Morel SoundSub 9 100-Watt Powered Subwoofer (Black)

by Morel

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 30 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000BL05MG
• Item model number: Soundsub 9, Black
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,243 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

For 30 years, Israel-based Morel has been one of the best-kept secrets in the audio industry. Instead of marketing their speakers and system components directly to the consumers, they've been quietly and convincingly providing ultra-high quality drivers for other loudspeaker manufacturers. Morel's technology can be found in speakers manufactured all over the world, including many top brands in the United States. All that's changing now, with the company setting its sights on the consumer market with several of its own high-end components. We had the pleasure of reviewing Morel's superb and smartly designed Morel SoundSub 9 100-Watt Powered Subwoofer. If you're looking to enhance your stereo-listening or home-theater experience with powered subwoofer that rivals any that you'll find in this price range, then keep reading.

The SoundSub 9 boasts a full range of connections and controls for optimizing bass performance. View larger.

The subwoofer is designed to complement the Morel SI-2 satellites. View larger.

A Compact and Smart Design
The days of filling your living space with fifty-pound speaker boxes and ugly shoe-box shaped subwoofers that look like they belong on an Aerosmith concert stage are thankfully long gone. Morel knows that if you're going to invest in serious audio for your home, you'll want your system to reflect your tastes in every respect. The SoundSub 9 -- which is also included in the Morel Stream MKII SoundSpot system -- is based on the award-winning sphere-shaped SI-2 Satellite Speakers. Housed in a black, 20-inch diameter MDF enclosure to match the SI-2s, this subwoofer offers several set-up options. You have the choice of placing it on its own floor stand, directly on the wall or ceiling with the included mounting brackets or, if you have five inches of clearance, you can slide it conveniently beneath your sofa. But unlike many square-shaped sub woofers that you'd rather keep out of sight and out of mind, the SoundSub 9's clean, spherical design means that almost anywhere in your listening room will do just fine.

Quality Assurance: The Morel Difference
Morel's peerless quality control is a key selling point. Every component is built, tested, and inspected in Morel's factory in Israel. Except for the production of the subwoofer housing, which is outsourced, Morel is directly responsible for everything.

The subwoofer we tested was part of a fully-integrated and acoustically balanced Morel Stream MKII 5.1 SoundSpot Speaker System. While the SoundSub 9 can be used as a component of a custom system, it's optimally designed to work with and complement Morel's similarly-designed SoundSpot satellite home theater speakers. Featuring a top-of-the-line 100-watt amplifier, the SoundSub 9 includes the features you'd expect from a home-theater subwoofer in this price range, including an on/off switch, volume control, phase control, and crossover point control to assist in setting your speaker component up. In addition to its on/off setting, the subwoofer's power switch has an auto function which powers up the woofer if a signal is detected. After a reasonable time without a signal, the subwoofer powers down. Because the system we tested was already optimized for the room, we can't comment on how seamless a task it was to integrate the SoundSub 9 with the speakers, but our host emphasized that new Morel components require 40 hours of "break-in" time before you'll achieve optimal performance. The response of any system will depend on how free the woofer cones are to move, and since a subwoofer in this power range is bound to have a stiff suspension coming out the factory, it makes sense that a "loosening up" period should be allowed before passing final judgement.

Beneath the unit's sleek design and convenient controls is the award-winning technology that Morel has been selling other speaker companies for years: a nine-inch flat-profile woofer, three-inch Hexatech aluminum coil, and a rear-vented double magnet motor combine for a 30 to 160 Hz frequency response and 100 watts of continuous power. Morel drivers are based on what the company describes as "Hexatech technology," which employs a hexagonal aluminum wire voice-coil, which gives their components more bang for the buck. In other words, what the design may lack in size, it more than makes up for in power.

The SoundSpot 9 we tested was definitely broken in by the time we dropped in our "Revenge of the Sith" DVD and cranked the THX-certified Kenwood VR-5900 receiver. To get the most out of your home-theater experience, you'll want a home theater receiver of this caliber and at least 100 watts of power.

When the battle scenes and explosions started up, the subwoofer definitely contributed to the participation factor of our experience. We drove the system hard and the sub responded seamlessly. While the system we were testing isn't aimed at traditional two-channel listening, we popped in an audio CD just to see how well the components responded. The sub-woofer held its own, providing a more subtle response than if it were a part of a dedicated stereo system. Lows were full and thundering, but not obnoxiously so, and the subwoofer responded swiftly to rapid sound effects in the lower ranges. There was no overpowering of the other channels, either, a testament to Morel's balanced approach to home theater systems.

Pros:

• Impeccable component construction and quality control
• Stylish design, flexible mounting options
• Advanced driver construction delivers high efficiency and greater power handling

Cons:

• Designed primarily for SoundSpot speakers
• Quality this good comes at a price

Amazon.com Product Description

Add a full-bodied bass response to your stereo or home theater system with the Morel SoundSub 9 powered subwoofer. Sporting an eye-catching spherical housing in a crisp black color, the unit offers a nice design alternative to traditional box-shaped systems, and beautifully complements Morel's ball-shaped SoundSpot satellite home theater speakers. More importantly, the shallow, reflex-loaded subwoofer delivers a full bass impact and thundering dynamics that make movies and music sound full-bodied and explosive. Driven by a high-quality 100-watt amplifier, the SoundSub 9 boasts all the features you want in a home theater sub, including an on/off switch, volume control, phase control, and crossover point control, allowing you to seamlessly integrate the sub with your other speakers. In addition, both high- and low-level inputs are provided to help with all of the common configuration options.

The booming audio stems from the 9-inch flat-profile woofer, the 3-inch Hexatech aluminum coil, and the rear-vented double magnet motor, which combine for a 30 to 160 Hz frequency response. The sub also comes with its own floor stand, a rigid on-wall/ceiling connection bracket, and the option of a floor/under-sofa "side/ceiling" firing position. And though the SoundSub 9 is suitable for any home theater system, it's ideally matched with the Morel SoundSpot speakers for the best acoustic integration.

The sub measures 20 inches round and 5.1 inches deep and weighs 31 pounds. It's also backed by a five-year warranty on parts and labor.

What's in the Box
SoundSub 9 subwoofer, floor stand, wall/ceiling connection bracket, user's manual.