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Velodyne CT-100 150-Watt 10" Subwoofer
Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
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Most Helpful First | Newest First | + Share5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Great sub for the price
(4 out of 5) by Jason P. Gold on Feb 8, 2004 (Long Beach, CA)The problem:
I have an audiophile's appetite for electronics, but my budget doesn't include money for an audio system with the price tag of a Mercedes. OK, not even with the price tag of a used Toyota. Until I bought this sub, I was using a spare pair of 25 year old Koss speakers with 10" woofers to handle the bottom end. The Koss were designed for music reproduction, and not for the sound effects of movie soundtracks. They just didn't have the rumble and thump of a friend's $20,000 HT system. So, I figured I needed more oomph at the bottom.
The Solution:
I started looking for a good budget Subwoofer. I had been considering 12" subs by JBL, Infinity and HSU when I found a used Velo CT-100 in the Recycler, a magazine in Los Angeles which provides free classified advertising.
Veoldyne has a reputation for making some of the best subs on the market. I called another friend who used to be a rep for Harman Kardon about 30 years ago and asked his opinion. He said I'd like the driver. I immediately pulled the money out of the bank and drove the 150 mile round trip to buy the sub.
Impressions:
I got it home and attached it to the "Low Frequency Effects" out on my HK Signature 2.0 preamp/processor. I stuck the sub between my main speakers in the middle of the room -- positioned all wrong, and it still sounds good. I played Pink Floyd Dark Side (SACD), Govi - Andelusian Nights (CD), The Who - Tommy (SACD), Fourplay (DVD-Audio), and Steely Dan - Two Against Nature (DVD-Audio). This sub proves to be very musical.
Setting my preamp to pump out everything below 100Hz to the sub gave the bottom end a great deal of authority. Even though my Koss speakers are supposed to be flat to 30Hz, they don't match the volume and control in the bottom two octives. The Velo is neither boomy nor a 1 note wonder. And, it is reasonably efficient. I was able to pump all 400 watts of power from my Harman Kardon Citation 22 amp into my main speakers, and the Velo kept up pretty much effortlessly until the last few decibles.
Next, I tried to find a DVD with a good LFE track. I tried Gladiator, Harry Potter - Chamber of Secrets, and X-Men 2. None were satisfactory for a real workout. Finally, I turned to George Lucas. Star Wars II -- Attack of the Clones has a use other than as a coaster after all! All those marvelous Lucas space ship engines. And things getting blown up! And arms getting cut off by light-sabers! This is a very good unit for small to mid-size HT systems. It isn't as good as the one in my friend's $20K system with something like 1000 watts into 3 subs, with the dbx bass enhancer, but it is close enough for now.
All in all, I'm very happy with the sound and build of the unit. I think I'll keep it.
Strengths:
Good high end of mid-fi subwoofer with solid musical bass down to 32Hz and ample power.
Weaknesses:
Cheap spring loaded wire connectors, crummy black box appearance.
I have an audiophile's appetite for electronics, but my budget doesn't include money for an audio system with the price tag of a Mercedes. OK, not even with the price tag of a used Toyota. Until I bought this sub, I was using a spare pair of 25 year old Koss speakers with 10" woofers to handle the bottom end. The Koss were designed for music reproduction, and not for the sound effects of movie soundtracks. They just didn't have the rumble and thump of a friend's $20,000 HT system. So, I figured I needed more oomph at the bottom.
The Solution:
I started looking for a good budget Subwoofer. I had been considering 12" subs by JBL, Infinity and HSU when I found a used Velo CT-100 in the Recycler, a magazine in Los Angeles which provides free classified advertising.
Veoldyne has a reputation for making some of the best subs on the market. I called another friend who used to be a rep for Harman Kardon about 30 years ago and asked his opinion. He said I'd like the driver. I immediately pulled the money out of the bank and drove the 150 mile round trip to buy the sub.
Impressions:
I got it home and attached it to the "Low Frequency Effects" out on my HK Signature 2.0 preamp/processor. I stuck the sub between my main speakers in the middle of the room -- positioned all wrong, and it still sounds good. I played Pink Floyd Dark Side (SACD), Govi - Andelusian Nights (CD), The Who - Tommy (SACD), Fourplay (DVD-Audio), and Steely Dan - Two Against Nature (DVD-Audio). This sub proves to be very musical.
Setting my preamp to pump out everything below 100Hz to the sub gave the bottom end a great deal of authority. Even though my Koss speakers are supposed to be flat to 30Hz, they don't match the volume and control in the bottom two octives. The Velo is neither boomy nor a 1 note wonder. And, it is reasonably efficient. I was able to pump all 400 watts of power from my Harman Kardon Citation 22 amp into my main speakers, and the Velo kept up pretty much effortlessly until the last few decibles.
Next, I tried to find a DVD with a good LFE track. I tried Gladiator, Harry Potter - Chamber of Secrets, and X-Men 2. None were satisfactory for a real workout. Finally, I turned to George Lucas. Star Wars II -- Attack of the Clones has a use other than as a coaster after all! All those marvelous Lucas space ship engines. And things getting blown up! And arms getting cut off by light-sabers! This is a very good unit for small to mid-size HT systems. It isn't as good as the one in my friend's $20K system with something like 1000 watts into 3 subs, with the dbx bass enhancer, but it is close enough for now.
All in all, I'm very happy with the sound and build of the unit. I think I'll keep it.
Strengths:
Good high end of mid-fi subwoofer with solid musical bass down to 32Hz and ample power.
Weaknesses:
Cheap spring loaded wire connectors, crummy black box appearance.
Velodyne CT-100: Best $30 I ever spent...
(4 out of 5) by Matt on Aug 4, 2009I just bought a Velodyne CT-100 used off of craigslist for $30. I hooked up a front left and right Bose 301 speaker (bought these two for $5), the sub, and my receiver (about a 10+ year old Technics with about 120W/channel) sitting on the kitchen table to test if the sub even worked at all. I couldn't fully crank anything as the kids were upstairs sleeping. But anyway, wow, wow, wow...best $30 I've ever spent...just listened to various tunes from the local FM channels.
I'm moving in a few weeks to a new house which has wired in-ceiling rears speakers, and I'll be getting an All-In-On Soundbar for the front left, center, & right. With this Velo sub I believe the movies will come alive...more to come as I test this sub in a home theatre application instead of just music.
If anyone sees these used for cheap like I did, I say absolutely buy it if the price is right for you. Not too much use yet or real detailed description, but I hope this little commentary helps... Matt
I'm moving in a few weeks to a new house which has wired in-ceiling rears speakers, and I'll be getting an All-In-On Soundbar for the front left, center, & right. With this Velo sub I believe the movies will come alive...more to come as I test this sub in a home theatre application instead of just music.
If anyone sees these used for cheap like I did, I say absolutely buy it if the price is right for you. Not too much use yet or real detailed description, but I hope this little commentary helps... Matt
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Velodyne 150-Watt 10" Subwoofer
(4 out of 5) by Michael S. Koesters Sr. on Jun 17, 2002 (Catonsville, MD)Velodyne's 10" sub is a good addition to a small home theater set-up depending on the bass output of the front speaker. The results are a more defined bottom end without it being overpowering. Best advice: buy the product from a retailer where it can be easily returned if it does not work well with the rest of the system.