I received my Rythmik Audio DS12 kit a week ago tomorrow and began the cabinet building process this past Monday. First, I'd like to say how impressed I was with the quality of the driver itself. Very well made with excellent binding posts that had the servo cable connected to mate via a connector to the output cable of the amplifer. The amplifier...impressive as well. The picture on the website does not quite do it justice. To see it in person and feel the weight of this well made servo amp tells that Rythmik is not trying to cut corners on this kit. I've been selling audio for over 30 years and not many sub amps are as well made as this one. Certainly nothing that comes close in price. I got the one with the 12/24db crossover slope selection option and an additional board is added to allow the choice. My only complaint would be that this resides
inside the cabinet, so making a change requires removal of the amp module. If the switch were remotely located and connected to the module by a cable it would be a more useful option. Some music systems will blend better with the 12db slope rather than the recommended 24db. Mine is currently set at 12db.
I built a front-firing cabinet rather than the down-firing that the provided (on the website) plans spec. It was very easy to modify the dimensions and bracing to suit what I had in mind. My sub measures 16.5w x 16.5h x 19.0d and is made out of 3/4" mdf. Cutting the mdf and forming the braces was a relatively easy task...the hardest part was being patient while the glue dried! I still need to remove the speaker and amp module and finish off the cabinet to give it better cosmetic appeal, but my impatience to hear it said that can wait.
This sub is being used in a strictly 2-channel music system, so my feelings about it's performance are based solely on listening to music. I would imagine it would work just as well for a home theater system too. It replaced an Era Sub 10, which is a non-servo downfiring 10" long-throw design. A very musical sub in itself, I've always felt it had the most definition of anything anywhere near it's price.
Until I hooked the DS12 up and ran through some cds with good bass tracks. Even with only 3 or 4 hours on the DS12, it's obvious Chih-Shun Ding of Rythmik knows what well-defined bass is supposed to sound like. Deep, tight and detailed. Obviously a big step up from the Era. I'm hearing lower frequencies on a number of cds I am very familiar with that I have never heard before. And more importantly, I'm hearing detail...detail and definition and dimensionality in the low frequencies that I never knew was there. Another surprising thing, and one that alot of subs totally fail at, is when there is no strong bass on the recording...there is no strong bass being reproduced. Far too many subwoofers just boom away, giving a heavy bottom to everything. One test I've always used when judging a sub is to disconnect the main speakers on a recording with string bass or well defined electric and listen to see if the sub sounds like music or boom crud. Most, unfortunately fall in the boom crud camp. The Era passed that test...and the Rythmik DS12 does it one better.
It's too early to tell how good this thing is going to get, but even at this early point in it's break in I felt a heads-up needed to be given for a product whose performance far exceeds what you might expect for the $ spent. I'm adding another soon, to get a more even low output in my room.
The Rythmik Audio DS12 gets
