The Best Subwoofer in the World, Period.

The most difficult task in designing SUB 2 was not just to have it play lower and louder than any other subwoofers in the world, but to do so in a size that wouldn't dominate the average living room, and in a cabinet that could be mistaken for a very fine piece of furniture. And then there are the mind-boggling specs. SUB 2 plumbs the depths to 7 Hz with bloodcurdling output: 112 dB at 10 Hz, 126 dB at 60 Hz (in room). Connected to a 240-volt line, SUB 2 delivers 4,500 watts of continuous RMS Sustained power and a Frankenstein 9,000 watts of Dynamic Peak power through its unique Power Factor Correction system. Talk about bringing your music and movies to life! With not one, but six cutting-edge drivers in each sub, transient information is conveyed with pristine clarity and perfect precision. Dynamics come through with lightning-fast speed and a power so shattering that it must be heard to be believed. Bass reproduction is eerily accurate and detailed, in large part a result of the unique Vibration-Canceling Design Architecture (VCDA).

Vibration-Canceling Design Architecture

Physics trumps mechanics with a little help from Paradigm. Typically, subwoofer enclosures contain one large driver. As that driver moves back and forth, the cabinet can vibrate which leads to smeared response, bass that lacks clarity and definition. Well-executed cabinet design, like that on Paradigm Reference subwoofers, typically includes sophisticated and extensive physical bracing inside the enclosure. So why, when Paradigm puts six drivers in a single cabinet without significant physical bracing, does a martini set on top, while the subs are playing, barely elicit a ripple? Designed, engineered and manufactured by Paradigm in North America, SUB 2 subwoofers are movers, not shakers ... massive air movement, massive output, virtually vibration-free. Six identical, perfectly balanced state-of-the-art drivers are radially aligned (two on each side) inside the cabinet. As opposing forces of equal magnitude, the powerful vibration-reaction forces effectively cancel each other out. Barely a ripple disturbs the martini placed on top of the cabinet, such is the degree to which unwanted, distortion-inducing vibrations are reduced.

These Subs are Movers, not Shakers

Massive Air Movement. Massive Output, Vibration Free. Our Vibration-Canceling Design Architecture is only part of the story. There's still no replacement for displacement: In a small, compact form factor, six 10" drivers in SUB 2 move more air than a pair of 15" woofers! The other part of the story lies in the cutting-edge design of the bass drivers:

9,000 Watts of Dynamic Peak Power

No Power Transformer. The output stage is Direct-Connected™ to the power line to provide maximum power.

Advanced Output Stage. Increases switching speed and efficiency. Unlike conventional Class-D designs which use the slow built-in diodes of the output MOSFETS, our Ultra-Class-D™ design steers circulating currents to ultra-fast diodes (ten times faster!).

Opto-Coupled Inputs. Offer better isolation and lower noise.

Short-Circuit Protection. Reacts within 10 μs.

Comprehensive Heat Dissipation System. The robust 1/8˝ (3.2 mm) thick aluminum circuit board is overlaid with insulated metal substrates. Using aluminum rather than a fiberglass base, while more expensive, encourages exceptionally efficient cooling. Even more robust than ceramic, the aluminum substrates increase power density, minimize thermal impedance and conduct heat more efficiently while also offering greater mechanical durability. FR-4-rated circuit board designs typically require larger heatsinks. In SUB 2, a combination of aluminum and overlaid metal substrates allowed for a heatsink much reduced in size.

Power Factor Correction (PFC). PFC shapes the line current so that it is sinusoidal and continuous in time. This allows the maximum amount of power (95%) to be drawn and with far less noise on the line. To compare: A unit without PFC draws only 60 to 70% of the available power since the line current is switched on and off by the input rectifier (a noise-inducing process in itself!) at twice the frequency. Current flows at the peak of the line voltage only, effectively choking the line.