REVIEW
classical connoisseur, it's hard
to compare the Kube to other
subwoofers in this genres, but
it's enough to say that it actually
has me interested in listening
more and more to these genres
that I've previously dismissed.
This all isn't to say that the Kube
12b is a one-trick pony only
good for music nerds out there.
If I'm not listening to music, I'm
probably playing video games,
and I was excited to see that
the Kube 12b holds up here as
well. Without as much booming
and rattling as you'd get from a
ported sub, I actually found the
frequent sound of gunfire to be
louder and fiercer, without being
as exhausting on my ears.
I had a similar positive
experience when watching
movies. The clarity of the
Kube 12b enhances the scene
without stealing it, or worse,
over-powering it. Explosions
and car crashes felt more
visceral, not less. And don't
think that the Kube 12b can't
rattle when it needs to. When
turned up, with the right song,
game, or movie it will shake my
floors and walls when it needs
to—much to the lament of my
neighbors.
Conclusion
My cautious optimism was
born out with KEF's Kube 12b
Subwoofer. The company has
come a long way in developing
a consumer friendly line of
subwoofers that are perfect in
living rooms and listening rooms
alike. If you're graduating from
your first home theatre setup
and you're looking for a clean,
crisp, flat response from your
subwoofer, the KEF Kube 12b is
easy to recommend.
A/C input and power switch are
located closer to the bottom
of the read panel to minimize
swinging wires.
All-in-all, I had the Kube 12b
out of the box and thumping
within minutes. It was literally
two cords (power and LFE)
before I could start testing and
adjusting.
Sound
That's all great, but how does
it sound? As I mentioned at
the top of the article, I was very
pleasantly surprised with the
sound of the Kube 12b and the
new depth that it brought to my
living room.
The Kube 12b replaced a
10-inch ported model that
sounded punchy and harsh
by comparison. Throughout
my listening sessions, I kept
returning to Spotify's Butter
playlist, "Where jazz, soul, hip
hop, and R&B melt together."
To my ears, the Kube 12b
sounded so buttery smooth with
these bass-heavy songs, and I
appreciated hearing the low end
frequencies without the boom
and rattle that I had grown to
expect.
On heavier tracks, especially
uncompressed, high fidelity
tracks, the Kube 12b
reproduced every strum of the
bass with palatable accuracy.
Even as I walked throughout my
house, I could still discern the
pluck of each string. It had me
relistening to performances from
my younger years to appreciate
the bass players oft-overlooked
role.
In genres like classical and
jazz, the Kube's authenticity
and attention to detail really
shine. As not much of a
For more information, visit:
www.kefdirect.com/kube12-subwoofer.html
