A 15-inch JBL 2226H driver, 97 dB sensitivity (1 watt/1 metre) and around 100 kilograms of weight: the Sub Contra from the German loudspeaker manufactory Audiophil is an active subwoofer built without compromise. The finest electronic components meet a hand-crafted cabinet; the example offered here wears real black ash veneer combined with satin black.
The built-in high-end amplifier stage leaves nothing to be desired: 500/600 watts of power (1,200 watts peak), power supply filtering of 60,000 µF and a damping factor of 700, likewise hand-built. A parametric 8-band equalizer with detented controls allows extensive adaptation to room and system; connections include balanced XLR, unbalanced LFE, stereo line inputs and high-level speaker inputs.
The carbon-coated JBL driver (HEM-Audio) delivers dry, powerful and remarkably precise bass; thanks to its high sensitivity, the Sub Contra is of particular interest to owners of horn loudspeakers. A single unit is ample for rooms of around 100 square metres. The height-adjustable spiked stands were newly made by us at HEM-Audio specifically for the Sub Contra: they additionally allow tilt adjustment and eliminate resonances even on wooden floors, to the clear benefit of precision.
Following a recent refurbishment, the subwoofer presents in very good, as-new condition without damage; it measures 930 × 435 × 550 mm (H × W × D). It stands ready for demonstration at our premises in Wuppertal – viewing, listening and collection by appointment, delivery and installation at extra cost by arrangement. While stocks last, we also carry the same subwoofer in high-gloss black piano lacquer; matching subwoofer cables, such as the one ViaBlue developed specifically for this purpose, are available as well.
