The Rotel A12 is a more all-rounded and flexible integrated amplifier when compared to their older models which do not even have digital connections. The A12 is also a well-received amp that is highly praised by both critics and audiophiles for its exceptional sonic performance. As talented as the Rotel A12 can be, it has its limitations and may not be suitable for all music genres such as bass-heavy soundtracks.
For instance, the A12 amplifier power output is only at 60 Watts into 8 Ohms with all channels driven which is only good enough to drive most bookshelf speakers. We all know that stand-mounters usually aren’t the greatest when it comes to reproducing lower frequencies as they are not as impactful and deep. Floor-standing speakers are more proficient when it comes to bass performance but the Rotel A12 lacks the power to efficiently drive them. You can choose to get floor-standing speakers which are highly efficient and with high speaker sensitivity that can deliver very deep bass. Such floor-standers will be very expensive and the A12 is still not really strong enough to truly drive them.
More Details at Amazon – Rotel A12 Integrated Amplifier
There is a solution to this which is to connect an active subwoofer to your A12 integrated amp via the Pre-out. It is definitely more affordable than getting an additional power amplifier and a pair of floor-standing speakers. Furthermore, a high-quality powered subwoofer is capable of producing subterranean bass levels more efficiently and prominently. In order to find the right subwoofer, we will need to understand what are your main requirements and so let’s start with this after which we will also be listing out the best subwoofers that you can go for and partner it with your Rotel A12 integrated amplifier.
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Subwoofer Main Requirements
Allocating a budget should be the first thing to do and it is best to be an amount that you will be comfortable with. The budget you have allocated will heavily influence which subwoofers you can get. The size of your listening room will also determine how big and powerful the active subwoofer should be unless you are sitting very near to your speaker system when listening to your music and the subwoofer position will be in close proximity too.
The type of music you are listening to and what type of musical instrument is involved, for example, a church organ is capable of reproducing subterranean bass levels and you will need an equally capable subwoofer to deliver such low frequencies. If your music is not as bass-heavy and you just need the sub to help supplement the overall bass performance then you should just go for a sealed cabinet subwoofer. For bass fanatics or bass-centric music, we will suggest going with ported subwoofer.
If you are planning to watch movies using your sound system, you might also want to go with ported cabinet subwoofers as they are more proficient and has a high bass output. Ported subs usually have higher Max SPL than sealed subs. Sealed subwoofers have tighter deliveries and can render bass more accurately which makes them more suitable for music. Don’t get me wrong, sealed subwoofers are also amazing for home theater use but if you want more bass output then the ported subwoofers are the ones to go for.
These are the usual main requirements that you might want to go through before you start looking at subwoofers. Another factor that might play a part will be the size of the subwoofer itself. Your spouse may not like a bulky cabinet to be stationed in a fixed area of the room. Or you are having space constraint issues but you still need powerful and high-performance subwoofers, for such cases, you can check out Ken Kreisel and JL Audio active subwoofers. They are quite compact and can still dish out incredible bass output, not to mention, very deep bass reproduction as well.
Once you have gone through our main requirements checklist as well as your own, and you are confident in what you want then you can check out the subwoofer list we have prepared below. It is a list of the best subwoofers which you can go for and pair with your Rotel A12 integrated amplifier.
Best Subwoofers to pair with Rotel A12
The Rythmik Audio L12 is one of the best entry-level sealed subwoofers to match with your Rotel A12 integrated amp. It is a 12″ sealed cabinet sub with 300 Watts RMS power which is more than enough to handle most music genres. The Rythmik Audio L12 subwoofer uses Direct Servo technology to provide higher accuracy in bass performance as well as more efficient bass output without compromising the quality. The L12 sealed sub is exceptional for music use and is talented enough to be integrated into an HT system. If you are looking for a musical subwoofer then the Rythmik Audio L12 will be an ideal choice to partner with your Rotel A12.
The SVS PB-1000 Pro is one of the best entry-level ported subwoofers and will match well with the Rotel A12 amplifier. It is a powerful 12″ subwoofer that has up to 825 Watts of peak power, capable of handling most bass demands from any movie. PB-1000 Pro will excel in a home theater environment and is capable of delivering very deep bass of down to 17Hz (+/-3dB). This is an upgraded version of SVS PB-1000 and you can expect better sonic performance from the Pro version with its bigger driver. If your home cinematic experience is important for you then SVS PB-1000 Pro will be an excellent choice.
More Information at Amazon – SVS PB-1000 Pro Ported Sub (Black Ash)
If your music listening experience is important and that is your main entertainment, then perhaps the award-winning Rythmik Audio F12 audiophile sealed subwoofer will be the one for you. It is a 12″ sealed subwoofer with 370 Watts of RMS power. Using their coveted Direct Servo technology, the F12 is able to deliver high-quality bass that is articulate and impactful without compromising accuracy. The agility and speed of the Rythmik Audio F12 allow it to keep up with the pacing of most speakers and also the music itself. It is an incredible musical subwoofer to be paired with your Rotel A12 integrated amplifier.
For an exhilarating movie experience, the SVS PB-3000 ported subwoofer will be a fantastic choice to partner with your Rotel A12 amp. It is an extremely powerful 13″ subwoofer with up to 2500 Watts of peak power, enabling the PB-3000 to handle all sorts of bass demands. Furthermore, with its size and power, it can easily fill a large listening room with deep rumbling bass that will shake your furniture and vibrate the walls. The SVS PB-3000 is capable of delivering a low frequency of down to 16Hz, an absolutely amazing subwoofer partner for your Rotel A12 integrated amplifier.
More Information at Amazon – SVS PB-3000 (Black Ash)
The HSU Research VTF-15H MK2 is one of the best all-rounded subwoofers to pair with your Rotel A12 integrated amplifier. The Hybrid Tuning enables you to change the VTF-15H MK2 to either ported or sealed subwoofer. The versatility of the subwoofer also comes with extremely high power of up to 2000 Watts (short term) and 600 Watts RMS power. It can reach deep into the bass extension as well, down to 16Hz with 1 port open. It is a modestly priced active subwoofer with plenty of sonic performance and provides value to its users due to its flexibility.
The Rotel A12 does not have the technology to optimize the subwoofer and if this is important to you, we will suggest checking out JL Audio Fathom f112. It is an incredibly powerful high-end 12″ sealed subwoofer that has a peak power of 1500 Watts. It uses Digital Automatic Room Optimization (D.A.R.O.) to optimize the f112 subwoofer automatically so that the JL Audio subwoofer will sound its best in any given position inside your listening room. The high-quality bass performance of the JL Audio Fathom f112 will do well in a home theater environment too. It is definitely a worthy subwoofer partner for your Rotel A12 amplifier.
More Information at Amazon – JL Audio Fathom f112 12″ Subwoofer
To Sum It Up
You can also choose to go with subwoofers that are the same brand as your speakers but the powered subs mentioned here are some of the best on the market and are definitely worth your time to hear them out. It is highly recommended to listen to them first before making a decision. It is also preferable to audition these subwoofers in your own listening room because if you like what you are hearing then most probably that’s the sub for you.
