Home > Consumer Reviews > BIC America V-1220 12-Inch 430-Watt Down-Firing Powered Subwoofer

The BIC V1220 is a 12" powered subwoofer that adds a solid low end to music and home video setups without making the sound heavy or boomy. My main speakers, a pair of restored Dyanco A-25s, have very smooth bass and go down to about 60 Hz. I was looking for a subwoofer that would fill in the lowest frequencies without muddying the sound of the A-25s. The V1220 does so nicely.

The BIC subwoofer adds impact to movie sound effects -- even unexpected things like when Dorothy's house falls into Munchkin Land have a surprising impact, while the earthquake at the beginning of "Lora Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life" rattles my windows. All in all, movie sound effects are handled well. Movies aside, the subwoofer also does very well with music recordings. The string bass on Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" (from Time Out) has a solid impact when first plucked, yet the twang of the vibrating string is not obscured by boominess. The big bass drum at the end of Telarc's recording of "The Firebird Suite" rattles my windows as much as Lora Croft's earthquake. As a bonus, the fact that the subwoofer is not in the same location as the main speakers seems to smooth out the bass response of my listening room.

With the subwoofer in the center of the front wall, a Radio Shack sound level meter shows the subwoofer has useful response down to 31 Hz (it would go somewhat lower if the speaker was in a corner). 31 Hz may not seem very low, but is actually good response for a real speaker in a real room -- as opposed to ideal test conditions, though pipe organ enthusiasts may want to look elsewhere.

Setup is quite flexible, with continuously-variable adjustments for volume level and crossover point (40-180 Hz), a two position switch for phase, and a switch for Dolby 5.1 or Dolby Prologic receivers. There are both line level and speaker level inputs. The setup instructions are clear and should give good results if followed closely.

The V1220 is relatively large (18 1/2 X 17 x 14 inches) and weighs 41 pounds, so this is not a shoebox you can hide under a piece of furniture. The tradeoff in size is very smooth and powerful bass. The speaker is finished in black wood grain laminate, and seems well-made. The bass port is on the side, so the speaker can be positioned against a wall without obstructing the vent. Another reviewer was concerned that the spike feet might damage floors. I have hardwood floors and agree that the spikes, though rounded, could do damage if dragged over floors. I positioned the speaker first, then gently lowered it without dragging.

The BIC V1220 does everything I wanted: impact on movie sound effects, plus a solid non-boomy low bass with music recordings. The subwoofer does its job without drawing attention to itself -- it's there when it's needed, and not there when it's not needed. At just over $200, it's a bargain.

In spite of Amazon listing this as a 10" subwoofer, this is really a BIC America model V1220 12" subwoofer. It is only apparent by the 23180 hz in the product specs at the bottom. The range of the speaker is a satisfyingly low 23 hz to 180 hz.

When working this is a great speaker. When not working the manufacturer's support is wonderful. The hotline is a direct line to a live technician who actually works in Ohio and not India. This is the reason that even though I had to send the amp back for warranty service I still give them 5 stars.

I bought this sub to replace a JBL PB12 so I wanted something quality. The PB12 lasted at least 7 years so I expect this one to do the same. So far so good. It is a compact 12 inch sub which is good for space reasons but it does not skimp on the sound. It is down-firing which usually I have found, gives you more bass punch. It has all the hookups that you want from speaker wire to LFE sub in which means no matter what level of setup it will work. Not too crazy about the finish (it is like a pale ash veneer) but that is about it. It does rock if you turn it up: good deep bass with depth but not as "boomy" as the PB12 it replaces. The speaker has a polypropylene woofer cone which is usually a sign of quality for most sub-woofers since it translates to minimal cone flex (shortens cone life) and maximum sound output. Just plug it in and you're ready to go. The PB12 amp/electronics was (from what I read) poorly designed by some company that longer exists which is why it just dies on you. This sub electronics is made by a very reputable company that has been around a long time. What is not to like?

Bic Americ Has three lines of speakers: Acoustech, BIC,& RtR
Both Acoustech and Bic Speakers had good reviews.
Called Bic America.the question was, Which speakers were best, leaving out cost.
Reply:
FRONT SPEAKERS
BIC America Venturi DV64 2-Way Tower Speaker
CENTER SPEAKER
BIC America DV-62CLRS 6-Inch 2-Way Center Channel Speaker
SURROUND SPEAKERS
First choice: BIC America DV62si Bookshelf Speakers. (has to be put on a shelf)
Second Choice: BIC AMERICA DV-32B 3 1/2" 2-Way Compact Shielded Speakers (can be hung on wall)
SUBWOOFER
BIC America 12" 430-Watt Powered Down-Firing Subwoofer
Manufacturer Part Number: V-1220

BOUGHT SPEAKERS;
BIC America DV-62CLRS 6-Inch 2-Way Center Channel Speaker
BIC America 12" 430-Watt Powered Down-Firing Subwoofer
Manufacturer Part Number: V-1220

Evaluation Of Speakers: (broken in. No Modification)
Pair of AR11 speakers.(An acoustic suspension speaker) Woofers have been recently renewed.
AR11's where noted for their flat frequence responce and
natural sound. Original Cost 900.00 1978.
Specs: 3/4 inch dome tweeter. 1 1/2 inch dome midrange Speaker
12 inch woofer frequence response. 35Hz - 20Khz. + - 3DB.
Test Setup:
One AR11 And Bic Dv-62CLRS center channel speaker setup in stereo. Cutoff set at 40Hz.
Tests done in Full Mono and in stereo. with two people. And front center setup.
Results, Could not differentiate between speakers.
Summary: speakers use the same tweeters and woofer, so expect same results. except the towers
will have a deeper responce.
The sub woofer is not a boom box.(boomy) The lows are tight, not muddy.
Bottom line. These speakers are keepers If I was buying a new system,I would not hesitate to buy
any of Bic speakers mentioned above.I would try to use the BIC America DV62si
Bookshelf Speakers instead of the BIC AMERICA DV-32B 3 1/2" 2-Way Compact Shielded Speakers.

Pros:
1) very low freq. response
2) adjustable cross
3) multiple input options

Cons:
1) a bit large

Personally I'd toss out a piece of
furniture to get this sound, and so
the "con" is for those who want a
compact design. I could care less
about its size, just give me that
tone!!
A month before I purchased this
unit, I bought 4 Alesis M1 Mk2s'.
They have a low freq. cut-off
around 50hz. The adjustable cross
on the sub was important, and
blends it perfectly into the sound
of my system. Love it!!
By the way, this is NOT a 10" sub,
it's the 12" model...

Very happy,
JLD