Price Paid:  $300.00 from Bought Used unit

Summary:
One of my friends who own this sub model migrated to Canada and so he sold me his sub. It was like a gift from heaven! I have always wanted to buy this sub before but I didn''t have a budget that high. I first heard it over at the Upscale Audio dealer Makati. And the bass is awesome. You can feel the floor (raised flooring) vibrating. On the "Daylight" DVD where one of the container tanks filled with deadly chemicals fell, it''s like the tank was dropped just beside me! And when the scene showed the trucks passed by, the place shook, reminds me when I''m on a car caught in traffic at top of a flyover while the other cars/trucks speed up in the other direction - so the flyover sways! That was unforgetable experience. And now that it''s in my home, I can relive the same spine tingling sensation! Wohoo! Viva Velodyne! This sub is great with music too. Truly living to its name "audio-video subwoofer"!

Strengths:
Deep floorshaking clean bass

Weaknesses:
Sound using speaker level connection sucks, foam surround (might rot in about 5 years time here in a tropical country)

Similar Products Used:
Heard M&K V-series, PSB, Paradigm, NHT

Price Paid:  $231.00 from eBay Auction

Summary:
My brother has this same sub. He paid around $700 for his back in '96 or '97. I always envied him for the way his music and home theater system sounded with his sub. I am on a limited budget, very limited! In fact, paying $300 for a single speaker would never have crossed my mind until I found this deal on eBay. I could not pass it up, and I didn't.
This sub is simply awesome. Is provides deep bass that you can feel.

Strengths:
Serious Bone Jarring, Flesh Moving Bass. No flutter.

Weaknesses:
Huge size

Similar Products Used:
1st Sub Ever

Price Paid:  $749.00

Summary:
I had tested out many different subwoofers including JBL, Polk, Klipsch, Definitive, M&k, Paradigm and Velodyne. The M&K sound great but pretty pricey. Velodyne was next in line and for the price none could beat it. The first time I watched The Matrix with the subwoofer I was a happy customer. To actually here each bullet distinctively firing was incredible and to hear the miny gun firing and again hearing each bullet was impressive. If you crank it up you can have the whole house shaking. I actually lived on the third floor of an apartment complex and a neighbor on the first floor that was not even directly under me could here each distinct sound coming out of the subwoofer. So it is a great addition to any system for the price. Best system you can get for the price and check out the ratings on this site for this system:
Onkyo TX-DS595 A/V Receiver
Onkyo DV-S555 DVD Player
Klipsch RF-3II Front Speakers
Klipsch RC-3II Center Speaker
Klipsch RS-3II Surround Speakers
Velodyne 1012X Subwoofer
All Monster Cables Connections

Strengths:
Very clean and deep bass. Great subwoofer for any home theater setup.

Weaknesses:
None at this price!!

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from Musical Images (London)

Summary:
I bought the VA-1012XII in London in 1997 for £700 so it's a bit gauling seeing people picking it up for the equivalent of under £275. Nevertheless a great product, although I did experience the hum mentioned by another reviewer.

I got around this by using one of the tape loops on my amp to connect another amp which only feeds the sub. The second amp provides volume adjustment for the sub allowing the subs amp to be run at a low enough level so that it doesn't generate hum, plus this gives me a remote control sub !

It sounds like a cliche but this thing really generates bass you can feel as well as hear.

Strengths:
Deep clean bass

Weaknesses:
Hum when amp pushed

Similar Products Used:
REL Strata and REL Storm

Price Paid:  $620.00 from LA Audiophile Shop

Summary:
I guess it was my lucky day! I went to LA Audiophile shop planning to buy either a B&W ASW800 ($650) or a Velodyne SPL1200 sub (costing around $1K+). We were talking about the previous model, this model VA1012XII and how I missed on the opportunity to get one. Then the dealer told me that they still have one more stock in their warehouse. I got so excited!

True enough, it is in good shape. Bass was awesome yet with finesse! Power and grace is how you would describe this subwoofer. It has got enough power to shake your house, yet it can also reproduce the smooth musical bass lines, of say an orchestra. Hence it is perfect for music and video, so to speak.

In comparison, the B&W ASW800 is too boomy (bass is prolonged)which is no longer the same as to how the recording was made, hence no longer high fidelity. The Boston Acoustics on the other hand is so forcefull that it is only good in videos. Comparing this to the newer model that I wanted to buy, Velodyne SPL1200, the sound is close in terms of definition and depth. In that respect, they are almost identical in performance except that the SPL1200 is smaller physically. In Sound Pressure Level criterium however, the SPL can play louder by a few dB. In a bigger room, maybe the SLP1200 can justify its higher price. But in my room (15 x 30 feet), a single VA1012XII is more than enough! That's how powerful this little subwoofer is!

So I was sold on the VA1012XII, and at only half the price of the SPL1200, it was a steal!

Strengths:
Deep, clean and detailed bass
Can meet minimum THX specs requirement (105dB at 25Hz)

Weaknesses:
None at this pricepoint

Similar Products Used:
B&W AS800, Boston Acoustics VR2000, Velodyne SPL1200