Over the past several years CE Pro has reviewed a few of OSD Audio’s subwoofers, such as the Black TreVoce. Each generation of subwoofer that we have tried over the course of the past few years shows the company’s dedication to wanting to improve its products, and the company’s latest subwoofer—the FS12—is a good example of how each generation of subwoofer provides a performance improvement over the prior version.
Sending me the FS12 powered subwoofer to try in my home theater system, I tried the affordable subwoofer in my system with music and movies, stereo and surround sound including immersive audio content.
According to OSD Audio, the sub has the capabilities to play as low as 10Hz at -10dB or 18Hz at -3dB. The FS12 can achieve these levels using a 12-inch front-firing reinforced paper-cone woofer that resides in a cabinet highlighted by dual front ports. The woofer is powered by a 600-watt RMS amplifier that can deliver peak power levels up to 1,200 watts.
On the sub’s rear panel there is a volume control, an adjustable low-pass filter, a phase switch, and auto-signal sensing option; a DSP on/off switch, line-in/sub in, speaker binding posts for speaker-level connections, an on/off switch, and an IEC power connection.
Summarizing the design goals of the sub, OSD Audio says it developed the sub to meet the CEDIA/CTA recommended guidelines within RP22. The specific goal to meet RP22’s criteria was to be able to deliver bass down to 18Hz while achieving SPL levels of 118dB.
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CE Pro Features
Front firing 12-inch paper-cone woofer
The woofer resides in an enclosure that utilizes a dual-port design
The FS12’s woofer is powered by a 600-watt RMS, 1,200-watt peak internal amp
OSD rates the sub to play down to 18Hz +/-3dB
The FS12 measures 15.75 inches (W) x 19 inches (H) x 21.25 inches (D), and the sub weighs 62 pounds
The sub carries a street price of approximately $299
Starting my setup, I placed the OSD FS12 on an Auralex decoupling platform and I plugged the sub into an AudioQuest PQ-707 power conditioner. I then plugged a subwoofer cable from my Integra DRX-3.4 AV receiver and plugged the cable into the line-in/sub-in input.
I finished by setting the rear-panels controls. I did this by dialing the volume level to the noon position, turned on the auto signal sensing, I left the phase control at the zero position, and I turned the DSP option to off. OSD explains when the DSP is in the off position the sub operates to deliver higher SPLs (sound pressure levels). The on position is said to enable the sub to deliver maximum bass extension.
As I had noted in the very beginning of the FS12 subwoofer review, it seems that every generation of OSD Audio’s subwoofers there is an improvement over the previous generation. Without changing any of the initial settings I dialed in when I first set the sub up, I felt that even after the first couple of weeks it was noticeable the improvement the FS12 provided over the previous generation 12-inch model, which I had replaced it with—the Trevoce 12.
Using a Kaleidescape Terra Prime 96TB Movie Server system I watched The Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers End Game and I thought the sub moved more air and helped my overall system, which is a 7.4.2 configuration with a tight bottom end that was well integrated with the sound stage.
Using the sub with streaming and broadcast content such as the Netflix series Testament: The Story of Moses and the FX series Shogun I thought the sub served as a nice complement to these soundtracks without doing anything beyond those initial settings to make the sub sound good.
The FS12 sounded just as good on music too. Popping in the Blu-ray disc of “Rush Clockwork Angels Tour” into my Panasonic UltraHD player I thought the bass was firm and powerful, but it didn’t overwhelm the content, which can happen with some subs that are either not engineered well or not placed in a spot within the room that is conducive for proper bass response.
I also wanted to hit the subwoofer with some test tones to see how the FS12 would measure in my 12×23-foot room with an 8-foot ceiling. I’ll point out the sub resides roughly four feet from a corner and about 8 inches off the wall. Using the RTA in the Audio Tools app I measured the sub to play down as low as 10Hz, but realistically its usable output didn’t start until 25Hz.
So, what are my impressions … I think the new OSD FS12 is a high performing sub that provides a lot of value for home theater and AV enthusiasts. With a street price of $299, I don’t think it’s a question to buy a pair and setup stereo pairs which will produce the best performance in medium- and large-size rooms.
Kudos to OSD Audio for its persistence on product development and value.
CE Pro & Cons
Pros:
Setup is fast and easy
The FS12 isn’t too big or heavy so it will integrate into a variety of rooms
The sub’s low frequency performance was tight and punchy with a variety of audio content
Cons
Some finish options would be nice
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