Friday, March 4, 2011

Diamond Audio D6 12" 4-Ohm DVC Subwoofer Review

With the recent review of the Diamond Audio D662 convertible component speakers, I was excited to receive a pair of Diamond Audio D6 12" 4 ohm DVC subwoofers to review. The D662 component system performed so well, I was excited to hear how well these perform. The specs on their website state that they will play down to 20 Hz. Traditionally to play that low, you need a large enclosure. Space can be such a premium, and often times there is not enough space for a large enclosure.

For audiophiles, getting the full audio spectrum can be the key. Fortunately there are options with enclosures. One of which is an Isobaric enclosure. The problem with an Isobaric enclosure is that you are driving two subwoofers. This means more cost for an extra subwoofer, and extra amplifier power to power the additional subwoofer. You also do not get the additional output you would typically get from a 2nd subwoofer. But most sound quality applications, high SPL is not the goal. The goal is high sound quality. And an Isobaric enclosure will get you that extremely deep bass in a much smaller enclosure.

Now let's turn back to the Diamond Audio D6 12's. They have an MSRP of $389 each, and from looks, they are a high quality driver. They feature an aluminum cone, that looks excellent, with a quality rubber surround. On the edge is a great looking rubber gasket to cover the mounting screws. The basket is cast aluminum and it looked more than sufficient for the 600 watts RMS driver. I am a big fan of cast baskets. Not only are they typically more massive they also look cool at least to me. The motor structure also looked awesome with a chrome finish around the magnet. The chrome push terminals were well labeled, and extremely well secured. I really liked the aluminum cone. Aluminum is a great material to use acoustically, and in a subwoofer environment is very stiff for no flex. The aluminum cone can also help cool the voice coil. The spider and tinsel leads were also well constructed.

Not only is the Diamond Audio D6 12" subwoofer well constructed, it has some great specs:
Power Handling NOM/MAX: 600/1200 Watts
Sensitivity (2.83V/1m): 85.5 dB SPL
Freq. Response: 20-250 Hz
Mounting Depth: 6.8 in.
Diameter: 11.1 in.

It's design features also include:
• Hard anodized alloy cone
• EPDM “Omega” surround
• Cast aluminum basket
• Dual mirror image flat spiders
• Intercooled motor design
• Vented pole piece
• Aluminum dust cap
• Isolated heavy duty lead wires
• 3 inch extended voice coil
• Available in Dual 2 Ohm or Dual 4 Ohm

The complete package of specs, design, and build quality came together well for Diamond Audio. It all came together in a great sounding and performing product. I was excited to review the Diamond Audio D6 subwoofers. With a rated frequency response of 20Hz, they were perfect. I wanted to make sure that the drivers used with the Isobaric box could play that deep, and the Diamond D6's performed in spades. The Diamond Audio D6 12" subwoofer is also a high sound quality subwoofer, which also made it perfect for an Isobaric enclosure. For a tuning frequency of 25Hz, the Diamond D6 required a 3.0cu ft vented enclosure. An Isobaric system made that possible in an enclosure of only 1.5cu ft. My meter confirmed a 25Hz tuning at -3db, with usable output down to 20Hz.

Sound quality was nothing short of amazing! The Diamond Audio D6 12's showed great extension, as well as resolution. They also provided a lot of excursion for moving a lot of air. It did not matter what music I thru at the Diamond Audio D6's. They played it all with excellent authority. Tympani in classical music has great resolution and pitch definition. Whether it was a sustained bass note like in Bachbusters: Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor, potent bass beats in Justin Timberlake FutureSex: SexyBack, or the quick bass beats in Dead or Alive's Rip It Up: Lover Come Back To Me, I felt like I was the sound engineer in the recording studio listening to the music they way it was meant to be heard. The extended bass beat in Bachbusters shook the whole car like a California aftershock. SexyBack almost took my breath away, as if I was getting hit in the chest with a sledge hammer with every beat. And what really got my attention was the responsiveness of the Diamond Audio D6 12" subwoofer. They say the pudding is in the details, and it came out in Lover Come Back To Me. The Diamond Audio D6 12's were amazingly fast! The beats are so fast, that rarely can a 12" subwoofer keep up. Most do a pretty good job, but the end result is a tad muddy. But these subs came out as clean as a crystal glass in a Palmolive commercial. Not only did they NOT skip a beat, they nailed every one!

Kudos to Diamond Audio for the D6 12" subwoofer. Diamond Audio is known for having great products, and the D6 12" subwoofers exceeded my expectations. Without any second thoughts, they have won our Editors Choice Award, based on design, quality, and performance. The Editor's Choice Award is often earned by the top of the line product, which the Diamond Audio D6 subwoofer is not. The only second thought I have is maybe having to come up with a new award category if their top of the line Hex subwoofer shows up on my doorstep! Top quality reference gear is also needed for reviews. Editor's Choice award winning reference gear used was Kenwood Excelon KDC-X991 Receiver, Vibe Audio BlackDeath Bass 1, Vibe Audio LiteBox Stereo 4, Vibe Audio Space 6 3D 3-way Component System, and Alpine SPX-13PRO 2-way component system. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at http://www.diamondaudio.com/ndaudio.com/.

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