Super Eight Custom Long Throw Subwoofer -- NEW 200 WATT VERSION NOW SHIPPING!.  With so many subwoofers on the market, we are quite frequently asked what set's the Super Eight apart from other subwoofers.  We are also frequently asked if most people will notice the difference between a good subwoofer and a great one (the answer is yes, no matter what you think!). Let's tackle question number one first.  The Super Eight is better than many other subwoofers because it packs the output and low frequency performance of a high-end 10" subwoofer into a very compact  design that retains the musicality of an 8" driver.  Just like our direct business model allows us to spend substantially more on components for our Mod1 and Mod2 satellites than some of our higher-priced competitors, the same is true of the Super Eight.  That means that we can use such things as a custom, state of the art BASH hybrid digital amplifier that delivers 200 watts of continuous power, and has the ability to reach much higher peaks than standard subwoofer amplifiers -- conservatively rated as at least 400 watts peak.  Additionally, the Super Eight plays down to 25hz (28hz at -4dB) and has a peak SPL of 111dB (and a max long-term SPL of 107dB).  So, it is a loud, deep subwoofer that is tight, musical and detailed.     "a subwoofer that rocks...the Super Eight is an outrageous little subwoofer in a 12 inch cube." Kevin Hunt, Home Theater Magazine On top of outstanding performance, Orb is also about designer, high-end quality craftsmanship and looks.  When Orb first began business, we investigated the possibility of offering a high quality off the shelf subwoofer to match our exclusive Mod1 and Mod2 satellites.  However, we were not able to find one as a result of our strict performance and aesthetic requirements.  In other words, we simply could not find a good sounding, affordable subwoofer that was neither too ugly nor too large.  It seems that the subs that had sufficient oomph were always at least 14-15 inches on a side or larger (up to nearly two feet!).  The tiny handful that had decent performance and looked "passable" were all priced at $700 or more retail.  Make no mistake, there were some fantastic small subs out there, they just were not within a reasonable price range.  The one we liked best sells for $900.  By designing a subwoofer ourselves, we are able to duplicate the success we had with the Mod1 and Mod2.  By cutting out layers of middlemen, the Super Eight sounds as good as the $900 subwoofer that we saw that had the combination of performance, size and looks.  By virtue of our direct business model, however, you can get the Super Eight and a full set of Mod1 satellites, forless than that famous brand subwoofer. "Thumping bass and warmth that many of its competitors lack." WIRED Magazine The main advantage of the Super Eight subwoofer is the performance you get from such an attractive, small package.  The enclosure on the Super Eight is less than 12" x 12" x 12" and that is dramatically smaller than most other subwoofers priced under $500 and also most other subwoofers included in popular home theater systems priced two or three more times the price of Orb systems.  The Super Eight also sounds better with our satellites.  Since the driver, the port and the enclosure itself were engineered precisely to mate with the Mod1 and Mod2 satellites, the Super Eight delivers the most musically matched bass response possible.  Most subwoofers do not play well in the critical high bass and lower midrange frequencies.  This deficiency is typical of most low cost designs and of those using 10 inch woofers with inexpensive drivers or amplifiers.  You know these subwoofers by their "boomy" sound.  By designing a subwoofer that can hit these low frequencies without sacrificing musicality and tightness, Orb was able to complete it's task of delivering the most musical and lifelike reproduction possible.  We feel very strongly that most subwoofers are great at making sounds that go boom, but they are lousy at making music and lousy at staying tight when they rumble.  So, the Super Eight is designed to complement your satellite speakers as well as to provide the foundation to your music and movie soundtracks.  Our Mod1 and Mod2 satellites are extremely clear, detailed and accurate and the Super Eight is tight and musical and can keep up with them in every respect. "the takeoff of fighter jets and the helicopter propeller produced an admirable rumble from the Super Eight that I was able to hear as well as feel. There is no question that the Super Eight established itself here as a most capable product for deep bass, especially for its price." Ben Shyman, www. audiovideorevolution.com Click Here To Read Full Review From a more technical standpoint, there are several reasons why most subwoofers do not sound very good.  They produce muddy bass instead of tight, snapping drum beats.  They make all manner of distortion noises when they try to play loudly, creating a situation referred to as "boom and sizzle" (where the subwoofer is making some nice, deep thumping sounds, and the satellites make the treble and high frequencies, but there is nothing in the middle).  Vocals are especially affected by this problem and are severely compromised.  How did Orb fix that?  Clever engineering, an overachieving high-tech eight inch driver and a superb, high power amplifier to grab a hold of that cone and crank out tight, deep bass and astounding lower midrange frequencies.  Our amplifier employs a switching power supply, normally found only in very expensive designs, that allows the subwoofer to reach huge power peak levels for the few thousandths of a second needed to reproduce the instantaneous peaks of a rim shot or other percussive sound.  In combination with that amplifier, the Super Eight is designed with a custom, high performance long-throw driver that can rattle the walls with the sound of thunder while retaining the tightness and musicality required to reproduce music accurately.  This is a rare combination in subwoofer design.  Bass notes sound like the tight, fast punches they are supposed to be and explosions actually have the detail and texture that is almost always missing from mass market subwoofers.  The only way to achieve this is to use an expensive driver and an expensive amplifier, and the Super Eight would be about the same price as that other $900 subwoofer if it were sold in stores.  So, the Orb direct business model once again delivers outstanding performance at a price point that redefines what consumers can expect from the audio industry. "The Super Eight sounds much larger than it really is. Think Sonance or Sunfire quality sound in a $400 speaker and you will get the picture -- it sounds that good. Bass was very nice and tight and we had no problems hitting the low tones."    Ian Bell, www. designtechnica.com  Lastly, our clients often tell us they do not think they can tell the difference between good subwoofers (and speakers) and bad ones.  The truth is that you definitely can tell the difference, and it does matter.  In the past, this issue arose primarily because of the huge price difference between budget and performance systems.  It was hard to say one speaker sounded thousands of dollars better than another.  Now, because you can get high performance and designer style at a direct price from Orb Audio, you no longer have to struggle with "is it worth it?"  A full set of Orbs is typically less than some of the cheap systems out there, let alone the good ones.  Order an Orb system today and you can hear the difference for yourself, with the peace of mind provided by our 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee.