Home > Consumer Reviews > Velodyne MiniVee 8-Inch Powered Subwoofer (Black)

I've had quite an assortment of home theater gear in the past, and have even delved into designing my own subwoofers and full-range loudspeakers, but when I finally left college and moved into an apartment, I knew I'd have a hard time living with the bulky speakers and subwoofer I'd used when space constraints didn't prevail. I knew the superlative performance that large-box speakers and subwoofers could give, but I wanted to explore what was possible from some of the smallest speakers available.

I considered a number of small subwoofers, from PolkAudio, Velodyne, and Sunfire, but when I found a refurbished Velodyne MiniVee 8", I knew I'd need to act quickly. I'm extremely happy I did -- this sub is a tiny wonder! It applies a brute-force method to producing bass, eschewing an enormous resonant enclosure in favor of a tiny, rigid box, a beefy long-excursion driver (with a one-piece diaphragm made from a pulp of resin and ultra-strong Kevlar fibers, and with a 12.7 lb. double-stacked magnet assembly), and a 1000W amp that can muster brief 2000W transients.

Right off the bat, this subwoofer's affinity for music shone through. Whether dialed-in for a flat response or goosed for a more thrilling experience, the Velodyne handled the rapid-fire double kick of power metal, the depth and snap of Victor Wooten's Fender Jazz Bass, and the inexorable punch and rumble of Metallica with equal aplomb, while still offering a light touch for pop and acoustic rock when necessary. For movie testing, the MiniVee made short work of the driving bass line and powerful explosions in the final chase scene of The Italian Job. Even when pushed hard, the MiniVee kept its composure, the internal dynamic compression limiting preventing any audible driver strain while still pushing a surprising amount of air.

One thing to keep in mind when considering this sub is the size of your room. It may be the ideal apartment-dweller's sub, but in an 18'x24' room with high vaulted ceilings, it may be outclassed unless you use multiple subs. The MiniVee's maximum output was tested by one online reviewer to be 94dB @ 1 meter with a 32 Hz tone -- by comparison, similarly-priced internet-direct subs can usually muster levels above 110dB, but come at the price of a larger driver and a larger cabinet footprint. For its size, the little Velo generates a prodigious amount of air movement, and delivers exactly the slice of big-budget home-theater performance I was looking for, in a tiny package. Cheers to Velodyne for this feat of miniaturization!

I'm using the Minivee in a great room (18'x 23' + vaulted ceiling) with a Polk Surroundbar 50. The Surroundbar needs major assistance below 100hz. My search for the right sub was not easy, I wanted something that could rumble during movies, but also provided clean, tight musical bass. My budget was under $750, so that ruled out the small Sunfire subs. After trying several other subs, and returning them, I decided to give the Minivee a shot.

The Minivee handles movies and music equally well. Action scenes have the rumble we love to hear and feel. Music has a solid, well defined low end that is completely missing with the Surroundbar by itself. But neither music nor movies have that bloated, annoying bass that many less expensive subs produce.

Ounce for ounce and dollar for dollar the Minivee is in a class by itself. This little beast has impressed me, my family and quite a few visitors.