91%
GoldenEar SuperSub XXL
Housed within the gorgeous piano-gloss black enclosure are two horizontally-opposed 12˝ ultra-long-throw active drivers and two vertically-opposed 15˝ x 13˝ planar back-wave-driven radiators, driven by a 1600 watt Class D Digital amplifier. This dual-plane, patented* dynamic inertial-balancing preserves and focuses all the energy produced by the transducers in order to more effectively move the air in the room, rather than wasting energy moving the box. It also enables you to hear all the fine subtle details in your recordings. The benefit is an achievement in state-of-the-art, best subwoofer performance that, not only “rocks the house”, as Big Picture Big Sound’s Chris Boylan raved, but is also, “strong, pure and controlled” as Sound&Vision magazine’s Mark Fleischman wrote. With two active drivers separated horizontally in space, as well as two passive radiators separated vertically, the driver to-room coupling is distributed much more smoothly, for in-room bass performance that can’t typically be achieved with a single subwoofer.
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The SuperSub XXL delivers authoritative, detailed bass with clean extension to about 20 Hz, pairing powerful slam and refined texture through its dual-plane driver/radiator layout. Reviewers from HomeTheaterHifi and The Absolute Sound praised its deep extension, detail retrieval and high headroom, all from a surprisingly compact footprint. Its low distortion and room-coupling design make it equally at home with music and movies.
Pros
- Deep, detailed bass down to around 20 Hz with excellent extension and clarity for its enclosure size.
- High dynamics and clean output — strong transient impact and generous headroom for movies and music.
- Compact footprint with a unique dual-plane active/passive driver topology that couples well to the room and yields smooth in-room response.
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Cons
- Can be placement-sensitive; may require experimentation to find the optimal spot for smooth response.
- Limited usable output below ~20 Hz — not intended as a sub‑20Hz infrasonic specialist.
- Lacks a balanced (XLR) input and a dedicated phase control, which could complicate integration for some systems.
Sound Quality
92/100
Bass
92/100
Reviewers repeatedly note deep, powerful output and clean extension to ~20 Hz: "strong response right down to 20 Hz" and "bone-crushing" lows (HomeTheaterHifi; The Absolute Sound). Measurements show a modest rise around 30–23 Hz with a steep rolloff near 20 Hz, so extension and detail are excellent for its size but not explicitly compared to much larger reference subs.
Dynamics
91/100
Reviewers report strong transient impact and headroom: "hit me square in the chest," "wall rattling," and "plenty of headroom" (HomeTheaterHifi; The Absolute Sound). Dynamics are described as both detailed and capable of powerful macro slam when required.
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Integration
91/100
Outcomes-focused language indicates seamless blend: "At no point... the bass ever seem[ed] to [be] disconnected from the rest of the system" and the driver/radiator arrangement "helps coupling with the room" (HomeTheaterHifi). These are explicit integration outcomes rather than mere feature lists.
Build Quality
88/100
Critics describe a solid, well-crafted enclosure with an attractive finish: "handsome and distinctive appearance," "sturdy... distinct sense of solidity" (HomeTheaterHifi). Construction and finish are praised, with no major durability concerns raised.
Features Connectivity
86/100
Generous electronics: 1,600 W Class D amp under 56-bit DSP/192 kHz control, variable L/R low-pass, LFE input, and auto signal sensing are all noted (HomeTheaterHifi; The Absolute Sound). Useful, high-end DSP and controls are present but there is no mention of wireless/app control, so usability is strong but not cutting-edge.
Value for Money
90/100
At the $1,999 MSRP cited by one reviewer the XXL is described as extracting "big sound from reasonably priced products" and presents strong performance for the price (HomeTheaterHifi; The Absolute Sound). Value remains high assuming the lower MSRP; a higher listed price in one guide ($2,750) would reduce the value proposition.
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