Bass is easy to sell and hard to get right. Plenty of subwoofers can rattle windows; far fewer can deliver real low-frequency extension with control, weight, and musical discipline. That’s the gap PS Audio is aiming for with the new Foundry F12—and the surprise isn’t just the performance target, it’s the price. At $2,749, PS Audio has planted this squarely in the same competitive lane as higher-end offerings from REL and SVS, not below them. That’s a deliberate move, and a confident one.
The Foundry F12 isn’t trying to be a budget bruiser or a lifestyle accessory—it’s PS Audio stepping into serious subwoofer territory and asking a simple question: if you want bass you can hear and feel without sacrificing precision, is this the smarter way to get there?
PS Audio Foundry F12: A New Contender in High-Performance Subwoofers
PS Audio is positioning the Foundry F12 as a sealed subwoofer designed for accuracy and consistency in real listening rooms. It is currently the only model in the Foundry lineup, and it is clearly intended as a single, full-range solution rather than part of a staged rollout.
The core idea behind the F12 is straightforward. Low-frequency performance is dominated by room behavior, especially below 200 Hz, and many subwoofers prioritize maximum output over control and integration. PS Audio’s approach with the F12 is to focus on predictable bass response, manageable placement, and compatibility with both music and home theater systems, without relying on ports or exaggerated tuning.
The F12 uses a sealed enclosure, a long-throw driver developed for this application, a high-power internal amplifier, and onboard DSP to manage low-frequency behavior. None of this is unusual on its own, but the combination reflects an emphasis on control rather than sheer output. The design goal is bass that integrates cleanly with main speakers and maintains timing and tonal balance at normal listening levels.
PS Audio also emphasizes ease of integration and placement flexibility. The enclosure size is intended to allow positioning based on acoustic needs rather than furniture constraints, and the system is designed to work in a wide range of room sizes without requiring extreme calibration or multiple subs.
In practical terms, the Foundry F12 appears aimed at listeners who want low-frequency extension that supports the rest of the system instead of drawing attention to itself. It is not positioned as a budget option or a high-output specialist, but as a controlled, sealed subwoofer built to perform consistently in everyday listening environments.
Foundry F12 Subwoofer Key Features
Custom 12-inch Driver: The Foundry F12 uses a custom 12-inch long-throw driver designed specifically for sealed-enclosure operation and consistent in-room performance. Rather than chasing maximum output, the focus is on linear excursion and control, allowing the driver to move a significant volume of air while remaining stable across its operating range. Although the F12 is supported by a 1,000-watt continuous amplifier, the design priority is precision—clean starts and stops, accurate tracking of musical dynamics, and the avoidance of overhang or compression that can blur low-frequency detail.
Flat Response: The Foundry F12 is engineered for a controlled, predictable frequency response rather than exaggerated low-end tuning. PS Audio specifies the subwoofer at –6 dB at 20 Hz in an anechoic ground-plane measurement, with in-room response extending flat to below 20 Hz when typical room gain is present. Across the operating range, response is rated at ±0.5 dB up to 500 Hz, reflecting an emphasis on linearity and integration rather than low-frequency emphasis or voicing tricks.
DSP: The Foundry F12 incorporates onboard DSP to manage crossover behavior, room interaction, and overall tonal balance. The system supports both manually adjustable parameters for fine tuning and automatic room measurement with EQ to address in-room bass behavior. All DSP functions are accessed through the Foundry Control App, allowing users to configure and adjust performance without relying on external processors or hardware controls.
Multiple Inputs: The Foundry F12 offers multiple connection options to support a wide range of systems, including low-level RCA inputs, balanced XLR inputs, and high-level speaker terminals. This allows the subwoofer to integrate with traditional two-channel systems, balanced preamp setups, and amplifiers without dedicated subwoofer outputs, providing flexibility without additional adapters or converters.
WISA: The Foundry F12 supports wireless operation via an optional WiSA transmitter, enabling lossless audio transmission without a physical signal cable. A single transmitter can support ten or more subwoofers, with each unit requiring its own receiver, allowing for flexible placement and multi-sub configurations without running long interconnects across the room.
Multi-Sub Configuration: The Foundry F12 is designed to simplify multi-subwoofer setups by including a dedicated subwoofer output on each unit, allowing multiple F12s to be daisy-chained without external splitters or processors. This makes it easier to deploy two or more subwoofers around a room to address bass consistency and room modes. PS Audio also offers an optional stacking kit that allows two or three F12 subwoofers to be vertically stacked, with the required mechanical hardware and interconnect cables included for straightforward installation.
Specifications
| Foundry F12 | |
| Product Type | Subwoofer |
| Price | $2,749 |
| Enclosure Type | Sealed Box |
| Driver | 12-inch long-throw |
| Driver Excursion | 60mm Xmax p-p / 80mm Xmech p-p |
| Amplifier Power Output | 1000W continuous (1800W Peak) |
| Max SPL | 113 dB @ 2m ground plane |
| Input Impedance | 50kΩ (RCA), 100kΩ (XLR) |
| Frequency Response | -6 dB @ 20 Hz anechoic (ground plane), flat to below 20 Hz in-room with room gain; ±0.5 dB to 500 Hz |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 14.75″ × 16.75″ × 17.5″ (18.125″ with grille) |
| Net Weight | 77 lbs (35 kg) |
| Color Options | Satin White, Satin Black |
The Bottom Line
The PS Audio Foundry F12 is clearly aimed at listeners who want a sealed, high-control subwoofer that prioritizes integration, accuracy, and flexibility over raw output theatrics. At $2,749 each, it lands in a competitive and unforgiving segment of the market, where strong alternatives already exist. Models like the SVS SB-5000 R|Evolution and MartinLogan Grotto Series undercut it slightly on price, while higher-end options such as the MartinLogan Depth Series and REL Series S push well beyond it, with REL also emphasizing stackable configurations.
Where the Foundry F12 differentiates itself is in system thinking. Sealed design, onboard DSP with app control, multiple input options, wireless capability via WiSA, and straightforward multi-sub and stacking support point to a product designed for serious two-channel and home theater users who care about consistent bass performance in real rooms. This is not a subwoofer for buyers chasing maximum SPL per dollar. It is for listeners who already own capable speakers, understand room behavior, and want bass that integrates cleanly without drawing attention to itself.
The remaining question is not whether the Foundry F12 is well conceived—it clearly is—but whether PS Audio plans to extend this approach into more accessible price tiers. If that happens, the Foundry F12 may be remembered less as a one-off and more as the opening move in PS Audio’s long-term play in the subwoofer category.
Price & Availability
The PS Audio Foundry F12 subwoofer is priced at $2,749 at PS Audio. An optional wireless transmitter costs $199 and a Stacking Kit (for two subwoofers) is available for $99, but you’ll need an extra Stacking Kit to stack 3 subwoofers.
Related Reading:
- Best Subwoofers: Editors’ Choice
- SVS Launches 3000 R|Evolution Series Subwoofers with New Drivers, DSP, and More Power
- MartinLogan Depth Series Subwoofers Plunge Into the Lower Depths — Down to a Bone-Rattling 18Hz
- PSB Speakers Introduces Space-saving SubSeries BP7 Subwoofer
