Compact; tight sound; quality crossover 40-140Hz

very high min response (29Hz)
feels very underpowered @160W

I purchased the newer D1010R. It it ported and does not exhibit any amp noise at low volumes as others have mentioned for the Venturi.
It is a decent choice if your building an afforable home theatre system yourself and with line-level passthrough plus crossed and uncrossed RCA inputs can fit most systems easily.
However, it lacks the chest-thumping power I like when compared to similar products (like the AR S12HO), which makes it a poor choice for very large rooms or the occasional kegger.

Price,build-quality,no ports to flub up the bass,size.

A little "pop" on and off power using the auto-on power setting,but this is minor.Best used in smaller rooms.

This sub delivers pretty tight bass,unlike other cheap subs on the market - bass more felt than heard - which means it is better for music than H.T.-use.That's fine with me! It has a gradual rolloff, and the limited low frequency range can be succesfully bolstered by using a corner placement, without making the sound boomy.B.I.C. was wise not to port this sub.A good Buy!

Similar Products Used:

Radio-Shack.Others auditioned.

clean sounding lows

constant hum at low volume, not vented/ported, no low level line outputs, "pops" when turning off/on

I am actually reviewing the BIC V-1210. I too hear the hum at low volume - when there is very little signal being sent to the unit. At low volumes I have to turn it off because that hum is so annoying to me. The pop is harsh, but just lasts a second. The lows from this unit are very clean. BUT - I would have expected a more defined output from a 12 inch driver and 170 watts..it has no "punch". In comparison, the JBL 12 inch with 250 watt amp is a monster, the walls come crashing down with that unit. But the price was right (under $200 with shipping from uBid) I actually get more punch from my 10 inch 100 watt DCM. That unit is ported (2 vents underneath) and seems to move more air. The DCM is only $200 at circuit city and it has line level outputs. Again, you get what you pay for, the JBL and the Velodyne I heard are superior sonically at twice (or more) the price.

Similar Products Used:

DCM subwoofer, JBL subwoofer

Strong low-bass output,build quality,price(uBid.com)

none...yet

I'm reviewing the BIC DV1210 powered sub. It teams a 12" long-throw sub with a 175 watt amp and it's housed in the standard black woodgrain finish. I purchased this sub two weeks ago from uBid for only $172 plus $44 shipping(ouch...those uBid shipping charges are a killer...but it was still a great deal for me). This thing really cranks out the low bass. I've got things 25 feet away from the sub in our living room rattling....and I've only got it's output level set at 4 ( it's high setting is 10) and the crossover set at 80Hz. It's bass is pretty tight(to my ears anyway). BIC's products are engineered and designed in the US (headquarters in Cleveland) but manufactured in China. I do hear it's amp pop on and off when it senses a signal(it's not offensive) but I hear very little hum. Actually, I don't hear the hum (too many concerts)...my wife does....but she hears everything anyway...if you know what I mean(LOL). She says it isn't bad at all so that counts for something! Anyway, I'm very happy with this powered sub. It pumps out the low-bass like it was designed to do and it blends well with my Aura 828M's after I made all the mandatory adjustments. It's MSRP is $500(Sound and Vision Product Guide Issue) so I feel I stole this thing on uBid. I didn't plan to buy a powered sub until after the holidays but I couldn't pass this deal up. It can usually be had for $157-$172 plus shipping on uBid. It's a great addition to any beginner-midrange Home Theater set-up. I know Velodyne and several other high-end manufacturers make a better sub but you have to take out a second mortgage to acquire them. This sub is designed for the rest of us. The general public doesn't know the BIC name so that makes it easier and cheaper to nab their products on uBid compared to other mass-market manufacturers(Infinity and JBL are prime examples). I'm not trashing those companies' products or anything but the general public is familiar with their names and that's where they usually end up buying their audio products. Overall, I'm very happy with my BIC DV1210.

Similar Products Used:

Aura LSW-828M's(Mains), Aura LSC-537M(Center Channel), and dbx Soundfield 3 x 2 Sub/Sat system(Surrounds)

Good for home theater effects

Poor build quality

I had this subwoofer for about three weeks. It's pretty solid with good low bass output. It has most of the features most budget subwoofer shoppers would want such as variable crossover, RCA and speaker level inputs and phase switch. Mine unfortunately developed a pop when automatically turning itself off, and a hum whenever it was powered on. The hum was not really audible beyond five feet or so, but the pop was. Sound quality otherwise was pretty good, but the bass was not as tight as I would like it. Despite the brand name being "BIC America", this unit was made in China.

In summary, I think that this could be a reasonably good choice in a budget SW, provided you can find a good one.