Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Monitor Audio ASW210 Subwoofer Speakers by Greg C

Probably the best title for this review would be, "Fifteen Days with Two Excellent Subwoofers."

The Audio Concepts (ACI) Titan sells for 799 dollars plus shipping. The Monitor Audio ASW210 lists for 995 dollars, but can generally be purchased for less through various dealers in North America. Both of these subwoofers represent terrific values.

Footprint is about the same, roughly 14 by 14 inches, but the Titan stands seven inches taller. Internal amplifier power is between 200 and 250 watts, but at this point their qualities divide.

The Titan has 12 in. woofer in a sealed cabinet. The ASW210 has two 10 in. woofers in a dual vented enclosure. The Titan is fine furniture with a high-quality wood veneer, in my case, beautiful natural cherry. The ASW comes in a finely crafted black veneer finish.

This review is based on 15 days with each subwoofer. They were mated with Magneplanar MG12 speakers and a Denon AVR3300 receiver. Connection was by the subwoofer out only.

Fifteen days is not adequate to break in the Titan. The sound over this time became tighter, warmer, and increased and in definition. Performance constantly improved but optimal function was still some time off. Clearly, the strong point of this subwoofer is its ability to solidly reproduce the lowest frequencies of any recording or DVD.

But the Titan let me down in two areas. The lowest crossover for the Titan is 50 Hz. The MG12 speaker's low frequency is about 45 Hz. There was clearly an audio frequency overlap. ACI recommends in-line high pass filters between the preamp and amplifier. I was unwilling to apply this solution.

The Titan also has a character that struck me as unpredictable. It is as if it became excited in certain audio passages and would go overboard in bass output. This is not to say it is a poor subwoofer. On the contrary, I give a high recommendation. But at the end the fifteen day trial period, it was returned to the factory. I received first-class treatment from the fine people of ACI.

The Monitor Audio ASW210 crosses over as low as 40hz, which mated well with the Magneplanar MG12 speakers.

It was also very easy to place in the room. The ASW210 has a very unique feature. There is continuous polarity reversal between zero degrees and a one hundred eighty degrees (not just zero or 180 degrees). I have no idea how this is accomplished, but it is very effective in optimizing the subwoofer performance in any room.

As I read the literature, the two woofers operate in push-pull design to cancel out the even harmonic distortions. I have no testing to confirm this product claim other that the qualitative review I can give in this forum.

Right out of the box, I would describe the sound quality as dull, accurate, fast, and tight. Initially, it is too fast and tight. But within the fifteen days it had mellowed to produce a warm and accurate very low end. The acoustic bass of "My Love" in Diana Krall's Love Scenes is detailed and true. The phantom train of "Ghostbusters II" runs right through our house. These are two very different types of bass and it performs magnificently.

The Monitor Audio ASW210 is always under control and well-mannered. This may disturb some audio enthusiasts, who prefer a deep, rolling sub, but my family fell in love with the accuracy of this subwoofer in the past fifteen days.

The only weakness is a very slight hum that I have not been able to eliminate. It is well below audio interference and a minor issue.

Presently, there is a great deal of enthusiasm over the Monitor Audio Silver 5 speakers. The 5's may be fine speakers, but this subwoofer is an overlooked gem. It represents a great value for less than $1000 (US).

REVIEW: Monitor Audio ASW210 Subwoofer Speakers Review by Greg C at Audio Asylum