Audio Video News

Many home theater fans are wrong. The new James Loudspeaker EMB-1000 self-powered subwoofer combines unique engineering with superb design, for performance that was previously unattainable at its $1795 price point.

The compact EMB-1000 features a large-excursion woofer center-mounted in a three-chambered cabinet. One chamber houses the sub's electronics; the other two exploit the energy storage and release properties of trapped air. The driver's kinetic energy is acoustically amplified by leveraging the air pressure in the two sealed chambers through a "pneumatically phase-coupled radiator." The manufacturer claims that at various bass frequencies, this phase-coupled radiator displays "greater excursion and thus greater output than the internal powered driver!" The design is extremely efficient, James claims, and also reduces distortions to levels well below other widely used active, passive, or signal-processing designs. The EMB-1000 is capable of visceral impact, despite its 12" x 12" x 14" dimensions.

Overbuilt for performance: The internal power amplifier is rated at 1000 watts rms/3000 watts peak, more than twice the level needed to drive the woofer to full output. The dual-chamber design allows the woofer to "cruise" along comfortably with most soundtracks, and to shake the room during serious onscreen action. It also substantially increases the EMB-1000's expected lifespan, while increasing low bass detail and musicality. The EMB-1000 is quick and dynamic, without any of the muddiness associated with typical powered subs.

Standard electronic features include auto-on/off, variable crossover, a crossover bypass, and a phase switch. The EMB-1000 is finished in a durable glossy black with dark brushed aluminum trim and some 18-karat gold details, a James Loudspeaker signature look. The subwoofer is the first of a new generation of products that should bring the company to the forefront of the home theater and high performance audio world within the next few years. James Loudspeaker recently relocated from Lake Havasu, AZ to a new facility in Vacaville, CA.