Customer Reviews

BIC V1020 10" Down-Firing Powered Subwoofer

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

...except it doesn't perform like a little brother. I'm going to keep this short (short for me, anyway). To find a more detailed review of BIC subwoofers, see my long-winded review on the 12-inch V-1220.

My normal disclaimer: If you can, listen to any speaker system you are interested in before buying (and don't rely on other people's opinion, and that certainly includes mine).

Initially, I was going to purchase the 100 watt, 8-inch V80. But once I saw the price of the 10-inch V-1020, I couldn't pass it up. I use the V-1220 in the family room, while this V-1020 model is placed in the computer room (smaller area and much smaller volume). And like all BIC speaker systems, it requires a break in period (around 40 to 60 hours), so don't judge it until it has been fully broken in (I've had this sub for about a month now).

How does the V-1020 compare to its bigger brother? I find only minor differences between the two (other than the 12-inch model will obviously go deeper). Both have BASH-designed amplifiers -- this one rated at 160 watts RMS vs 200 watts RMS for the V-1220, and each have the exact same control panel, external finish, Venturi vent, and coned feet. The specs state that this model goes down to 26 Hz (compared to 23 Hz for the V-1220). There is an old saying, "Location, location, location", and this applies to subwoofers as well as to real estate. Once you've broken this puppy in and have found the right crossover for your main speakers, try several locations to see how it performs in your environment. Understand that there will be dead zones (it's the nature of any subwoofer), and moving your sub around to mitigate these dead zones is standard procedure.

While there are plenty of outstanding subs that will reach deeper than the V-1020 (some significantly so), good luck finding one to match it at close to this price level. By any account, this is a price to performance leader (as is the V-1220), and should be given some serious thought. Its bass is solid, tight and surprisingly deep for a sub of this size. BIC proves in most of their speaker lines that a low price tag doesn't always mean low quality. Between 1 and 10, I rate the V-1020 an 8 (or a 4-star rating), which is the same rating I gave to its big brother.

I tried thwo different sub woofer before settling for this one. I have the Polk Audio rm10 5 speaker set, for my room size is rather small(18'x12') and its a townhome so I have to keep things low, you know what I mean. The first one I tried after reading a barrage of good reviews in Amazon is Polk PSW 10, which to be very honest with you should not be called a sub woofer, because it all it does is some rumble sound and no base, next I tried the HSU STF-1, which I must say a fantastic product, had I have a bigger room and more powerful speaker set I would have settled for it, but my speakers were too small for it, so I finally ordered the Bic 1020, after researching that it has almost similar spec as with the STF-1, and boy what a choice, it is a perfect match for my system. The base is perfect and also comes with a frequency adjustment knob which helps you to fine tune the base output from your system. In case you are wondering I use a Yamaha 6130 Receiver. I would recommend this sub woofers to everyone, you can't beat this performance to the price they offer it.

This unit replaced a KLH 10" E10 subwoofer, and MAN, what a difference!

The V1020's workmanship seems great; a nice polished ash-grey woodgrain finish, beveled edges, perfect fit & finish -- it feels very solid. I almost went for the V1220, but it was a little too large for the intended spot in my bedroom. This unit actually has a slightly smaller footprint than the KLH; it fits perfectly next to my system.

The V1020's auto-on works much better than the KLH's, too - it rarely drops the receiver's sub signal, even at lower volumes. I like the fact that the BIC has a selectable input - you can choose whether or not to use the internal crossover.

I really like the sound! The KLH was very boomy and flabby-sounding, but this unit's bass is tight and focused - very precise - and it goes plenty low for me (the specs say it goes down to 26Hz).

If BIC's other speakers are as well-made and great-sounding as this sub, I might just have to replace the rest of my speakers!

I did much research before pulling the trigger to replace a three year old JBL sub. I have a medium sized room (15X17) and this sub sounds excellent. It's quite accurate and responsive and adds plenty of oomph for movies and good low end sound for music. It's plenty powerful and plenty loud without distortion especially when listening from good source material. We watch a lot of Blu-ray movies and the sound output through the LFE channel (Yamaha receiver) with Dolby TruHD and DTS-Master Audio is incredible! The sub would probably be a bit overmatched in a very large room but then again you wouldn't be considering buying a sub with a 10" driver for a very large room.

A solid product for the money. Has volume control, frequency crossover control, automatic off/on, etc. Plenty of power to "shake the windows" on movies, etc. Adds good very low bass to music, etc. Fairly clean sound, but, like many subwoofers, doesn't add bass much above the lowest frequencies...so, if you buy really cheap bookshelf speakers, that can't supply some lower bass, you'll have some gaps. I'm running this subwoofer with some Polk TSi speakers (surprisingly great speakers for the money...good bass too) for a home theater, and it's a nice combo.

Note color is a slightly "silvery" black...not a pure black.

P.S. I tried one of the lowest end Polk subwoofers and was very disappointed...just not enough power to do much of anything (no "window rattling" bass for movies, etc.).

Ok I've had this sub hooked up for a week and am prepared to leave a review. This is the first sub that I've used in 4 years and the first that I've purchased since 2002 or so. Anyway, like all of the other BIC speakers that I've been using for the last year, the build quality is superb. It is really, really well built.

It has 2 hookup possibilities that I put to good use. It sits in the corner of the living room behind my desk on a Auralex SubDude and I used a 25' RCA cable to run to my home theater receiver. I was also able to run L and R speaker wire's for my desktop speakers from my Dayton amp through the sub and out to the speakers. I was really suspicious of that route but it is totally quiet, transparent, and introduces zero hum, buzz, or hiss sound, whatever to the desktop speakers.

The auto on works very well for both signals and the box is really stout. The crossover is fantastic and the sound is great. I cross it over pretty low because my monitors have good bass. I only have experience with 10's, and limited at that, but this has nice boom, hits hard and really makes all of my music sound deep. My favorite tracks to listen to to demo this sub with my desktop monitors are "Abacab", "Get in Where You Fit In" by Too Short, "Back in the Saddle" by Aerosmith, and most of all for all out deep BANG - "PHD" from Crystal Method's "Tweekend". That last one just hits deep, I can't believe all of the bass I was missing on "Tweekend". I've only just been able to hook it to my home theater receiver today, because I was waiting on the cable, so I'll update this later. I'm super stoked that 1 sub satisfies both of my needs (see pictures if you're confused) and I love BIC which now all of my home speakers consist of.

After doing some research, if you experience some hum after hooking it up to your entertainment center chances are the cable tv wire is the culprit. I bought a Jensen VRD-1FF IsoMax Digital RF Isolator that cleared that issue up. It happens despite the brand of sub you're using so don't panic if it happens to you.

Very nice! A little on the big side as far as size goes but excellent sound.
Mine is hooked up to a 110 watt per channel Yamaha surround sound receiver
and provides just the right amount of bass, not too much boom, unless you want it.
You could use it in an apartment with no complaints( unless you wanted them).
Amazon.com as always was great with the price and the delivery.

Just hooked up a new Onkyo 507 and wanted to replace my Yamaha YST-216 sub. I'm actually a big Yammy fan but wanted one with a dedicated LFE input and adjustable crossover. Was looking at Polk and Energy - from the numerous reviews, it seemed that the Polk was average and that the Energy was a better sub, but the price was also much higher. I have had a pair of BIC Venturi bookshelf speakers for over ten years so I thought I'd give their sub line a look and am very happy that I did. The box itself is a very solid and nicely constructed enclosure with a handsome silvery black finish. The hardware is solid and the knobs have a nice feel to them. The cone is sturdy as well - the only improvement I could suggest is upgrading the feet to something other than plastic but that is superficial and will not have any effect on the sound. Speaking of the sound, it is excellent! After using the mic to run the calibration on the Onkyo, the correct crossover was determined and a smooth bass that blends seamlessly with the music was quickly dialed in. Don't get me wrong, you can turn it up for ridiculous boom if you prefer as well. I noticed immediately that the bass lines on a Dave Matthews DVD were immediately better defined and more distinctive than they had been with the Yamaha. And with a peak of 360W, the BIC should be able to handle whatever you throw at it - explosions in "Iron Man" had nice, loud impact.

BIC may not be a highly marketed, over-hyped or commercially sexy brand, but if you want a very solid, strong yet smooth sub with features that are comparable with an Energy/Klipsch/Polk in the $350-$500 range, pick this up (or the 12-inch even) for under $200 and use the leftover cash for another upgrade to your system. Incredible value, you won't be disappointed.

When I was looking for bookshelf and front speakers for my surround system a couple of years ago, I did fairly extensive online research before settling on BIC America DV62.

Again and again, I came across reviews that compared them to near audiophile level speakers at a fraction of the price. The reviews and accolades all turned out to be right, and I since added a pair of Ed Frias modified DV62s to a room where I don't have a surround sound system, but where I spend a lot of time listening to music. Again, the DV62s have been fantastic.

So what prompted me to get the matching BIC subwoofer?

In anticipation of the recently released Beatles catalog box set, I wanted to make sure I'd have the absolute best possible sound (without paying audiophile prices), and again did a fair amount of online research, including asking Mr. Frias himself by email, all of which pointed back to BIC. Suffice it to say, the BIC V1020 was a great choice for a fairly small size room. If you've got a slightly bigger room, go with the 12" or 15". The sub is easy to hook up and fine tune to your personal listening taste, whether that is mild or wild.

You can pay much more for speaker/sub systems, but I can say from experience that most won't sound anywhere near as good as this.

This BIC 1020 subwoofer was a steal at $149. I use it in a 13'x17' space that is open at one side and it's paired with a set of 5 Energy Take Classic speakers. It compliments these speakers nicely. The BIC is very easy to set up. I tried it in a couple of different locations before deciding to place it in a corner behind a sectional couch. The bass sound, while playing music, is fine in most areas of the room. There is one small dead spot but that's because of the room shape and the sub's placement. The BIC just shakes the room with special effects while watching movies. It will sound muddled if you have the volume set to high though. I've never used a subwoofer in the past. I won't be without one in the future.