| iSub Subwoofer Reviewed by: Michael Flaminio Rating: ***** Review Date: 2.17.00 Updated: 3.3.00 Manufacturer: Harman Multimedia MSRP: $99 (US) |
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The Harman-Kardon iSub is a USB subwoofer designed for Apple's newest iMac computers.
With the iSub, iMac users can gain a greater range of audio frequencies and better
performance from the iMac's built-in speakers.
The Inside
First announced last fall, the iSub is finally making its way to market. The iSub
is designed for the newer "slot-loading" iMacs. These iMacs ship with Odyssey
speakers, which when coupled with the iSub, can create an impressive audio experience.
The iSub pumps out a thumping 20 watts with its 6-inch cone that can reach down to
44 Hz. When connected, the iMac's built in speakers nearly double its output volume.
So not only does the iSub offer an extended range of frequencies, but also better
performance out of the built-in speakers.
The iSub is interesting in that the iMac actually reroutes its audio output once
it's connected. Without the iSub, all audio in sent to the two built-in speakers.
When the iSub is connected, the iMac sends the high and midrange frequencies to the
speakers, and the low frequencies to the subwoofer.
The Outside
As interesting as the technology is, the iSub's design surpasses all that geek stuff.
The egg-shaped device sports transparent plastics, similar to the iMac. In actuality,
the iSub's most detrimental feature is probably its looks. Subwoofers are designed
to sit on the floor and resonate throughout the sound field. I suspect that users
will instead want to place the iSub next to their iMac, rather than on the floor.
My recommendation is then when the neighbors leave and its time to play some Quake,
put the iSub under the desk.
As I mentioned in the opening, the iSub was announced months ago. The iSub was actually
finalized last fall, but needed some reworking due to electronic
interference. Since the iSub is
completely transparent, there is really no opportunity to add electromagnetic shielding.
Harman-Kardon told IGM that the FCC was not happy with the original design, so more
work needed to be done. Now that these problems have been resolved, the iSub is ready
for release.
I played around with it for about a month, and in that time I took the iSub on tour.
I showed it around to a bunch of people, including loaning it to a local Apple reseller
for Demo Days. Everyone was very impressed with both its looks and sound. In fact,
I suspect that the iSub alone will sell plenty of iMac computers. It really is a
stunning design that needs to be seen and heard up close. One suggestion for Harman
would be to look into tinting the plastics or add highlights to match the iMac colors
– iMac users are spoiled that way.
Performance
The iSub runs completely on Mac OS 9. There is no additional software required. As
of publication, Mac OS 9 Audio Update 1.3 
was the latest and greatest from Apple. Settings
for the iSub are found in the Sound control panel, where a subwoofer option becomes
available when the Mac sees it. When testing, I found two minor problems with the
iSub.
As far as its USB functionality, it ran very well when connecting or disconnecting
from the iMac. Unfortunately I did notice some problems when rebooting. Occasionally
when the iSub was connected and the iMac was rebooted, the keyboard and mouse would
freeze. If I reconnected the keyboard, everything would work again. If the Mac booted
after a shut down, everything worked fine. I found that certain DVDs caused the freezing,
but I'd occasional run into a freeze for no apparent reason. One other problem dealt
with inconsistencies with the iSub's output. Occasionally the iSub would cut out
for a brief moment during extended playback. There didn't appear to be any consistency
with this problem.
For sound, I found that I could get very low frequencies with the subwoofer. It played
fairly well down to the advertised 44 Hz. I did get it to go lower, but it steadily
became less effective with lower frequencies. In contrast, without the iSub, the
iMac's built-in speakers started to get flaky below 70 Hz. I compared the iMac and
iSub with a set of much more expensive Bose multimedia speakers. The experiment proved
that great audio doesn't end with the iSub, but for its price, the iMac and iSub
offer exceptional sound quality. Probably the biggest disadvantage of this set up
is that the iMac speakers can't be rearranged to create an optimal sound field.
I tested the 
iSub with games, movies and music. Once I used the iSub for a while, it
was very strange to unplug it. Before I tried the subwoofer, I thought the iMac's
speakers were adequate, especially for their size. This perception completely changed
once the iSub was plugged in.
Conclusion
The iSub is really cool. Other than perhaps more RAM, the iSub is the best thing
you can buy for your iMac. I challenge anyone to find a better $99 sound system for
these Macs. If you play games, watch DVDs or play music, you'll want to pick up an
iSub. The biggest tragedy here is that only the newest "slot-loading" iMacs
can use this way-cool subwoofer with a stylish design.
The iSub will first be available at The Apple Store. After its debut at The Apple
Store, the iSub will make its way into the regular retail channels.
Pros: Stunning design, awesome sound and great price.
Cons: Minor glitches. Multiple colors may make a nice option.
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