Infinity BU-120 Powered Subwoofer

by Infinity

Product Details

Product Manual [478kb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 43 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000JI2G
• Item model number: BU120
• Average Customer Review: 1.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #317,867 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Infinity's BU-120 Powered Subwoofer is everything most people want in a subwoofer: high powered, flexible, simple to use, and earth shaking. Tuned well, it's hard to believe there's really a subwoofer in use; the bass seems to emanate naturally from the other speakers.

A continuously variable crossover (50 to 150 Hz) and level control allow the BU-120 to blend with nearly any room and system. Achieving the perfect crossover point and volume level will depend entirely on your other speakers and your taste, so suit yourself--this subwoofer lets you. Positioning can be tricky, so if it doesn't sound perfect right off the bat, try moving it around some; a 180-degree phase-invert switch helps with distances of more than five feet. Infinity recommends placing the BU-120 away from walls, and we found our sweet spot--the point where the subwoofing low frequencies blended seamlessly with the rest of our system--in fairly short order.

Setup, while simple, will depend on how you want to configure your system, but rest assured that the flexible BU-120 can accommodate receiver/preamplifiers with dedicated subwoofer/low-frequency outputs and those without. The flip side of this flexibility is that the BU-120 wants two inputs, a left and a right, even if you're feeding it a mono, low-frequency output (as in a Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1-channel system). In that event, the monaural signal must be split using an RCA "Y" cable (one female to two male, not supplied)--an inexpensive but inconvenient fix.

For dynamic, made-to-order low-end presence at a reasonable price, the Infinity BU-120 is hard to beat.

Pros:

• Ease of placement
• Flexible configuration
• Floor-shaking bass

Cons:

• Connecting cables not supplied

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars BU120 = "PU" 120, January 18, 2006

By 

G (Hartford, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Infinity BU-120 Powered Subwoofer (Electronics)

Common problem:
Amp fails. Sub will start making a machine gun sound without even having audio signal driving it.

C6 capacitor fails. Straight from the BU120 service manual from Infinity's website. There's an appended memo that indicates this is a common problem and to replace the capacitor with an upgraded capacitor (10 micro-farad, 100 volt, non-polar electrolytic).

I've had both of these problems. The C6 capacitor basically just got up and disappeared. There was virtually nothing left of it after it blew.

The amp was replaced once already, but apparently failed again.

I think the speaker itself is good quality, box is well constructed. The circuitry is terrible.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Infinity BU-120 - Poorly designed amplifer, July 23, 2005

By 

S. ASHCRAFT - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Infinity BU-120 Powered Subwoofer (Electronics)

My Infinity BU-120 sub-woofer is dead. The amplifier S53AMI blew and from what I have been able to learn on the web this is not an uncommon problem. Infinity can't help me since the company that manufactures the S53AMI is no longer in business. I hope Infinity has learned a good lesson but I'm not going to buy from them or their parent company Harmon Kardon to find out.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Add me to the list........, January 5, 2008

By 

I. E. Mcclellan (NoCal, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Infinity BU-120 Powered Subwoofer (Electronics)

I have really enjoyed my subwoofer....when it is working! About a year after purchasing it, I had the same problem with the amplifier blowing and it was fixed under warranty. About a year ago the speaker sounded like it was blown and I discovered the plastic gasket or casing that holds the speaker in place broke and I will have to replace the woofer to the tune of 80.00 just to fix it. For now I have been keeping the volume down, but it only vibrates on really loud rumbles. Conveniently, there are no service centers in Northern California; I cringe at the thought of giving them 80 more dollars....grrr