Ah, subwoofers. They're great for impressing your artists and clients with rich, thick low-end punch. But do you find yourself turning off the sub when the guests leave, because you need to get some actual work done? Let's face it: if your subwoofer isn't accurate enough to trust for serious mixing and mastering, it's just dead weight in your studio. To build mixes that sound good played back on consumer 2.1 or 5.1 systems, you need a sub that delivers precise low-end to complement your existing monitors -- and if your existing monitors happen to be particularly powerful, KRK's 12sHO sub is up to the task. Exceeding your sub's headroom will be out of the question, with the 12sHO's meaty 400-watt amplifier pushing a reinforced version of KRK's signature yellow Kevlar 12-inch cone. The "HO" in 12sHO stands for "high output" -- and with an astonishing 123 dB peak SPL, that's exactly what this top-of-the-line subwoofer delivers.
Getting Connected
Designed to integrate equally well with surround or stereo monitoring environments, the 12sHO features 1/4-inch/XLR combination jacks for stereo full-range inputs, plus a LFE (low-frequency effects) combi jack for your 5.1 system's dedicated channel. Stereo setup couldn't be easier: connect the outputs from your console or audio interface to the 12sHO's inputs, and feed your left and right monitors from the 12sHO's balanced XLR line outs. Since these line outputs have a fixed 80 Hz high-pass filter, you'll want to turn the 12sHO's low-pass frequency adjustment knob to 80, so it only produces frequencies below that point. Want to use your own external crossover with subwoofer output connections? No problem: the 12sHO's input low-pass filter is sweepable from 60 to 160 Hz. Flexibility is the name of the game with this truly pro piece of gear.
Fine Phase Control, Footswitch Bypass, and More
The KRK 12sHO was designed to do one thing: reproduce a whole lot of clear, precise bass down to 29 Hz. But for a box that does only one thing, the 12sHO certainly packs in a host of high-tech features. On the back panel, you'll find not only a polarity flip switch, but a fine-tune phase-adjustment pot for time-aligning your sub with the rest of your speakers, using test tones available on KRK's website. There's also a defeatable limiter that greatly reduces any risk of harming a driver, and a voltage selector that allows you to use this sub in any studio in the world. Plus, the included KFS-1 footswitch lets you tap your foot to mute the sub, bypass the filters, and send full-range audio to your stereo monitors via the line-outs. It's the easiest way to hear how the 12sHO is complementing your mix.
KRK's Recognizable Design Goes Pro
Boasting a somewhat more sophisticated design than KRK's popular project-studio-workhorse offerings, the 12sHO still features a gently curved baffle and innovative front-firing ports, optimized to prevent turbulence. Both rubber and spiked feet are included for use on any carpeted or hard floor surface. And of course, KRK's trademark yellow cone stands out in the 12sHO's design. Whether it's the "point 1" of your 5.1 system, or a low-frequency extension of your stereo studio monitors, the 12sHO is a pro-level sub suitable for the most demanding studio applications.
Features:
- High-excursion, reinforced Kevlar 12-inch driver
- Powerful 400-watt built-in amp
- Curved front baffle with uniquely shaped front-firing ports
- Defeatable limiter prevents damage from overloading
- Fine phase-adjustment and polarity-flip settings to perfectly time-align your sub
- Voltage selector for 110/120V or 220/240V
- Adjustable input sensitivity from -8dBu to +6dBu
- Second-order, 24 dB/octave low-pass filter, sweepable from 60 to 160 Hz
- Dedicated LFE input for 5.1 systems handles 29 to 211 Hz
- Balanced 1/4-inch/XLR combination input jacks
- Balanced XLR outputs with fixed 80 Hz high-pass filter
- Included footswitch control to bypass the sub and filters, sending full-range audio to your stereo monitors
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Product Description
The KRK12sHO powered subwoofer is the perfect High Output choice for professional studios, where ultra-accurate bass extension and maximum sound levels are required. Powered by a massive 400 watt amplifier and a strengthened version of our signature Kevlar woofer, the KRK12sHO is the no-compromise way to hear what is happening in the depths of your mix. Subwoofers allow you to use smaller main monitors, make it possible to monitor the essential low frequency range and can be a great solution for space-challenged control rooms or mixing environments.
While subsonic frequencies are heavily implemented in some musical genres, all studios benefit from the use of a sub to monitor this low frequency content. With the prevalent use of home theater systems, as well as commercial systems in clubs and cinemas - production studios require the capability to identify and correct problems such as unwanted low frequency components, exterior noise, microphone rumble and vibrations. The increase of home and project mastering means many potentially great pieces of music are being poorly represented when played back on a larger system. When dealing with subsonic frequencies if they cannot be heard accurately they cannot be mixed accurately.
Having an incredibly capable subwoofer is critical when it is combined with powerful near-field monitors, such as the Expose or a VXT8 driven to high sound pressure levels. In a stereo configuration the subwoofer will have to produce the bass that would normally be generated by the monitors -- that alone can exceed the headroom of an ordinary sub. In a surround sound configuration the subwoofer has to reproduce all of the low-frequency information from five or more channels as well as the demanding bass content of the LFE channel. These challenging applications can place demands far exceeding the capabilities of normal low frequency drivers and power amplifiers. This is where the performance of the KRK12sHO shines.
Features:
- Curved Baffle Curved front plate design virtually eliminates diffraction distortion- Front-firing Port provides low frequency extension while reducing boundary coupling and the unique shape is optimized to avoid port turbulence- Bypass Footswitch Control allows you to defeat the sub and provide full range audio to your recording monitors for use with a standard latching 1/4 inch mono footswitch- Kevlar 12" Driver - High Excursion woven Kevlar driver cone- Thermal and Overload / Clip Protection to prevent damage- Input Sensitivity on rear of unit allows a high resolution gain range, labeled are positions for MUTE, +6dBu and -8dBu
