The Sub-15/LE-1 combination comprises a powered subwoofer. The electronic section is packaged separately from the driver cabinet for greater flexibility of installation. With its design and deceptively small size, the prodigious output and unprecedented tonal accuracy of the Sub-15 in the deepest octaves come as a surprise when they are first heard. Almost equally important, the features and interchangeable modules of the Ultima LE-1 low-frequency electronics make it possible to customize and adapt this subwoofer optimally to a wide variety of applications. While the appearance of the Sub-15 integrates with that of the Gem loudspeaker, and it makes an ideal companion by matching the exceptional performance of its Revel sibling, the Sub-15/LE-1 will also more easily integrate with other manufacturers’ speakers than any other subwoofer available.
The performance of the Sub-15 would not have been possible without the custom development of its 15-inch transducer. It represents the finest low frequency driver ever produced, combining for the first time the brute force capabilities of sound reinforcement drivers with the nuances necessary for audiophile sound reproduction. Without this proprietary Revel transducer, the performance of the Sub-15 would not be possible.
A few of the technical elements that contribute to this drive’s performance include a heavy wall, cast aluminum alloy frame used to rigidly support and maintain alignment between the massive 32 pound magnetic structure and the moving elements. The ultra-rigid Kevlar® and Kapoc® impregnated cellulose pulp cone body and dome operate as a perfect piston under all conditions, easily reproducing signals that would leave a weaker material in tatters. The massive 4-inch diameter edgewound, flat-wire voice coil in the Sub-15 driver weighs in at an astonishing 0.36 pounds, providing extraordinary power handling and freedom from compression. The long (1¾-inch) coil winding length of this voice coil allows the amplifier section of the LE-1 to always be in control of low frequency signals during high acoustic output.
The design is capable of 1½-inches of peak to peak linear excursion. Virtually all other powered subwoofer designs use various power limiting circuits, motional feedback techniques, or equalization which varies with level to protect their drivers and lower distortion. Extensive blind listening tests have demonstrated that all of methods result in serious sonic coloration. Such sonically degrading methods are not required, due to the Sub-15 transducer’s exceptional ability to handle power that would literally destroy most drivers, together with the huge power capability of the LE-1’s amplifier. The result is a startling clarity and musicality not previously heard in this frequency range.
The amplifier section of the LE-1 is rated for a minimum of 680 Watts RMS into a single Sub-15, and a minimum of 1000 Watts RMS into two Sub-15’s. Unlike typical amplifier specifications, these ratings reflect performance into the actual load presented by one or two Sub-15’s and, by design, will effortlessly drive the woofer(s) to full output.