MacDirectory Magazine

MacDirectory 61 REVIEW 16-inch cube. It's wrapped in a seamless, non-removable black fabric, and topped with a high gloss black panel. There is a small KEF logo centered on the top front, with no other distractions, and it sits very low to the ground, so the legs are not visible from any angle. The look is pretty classy, and for a subwoofer this size, I don't want it to stand out, just look good. The size is a little intimidating if you're coming from your first subwoofer, but for a 12-inch subwoofer, it's actually pretty manageable, and can be relocated by a single person. If you are placing the subwoofer in an entertainment unit or cabinet, make sure you measure first. Controls & Connections All of the controls and connections are located on the back of the subwoofer, with items you may need to interact with being closer to the top for a more convenient adjustment. Two very large, clicky, tactile knobs control volume and cross over and are accompanied by a phase switch (0-180). One switch on the Kube 12b that you won't find on other subwoofers is a 3-setting DSP control that adjusts the EQ of the subwoofer on the fly based on its location in your room. With choices for Free Standing, Wall/Cabinet, and Corner, you can test out what works best for your situation. I found these to have an immediate, noticeable impact, and was thankful for the options given that my living room isn't laid out for necessarily putting a subwoofer in its 'ideal' location (i.e. I had to shove it in a corner). The Kube 12b has LFE, line, and speaker-level inputs based on the rest of your audio equipment. Meanwhile, the Frequent readers may remember how enamored I was with the pair of LS50 Wireless speakers from KEF last autumn. This month, I got to check out their Kube 12b Subwoofer, the largest in KEF's trio of consumer friendly subwoofers. And while I was hesitant (KEF's reputation is founded on their loudspeakers, not their subwoofers), I walked away pleasantly surprised and have since replaced my living room subwoofer with a Kube 12b. The Basics The Kube 12b is a sealed subwoofer with a 12-inch driver, powered by a 300-watt Class D amplifier. Those may be the basics, but it's a lot to unpack. For instance, the sealed cabinet makes the Kube 12b a much more crisp, clean subwoofer compared to the window rattling of a ported subwoofer. This is unsurprising, as KEF's musical background definitely benefits from the audio accuracy over a bigger boom. The Kube 12b's 12-inch driver (the diameter of the speaker moving all that low frequency air) is the main differentiator between itself and the rest of the Kube line which is also available in 8-inch and 10-inch models. It also determines the necessary dimensions of the cabinet, which in this case is fairly large. The 300-watt Class D amp powers the subwoofer. The Class D amp is commonly used in subwoofers and allows for higher efficiencies resulting in a lighter and smaller subwoofer— both good things. Physical Design Designed and manufactured in house at KEF, the Kube 12b's eponymous shape pretty much says it all. It's a 45 pound,

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