james emb-1000 active subwoofer

after missing the bass and image solidity of ARC vt200, i decided to take one unit of james sub home from audio image for audition.

after some playing around for 3 hours with the gain and crossover settings - the only two variables - i am finally happy with the end results.

this is a very subtle and unobtrusive sub, so much so that i don't actually feel its presence when the music doesn't demand it. when it does, oh, it is a beauty. and the best part is - it is truly seamless. even with my eyes closed, i couldn't detect its location.

my overall impression is a very fast and agile sub. the mids does thicken (but not overly so), the highs does beef up (and not overly so).... everything is just so subtle. however, there is no discernible improvement in imaging and soundstage, something that i hope it can. maybe i haven't played enough audiophile cds to compare the soundstage.

another big improvement is the increased weight. the vt200 makes me realize how light-weight my classic 120 is. the james manages to put a solid anchor to some of the images. everything seems more stable.

this unit will be on extended loan to me. so those who want to sample this highly-acclaimed subwoofer, do drop by.